Best Memory Cards for Sony a7S III

Looking for the best memory cards for Sony a7S III? Here is the guide for you to get the top recommended CFexpress cards and SD cards for Sony a7S III mirrorless camera.

With extreme full-frame movie performance including high sensitivity (expanded ISO up to 409600), 15-stop wide dynamic range, 4K 120p, fast and dependable autofocusing, and extra-strong image stabilization, the Sony a7S III (AmazonB&HAdorama) is an ideal tool for movie makers. Featuring a revised 12.1MP Exmor R BSI CMOS sensor and updated BIONZ XR image processor, the Sony a7S III offers faster performance, improved noise reduction, and a wider dynamic range (up to approximately 14 stops for stills and 15 stops for video), along with UHD 4K 120p video recording and internal 10-bit 4:2:2 sampling, as well as fast 10 fps continuous shooting for up to 1000 consecutive raw frames. The base ISO has been lowered to 80, resulting in a normal range of 80-102,400 (expandable to 80-409,600 for video and 40-409,600 for stills) to provide more flexible ISO plus wide dynamic range with low noise at all settings. And the Sony a7S III has a rear LCD with a side-open articulating design and an impressive 9.44m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder. Additionally, dual memory card slots both support working with CFexpress Type A or SD UHS-II memory cards for flexible and high-speed file storage. So, the Sony a7S III will become the ultimate creative tool for video professionals and all types of hybrid still/video shooters.

Want to get the best memory cards for the Sony a7S III? In this post, we are going to go through absolutely everything you need to know before buying the best memory card for the Sony a7S III.

First off… What kind of memory card do you need?

Before buying a memory card, make sure it complies with your Sony a7S III camera. This is what Sony a7S III requires:

  • Memory Card Slot: 2 x CFexpress Type A or SD (UHS-II)
  • Memory Card Type: CFexpress Type A, SD Card (UHS-II)
  • Recommended Capacity: 64GB-1T

So, the Sony a7S III has dual memory card slots that both support the fast CFexpress Type A cards and UHS-II SD cards. The dual slot design allows for flexible file saving and handling and can be configured to partition file types or can be used for overflow recording.

Why Do You Need a High-Speed Memory Card?

Not every memory card will work well with your Sony a7S III mirrorless camera. If the card is too slow, you may have to wait longer for the buffer to clear or end up with recording errors and loose all your footage. So, buying a fast card is always worth it:

  • Fast write speed provides fast buffer clearing time between burst shots optimizing your shooting experience.
  • Fast read speed can let large files such as 4K video or a bunch of high-resolution images by continuous shooting transfer to PC in seconds.

Reminder: if you plan to shoot videos, stick to at least 64GB (or larger) memory cards for the best video codex.

Best Memory Cards for Sony a7S III

Here are our top recommended CFexpress cards and SD cards for Sony a7S III mirrorless camera:

CFexpress Cards (Type A):

SD Cards:

  1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90)
  2. Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90)
  3. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)
  4. ProGrade Digital UHS-II SDXC Card (300 MB/s, V90)
  5. Delkin Devices Power UHS-II SDXC Card (300 MB/s, V90)
  6. Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II SDXC Card (277 MB/s, V60)
  7. Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II SD Card (250MB/s, V60)

Any of these make for a good choice. If you’d like more detailed recommendations, you can find them below.

Best CFexpress Type A Cards for Sony a7S III

Sony TOUGH CFexpress Type A Memory Card

  • Max Read Speed: 800 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 700 MB/s

Available in both 80GB and 160GB, the Sony TOUGH CFexpress Type A cards are the world’s first CFexpress Type A memory cards, providing fast read speeds up to 800 MB/s along with write speeds up to 700 MB/s. This quick performance benefits recording a variety of video resolutions, bit-rates, and compressions, as well as high-resolution continuous raw photo shooting. Beyond its speed, this TOUGH memory card also has a reinforced physical design to withstand falls from up to 15′ and has been rigidity tested to 70 N of force. It’s also resistant to extreme temperatures, X-rays, electrostatic, and UV lighting.

In addition, optimized for the new CFexpress Type A memory cards, the CFexpress Type A/SD card reader (MRW-G2) provides SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2) transfer speed, via its USB Type-C® connector, allowing creators to establish an efficient workflow when dealing with high-resolution images files, 4K video and other types of high-volume data.

Sony 160GB TOUGH CFexpress Type A Card: $398 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Sony 80GB TOUGH CFexpress Type A Card: $198 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress Type A/SD Card Reader: $118 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Best SD Cards for Sony a7S III

1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90)

 

  • UHS-II / V90 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 299 MB/s

Highly recommended and the Fastest UHS-II SD CardThe Sony SF-G Tough Series UHS-II Memory Cards are currently the world’s fastest SD memory cards boasting an ultra-fast maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 299 MB/s and it is well-suited for 4K and Full HD video recording and super fast continuous shooting. Thanks to its V90 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 90 MB/s. So, if you are seeking the highest write speed with a V90 rating as well as extremely high 250-300MB/s read speeds for transferring photos from the card to a computer, this is the recommended cards for you.

