The Sony a7IV adds support for the much faster CFexpress Type-A cards in one of its two memory card slots.
However, CFexpress Type-A cards are not cheap! Read on to find out if you really need them and also which memory cards I recommend for the Sony a7IV mirrorless camera.
Sony A7 IV Forum & Facebook Group
If you are looking for further help and advice on the a7 IV or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our Sony a7 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then we also run the Sony a7 IV Shooters Group.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- What Memory Cards are Supported?
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)
- Memory Cards for Recording Video
- Memory Cards for S&Q Motion Shooting
- What Size Memory Card Do You Need?
- How Many Images Can Be Recorded on a Memory Card?
- Movie Record Times
- FAQs
I’ve recently received delivery of my a7IV and will be speed testing all of the memory cards that I own (quite a few) in-camera soon. This will give me the most accurate idea as to which memory cards perform best in the a7IV and offer the best value for money.
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 that I own.
What Memory Cards are Supported?
The Sony a7IV has two memory card slots, here are the cards that each slot supports:
- Slot 1: CFexpress Type A and UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards
- Slot 2: Only UHS-I and UHS-II (SDHC/SDXC) SD cards
CFexpress Type-A Memory Cards
The Sony a7IV joins both the Sony a1 and the Sony a7SIII by adding support for the faster CFexpress Type-A memory cards. Unlike the a1 and a7SIII however, only one of the memory card slots supports the faster cards. At this time only Sony and ProGrade are manufacturing these cards, so unfortunately they are not cheap!
If you shoot a lot of continuous bursts and require the fastest buffer clearing time possible, then you’ll probably want to purchase the faster CFexpress Type-A Cards. If you don’t shoot many continuous bursts and don’t require the fastest possible buffer clearing times, then the much cheaper UHS-II cards will meet your needs.
If you want to shoot in S&Q Mode with the file format XAVC S-I 4k, a record frame rate of 25p and a frame rate of 50fps (2x slow motion) then you will need a CFexpress Type A card.
Important Note: Please also don’t confuse these cards with CFexpress Type-B Cards, these are much larger and are not compatible with the a7IV. Only Type-A Cards are supported in the a7IV.
1. CEA-G CFexpress Type-A (800/700)
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! There are 80GB and 160GB cards available.
I’ve tested both the 80GB and 160GB versions in my a7IV and they work perfectly. Speed tests will be coming soon.
2. ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Cobalt (800/700)
The ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Cobalt Memory Card can write up 700MB/s and read up to 800MB/s just like the Sony cards. Although not as tough as the Sony cards the metal enclosure/encasement has been designed to endure high temperatures while providing better thermal conductivity. The only capacity available is currently 160GB.
I have tested this card in my a7IV and it works perfectly and is extremely fast. Speed tests will be coming soon.
Price Check & Buyer Reviews for ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Cobalt
At: Amazon | B&H Photo
Top 10 UHS-II Memory Cards
There’s really no need to fork out for the expensive CFexpress Type-A Cards if you won’t be taking advantage of them, because the Sony a7IV also supports UHS-I and UHS-II memory cards in both memory card slots. Here are my top 10 recommendations for UHS-II SD cards for the a7IV:
1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II (300/299)
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.
I’ve tested these cards in my a7 IV and although newer versions work fine, there are issues with some older versions. Please read the following important note:
Very Important Note: Old versions of these cards do not work with the a7 IV. I get a message that says: “Unable to use Memory Card. Slot 1″. Sony has a replacement program for older versions of these cards due to VSC mode (Video Speed Class) issues where recorded footage on the card may be damaged or may not be recorded optimally. I have three cards that I never got around to sending back that don’t work at all in the a7 IV, but work fine in all of my other Sony cameras. New cards purchased from the second half of 2020 should not be affected, and my cards purchased this year work fine. You can find out if your cards are affected by checking this article.
2. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II (300/260)
The SanDisk Extreme Pro cards have a claimed read speed of 300MB/s and a write speed of 260MB/s. They are V90 rated and available in sizes from 32GB up to 256GB.
I’ve tested these cards in my a7 IV and they work fine, but please see the following important note:
Very Important Note: Older versions of this card are not V90 rated and therefore will not work in certain video modes. See the video section of this guide for details on which video file formats require V90 rated cards.
3. Lexar Professional 2000X UHS-II (300/260)
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.
I have tested these cards in my a7 IV and they work fine. Speeds tests will be coming soon.
4. ProGrade V90 UHS-II (300/250)
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.
5. Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 (300/280)
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.
