Best Sony A7RII SD Memory Cards

The Sony A7RII can use any SD card 2TB or smaller. Any card with UHS-I will be fast enough. Do not buy a UHS-II card.

Older, smaller capacity cards, can be too slow to record video.

It can also use PRO Duo Memory Sticks, but those have been discontinued.

The camera only has a single memory card slot. You will need to choose between a PRO Duo or SD card.

Sony created and owns the PRO Duo format. SD cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD memory cards are appreciably faster as well as being more affordable.

Sony A7 SD Card Compatibility

There are four different types of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. Newer cards have larger capacities and faster transfer speeds.

The most recent SDUC cards are not compatible with the A7.

• 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

Speed ratings of an SD memory card is dependant on the sequential read and write speeds. SD memory card continuous write speed is very important for video in addition to continuous shooting.

Slows cards can decrease the number of continuous photos the Sony A7RII can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the memory card quickly enough.

When shooting video, a slow memory card can cause an unexpected end to recording. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is critical the SD card you use meets the required minimum continuous write speed for video.

Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will cut down on the time it takes the transfer to finish.

Speed Class Rating

A memory card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained write speed of the card. Class 10 is the top rating, even though memory cards are made that have a faster read/write speed.

Here you can see all of the Classes and their associated minimum read/write speeds:

• Class 2 - 2MB/s
• Class 4 - 4MB/s
• Class 6 - 6MB/s
• Class 8 - 8MB/s
• Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster

Any memory card worth buying for the Sony A7RII will be a Class 10 card. In the time period since the announcement of the camera, Cards have gotten much faster.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. The UHS bus memory cards to achieve faster read and write speeds.

Three separate specifications exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

You can find out the rating of a memory card by examining the front of the memory card. If there is aRoman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD card, that is the UHS rating of your SD 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 A7RII PRO Duo Card Compatibility

One PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo cards can be used in the Sony A7RII. What PRO-HG signifies is that the memory card has a minimum read speed of 50mb/s and a 15mb/s minimum write speed.

You will have to hand over more money to get a PRO Duo card than a similar SD memory card. Considering the price difference, I will not recommend purchasing a PRO Duo card for use in a A7RII.

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

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Recommended SD Cards

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card

• 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.

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card

• 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.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card

• 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.