Buying memory cards for Blackmagic cameras can be a little tricky today as many of their cameras offer multiple types of memory card options and their new cameras have been switching over to CFexpress type B cards. I’ve been putting together some guides based on personal speed tests and also based on what Blackmagic has been publishing to help you find the best cards for your camera.
This article will point you to the individual guides for each camera but also shares some general information about what cameras work with what cards and what you should look and expect from each class of card.
Best Memory Card For Blackmagic Cameras
Blackmagic cameras have great firmware and work very well with all the brands of memory cards.
Blackmagic also does a great job of posting compatibility charts for each of their cameras showing which memory cards work best.
I’ve been building guides for the various Blackmagic cameras that show some of the best memory cards for each camera based on what is officially recommended.
Camera Links | Sensor | Speed Class | Release Date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blackmagic Cinema 6k | FF | CFxB | Mirrorless | 2023 |
Blackmagic Pocket 6k G2 | S35 | CFast / UHS-II | Mirrorless | 2022 |
Blackmagic Pocket 6k Pro | S35 | CFast / UHS-II | Mirrorless | 2021 |
Blackmagic Pocket 6k | S35 | CFast / UHS-II | Mirrorless | 2019 |
Blackmagic Pocket 4k | M43 | CFast / UHS-II | Mirrorless | 2018 |
Blackmagic Memory Card Compatibility
Blackmagic cameras use different kinds of memory cards depending on what camera you use. Until recently their cameras always supported CFast and UHS-II memory cards, but today they’ve started using CFexpress type B cards which are much faster. Some of the cameras can use USB-C SSD drives as recording mediums, but in cameras like the Blackmagic Cinema 6k, this will not be as fast as using CFexpress type B cards and you will have to record at slightly lower bitrates doing this.
Buying Memory Cards For Blackmagic Cameras What You Need To Know
You have a choice between three types of SD memory cards that run at different speeds for any of the Blackmagic cameras, SD, CFast cards, or CFexpress cards depending on what camera you’re using, but also depending on what bitrate you want to record in. You don’t always need the fastest memory cards for your Blackmagic camera if you do not need to record at the best bitrates.
CFexpress Type B – CFexpress Type B cards don’t always report their speed class with obvious ratings posted on the cards as we get with SD cards. The speed of these cards and their sustain speeds can be all over the place and often memory card companies don’t publish their sustain speeds. The best cards supported by most of our CFexpress cameras today can support sustain speeds of 1600MB/s. However, the new CFx gen 4 cards are posting sustain speeds up to 2800MBs.
CFast Memory Cards – CFast cards started only a little faster than today’s SD v90 cards, but today the new CF2.0 cards are posting sustain speeds of 480MB/s which would be equal to a bitrate of 3,840Mbps.
UHS-II V90 Cards – These cards are the fastest available for the SD class of cards. Consider purchasing them only if you require rapid buffer-clearing speeds. These cards will sustain speeds up to 90MB/s or 720Mbps.
UHS-II V60 Cards – The v60 memory cards are the best value for filmmakers who don’t necessarily always need the fastest bitrates possible. These cards still sustain bitrates up to 60MB/s or 480Mbps.
UHS-I v30 U3 Cards – These cards will work for any video bitrate of 240Mbps or slower.
Related Articles
Blackmagic cameras commonly use the Micro Four Thirds mount or now with the full frame bodies, the L Mount. I keep up-to-date lists of all the different lenses for these mounts that are compatible with these cameras.
Micro Four Thirds List of All Lenses
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