I have tested these cards in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they don’t work when the file format is set to XAVC S-I 4K or XAVC S-I HD the first time I used them, but all times after they have worked fine which is a little odd, as V90 cards should support these file formats.
6. Transcend SD 700S UHS-II (285/180)
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.
7. Manfrotto Pro Rugged UHS-II (280/250)
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’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.
I’ve tested these cards in my a7 IV and although newer versions work fine, there are issues with some older versions. Please read the following important note:
Very Important Note: Old versions of these cards do not work with the a7 IV. I get a message that says: “Unable to use Memory Card. Slot 1″. Sony has a replacement program for older versions of these cards due to VSC mode (Video Speed Class) issues where recorded footage on the card may be damaged or may not be recorded optimally. I have three cards that I never got around to sending back that don’t work at all in the a7 IV, but work fine in all of my other Sony cameras. New cards purchased from the second half of 2020 should not be affected, and my cards purchased this year work fine. You can find out if your cards are affected by checking this article.
9. Sony SF-M UHS-II (277/150)
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.
I’ve tested these cards in my a7 IV and although newer versions work fine, there are issues with some older versions. Please read the following important note:
Very Important Note: Old versions of these cards do not work with the a7 IV. I get a message that says: “Unable to use Memory Card. Slot 1″. Sony has a replacement program for older versions of these cards due to VSC mode (Video Speed Class) issues where recorded footage on the card may be damaged or may not be recorded optimally. I have three cards that I never got around to sending back that don’t work at all in the a7 IV, but work fine in all of my other Sony cameras. New cards purchased from the second half of 2020 should not be affected, and my cards purchased this year work fine. You can find out if your cards are affected by checking this article.
10. ProGrade V60 UHS-II (250/130)
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.
Top 5 UHS-I Memory Cards
The a7IV does also support the slower UHS-I memory cards. So if you are not shooting a lot of continuous bursts and filling the buffer quickly, you can save a few extra dollars by purchasing these cheaper cards instead.
1. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I (170/90)
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.
I have tested these in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they work fine for file formats that don’t require V60 or higher rated cards. See the video section of this guide for further details on card ratings.
2. Sony Professional Series UHS-I (95/90)
The Sony Professional Series cards have a claimed read speed of 95MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s. They are rated U3.
I have tested these in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they work fine for file formats that don’t require V60 or higher rated cards. See the video section of this guide for further details on card ratings.
Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony Professional Series UHS-I
At: Amazon
3. SanDisk Extreme UHS-I (150/70)
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.
I have tested these in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they work fine for file formats that don’t require V60 or higher rated cards. See the video section of this guide for further details on card ratings.
4. Sony Expert Series UHS-I (94/70)
The Sony Expert Series cards have a claimed read speed of 94MB/s and a write speed of 70MB/s. They are rated U3.
I have tested these in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they work fine for file formats that don’t require V60 or higher rated cards. See the video section of this guide for further details on card ratings.
Price Check & Buyer Reviews for Sony Expert Series UHS-I
At: Amazon
5. Transcend 500S UHS-I (95/60)
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.
I have tested these in my a7 IV for stills and they work fine. For video they work fine for file formats that don’t require V60 or higher rated cards. See the video section of this guide for further details on card ratings.
Memory Card Readers
If you decide to purchase a CFexpress Type-A card or a UHS-II card, then you will also need a compatible memory card reader unless you connect your a7IV directly to your computer. Here are some of the options available.
Sony MRW-G2 CFExpress Type-A 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.
ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader
The ProGrade Digital reader has basically the same specs as the Sony MRW-G2 reader but comes at a cheaper price. 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.
Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II USB Memory Card Reader/Writer
The Sony MRW-S1 UHS-II USB SD Card Reader/Writer can read/write to UHS-II SD Cards via a USB 3.1 interface and is backward compatible with UHS-I SD cards. The Sony MRW-S1 used together with Sony SF-G cards will transfer files to and from your computer around 2.6x faster than UHS-I SD cards.
Memory Cards for Recording Video
The Sony a7IV supports a number of different movie recording formats. The format that you choose to record in will determine the memory cards that you use. Here’s a list or supported recording formats and compatible memory cards for the a7IV.
| File Format | Maximum Recordable Bit Rate | Supported Memory Card |
|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 200Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card SDHC/SDXC card (U3/V30 or higher) * |
| XAVC S 4K | 200Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card SDHC/SDXC card (U3/V30 or higher) * |
| XAVC S HD | 100Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card SDHC/SDXC card (U3/V30 or higher) * |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 600Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher |
| XAVC S-I HD | 222Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher |
Memory Cards for S&Q Motion Shooting
Here you can find a list of supported recording formats and compatible memory cards for S&Q motion shooting with the a7IV.
