Best Memory Cards for the Sony FX2 – CFexpress Type A and SD Card Guide

The Sony FX2 is the A7 IV’s 33MP sensor and BIONZ XR processor in a Cinema Line body. Slot 1 takes a CFexpress Type A or SD card, and Slot 2 takes SD cards only. Because it shares the A7 IV’s sensor, processor, and card slots, my Sony A7 IV results carry over: every CFexpress Type A card hit the camera’s 325–329 MB/s limit and never filled the buffer, while the fastest V90 SD cards wrote 215–229 MB/s. For video, the codec decides the card; for stills, CFexpress Type A gives you a bottomless buffer at 10 fps.

How I Tested

The speeds on this page come from my in-camera tests of the Sony A7 IV (tested 2022), which uses the same sensor, processor, and card slots as the FX2. I shot Compressed RAW bursts at 10 fps until the buffer filled, then divided the data written by the time the camera took to clear it, using the fastest run for each card. Newer cards like the Lexar SILVER CF4.0 and Lexar ARMOR Gold come from my Sony A7V tests, which has a similar CFexpress Type A limit of about 310 MB/s.

Quick Picks for the Sony FX2

	Slot 1, best value: Lexar Professional SILVER CF4.0 Type A. Maxed out the A7V like every other CFxA card I tested, so there’s no reason to pay more for speed. It’s rated for 200 MB/s minimum sustained writes, well above the FX2’s 600 Mbps (75 MB/s) peak.
	Slot 1, pro: Delkin BLACK CF4.0 Type A. Same in-camera speed as the SILVER, with a lifetime warranty.
	Slot 2, V90: Angelbird AV PRO V90 MK2. 218 MB/s in the A7 IV. V90 covers 600 Mbps XAVC S-I and XAVC S-I HD slow motion, which only needs 75 MB/s, so every V90 card I tested has plenty of headroom.
	H.265 on a budget: Lexar ARMOR Gold V60 128GB. 194 MB/s in the A7V, the fastest V60 card I’ve tested in-camera. V60 covers XAVC HS and XAVC S, including slow motion and proxy recording, 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. The Sony TOUGH G V90 wrote 222 MB/s in the A7 IV, and the TOUGH G CF4.0 is IP57 rated with a 5-year warranty. 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 picks above record everything the FX2 can do and are easier to buy. If you find a TOUGH G at a fair price, it’s still a good card.

CFexpress Type A or SD Cards: Which Should You Buy?

On the FX2, the codec decides. A CFexpress Type A card in Slot 1 is required for XAVC S-I 4K slow motion, and for any XAVC S-I recording with proxy recording turned on. CFxA cards now cost about the same as good V90 SD cards and offload much faster, so they’re an easy pick for Slot 1 anyway.

If you shoot 600 Mbps All-Intra without proxies, a V90 SD card works. Since Slot 2 only takes SD cards, a V90 card there covers backup recording for everything except XAVC S-I 4K slow motion and XAVC S-I with proxies. If you mostly shoot H.265, V60 SD cards are fine, including for slow motion in XAVC HS and XAVC S.

CFexpress 4.0 cards work in the FX2, but the camera can’t use their extra speed. Buy one only if the price is right or you want faster transfers to your computer with a 4.0 reader.

Using the FX2 for Stills

Unlike most Cinema Line bodies, the FX2 has an EVF and shoots stills at up to 10 fps, so it works as a hybrid camera. In the A7 IV, which uses the same sensor, the fastest V90 cards filled the buffer after about 65 Compressed RAW shots, while CFexpress Type A cards never filled it. If you shoot bursts, put a CFxA card in Slot 1.

RAW format (33MP, 3:2)	64GB SD	128GB SD	80GB CFxA	160GB CFxA
Compressed RAW	1,400	2,800	1,600	3,300
Lossless Compressed RAW (L)	1,200	2,600	1,500	3,000
Uncompressed RAW	760	1,500	890	1,700

Sony’s estimates from the FX2 Help Guide.

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 FX2 writes.

Current UHS-II SD 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 FX2 writes.

Which Cards You Need for Video

These are Sony’s card requirements for the FX2.

Standard Recording

Format	Max bitrate	Supported cards
XAVC HS 4K	200 Mbps	CFexpress Type A, or SD U3/V30 or higher
XAVC S 4K	200 Mbps	CFexpress Type A, or SD U3/V30 or higher
XAVC S HD	100 Mbps	CFexpress Type A, or SD U3/V30 or higher
XAVC S-I 4K / DCI 4K	600 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V90
XAVC S-I HD	222 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V90

Slow Motion (S&Q)

Slow motion writes more data than the menu bitrate suggests, because the listed bitrate applies to the playback frame rate. These are Sony’s maximum write rates and card requirements for slow motion on the FX2.

