Best Memory Cards for Sony a9

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Searching for the best SD memory cards for Sony a9? Here is the guide for you to get the top recommended & fastest SD cards for Sony a9 mirrorless camera.

The Sony a9 has two SD memory card slots: The card slot 1 supports ultra-fast UHS-II SD cards while the Card Slot 2 is compatible with UHS-I SD cards. That means that if you want the best performance from your Sony a9 mirrorless camera, you should buy one fast UHS-II card and one UHS-I card. Making use of a 24.2MP full-frame Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor and BIONZ X image processor, the Sony a9 (Amazon, B&H, Adorama) is capable of continuous shooting at up to 20 fps, recording UHD 4K video internally, and shooting with an expanded sensitivity range to ISO 204,800.

So, in order to get the ultra high read speeds (transfer speed) and write speeds (fast buffer clearing time) to get the best out of the professional-level Sony a9 camera, some fast enough and reliable SD memory cards are your best choice, especially when you are shooting in the continuous mode or recording 4K videos. Below are our top recommended & fastest SD cards for Sony a9 mirrorless camera based on the speed and price. Just choose the one you like!

Recommended SD Memory Cards for Sony a9

If you just want to cut to the chase, here are some quick recommendations.

UHS-II SD Cards:

1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90) – Fastest UHS-II SD Card

2. Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90)

3. Sony SF-G UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)

4. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)

UHS-I SD Cards:

1. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I SDXC Card 170 MB/s (V30, U3)  – Fastest UHS-I SD Card

2. SanDisk Extreme UHS-I SDXC Card (V30, U3)

Best UHS-II SD Memory Cards for Sony a9

1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90) – Fastest UHS-II SD Card

Highly recommended! If you want to shoot a lot of sports and action photography, as well as the DCI and UHD 4K recording, a fast UHS-II SD card is a must for you! Want the fastest UHS-II SD cards with a V90 rating? The Sony SF-G Tough Series UHS-II Memory Cards are the top choice offering maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 299 MB/s, available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities. Thanks to its V90 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 90 MB/s. So, if you are seeking the highest write speed with a V90 rating as well as extremely high 250-300MB/s read speeds for transferring photos from the card to a computer, this is the recommended cards for you.

Buy Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II SDXC Cards: at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

2. Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90) – Best Value

Highly recommended and Best Value! With maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 260 MB/s, the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II card offers the super fast speeds for both writing and reading files, and you can get a free Lexar SD UHS-II Reader for high-speed file transfer from card to computer, dramatically accelerating workflow. Thanks to its V90 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 90 MB/s. It’s the perfect match for any UHS-II compatible camera that records 4K and Full HD video or has a fast 8fps+ continuous shooting speed. The buffer clearing time will be much much quicker which means you can take more shots.

Buy Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Cards: at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

3. Sony SF-G UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)

The Sony SF-G UHS-II Cards have the same ultra-fast maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 299 MB/s as the SF-G Tough cards although U3 and V30 rated. It is also well-suited for continuous shooting and 4K video recording. Thanks to its U3 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 30 MB/s.

Buy Sony SF-G Series UHS-II SDXC Cards: at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

 

4. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)

Designed for professional photographers and videographers, the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Cards can achieve maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 260 MB/s. Fast and fantastic! Ideal for continuous shutter bursts and rapid shooting, as well as 4K video recording. Thanks to its U3 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 30 MB/s.

Buy SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Cards: at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Best UHS-I SD Memory Cards for Sony a9

1. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I Card 170 MB/s (V30, U3) – Fastest UHS-I SD Card

Highly recommended! The card slot 2 of Sony a9 is compatible with UHS-I memory cards and the fastest UHS-I SD card is SanDisk Extreme Pro 170 MB/s UHS-I card (with affordable price). With write speeds of up to 90 MB/s and read speeds of up to 170 MB/s, the SanDisk Extreme Pro 170MB/s UHS-I cards are ideal for capturing full HD, 3D, and 4K video, as well as raw and burst photography. In addition, SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I cards feature a speed class rating of V30 and U3 standard, which guarantees minimum write speeds of 30 MB/s. Available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB sizes. the cards are compatible with SDXC supporting devices and come with a lifetime limited warranty.

Buy SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I 170 MB/s (V30, U3) at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

2. SanDisk Extreme UHS-I SDXC Card (V30, U3)

The SanDisk Extreme UHS-I SDXC Card (V30, U3) supports extremely fast read speeds of up to 150MB/s and write speeds of up to 70MB/s,  making it an ideal choice for fast-action or continuous burst mode photography, as well as full HD, 3D, and 4K video – available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB sizes. A built-in write-protect switch helps to safeguard against the accidental erasure of card data.

Buy SanDisk Extreme UHS-I SDXC Card (V30, U3): at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Don’t own the Sony a9? Now it is on sale ($1000 off) at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Read more: Best Lenses for Sony a9.