Best Memory Cards Sony A7IV – Buffer Tests With 32 Tested

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The Sony A7IV is an incredible hybrid powerhouse, but its dual-slot setup can be confusing for new owners. While both slots accept standard SD cards, only Slot 1 supports the ultra-fast CFexpress Type A cards.

As a long-time Sony shooter who has benchmarked over 30 cards in this body, I can tell you that your choice of media depends entirely on how you shoot. Whether you’re clearing a burst of RAW files at a wedding or recording 4K 60p video, this guide will help you pick the right card without overspending on speed you can’t use.

Sony A7IV CFExpress Type-A Memory Card Recommendations

Unlike the Sony A7rV with its Dual CFxA configuration, the Sony A7IV has only Slot 1 with a dual CFexpress Type-A and UHS-II SD card configuration, so you only need one CFexpress Card.

I recommend looking at the Lexar Silver or Pergear Standard CFexpress Type-A cards. The value is unbeatable, and they are more than fast enough for the Sony A7IV. There are also new CF4.0-type memory cards, but the camera and, likely, your computer cannot use them yet. Only buy them if the price is right.

Here is a list of other great options, including the new CF4.0 cards, which hit the market in 2025.

SD Memory Card Recommendations: Managing the Dual-Slot Mismatch

Because Slot 2 doesn’t support CFexpress, many photographers struggle with “mismatched” speeds.

My Strategy: I recommend using a high-quality V90 SD card in Slot 2 to keep up with a CFexpress card in Slot 1. This ensures that even when you’re shooting redundantly (writing to both cards at once), your camera stays responsive.

The Buffer Bottleneck: If you put a fast CFexpress card in Slot 1 and a slow V30 SD card in Slot 2 for backup, your camera will write only as fast as the slowest card. This can lead to a sluggish buffer during high-speed bursts.

For a Tough card, the new Stainless steel Lexar ARMOR cards are a great alternative to the Sony TOUGH M cards. I recommend using tough-style cards if you don’t need the write-protection switch, since plastic cards tend to break more often. Compare the prices of Sony Tough cards and Lexar ARMOR cards, and choose the most affordable option. Both are fantastic cards.

How should each type of memory card perform in the Sony A7IV

• CFxA Cards—The CFxA cards are the fastest memory cards for the Sony A7IV, topping out at speeds of 326MB/s. These cards aren’t necessary for the Sony A7IV, but if you want a nearly bottomless buffer, the CFexpress Type A cards are great.
• UHS-II V90 Cards—These are the best SD cards for most people with the Sony A7IV, as they support all the camera’s frame rates and video modes. The fastest card I tested was the Sony G Tough v90 64GB model, which achieved a read speed of 222 MB/s. However, now budget CFxA cards are often less expensive and perform better than v90 SD cards.
• UHS-II V60 Cards—These are the best memory cards for casual video shooters and photographers who want much more data at a lower cost. However, you will be limited by some recording formats. These are also the best budget-friendly cards for casual photographers. The fastest V60 card tested was the Lexar 1800x V60, which achieved a read speed of 174 MB/s.

Sony A7IV Memory Card Speed & Buffer Tests

I tested every memory card I had in the Sony A7 IV and have included a few charts for your reference.

The “Maximum Speed” Reality Check

Through extensive in-camera testing, I’ve found that the Sony A7IV bottlenecks at approximately 325 MB/s.

What does this mean for you? It means that even though some new CFexpress Type A cards claim 900 MB/s speeds, you won’t see a difference in your burst shooting performance. The A7IV’s internal bus simply can’t push data faster than that. My advice? Don’t pay a premium for the “fastest” specs—stick to reliable, mid-tier cards like Lexar Silver or Pergear, which easily hit that 325 MB/s ceiling.

Chart Testing UHS-II SD Cards

Sony A7IV Memory Card Performance Chart

This is a text-based table showing the in-camera performance of each memory card type I tested.

Sony A7IV Camera Specs

Understanding Read/Write Speeds For A7IV Video Recording

Sony cameras reject memory cards that are out of spec. They will also reject that old Sony M card that was recalled.

Sony cameras offer various movie recording options; here is a chart that displays the different bitrates of these options and the Supported memory cards.

S&Q Memory Card Shooting

Here are the memory cards required for the different S&Q modes.

These charts are taken from the Sony Help Guide.

Sony A7IV Video Record Time

Pro Tip for Videographers: If you are shooting a long interview in 4K at 600 Mbps (XAVC S-I), a 128GB card will fill up in just 28 minutes. For event work, I strongly recommend moving to 512GB cards or shooting in XAVC HS (H.265), which gives you nearly 3 hours of footage on that same 128GB card without a massive drop in quality.

You can also use my camera record time calculator to customize your results.

If you found this guide helpful, you may also like my list of accessories for the Sony A7 IV. These are the accessories and brands I use with most of my cameras.