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Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

You are here: Home / Sony Alpha Mirrorless Cameras / Sony A1 / Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

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Last updated: February 26, 2021 by Timothy Mayo - Leave a Comment

The Sony a1 or Alpha 1 as it is also known, is Sony’s newest flagship camera with a stacked 50MP sensor capable of shooting up to 30 FPS and 8k video.

To keep up with the larger files and faster frame rate, the Sony a1 supports the much faster CFexpress Type A memory cards in both slots.

Fortunately UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards are also supported because CFexpress Type A cards are not cheap!

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony a1 Forum & Facebook Group

If you are looking for further help and advice on the a1 or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our new Sony A1 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then I’ve also setup the Sony A1 Shooters Group.

Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • What Memory Cards are Supported?
  • CFexpress Type-A Memory Cards+−
    • 1. CEA-G CFexpress Type-A (800/700)
  • Top 10 UHS-II Memory Cards+−
    • 1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II (300/299)
    • 2. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II (300/260)
    • 3. Lexar Professional 2000X UHS-II (300/260)
    • 4. ProGrade V90 UHS-II (300/250)
    • 5. Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (300/280)
    • 6. Transcend SD 700S UHS-II (285/180)
    • 7. Manfrotto Pro Rugged UHS-II (280/250)
    • 8. Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II (277/150)
    • 9. Sony SF-M UHS-II (277/150)
    • 10. ProGrade V60 UHS-II (250/130)
  • Top 5 UHS-I Memory Cards+−
    • 1. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I (170/90)
    • 2. Sony Professional Series UHS-I (95/90)
    • 3. SanDisk Extreme UHS-I (150/70)
    • 4. Sony Expert Series UHS-I (94/70)
    • 5. Transcend 500S UHS-I (95/60)
  • Best Memory Cards for Recording Video
  • What Size Memory Card Do You Need?
  • Memory Card Readers+−
    • ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader
    • Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II USB Memory Card Reader/Writer
  • FAQs

I have pre-ordered the Sony a1 myself and plan to speed test all of the memory cards that I own (quite a few) in-camera when it arrives.

Until then, the memory cards that I recommend in this article are based on tests that I have carried out in other Sony Alpha cameras.

What Memory Cards are Supported?

The Sony a1 supports CFexpress Type A memory cards in both slots. UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards are also supported in both card slots.

Sony a1 Memory Cards

CFexpress Type-A Memory Cards

The Sony a1 is only the second Alpha camera to support this new faster memory card, the Sony a7S III was the first. Although CFexpress is an open standard, Sony is the only manufacturer producing this type of card right now. Which they are unfortunately taking advantage of because the price is sky high!

I have heard that ProGrade also plan to produce CFexpress Type A memory cards but they are not providing a date for delivery to market at this time.

If you shoot a lot of continuous bursts and demand the fastest buffer clearing times then these are the cards that you’ll want to be using. Currently they are only available in 80 GB and 160 GB versions.

CFexpress Type A cards are supported in both slot 1 and slot 2.

1. CEA-G CFexpress Type-A (800/700)

Sony CFexpress Type A Memory Cards

The Sony CEA-G Series CFexpress Type A memory cards can write up to 700MB/s and read up to 800MB/s. This Tough version has been rigidity tested to 150 newtons to protect your card data during drops from up to 7.5 meters, this is 5 times what the CFexpress Type A standard requires. They are also IP57 rated for dust and moisture protection and should even make it through an accidental cycle in the washing machine!

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony CEA-G CFexpress Type-A

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Top 10 UHS-II Memory Cards

The Sony a1 also supports UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards. Here are my top 10 recommendations for UHS-II SD cards for the Alpha 1:

1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II (300/299)

sony a7iii sf-g tough UHS-II memory cards

The Sony SF-G Tough cards have a read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 299MB/s. They are rated v90 for video and are available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.

The Sony Tough series of memory cards are 18 times stronger than traditional SD cards, bend proof to 180N, drop-proof to 5 meters, waterproof to a depth of 5 meters for up to 72 hours (IPX8 rating) and dust proof with an IP6X rating.

Tough cards feature a one-piece ribless structure and don’t have the common lock switch, they are also X-ray proof, magnet proof, anti-static and temperature proof.

