The SIMPLE Sony a7 IV Memory Card Guide: 5 Things You Need to Know
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2024
- What memory cards should you purchase for your Sony a7 IV? Should you go for CFexpress Type A cards, or will SD cards be sufficient? Furthermore, what different types of SD cards will work well with the camera, and /not allow for shooting in different resolutions, frame rates and codecs?
In this buying guide, I'll go over the 5 most important points you'll want to consider when picking up memory cards for the a7 IV, exploring these questions from the perspective of video shooters like myself, while answering all of the above questions and then some. Additionally, I'll also provide a recommendation on my favorite cards for this camera and others like my a7S III, and discuss another critical point you'll want to look for when selecting the size of your cards.
By the end, in simple terms you should know what different cards work well (and not) with the Sony a7 IV, and have some tangible options you can consider moving forward.
If you have any questions regarding memory cards in the a7 IV, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
ProGrade SDXC UHS-II V90 Card (Recommended): amzn.to/35zH3Qg
ProGrade SDXC UHS-II V60 Card: amzn.to/3GaVYNr
SanDisk Extreme SDXC UHS-I V30 Card: amzn.to/3HbeiqU
SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I V30 Card: amzn.to/35AtGiP
0:00 - Introduction
0:27 - #1: Supported card types
1:09 - #2: Do you need CFexpress Type A cards?
2:16 - #3: What v30 SD cards get you
3:07 - #4: What v60 SD cards get you
3:34 - #5: What v90 SD cards get you
4:10 - My recommended cards for the a7 IV
4:48 - One more IMPORTANT point to consider...
6:19 - Conclusion
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My Current Kit:
============
Cameras & Lenses:
Sony a7S III: amzn.to/3Gd87kK
Sony a7 IV: amzn.to/3g3Ipoq
Sony a7 III: amzn.to/3GcEX5x
Sony 20mm f/1.8 G: amzn.to/3AE7pMt
Sony Zeiss Sonnar 55mm f/1.8: amzn.to/3r6Lo5M
Sony 24-70 f/2.8 GM: amzn.to/3HfLIoy
Sony 70-200 f/2.8 GM: amzn.to/3He70Ts
Audio:
Rode VideoMic NTG: amzn.to/3AJwTrW
Tascam DR-10L: amzn.to/3AIRA7l
Zoom H6: amzn.to/32HCgep
Lighting:
Aputure LS 60x: amzn.to/3Gc04og
Aputure Amaran P60c: amzn.to/3ob7qm6
Aputure Amaran AL-F7: amzn.to/3g3IzMy
Aputure MC: amzn.to/34l8DzS
Tripod/Monopod:
Manfrotto 290 Xtra 128RC: amzn.to/3o8bPpV
iFootage Cobra C180-II: amzn.to/3r8kfPY
Affiliate Disclaimer: The above links to products may contain affiliate links, which may earn me a small commission as an Amazon Associate. Amazon and all related Marks are Trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. 
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Just bought the Sony a7iv, this video was gold.
Glad to hear it helped, and congrats!
Same here. I bought the a7iv and fx3
You broke it down so easily that I understood every bit of it! lol. Thanks Andrew & I'll be staying tune towards your next A7iV Video! Cheers!
Thanks Nick, I appreciate that!
Great content, very simple and straight forward with all the information I needed, keep it up!
Thanks Adnane, more videos to come!
Thanks so much for this video!-- it's so refreshing to watch someone get to the point and give great helpful info. I have watched so many people drag things out which is so frustrating. Just purchased the ProGrade SDXC UHS-II V90 thanks to you.
No problem, glad you found it helpful!
great video. simple, to the point, EVERYTHING from this bag of tricks explained.. fine work, mister :)
Thanks, I appreciate that!
How do you make it sooo damn simple all the time! This is my to-go-to channel from now on! Cheers!
😀Thanks Leo, I appreciate that!
Nice video Andrew, just what I needed. Thanks for the quality work and time that goes into these! Just subbed.
No problem, glad you like them, and thanks for the sub!
Thank you for clear explanation! I have search countless video about this! Really appreciate it..!
No problem, happy to hear it helped!
The best video about SD and memory cards vs codecs and resolutions using Sony A7 IV. Thank you.
