Best Memory Cards for the Sony FX30 – CFexpress Type A and SD Card Guide

The Sony FX30 has two card slots, and each one takes either a CFexpress Type A card or a UHS-II SD card, the same setup as the Sony FX3 and Sony A7S III. It has no continuous shooting mode, so the card only has to keep up with the video codec: V60 SD cards cover XAVC HS and XAVC S, XAVC S-I needs V90 or CFexpress Type A, and XAVC S-I slow motion needs CFexpress Type A. I recommend CFexpress Type A for this camera, since it costs about the same as a good V90 SD card.

Sony FX30 – Amazon / B&H

How I Tested

The FX30 shares its card slots and BIONZ XR processor with the Sony A7S III and FX3, so my A7S III in-camera results carry over. In the A7S III (tested 2021), the fastest V90 SD cards wrote 235–243 MB/s, V60 cards wrote 82–138 MB/s, and CFexpress Type A cards wrote about 240 MB/s without ever filling the buffer. All of those are well above the FX30’s highest bitrate, 1200 Mbps (150 MB/s) for XAVC S-I 4K slow motion, which Sony only allows on CFexpress Type A.

Quick Picks for the Sony FX30

	Best overall: Lexar SILVER CF4.0 Type A. Covers every FX30 mode, including XAVC S-I slow motion. It’s rated for 200 MB/s minimum sustained writes, above the FX30’s 150 MB/s peak, and costs about the same as a good V90 SD card.
	Pro CFxA: Delkin BLACK CF4.0 Type A. Records the same as the SILVER in the FX30. Buy it if you want Delkin’s lifetime warranty.
	H.265 on a budget: Lexar ARMOR Gold V60. Wrote 194 MB/s in the Sony A7V, the fastest V60 card I’ve tested in-camera. V60 covers XAVC HS and XAVC S at up to 280 Mbps, but not XAVC S-I.

What about Sony cards? I like Sony’s own cards in a lot of Sony cameras because they perform so well, and the Sony TOUGH G CF4.0 would normally be my pro pick here. But Sony has suspended orders for nearly all of its SD and CFexpress cards because of the global flash memory shortage, so they’re hard to find right now, and Sony has had bad cards and recalls in the past. The Delkin BLACK records exactly the same in the FX30 and is easier to buy.

You can find CFexpress Type A cards at about the same price as V90 UHS-II cards now, so I don’t recommend V90 SD cards for this camera unless you already own them.

Which Card Each FX30 Codec Needs

On the Sony FX30, the codec decides the card. These are Sony’s requirements:

• XAVC HS (H.265) and XAVC S 4K: up to 280 Mbps. A V60 SD card or CFexpress Type A covers it, including most slow motion; Sony says you may need V90 at 120fps or 100fps.
• XAVC S-I 4K and DCI 4K (All-Intra): up to 600 Mbps. Needs a V90 SD card or CFexpress Type A (VPG200 or higher). Slow motion in XAVC S-I 4K and DCI 4K requires CFexpress Type A.
• XAVC S HD: up to 100 Mbps on a U3 card. At 60 Mbps or lower, Sony also allows a Class 10 card in XAVC HS, XAVC S 4K, and XAVC S HD, which is the only place a UHS-I card makes sense.

Format	Normal recording	Slow motion (S&Q)
XAVC HS 4K	280 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V60	500 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V60; V90 may be needed at 120/100fps
XAVC S 4K	280 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V60	560 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V60; V90 may be needed at 120/100fps
XAVC S HD	100 Mbps: CFxA or U3	500 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V60; V90 may be needed at 240/200fps
XAVC S-I 4K	600 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V90	1200 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) only
XAVC S-I DCI 4K*	600 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V90	600 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) only
XAVC S-I HD	222 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V90	890 Mbps: CFxA (VPG200+) or V90; CFxA required at 240/200fps

*XAVC S-I DCI 4K requires firmware Ver. 2.00 or later. Source: Sony ILME-FX30 Help Guide. Sony also notes that proxy recording may need a faster card.

XAVC HS or XAVC S-I?

It depends on the job. XAVC HS (H.265) fits far more footage on cheaper V60 cards, but it’s heavy for your computer to decode and usually means editing with proxies. XAVC S-I plays back smoothly without proxies but needs a V90 or CFxA card and fills it about three times faster than XAVC HS at 200 Mbps.

How the FX30’s Two Card Slots Work

Both slots take either card type. For backup recording to both slots, the cards need the same file system: CFexpress Type A and SDXC cards use exFAT, while SDHC cards (32GB or smaller) use FAT32 and won’t pair with them. A practical setup is a CFxA card for recording and a V60 or V90 SD card in the other slot for backup or relay. For backup recording, the SD card has to meet Sony’s requirement for the codec you’re shooting.

What Size Memory Card Do You Need for the Sony FX30?