These are the fastest UHS-II SD cards that you can put in your Sony a1 at this time.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

2. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II (300/260)

SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-II Memory Cards

The SanDisk Extreme Pro cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 260MB/s. They are U3 rated (30MB/s) and SanDisk has not given them a V rating, so I don’t recommend these for 4k or 8k video. They are available in sizes from 32GB up to 128GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

3. Lexar Professional 2000X UHS-II (300/260)

Lexar Professional 2000X UHS-II

The Lexar Professional 2000X cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 260MB/s. They are rated V90 for video and are available in sizes from 32GB up to 128GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Lexar Professional 2000X

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

4. ProGrade V90 UHS-II (300/250)

ProGrade V90 UHS-II Memor Cards

The ProGrade V90 cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 250MB/s. They are rated V90 for video are available in sizes from 64GB up to 256GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for ProGrade V90 UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

5. Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (300/280)

Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 Memory Cards

The Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 UHS-II memory cards support read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and write speeds of 280 MB/s. They are also V90 rated so they guarantee a minimum write speed of 90 MB/s. They are available in sizes from 64GB up to 256GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 Memory Cards

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

6. Transcend SD 700S UHS-II (285/180)

Transcend SD 700S SD Cards

The Transcend SD 700S cards have a claimed read speed of 285MB/s and a write speed of 180MB/s. They are rated V90 for video and are available in 32GB and 64GB sizes.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Transcend SD 700S UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

7. Manfrotto Pro Rugged UHS-II (280/250)

Manfrotto Professional UHS-II SD Cards

The Manfrotto Pro Rugged cards have a claimed read speed of 280MB/s and a write speed of 250MB/s. They are rated V90 for video and are available in 64GB and 128GB sizes.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Manfrotto Professional UHS-II

At: Manfrotto

8. Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II (277/150)

Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II Memory Cards

Sony’s SF-M Tough Series are similar to the more expensive SF-G version but these are only rated V60 for video and their read time has been cut to 277MB/s and the write time to 150MB/s. They are available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

9. Sony SF-M UHS-II (277/150)

Sony SF-M UHS-II Memory Cards

Sony’s SF-M Series are identical to the SF-M Tough Series just without the added toughness so they cost a little less. The Sony SF-M cards have a claimed read speed of 277MB/s and a write speed of 150MB/s. They are rated V60 for video and are available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony SF-M UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

10. ProGrade V60 UHS-II (250/130)

ProGrade V60 UHS-II

The ProGrade V60 cards have a claimed read speed of 250MB/s and a write speed of 130MB/s. They are rated V60 for video and available in sizes from 64GB up to 256GB.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for ProGrade V60 UHS-II

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Top 5 UHS-I Memory Cards

If you don’t plan to shoot continuous bursts with your a1 then you don’t really need the faster and more expensive CFexpress Type A or even the UHS-II SD cards. You can save a small fortune by purchasing UHS-I SD cards instead.

1. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I (170/90)

SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I SD Cards

The SanDisk Extreme Pro cards have a claimed read speed of 170MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s. They are rated V30 for video.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

2. Sony Professional Series UHS-I (95/90)

Sony Professional Series UHS-I SD Cards

The Sony Professional Series cards have a claimed read speed of 95MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s. They are rated U3.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony Professional Series UHS-I

At: Amazon

3. SanDisk Extreme UHS-I (150/70)

SanDisk Extreme UHS-I SD Cards

The SanDisk Extreme cards have a claimed read speed of 150MB/s and a write speed of 70MB/s. They are rated V30 for video.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for SanDisk Extreme UHS-I (150/70)

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

4. Sony Expert Series UHS-I (94/70)

Sony Expert Series UHS-I

The Sony Expert Series cards have a claimed read speed of 94MB/s and a write speed of 70MB/s. They are rated U3.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony Expert Series UHS-I

At: Amazon

5. Transcend 500S UHS-I (95/60)

Transcend 500S UHS-I SD Cards

The Transcend 500S cards have a claimed read speed of 95MB/s and a write speed of 60MB/s. They are rated V30 for video.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Transcend 500S UHS-I

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Best Memory Cards for Recording Video

The Sony a1 supports both 4k and 8k video recording. However, even with the fastest bitrate of 400Mbps you’ll only need a v60 rated SD card.