Thanks Pablo, I really appreciate that!
So straightforward and informative, had to like, save and subscribe. Respect✌🏾
Glad it helped, and thanks for the sub!
Straight to the point, that is all I wanted, thank you !
No problem, Arthur!
Thanks a lot for making this video Andrew, you simply covered every point. I subscribed.
No problem, thanks for the sub!
Great video. Helped so much!! This is the only video to show me how much record time I’d have with a 256gb card😭🙌🏾
Thanks, glad to hear it helped!
Great video man! Keep it up and this channel will go places. I know it's a grind but I hope us using your link helps!
Thanks man, it helps and I appreciate that! Definitely a grind (as you know), but more videos on the way.
This was by far the simplest explanation out there, thank you!
No problem, glad to hear it helped!
Explained really well in a short space of time. Thanks
No problem!
Thank you for a simple and informative breakdown :)
No problem, glad to know it helped!
Straight to the point, love it. Thanks, mate.
No problem, Alexander!
Thank you for the added times. It made much more sence on file sizes.
No problem, Vladimir!
Dude you blessed me so much! Thank you!!!
No problem, glad it helped!
Exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks
No problem!
Thank you sir. Just what I needed to know!
No problem, Jack!
Thanks for the great informative video. Just bought my Sony a7iv so that helps a lot…👍
No problem, glad to hear it helped!
@@andrewsaraceni Great contents! I just subscribed!
Very helpful video! Love it.
Thanks Bruno!
Another great video bro 😍
Thanks, I appreciate it!
Pretty and simply explanation in 1 video .Excellent.👍👍
Thanks!
@@andrewsaraceni youre welcome .Regards 👍👍
very clear video thanks!
No problem, glad it helped!
Great explanation! Thank you 😎
No problem!
Outstanding video. Gonna save me some cash for sure. I just thinking about buying a Sony type a card. I shoot the A7IV in XAVC I-4K most of the time. Many many thanks
No problem, Dudley! Yeah, V90 SD cards will certainly have you covered there.
Very helpful, thank You!
No problem!
Great Video. Helped me for getting card for A7m4.
Thanks, glad to hear it helped!
Thank you so much for making it simple. Your channel is like mine. Straight to the point.
No problem, Jacob - glad you found it helpful!
@@andrewsaraceni have you experienced your A7IV being super hot?
@@JacobGagoOfficial In recording for long durations or out in the hot sun, sometimes yes. Otherwise generally not.
@@andrewsaraceni ok good to know it’s not my unit only
great video! thanks so much
No problem!
you are awesome bro, perfect video!
Thanks, glad to hear it was helpful!
Great video, very interesting. 👍🏽
Thanks!
Simple and informative
Thanks!
Very thx best Video a ever seen about this case
Thanks Marcus, I appreciate that!
very nice simple description
Thanks!
well explained. thanks
No problem!
For XAVC S-I codecs, CF Express card is recommended as it may overheat in certain situations like in Wildlife shooting in 40-45*c temperatures.
Overheating could occur for long recording times in certain situations (e.g. 4K60p especially), though I've filmed plenty in XAVC S-I with V90 SD cards without issue.
Well explained thank you
No problem!
I bought x2 SD 128 gb v9’s (coming from a 64 gb v30 for my aps-c), a sony charger, and battery which I was surprised was not included in the box! Scanning through all comments as well. I decided to switch from fuji xt20 to a full frame sony a7iv (arriving on Feb) after 5 years, thou I’d still use the later. I wanted the 256 gb but hey I’m still on the transitioning phase so I might take it slow on the budget, excited but I have to save some for the actual experience itself!
Congrats on the purchase! I think you'll enjoy coming to the Sony system (Fuji's great as well).
Thanks for this!
No problem!
Excellent. I ordered a pair of Kingston V90 128 cards for my a7IV to replace my 170 mb V30 Sandisk cards for my a7III. Other than avoiding H265 because of my computer limitations I'm still not clear on the pros/cons of S 4K, S HD, S-1 4K and S1 HD.
