In this guide you’ll find complete details on all of the memory cards supported by the Sony FX30 including our recommended cards based on actual in-camera tests.
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Quick In-Camera Write Speed Comparison
I’ve not yet had the opportunity to test the Sony FX30. Therefore the following results are based on my Sony A1 and A7IV in-camera tests.
Best CFexpress Type A Memory Cards for Sony FX30
Below you’ll find the results from my Sony A1 Memory Card Guide where I have tested CFexpress Type-A cards in camera to get a more accurate idea of their write speeds.
| CFexpress Type A Memory Card | CFexpress Standard | * Max Burst | Buffer Clearing Time * | Price Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angelbird AV PRO SE | 2.0 | 91 | 10.25s | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK |
| Delkin Devices BLACK 4.0 | 4.0 | 88 | 10.75s | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK |
| Angelbird AV PRO 4.0 | 4.0 | 88 | 10.85s | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK |
| Lexar Professional Gold Series | 2.0 | 88 | 10.85s | Amazon | B&H |
| OWC Atlas Pro 4.0 | 4.0 | 88 | 10.85s | Amazon | B&H |
| Lexar Professional Silver Series | 2.0 | 88 | 10.85s | Amazon |
| ProGrade Digital 4.0 Iridium | 4.0 | 88 | 10.85s | Amazon | B&H |
| Delkin Devices BLACK 2.0 | 2.0 | 89 | 11.05s | Memory Wolf UK |
| Delkin Devices POWER | 2.0 | 89 | 11.05s | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK |
| Sony CEA-G Tough | 2.0 | 87 | 11.45s | Amazon | B&H |
| ProGrade Digital Cobalt | 2.0 | 87 | 11.46s | Obsolete |
| Nextorage NX-A1PRO | 2.0 | 87 | 11.46s | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK |
| Pergear Standard | 2.0 | 85 | 12.11s | Amazon |
| Sony CEA-M Tough | 2.0 | 83 | 13.68s | Amazon | B&H |
| ProGrade Digital 2.0 Gold | 2.0 | 89 | 16.18s | Amazon | B&H |
| Exascend Essential | 2.0 | 89 | 16.35s | Amazon |
| Pergear Prime | 2.0 | 87 | 16.95s | Amazon |
| Pergear Master 4.0 | 4.0 | 86 | 16.64s | Amazon |
| Nextorage NX-A1SE | 2.0 | 76 | 19.45s | Amazon | Memory Wolf UK |
| Nextorage NX-A2SE | 4.0 | 73 | 22.45s | Amazon |
| Lexar Professional GOLD 4.0 | 4.0 | TBT | TBT | Amazon | B&H |
| Novachips Extreme 4.0 | 4.0 | TBT | TBT | Amazon |
| Novachips Express 4.0 | 4.0 | TBT | TBT | Amazon |
| Wise Advanced 4.0 | 4.0 | TBT | TBT | B&H |
Best UHS-II SD Memory Cards for Sony FX30
These tests were done using my Sony A7 IV. Unlike the CFexpress cards you will hit the buffer when using UHS-II cards.
| Memory Card | Price Check | Max Burst | Buffer Clearing Time * | Video Speed Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delkin Devices BLACK V90 | B&H | Memory Wolf UK | 23 | 4.30s | V90 |
| Sony SF-G Tough | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.30s | V90 |
| Delkin Devices POWER | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK | 23 | 4.30s | V90 |
| SanDisk Extreme Pro | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.30s | V90 |
| OWC Atlas Ultra | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.31s | V90 |
| Nextorage NX-F2PRO V90 | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.31s | V90 |
| Lexar Professional 2000X | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.32s | V90 |
| Kingston Canvas React Plus | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK | 23 | 4.40s | V90 |
| ProGrade V90 | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.45s | V90 |
| Integral UltimaPro X2 | Amazon | 23 | 4.48s | V90 |
| PNY X-PRO 90 | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.49s | V90 |
| Exascend Catalyst | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.60s | V90 |
| Angelbird AV Pro Mk 2 V90 | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK | 23 | 4.65s | V90 |
| Transcend SD 700S | Amazon | B&H | 23 | 4.65s | V90 |
| Nextorage NX-F2SE V60 | Amazon | B&H | 20 | 5.45s | V60 |
| Sony SF-M Tough | Amazon | B&H | 17 | 6.81s | V60 |
| Sony SF-M | Amazon | B&H | 17 | 6.81s | V60 |
| ProGrade V60 | Amazon | B&H | 17 | 7.13s | V60 |
| Angelbird AV Pro MK2 V60 | Amazon | B&H | Memory Wolf UK | 15 | 10.15s | V60 |
| Sony SF-E | Amazon | B&H | 15 | 13.03s | V30 |
| Lexar Professional 1667X | Amazon | B&H | 15 | 14.01s | V30 |
Sony FX30 Price Check at: B&H Photo
Which Memory Cards are Compatible?
The Sony FX30 supports the following memory cards in both of its two slots:
- CFexpress Type A memory cards
- SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
Although each memory card slot supports both type of card, you can only insert one into the slot.
