Sony A6400 Memory Card Compatibility
Two types of memory cards can be used with the Sony A6400. SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are compatible and in addition Sony PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo cards.
There’s is only space for just one memory card to be in the slot at a time. You’ll need to make a choice between a PRO Duo or SD memory card.
Sony is the owner of the PRO Duo card format. SD cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD memory cards are quite a bit faster as well as more affordable.
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- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are manufacturers that produce high-quality SD cards. The best SD cards I have owned have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards.
You do not need to buy a card from SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A6400. Look for memory cards with cool-sounding names. That will ensure you get fast read/write speeds, water resistance, and other features.
I have not run into issues with Lexar Professional or PNY Elite Performance memory cards.
The problems I have encountered with cards has been when I have used cheap no name brands. A low cost card increases the possibility of card errors or data corruption.
If you are looking to spend less, don’t buy a cheap card. You will be better off buying a high-quality card with a reduced storage capacity.
Recommended SD Cards
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Outside the Shot is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
As an eBay Partner, I may be compensated if you make a purchase. I also participate in affiliate advertising programs with KEH and Adorama. More can be found on the Affiliate Discolsure page.
- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
- Larger capacity cards are available.
- Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.
- Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
- Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.
Sony A6400 SD Card Compatibility
SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards can be used by the Sony A6400. In order to get the most performance from the A6400, use a SD card.
The latest SDUC memory cards are not compatible with the A6400.
Currently, there are four different specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards. New memory specifications increase tech that allows for larger memory capacity as well as faster read/write rates.
- Secure Digital (SD) - 128MB to 2GB.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - 4GB to 32GB.
- Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - 64GB to 2TB.
- Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - 4TB to 128TB.
SD Card Speed
The speed rating of an SD memory card is dependant on the sequential read and write speeds. Card file write speed is important for video and continuous shooting.
A slow card can cut down the number of continuous photos the Sony A6400 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the memory card fast enough.
With video, a slow SD card can cause an unexpected end to recording. The video file could also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is essential the memory card you use meets the requirements of the camera.
Read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast read speed will save you time.
Speed Class Rating
A SD card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained continuous data write speed of the card. Class 10 is the highest rating, even though SD memory cards are made that have a higher read/write speed.
Here is a list of the Classes and applicable lowest transfer rates:
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster
Nearly every SD card worth choosing for the Sony A6400 will be a Class 10 memory card. In the time period since the announcement of the camera, SD cards have gotten a good deal faster.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is available in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. The UHS bus makes it possible for increased file transfer rates.
Three separate specs exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the front of the memory card to find the UHS rating of a card. If there is aRoman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, that is going to be the UHS rating of the SD memory card.
- UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
- UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
- UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s
Sony A6400 PRO Duo Card Compatibility
The Sony A6400 is able to use one PRO-HG Duo or PRO Duo cards. PRO-HG signifies the memory card may have read speeds up to 50MB/s and a 15MB/s minimum write speed.
Sony Pro Duo memory cards are generally more expensive than an SD memory card. I would not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo card to use with your A6400 due to the fact of the price difference.
Image Capacity
Below is an approximate estimation of how many large JPEG images you can expect to store on each size of SD card.
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
- 256GB - 74,240 images
Related Cameras
At this point you have learned every aspect about SD and PRO Duo cards.