You will only require a CFexpress Type-A card when shooting in S&Q Mode with the file format set to XAVC S-I 4k, a record frame rate of 25p and a frame rate of 50fps (2x slow motion).
| File Format | Maximum Recordable Bit Rate | Supported Memory Card |
|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 200Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher |
| XAVC S 4K | 200Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher |
| XAVC S HD | 100Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card SDHC/SDXC card (U3/V30 or higher) *1 |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 600Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher *2 |
| XAVC S-I HD | 222Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher |
*1 When [Rec Frame Rate] is set to [30p]/[25p]/[24p], [Frame Rate] is set to [120fps]/[100fps], and the recordable bit rate is set to 50 Mbps, an SDXC card (V60 or higher) or a CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) is required.
*2 When [Rec Frame Rate] is set to [30p]/[25p]/[24p] and [Frame Rate] is set to [60fps]/[50fps] for slow-motion recording, a CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) is required.
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 card. For CFexpress you can only choose between 80GB and 160GB right now.
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.
The following tables will help you to better understand what size cards you need.
How Many Images Can Be Recorded on a Memory Card?
The table below shows the approximate number of images that can be recorded on a memory card formatted in the a7IV when using a Sony memory card with the aspect ratio set to 3:2 and JPEG/HEIF size set to L:33M.
The values may vary depending on the shooting conditions and the type of memory card used.
| File Format | 64GB SD | 128GB SD | 80GB CF | 160GB CF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG Light | 9000 | 20000 | 11000 | 23000 |
| JPEG Standard | 6800 | 13000 | 7900 | 16000 |
| JPEG Fine | 4800 | 9600 | 5600 | 11000 |
| JPEG Extra fine | 2300 | 4700 | 2700 | 5500 |
| HEIF Light | 14000 | 29000 | 16000 | 33000 |
| HEIF Standard | 10000 | 21000 | 12000 | 25000 |
| HEIF Fine | 7800 | 15000 | 9000 | 18000 |
| HEIF Extra fine | 5400 | 10000 | 6300 | 12000 |
| RAW & JPEG (Compressed RAW) *2 | 1000 | 2200 | 1200 | 2500 |
| RAW & HEIF (Compressed RAW) *2 | 1200 | 2400 | 1300 | 2800 |
| RAW (Compressed RAW) | 1400 | 2800 | 1600 | 3300 |
| RAW & JPEG (Lossless Compressed) *2 | 1000 | 2000 | 1100 | 2300 |
| RAW & HEIF (Lossless Compressed) *2 | 1100 | 2200 | 1200 | 2500 |
| RAW (Lossless Compressed) | 1200 | 2600 | 1500 | 3000 |
| RAW & JPEG (Uncompressed RAW) *2 | 660 | 1300 | 770 | 1500 |
| RAW & HEIF (Uncompressed RAW) *2 | 690 | 1300 | 810 | 1600 |
| RAW (Uncompressed RAW) | 760 | 1500 | 890 | 1700 |
Movie Record Times
The table below shows the approximate total recording times using a Sony memory card formatted in the Sony a7IV. The values may vary depending on the shooting conditions and the type of memory card used.
| File Format | Rec Frame Rate | Record Setting | 64GB SD | 128GB SD | 80GB CF | 160GB CF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 200M | 35 min | 1 h 10 min | 40 min | 1 h 20 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 150M | 45 min | 1 h 30 min | 55 min | 1 h 50 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 100M | 1 h 10 min | 2 h 20 min | 1 h 20 min | 2 h 40 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 75M | 1 h 30 min | 3 h | 1 h 40 min | 3 h 40 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 45M | 2 h 20 min | 4 h 50 min | 2 h 40 min | 5 h 40 min |
| XAVC S 4K | 60p/50p | 200M | 35 min | 1 h 10 min | 40 min | 1 h 20 min |
| XAVC S 4K | 60p/50p | 150M | 45 min | 1 h 30 min | 55 min | 1 h 50 min |
| XAVC S HD | 60p/50p | 50M | 2 h 10 min | 4 h 20 min | 2 h 30 min | 5 h 10 min |
| XAVC S HD | 60p/50p | 25M | 3 h 50 min | 7 h 50 min | 4 h 30 min | 9 h 10 min |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 60p | 600M | 10 min | 25 min | 10 min | 25 min |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 50p | 500M | 10 min | 30 min | 15 min | 30 min |
| XAVC S-I HD | 60p | 222M | 30 min | 1 h | 35 min | 1h 10 min |
| XAVC S-I HD | 50p | 185M | 35 min | 1 h 20 min | 45 min | 1h 30 min |
FAQs
The Sony a7IV supports CFexpress Type A memory cards in slot 1 only. UHS-I and UHS-II SD cards are also supported in both slot 1 and slot 2.