Sony rates a 128GB SD card at about 25 minutes of XAVC S-I 4K at 600 Mbps, so for All-Intra I generally recommend 256GB or 512GB as the starting point; a 256GB card holds roughly 50 minutes. For XAVC HS 4K at 200 Mbps, 128GB holds about 1 hr 10 min, which covers most shoot days. Sony’s maximum single clip is about 13 hours.

Sony FX30 Record Times

Format	Bitrate	64GB SD	128GB SD	80GB CFxA	160GB CFxA
XAVC S-I 4K / DCI 4K	600 Mbps (59.94p)	10 min	25 min	10 min	25 min
XAVC S-I HD	222 Mbps (59.94p)	30 min	1 hr 5 min	35 min	1 hr 15 min
XAVC HS 4K, XAVC S 4K	200 Mbps	30 min	1 hr 10 min	40 min	1 hr 20 min
XAVC HS 4K, XAVC S 4K	150 Mbps	45 min	1 hr 30 min	50 min	1 hr 40 min
XAVC HS 4K	100 Mbps	1 hr	2 hr 10 min	1 hr 15 min	2 hr 30 min
XAVC S HD	50 Mbps	1 hr 50 min	3 hr 50 min	2 hr 10 min	4 hr 30 min

Times are Sony’s estimates for the FX30 with proxy recording off, at 59.94p/50p. They run shorter than dividing card size by bitrate because the camera uses variable bitrate. For other settings, use my bitrate-to-record-time calculator.

Current CFexpress Type A Cards I Recommend

I update this list as new cards come out. The speeds are from my card reader tests, so they show what each card can do, not what the FX30 records at.

Fastest SD Cards in the Sony A7S III (Tested 2021)

These are the fastest V90 and V60 cards from my Sony A7S III tests, which share the FX30’s card slots. The full 38-card table is on the A7S III page.

Card	Class	A7S III write (MB/s)
Sony TOUGH G	V90	243
Delkin BLACK V90	V90	242
Angelbird AV PRO V90 MK II	V90	242
Kodak Ultra Pro V90	V90	242
Ritz Gear VideoPro V90	V90	241
Kingston Canvas React V90	V90	239
Sony E V60	V60	138
Angelbird AV PRO V60 MK II	V60	136
Amplim 2000x	V60	131
Lexar 1667x	V60	100
Hoodman Steel 1500x	V60	98

Fastest run per card, measured with Uncompressed RAW bursts. Even the slowest V60 card here writes faster than the FX30’s 280 Mbps (35 MB/s) limit for XAVC HS and XAVC S.

Sony FX30 Specs

Spec	Sony FX30
Sensor	26MP APS-C (Super 35) CMOS; about 20.1MP used for video
Card slots	Two slots, each CFexpress Type A or SD (UHS-I/UHS-II)
Continuous shooting	None (single shot, self-timer, and bracketing only)
Highest bitrate	600 Mbps (XAVC S-I 4K), 1200 Mbps in S&Q
Max clip length	About 13 hours (Sony spec)
CFexpress Type B	Not supported

Sony FX30 Memory Card FAQ

Do I need CFexpress Type A for the Sony FX30?

Only for slow motion in XAVC S-I 4K and DCI 4K, and XAVC S-I HD at 240fps or 200fps. A V90 SD card handles everything else. I still recommend CFxA because it costs about the same as V90 now.

Can I use V60 cards in the FX30?

Yes. A V60 card covers XAVC HS and XAVC S at up to 280 Mbps, which includes most of the FX30’s slow motion modes. The exception is XAVC S-I (All-Intra), where Sony calls for a V90 or CFexpress Type A card.

Do UHS-I cards work in the FX30?

Only at lower bitrates. Sony lists U3 cards for XAVC S HD up to 100 Mbps, and Class 10 cards for XAVC HS, XAVC S 4K, and XAVC S HD at 60 Mbps or lower. Above that, 4K needs V60 or faster.

Is the FX30 compatible with the same cards as the FX3?

Yes. The FX30, FX3, and A7S III use the same CFexpress Type A and UHS-II SD slots, so one pool of cards covers all three in a multi-cam setup. See my Sony FX3 card guide.

Do I need CFexpress 4.0 cards for the FX30?

No. The FX30 can’t use the extra speed of a CF 4.0 card when recording. The benefit is faster transfers with a 4.0 reader.

How much card capacity do I need for a full shooting day?

In XAVC S-I 4K at 600 Mbps, a 128GB card holds about 25 minutes, so bring at least two 256GB cards. In XAVC HS 4K at 200 Mbps, a 128GB card holds about 1 hr 10 min.

Once your media is sorted, see my accessory guide for the Sony FX3 / FX30 for cages, screen protectors, and mics, and my Sony E-mount lens guide for Super 35 lens options.