Best Memory Cards Sony RX10 IV

A speed comparison between all the most popular memory cards and how they perform in the Sony RX10 IV.

Use this guide to find the best memory card for the Sony RX10 IV.

Sony RX10 IV Stats

Sensor: 20.1MP 1″ Exmor RS BSI CMOS Sensor
Video: 4K30 / 1080p at 960 fps
Continuous Shooting: 24 fps
Estimated Buffer Size: 2 GB
RAW Shots Until Buffer Fills: 115
Time To Clear Buffer: 32 seconds

Sony RX10 IV – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Must Have Accessories Sony RX10 IV

Best Memory Cards Sony RX10 IV | The Speed Test

The Sony RX10 IV is super cool in that it’s the first prosumer camera by Sony to upgrade that slow buffer that has crippled their cameras for years. We saw a fast buffer for the first time in the Sony A7rIII and the Sony A9, but now Sony is bringing some of that speed into the consumer cameras. 

This speed test shows how fast each memory card performs in the Sony RX10 IV. Tests are shot using RAW at ISO 100 with a shutter of 1/100 in continuous burst high.

USB3.0 speeds are done with Crystal Disk in windows 10.

Fastest Memory Cards For The Sony RX10 IV

While the Delkin V90 UHS-II memory card was a touch faster, the Sony RX10 IV does not take advantage of the extra technology found in UHS-II memory cards and there is no advantage of buying UHS-II cards for this camera. The fastest memory cards for the RX10 IV are the Sandisk Extreme Pro cards and the Kingston cards. While they run at around 60MB/s, it’s also ok to get a card that’s a little slower, even as slow as 50MB/s if you see a good deal. You’ll likely not see the performance different in real world shooting with a slightly slower card, especially considering the camera has a 2GB buffer.

Also, avoid Samsung cards. Some were still giving me some compatibility issues when shooting 4k video. Samsung memory cards and Sony cameras do not play nice with each other.

Top 5 Fastest Cards For The Sony 6D mkII | Including Both UHS-II and UHS-I

Sandisk Extreme Pro U3 – 60.43 MB/s

Sandisk really makes the best SD memory card. They always work perfect in every Sony camera and the Sandisk Extreme Pro is almost always the fastest memory card in when testing in various cameras. Great for bursting photo or shooting 4k video. This is the best memory card for the Sony RX10 IV. – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Kingston U3 – 58.81 MB/s

Kingston is always a top performer. This card has been around for several years now and still out performs most cards out there. They alway work very good with the Sony RX10 series and I’ve never seen compatibility issues when using Kingston cards in Sony cameras. – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Delkin 633x U3 – 56.91 MB/s

Delkin is a great brand of memory cards and they always work very good in Sony cameras. I highly recommend Delkin memory cards for the Sony RX10 IV. Only issues I’ve ever had with Delkin was when I adapted a micro SD memory card. The adapter kept losing connection to the card. – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Transcend U3 – 54.82 MB/s

Transcend has been making memory cards for a very long time. A few years ago in some older models of the RX10, like the II and III, I saw a few problems with some Trascend card, but the new buffer and processor, the RX10 IV has been running these cards flawlessly. – Amazon / Adorama / BHphoto

Sony U3 – 54.18 MB/s

Sony memory cards aren’t usually the fastest, but nobody has ever reported to me any issues with using Sony cards in Sony cameras. They are very reliable and compatible when shooting Sony, which is known for having compatibility issues with 4k video recording. – Amazon

Frequently Asked Questions

A list of some topics that hopefully will answer any questions you have.

Should I use USH-I or UHS-II and what’s the difference?

Since the Sony RX10 IV does not have the technology to take advantage of UHS-II memory cards, there is no reason to spend the extra money on these cards. I recommend buying UHS-I memory cards for the Sony RX10 IV.

What do all the numbers and letters on the memory cards mean?

The only numbers you really need to concern yourself with are U1 or U3. The Sony RX10 IV requires U3 memory cards to run 4k video. But even then not all SD memory cards will work for 4k Video. A few Samsung cards still have issues with Sony cameras and they should be avoided.

To learn more see the ultimate guide to memory cards.

What size memory card do I need?

Sometimes people ask my why I don’t recommend 128GB cards. It’s not that I don’t recommend them, they are fine. I personally never use more than 64GB cards in a day or even in a few days unless I’m also shooting video. It’s also better to break up big days of shooting on multiple cards so you don’t put all your eggs in one basket, as the expression goes. 

I once had an issues with my Fujifilm X-Pro2 where something happened and both memory cards in my camera became corrupted. Luckily nothing important was on them, but this kind of thing does happen, so it’s better to spread out your shoot over smaller cards than put everything on one giant card.

If you’re buying this camera for 4k video, it will be important you get larger cards. You’ll likely want to get UHS-II memory cards in this case as well so you can offload the media quickly with a USB 3.0 UHS-II memory card reader.

Memory card isn’t working, what should I do?

First check the pins on your cards, make sure they are clean. Next, check the pins in your camera, make sure they are not bent and that there is no debris in there.

If your card still has issues, try reformatting it in the camera, or in another camera.

Most cards have a 1 year to lifetime warranty. You can always send your card in for a replacement if it’s still under warranty.

Never buy memory cards off Ebay, they are most likely counterfeit.

Best Memory Cards Sony RX10 IV | Bottom Line

The Sony RX10 IV is an incredible camera especially with the new buffer. I’ve tested most of the RX10 camera and the IV was the first one to really blow me away. Throw in a fast SD memory card like the Sandisk Extreme Pro and you’ll be ready for any situation.