I know there are many more memory card options available, I’ve selected the ones here based on my own in-camera tests and experience. If you are using a different card please let me know in the comments below. And if you have any questions whatsoever please also drop them in the comments below.
Sony A7 IV Forum & Facebook Group
If you are looking for further help and advice on the a7 IV or would simply like to share your photos and videos, then please head over to our Sony a7 Forum. If you prefer Facebook then we also run the Sony a7 IV Shooters Group.
Check Price & Buyer Reviews for the Sony A7 IV
At: Amazon | B&H Photo | Adorama | Wex Photo UK
Hey Tim, you didn’t mention 24fps and 25fps. Are these frame rates supported? If yes, how long can one expect to shoot for at 200mbps and 100mbps on a 128gb USH-II card?
Thanks for the information. If I buffer the same photo file format to a CFe card in slot 1 and a UHS-ii card in slot 2 at the same time, will the clear speed be slowed down to the speed of the UHS-ii card?
Hi Jake. Although I wouldn’t like to confirm 100 percent until I’ve tested this myself, this will most likely be the case I’m afraid. So if you want to shoot simultaneously to both slots then you will be limited by the maximum speed of the UHS-II card in slot 2. In which case there is little benefit to using a CFexpress Card in Slot 1 other than faster read times when copying files from this card. This is how it works now with the a7III when you shoot simultaneously to both slots, if you put a UHS-II card in slot 1 and a UHS-I card in slot 2, you are restricted by the slower card. That said, the a7 IV has such a large buffer and you can also still access the menu items whilst the buffer is being written to, so you may not even need a CFexpress card anyway.
Thanks for the reply! I think a previous comment didn’t show up. Anyways, I think it would be a hefty investment for you to test out the CFe card, but that would be great!
By the way, did you ever go and test out Kingston cards? Just curious from reading a comment on one of your Youtube videos.
They definitely aren’t the cheapest cards and this probably won’t change anytime soon with only Sony and ProGrade making them right now 🙁 I’d much rather Sony use the CFexpress Type B cards that Canon is using in the R5, they are both faster and cheaper. I do have a Kingston card now but haven’t had chance to test it yet, it is on my to-do list though.
Hey Timothy,
Ultimately if you don’t use a CFExpress Type A card, what features are you loosing with this camera? I have heard the max will be 10fps and maybe some kind of higher video quality? Can you still shoot 4K 60p without it? It’s been difficult to find this exact information.
Hi Brandon. Thanks for your comment! I believe the only feature that you would not be able to take advantage of would be S&Q Mode with XAVC S-I 4K 600Mbps when the [Rec Frame Rate] is set to 30p/25p/24p and [Frame Rate] set to 60fps/50fps for slow-motion recording, this is the only time that a CFexpress Type A memory card is required. At least it is according to the Sony a7 IV Online Help Guide. A lot of the information from the article can be found there. Here’s the link: https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2110/v1/en/contents/TP0002911140.html – Although I’ll also be testing this myself when my own a7 IV turns up just to be sure it’s correct. You can certainly still shoot stills at 10fps with just an SD card. If you shoot in 4k 60p and select the most demanding format (XAVC S-I 4K (600Mbps) you can still either use either an SDXC V90 rated SD card or a CFexpress Type A card. I hope that helps!
Thanks for this. I will use your links to buy. Is there any benefit to the type A cards for video on the a7iv?
Hey Matt. The only benefit to using the CFexpress Type A cards for video would be for their faster read speeds when copying files from them. Even if you shoot in XAVC S-I 4K and 60fps (600M 4:2:2 10bit) you’ll only need a v90 rated SDXC UHS-II card. Hope that helps and thanks for using the links! 🙂
Hi again Matt. Sorry I forgot to mention the S&Q Mode. So if you are shooting in S&Q Mode with XAVC S-I 4K 600Mbps and the [Rec Frame Rate] is set to 30p/25p/24p and [Frame Rate] is set to 60fps/50fps for slow-motion recording, then this is the only time that a CFexpress Type A memory card is required. I’ve added some further details to the article on the memory cards required for each setting.