If you want to use S&Q mode then you will need a CFexpress Type A memory card when the frame rate is 120 (100) fps or higher.

When I receive my own a1 I’ll be testing many of the cards included in this guide with various video settings to verify that they do indeed work with the Sony a1, as it’s not always the case despite what they might say on the label.

What Size Memory Card Do You Need?

If you will be shooting a lot of continuous bursts then you will probably want to use at least a 128GB UHS-II card. For CFexpress you can only choose between 80GB and 160GB right now, and they are very expensive.

If you are not shooting long continuous bursts then you’ll probably be fine with 32GB or 64GB cards, and you certainly won’t need the faster CFexpress Type A cards.

For shooting video the size of memory card will depend largely on the format that you are recording in. Or you may be using an external recorder anyway so this won’t be so important.

Memory Card Readers

If you want to read any of the above cards to your computer then you are also going to need a compatible memory card reader for the card that you are using. Here are a few options:

Sony MRW-G2 CFExpress Type-A Card Reader

Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress Type A/SD Memory Card Reader

The Sony MRW-G2 supports both CFexpress Type A cards as well as a SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, along with transfer speeds of up to 10 Gb/s via USB 3.1 Gen 2. Both USB Type-C to Type-C and USB Type-C to Type-A cables are included.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony MRW-G2

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader

The ProGrade Digital reader is a little cheaper than the Sony MRW-G2 but has basically the same specs. It has one CFexpress Type A slot and one UHS-II SDXC slot, and also support up to 10 Gb/s via USB 3.2 Gen 2 to deliver transfer speeds of up to 1.25 GB/s, or 1250 MB/s via its USB Type-C interface. It includes USB Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Reader

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II USB Memory Card Reader/Writer

sony mrw-s1 uhs-ii reader for a7iii

If you don’t plan on using CFexpress Type A cards then you can save a lot of money by purchasing Sony’s MRW-S1 UHS-II USB SD Card Reader/Writer instead. It can read/write to UHS-II SD Cards via a USB 3.1 interface and is backward compatible with UHS-I SD cards. The MRW-S1 together with Sony SF-G cards can transfer files to and from your computer around 2.6x faster than UHS-I SD cards.

Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony MRW-S1

At: Amazon | B&H Photo

FAQs

What memory cards are supported in the Sony a1?

The Sony a1 supports CFexpress Type A memory cards in both slots. UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards are also supported in both card slots but not at the same time as CFexpress Type A cards.

Why are CFexpress Type A cards so expensive?

Because currently Sony is the only company making them, there is no competition so they can charge what they like, and they are doing exactly this. Hopefully this will be a different story sooner rather than later as other companies also start producing these cards.

This guide will be updated when I have the Sony a1 in my hands and can actually test the cards in camera. It will also be updated as and when new memory cards are available. Hopefully we will see some CFexpress Type A cards coming to market from other vendors and not just Sony, otherwise they will remain overpriced as they are now, especially in comparison to CFexpress Type B cards.

Pre-order the Sony A1

At: Amazon | B&H Photo | Adorama | Focus Camera | Wex Photo UK

Helpful Sony A1 Resources

Sony A1 Lenses Guide

Sony A1 Lenses Guide – Which Lenses Support 30 FPS?

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Memory Card Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony A1 Battery and Charger Guide

Sony a1 reviews

Sony A1 – Early Review Round-up

Sony a1 vs a9ii

Sony A1 vs A9 II – The Key Differences

Sony A1 vs A7R IV

Sony A1 vs A7R IV – The Key Differences

Sony A1 Manual

Sony A1 User Manual + Online Help

Sony a1 Forum & Facebook Group

If you are looking for further help and advice on the a1 or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our new Sony A1 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then I’ve also setup the Sony A1 Shooters Group.

Sony Alpha Forum

About Timothy Mayo

I love shooting wildlife the most but will happily point my camera at pretty much anything. I started Alpha Shooters in 2017 to share my own photographic journey and experiences shooting with Sony Alpha. The site has since evolved into a popular community and resource. You can also find out more about my story here or follow me on Instagram if you wish. I also have a YouTube Channel but haven't published much content over the past year due to spending more time changing smelly nappies and also launching our community forums. However, I do plan to get back to creating content for YouTube in 2021!

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