Supported Memory Cards for Movies
Sony FX30 movie recording formats and compatible memory cards are detailed in the table below.
| File Format | Maximum Recordable Bitrate | Supported Memory Cards |
|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 280Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher |
| XAVC S 4K | 280Mbps | 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 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 |
Supported Memory Cards for S&Q Motion
The FX30 will require a CFexpress Type-A memory card if you want to shoot in S&Q Mode with the file format XAVC S-I 4K and slow-motion recording, or XAVC S-I HD when the frame rate is set to [240fps]/[200fps].
| File Format | Maximum Recordable Bitrate | Supported Memory Cards |
|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 500Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher*1 |
| XAVC S 4K | 560Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher*1 |
| XAVC S HD | 500Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V60 or higher*2 |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 1200Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher*3 |
| XAVC S-I HD | 890Mbps | CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) SDXC V90 or higher*4 |
*1 When [Frame Rate] is set to [120fps]/[100fps], you may need an SDXC V90 memory card.
*2 When [Frame Rate] is set to [240fps]/[200fps], you may need an SDXC V90 memory card.
*3 For slow-motion recording, a CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) is required.
*4 When [Frame Rate] is set to [240fps]/[200fps], a CFexpress Type A memory card (VPG200 or higher) is required.
Important Memory Card Notes
- When shooting a proxy movie, a higher-speed memory card may be required.
- CFexpress Type B memory cards cannot be used.
- When an SDHC memory card is used to record an XAVC S movie over extended periods of time, the recorded movies will be divided into files 4 GB in size.
- When recording a movie on memory cards in both the Slot 1 and the Slot 2, insert two memory cards with the same file system. Movies cannot be recorded simultaneously when using a combination of the exFAT file system and FAT32 file system.
What Size Memory Card Do You Need?
For video you’ll probably want to go with the largest memory card that you can afford or use an external recorder. The following table will help you to better understand what size cards you will need.
Movie Record Times
The table below shows the approximate total recording times using a Sony Tough memory card formatted in the Sony FX30. Values may vary depending on the shooting conditions and the type of memory card used.
| File Format | Record Frame Rate | Record Setting | 64GB SD | 128GB SD | 80GB CF | 160GB CF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 200M | 30 min | 1h 10 min min | 40 min | 1 h 20 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 150M | 45 min | 1 h 30 min | 50 min | 1 h 40 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 100M | 1 h | 2 h 10 min | 1 h 15 min | 2 h 30 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 75M | 1 h 20 min | 2h 50 min | 1 h 35 min | 3 h 10 min |
| XAVC HS 4K | 60p/50p | 45M | 2 h | 4 h 10 min | 2 h 20 min | 4 h 50 min |
| XAVC S 4K | 60p/50p | 200M | 30 min | 1 h 10 min | 40 min | 1 h 20 min |
| XAVC S 4K | 60p/50p | 150M | 45 min | 1 h 30 min | 50 min | 1 h 40 min |
| XAVC S HD | 60p/50p | 50M | 1 h 50 min | 3 h 50 min | 2 h 10 min | 4 h 30 min |
| XAVC S HD | 60p/50p | 25M | 3 h | 6 h 10 min | 3 h 30 min | 7 h 10 min |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 60p/50p | 600M | 10 min | 25 min | 10 min | 25 min |
| XAVC S-I 4K | 60p/50p | 500M | 10 min | 30 min | 15 min | 35 min |
| XAVC S-I HD | 60p/50p | 222M | 30 min | 1 h 5 min | 35 min | 1 h 15 min |
| XAVC S-I HD | 60p/50p | 185M | 35 min | 1 h 15 min | 40 min | 1 h 30 min |
Memory Card Readers
Unless you prefer to copy files to your computer via USB-C then you will require a card reader. 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 one CFexpress Type A slot and one UHS-II SDXC slot. Like the Sony above it supports 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
If you won’t be using CFexpress Type-A cards then you only really need Sony’s MRW-S1 UHS-II USB SD Card Reader/Writer. It can read/write to UHS-II SD Cards via a USB 3.1 interface and is backward compatible with UHS-I SD cards.
Summary
Unless you are going to be shooting in S&Q mode with the file format XAVC S-I 4K and slow-motion recording, or XAVC S-I HD when the frame rate is set to [240fps]/[200fps], then you won’t require an CFexpress Type-A card.
The Nextorage NX-A1PRO CFexpress Type A (Amazon) was comfortably the fastest of the CFexpress Type-A cards in my A1 tests. It allowed me to shoot up to 409 uncompressed RAW shots before hitting the buffer and cleared it in around 6.48s seconds.
The next fastest CFexpress Type A card was the Delkin Devices BLACK CFexpress Type A 4.0 (Amazon | B&H Photo | Memory Wolf UK). It allowed me to shoot up to 357 uncompressed RAW shots before hitting the buffer and cleared it in around 6.66s seconds.
The Delkin Black card is also CFexpress 4.0 which means you’ll benefit from the faster read speeds when copying files to your computer, that’s providing you are using a 4.0 card reader.
If you are thinking about using a UHS-II SDXC card in the FX30 then the Delkin Devices BLACK V90 or Sony SF-G Tough V90 are both very good premium options. The SanDisk Extreme Pro and OWC Atlas Ultra are very good mid-range cards.
I found all the information about this camera here, bravo!