Buy Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II SDXC Cards at AmazonB&HAdorama.

2. Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Card (300 MB/s, V90)

 

  • UHS-II / V90 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 260 MB/s

Highly recommended and Best Value! With maximum read speeds of up to 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 260 MB/s, the Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II card is the perfect match for any UHS-II compatible camera that records 4K and Full HD video or has a fast 8fps+ continuous shooting speed. The buffer clearing time will be much much quicker which means you can take more shots. It takes advantage of the UHS-II bus to support continuous shutter bursts and rapid shooting, as well as 4K, 3D, and Full HD video recording. Thanks to its V90 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 90 MB/s. In addition, you can get a free Lexar SD UHS-II Reader for high-speed file transfer from card to computer, dramatically accelerating workflow.

Buy Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II Cards at AmazonB&HAdorama.

3. SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II Card (300 MB/s)

  • UHS-II / U3 / Class 10
  • Max. Read Speed: 300 MB/s
  • Max. Write Speed: 260 MB/s

Designed to meet the demands of professional photographers and videographers, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II Card features read speeds of up to 300MB/s help you maximize post-production workflow efficiency so you stay competitive, while write speeds of up to 260MB/s support advanced camera functions such as continuous burst, rapid shooting and RAW plus JPEG capture. As with most SanDisk cards, this memory card is shockproof, X-ray proof, waterproof, while also being able to withstand temperatures from -13 to 185°F, allowing you to take this card with you into extreme environments, such as snow, deserts, and pools.

Buy SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Cards at AmazonB&HAdorama.

4. ProGrade Digital UHS-II SDXC Card (300 MB/s, V90)

 

  • UHS-II / V90 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 250 MB/s

The ProGrade Digital UHS-II SDXC Card (300 MB/s, V90) takes advantage of the UHS-II bus to support maximum read speeds of 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of 250 MB/s. This card has also been designed with the V90 Video Speed Class rating, which guarantees minimum write speeds of at least 90 MB/s, allowing the card to be used in DSLRs, mirrorless cameras, camcorders, and digital cinema cameras that produce rich data streams, including 6K, 5K, 4K, UHD 4K, and high bit rate MPEG-4 video. It is also well-suited for raw photos and rapid-fire bursts.

Buy ProGrade Digital UHS-II SDXC Card at AmazonB&HAdorama.

5. Delkin Devices Power UHS-II SDXC Card (300 MB/s, V90)

 

  • UHS-II / V90 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 300 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 250 MB/s

Designed for professional photographers and videographers, the Delkin Devices POWER UHS-II SDXC Memory Card features a storage capacity of 128GB and takes advantage of the UHS-II bus to support maximum read speeds of 300 MB/s and maximum write speeds of 250 MB/s. This card has also been designed with the V90 Video Speed Class rating, which guarantees minimum write speeds of at least 90 MB/s. All of this allows for users to capture 8K, 4K, 3D, HDR, high-speed and high-frame-rate recordings, and multiple video streams created by 360° cameras. It has also been approved for real-time broadcasting and supports data-intensive simultaneous captures, such as raw and JPEG, as well as video, still, GPS data, and time-lapse.

Buy Delkin Devices Power UHS-II SDXC Card at AmazonB&HAdorama.

6. Sony SF-M Tough Series UHS-II SDXC Card (277 MB/s, V60)

  • UHS-II / V60 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 277 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 150 MB/s

Another great choice with an affordable price. With maximum read speeds of up to 270 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 150 MB/s, the Sony SF-M Tough Series UHS-II SDXC Memory Card is well-suited for 4K, 3D, HFR, and Full HD video recording, as well as continuous shutter bursts and rapid shooting. Thanks to its V60 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 60 MB/s. To help facilitate card usage in almost any environment, as well as keeping your content safe, Sony has built the Tough Series with a rugged design that can withstand drops up to 16.4′ / 5m, immersion in up to 16.4′ / 5m of water for up to 72 hours, and is bend and dust proof, as well as able to withstand temperature extremes from -13 to 185°F.

Buy Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II SDXC Memory Card at AmazonB&HAdorama.

7. Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II SD Card (250 MB/s, V60)

 

  • UHS-II / V60 / U3 / Class 10
  • Max Read Speed: 250 MB/s
  • Max Write Speed: 90 MB/s

Affordable UHS-II card with excellent performanceIf you are really on a very tight budget and just want to save some money, this is the card for you! With maximum read speeds of up to 250 MB/s and maximum write speeds of up to 90 MB/sthe Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II card is great for fast burst shooting and 4K & full HD video recording! Thanks to its V60 speed class rating, minimum write speeds are guaranteed not to drop below 60 MB/s. This card offers excellent performance with a similar price of UHS-I cards. Great value!

Buy Lexar Professional 1667x UHS-II SD Card at AmazonB&HAdorama.

Read more: Best Lenses for Sony a7S III.