Best Memory Cards Sony FX30

The Sony FX30 has a Dual-Slot CFexpress Type A and SD UHS-II configuration found in many high-end Sony cameras. Picking the right memory card can be tricky, but this guide will help you find the best one for the Sony FX30.

Sony FX30 – Amazon / B&H

Since the Sony FX30 takes two types of memory cards, you’ll need to compare the price of the SD cards against the price of CFepress Type-A cards. CFexpress Type-A cards are much faster and the better choice if the price is right, and they have come down significantly recently.

• CFexpress Type-A cards: You’ll need high-end cards like V90 or CFxA cards if you shoot in the H.264 All-I XAVC S-I mode, which records at 600Mbps or with the S&Q slow motion settings. There are new CF4.0 CFxA cards on the market, which are theoretically much faster. However, the Sony FX30 and most older computers cannot take advantage of this tech yet. Only buy them if you can find them at a similar price; otherwise, there is a benefit unless you have a CF4.0 reader and a new USB4 computer and want fast transfer speeds to an internal drive.
• V90 UHS-II: You can pretty much now find CFexpress Type-A at a comparable price to UHS-II V90 cards, so I wouldn’t really recommend v90 cards anymore for this camera. They would be a bad value.
• V60 UHS-II SD cards: When dealing with any bitrate of 480Mbps or lower, like with the H.265 XAVC HS codec, the V60 SD cards do the job just fine and offer significant cost savings. These will be your best budget memory cards for the Sony FX30.

If you’re a blogger or podcaster and want to use a lower bitrate under 240Mbps, you can even use UHS-I U3 SD cards.

Recommended SD Cards For Sony FX30

Below are recommendations for the best SD and CFexpress memory cards for the Sony FX30.

Note: Some CFexpress type-A cards, like the Lexar Silver cards, are faster and less expensive than the Sony Tough V90 UHS-II cards and are probably your best choice. Also, new CF4.0 CFexpress Type-A cards are on the market if you want to future-proof your investment.

Choose V60 cards if you plan on recording with one of the lower bitrate encodings.

Check out the Memory Cards For Sony A7sIII to understand how these cards perform in-camera. Since the Sony FX30 cannot burst-shoot RAW stills, I cannot benchmark them, but I did at least try.

Sony FX30 Memory Card Capacity

What’s the largest SD card I can use with the Sony FX30?

Sony doesn’t specify a maximum size for SD cards with the FX30. However, newer Sony cameras typically handle cards up to 2TB without issues.

Sony FX30 Camera Specs

Sony FX30 What Size Card To Buy?

If you’re into videography, I suggest starting with at least a 128GB card. However, the actual size you need depends heavily on your chosen bitrate. For instance, shooting at 600Mbps would require a larger card.

A 600Mbps card writes at 75MB per second, translating to just 28 minutes of recording time on a 128GB card, whereas 100Mbps can record for around 171 minutes on a 128GB card.

Sony FX30 Recording Specs & Details

These bitrates and specs should help you find the best memory cards for 4K recording on Sony FX30. You can use a slower card with better cost savings if recording at lower bitrates.

Record Limit: Unlimited
Audio File Format: AAC, Linear PCM

Also, check out the top accessories for the Sony FX30

Sony FX30 Record Times – Memory Card Capacity

Check out this table for an overview of the different recording durations at varying bitrates or using the bitrate-to-time converter.

Best Memory Cards Sony FX30 | Conclusions

How do you choose the right memory card for a Sony FX30?

When paired with the right memory cards (either CFxA or UHS-II SD), the Sony FX30 can unlock impressive high-end video capabilities. Reliable 128GB-1TB UHS-II v90 SD cards from brands like Sony, Lexar, and Delkin work seamlessly with the FX30.

Remember, you’ll only need a faster card than V60 if you’re working with the XAVC S-I encodings or utilizing the S&Q slow-motion features. Opting for V60 cards can save you some cash for everyday videography, but there could be limitations with specific video features on the camera.

And if you’re dealing with really low bitrates, like for vlogging or podcasting, UHS-I cards can offer even more budget-friendly options.