Best Memory Cards Sony A7IV – Buffer Tests With 32 Tested

The Sony A7IV features a dual memory card configuration, allowing it to accept both SD memory cards and CFexpress Type-A cards in the same slot, but only Slot 1 offers this capability. Slot 2 is restricted to SD cards only.

For the fastest memory cards with the Sony A7IV, use CFexpress Type-A cards. They have come down in price and are now a better option than V90 UHS-II memory cards.

Do you need CFexpress Type A memory cards in the Sony A7IV? 

No, you can use all the camera’s features with just V90 UHS-II SD memory cards. However, with the lossless compressed mode, CFxA cards allow for a nearly limitless buffer when shooting compressed RAW at 10fps or 5fps.

The CFxA and UHS-II cards are now relatively close in price, and some cards, such as the Lexar Silver CFexpress Type-A card, are less expensive than the high-end V90 UHS-II cards.

This chart showcases the top memory cards for the Sony A7 IV and their performance in the camera.

Sony A7IV CFExpress Type-A Memory Card Recommendations

For the Sony A7 IV, 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 take advantage of those cards yet. Only buy them if the price is right.

Here is a list of some other great options.

Sony A7IV SD UHS-II Memory Card Recommendations

If you’re recording in a dual memory card configuration for backup purposes, it’s best to buy matching cards. For the Sony A7IV you can only do this with two SD cards since only Slot 1 can use CFexpress Type-A cards.

You can also buy SD V60 cards for lower bitrate recordings, for example, shooting the H.265 codec.

Sony A7IV – Amazon / B&H

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 enable you to utilize 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 card tested among the V60 cards was the Lexar 1800x V60 card, 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.

CFexpress Type A Sony A7IV Benchmarks

We seem to bottleneck at around 325MB/s on this camera. So, if you’re using CFxA cards, it won’t matter which brand you choose for this camera. These cards perform significantly better than the camera is capable of.

Many new CFexpress Type-A cards have been released since I tested the Sony A7IV. Still, they’ll all hit the same performance benchmarks, as the Sony A7IV can only push approximately 325MB/s of data to the cards with its 10fps burst capabilities.

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 type of memory card 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

Here is a handy chart of record times in minutes, based on the different record formats. You’ll need to refer to this chart to determine the best size memory card for your needs.

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 the Must-Have Accessories For The Sony A7IV. These are the accessories and brands I use with most of my cameras.