Format (slow motion)	Max bitrate	Supported cards
XAVC HS 4K	250 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V60 or higher
XAVC S 4K	280 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V60 or higher
XAVC S HD	250 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V60 or higher
XAVC S-I 4K / DCI 4K	600 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+) only
XAVC S-I HD	445 Mbps	CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), or SDXC V90

With Proxy Recording On

Proxy recording adds up to 16 Mbps and raises the card requirement. Sony lists:

• XAVC HS 4K and XAVC S 4K: V60 SD or CFexpress Type A (VPG200+), instead of U3/V30.
• XAVC S HD: U3/V30 SD or CFexpress Type A (V60 or VPG200+ in slow motion).
• XAVC S-I 4K, DCI 4K, and HD: CFexpress Type A (VPG200+) only. SD cards aren’t supported for XAVC S-I with proxies.

Proxy recording isn’t available at 119.88p/100p or 24.00p. Sony also notes that the Variable setting under Fixed/Variable Select raises the bitrate, so you may need a faster card. Source: Sony ILME-FX2 Help Guide.

Sony FX2 Video Record Times

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

These are Sony’s estimates for the FX2 with proxy recording off. They run shorter than dividing card size by bitrate because the camera uses variable bitrate, and Sony doesn’t publish times for slow motion. For other settings, use my bitrate-to-record-time calculator.

Tip: when you buy a new card, fill it once to confirm it matches its listed capacity. Fakes and mislabeled cards do turn up, so stick to reputable retailers like B&H or Adorama.

Sony A7 IV In-Camera Test Results (Tested 2022)

These are the fastest cards from my Sony A7 IV tests, which share the FX2’s sensor, processor, and card slots. The full 52-card table is on the A7 IV page.

Card	Type	A7 IV write (MB/s)
ProGrade Digital 160GB	CFexpress Type A	329
Sony TOUGH 80GB	CFexpress Type A	329
Lexar GOLD 160GB	CFexpress Type A	326
Delkin BLACK 80GB	CFexpress Type A	325
Ritz Gear VideoPro	V90 SD	229
Wise PRO	V90 SD	229
Delkin BLACK	V90 SD	225
Sony TOUGH G	V90 SD	222
Angelbird AV PRO MK2	V90 SD	218
Lexar 1800x	V60 SD	174
Sony TOUGH M	V60 SD	144
Sony E	V60 SD	137

Fastest run per card. With CFexpress Type A cards the buffer never filled, so those results show the camera’s write limit.

Sony FX2 Specs That Affect Card Choice

Spec	Sony FX2
Sensor	33MP full-frame (about 27.6MP used for video)
Processor	BIONZ XR
Card slots	Slot 1: CFexpress Type A or SD (UHS-I/II); Slot 2: SD (UHS-I/II)
Continuous shooting	Up to about 10 fps (Hi+)
Viewfinder	3.69 million dots
Highest bitrate	600 Mbps (XAVC S-I 4K and DCI 4K)
HDMI RAW output	16-bit RAW at 4672 x 2628
CFexpress Type B	Not supported

Sony FX2 Memory Card FAQ

Does the Sony FX2 have CFexpress Type A support?

Yes, but only in Slot 1. Slot 2 takes SD cards only. A CFxA card in Slot 1 is required for XAVC S-I 4K slow motion and for XAVC S-I with proxy recording on. For 600 Mbps XAVC S-I at normal frame rates without proxies, a V90 SD card also works.

Can I use the same cards in the FX2 as in the A7 IV?

Yes. The FX2 and A7 IV share the same sensor, processor, and card slots, so any card that works in the A7 IV works in the FX2 at the same in-camera speeds.

Do I need a V90 SD card or will V60 work in the FX2?

It depends on the codec. V90 is required for 600 Mbps XAVC S-I and for slow motion in XAVC S-I HD (445 Mbps). V60 handles XAVC HS and XAVC S, including slow motion and proxy recording. XAVC S-I 4K slow motion and any XAVC S-I with proxies need a CFexpress Type A card.

Is the FX2 good for burst photography?

With a CFexpress Type A card, yes: in the A7 IV, which uses the same sensor, CFxA cards never filled the buffer at 10 fps. With the fastest V90 SD cards, the buffer filled after about 65 Compressed RAW shots.

Is external recording via HDMI worth considering instead of internal cards?

Worth considering seriously. The FX2 outputs 16-bit RAW over HDMI, which a compatible external recorder can capture to SSD at a fraction of the cost per gigabyte of CFxA cards. Internal cards remain the better choice for run-and-gun work where a tethered recorder isn’t practical.

Shooting a different Cinema Line body? The Sony FX3 and Sony FX30 card guides cover the bodies with CFexpress Type A in both slots, and the Sony A7S III guide has the stills-focused version.