Thanks! V90 cards will definitely serve you well with the a7 IV. All-intra codecs (XAVC S-I) vs. long GOP/IPB (XAVC S) basically differ in the way they capture and compress each frame of the video. Think of All-I as literally a still image for each frame, with IPB being every 3rd frame as a still, and a couple of "diffs" in between to capture what changed in the image. It's a bit much to explain here; I'll do a video on the different Sony codecs and their differences in the future...
Great video thx!!
No problem!
Tanks to dehazing this topic. I have much clarity now! The saturation of options was a bit confusing
No problem, glad I could bring this into focus for you. 😉
Awesome video!
Thanks Lukas!
Very well explained kind sir 🫡🔥
Thanks, I appreciate that!
Great video, tks!
No problem!
Huge help thank you
No problem, Fabian!
Amazing, thank you
No problem, Sami!
Thank you! Best video what I needed! 😎💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
No problem, glad it helped!
Thank you for this video accurate information I needed
No problem, glad it helped!
@@andrewsaraceni I have a sony a7 4 and I just picked up a pro grade v90 and it's not doing everything. It's not shooting in s&q 4k any tips.
@@simon.0898 I would make sure you've updated to the latest firmware version on the camera.
@@andrewsaraceni I have yes.
@@simon.0898 Okay, I'd try the cards in both slots too to make sure there's no difference/issue there.
Super.. Thank you.
No problem!
Life saver 🙌
Thanks Dera!
Great video and very clear explanation about which SD cards will get you what results. I have the Sony aRIVa. I thought it took CF Express but found out it only takes SD. What is the largest V90 card made?
Thanks Lee! You can find V90 UHS-II SD cards now that support up to 512GB.
@@andrewsaraceni I just saw a sandisk 1TB but unfortunately only V30. Would it be great for taking photos with Sony A7 IV? What about video 4k with 24fps? XAVC S and HS. I know that S-I is out of the picture due to V30...
@@TusiekNoob SanDisk V30 cards are great for photos and any of the 4K/HD video modes they support. I still use them in my a7 III exclusively.
Thank you very much bro
No problem!
Thank you Sir
No problem!
Great video! Your opinion, as a wedding filmmaker, will XAVC S give me great quality? Or should I be shooting in S-I? I use 60p for prep, portraits and details. Everything else is 24p
Thanks! I use XAVC S for the vast majority of run-and-gun gigs I shoot (weddings included) and never noticed any perceivable quality difference compared to XAVC S-I. It's a time-tested codec that's been in Sony's cameras for years, so I'd have zero concerns using it.
Fantastic breakdown, thanks so much. Would it be worth having one card strictly for video and one strictly for photos? If so, which would you recommend for photos?
No problem, Jamie! Truthfully I use one card for both in most cases, but you could separate if you want. Regardless, I use the ProGrade V90 UHS-II cards almost exclusively now: amzn.to/35zH3Qg
Thanks so much!
No problem!
Nice and succinct!
Thanks Barry!
beautiful explanation, straight to the point! thanks!
No problem, Ihor!
thank youy very helpfull
No problem, Manuel!
Hi! Thanks for the video. Im using a ryzen 5 processor to edit videos, but i find it laggy to edit codecs on XAVC S, so i normally shoot at XAVCS-I, however that shortens the minutes of my recording time on my V90 cards. I just wanted to know the processor that you are using on XAVC S codecs that works smoothly on editing. Thanks!
No problem! My current machine for editing is a 2019 MacBook Pro, 8-core Intel i9. There's some other hacks you can do (e.g. shooting 4:2:0 vs. 4:2:2, creating proxies) in order to help with making the files more manageable to edit.
Really useful
Thanks Jackie!
Thank you !!!!!!
No problem!
Very helpful video. What do you think about Kingston v90 cards? They're quite cheaper than the Prograde or Tough cards.
Thanks! Haven't used Kingston's V90 cards myself, but I also haven't heard anything bad about them (whcih I can't say for every brand...).
Really helpful, I have found this subject confusing , now....not at all!
Thanks Steve, glad to hear this helped you!
Thanks a lot! What about Lexar Professional 2000x 256GB SDXC UHS-II v90 Card (LSD2000256G-BNNNU)? 4.6 stars on Amazon and almost 5 stars on B&H
No problem! Can't say I've personally used them, but they should definitely be compatible and work fine with the a7 IV.
Legend!
Thanks, happy to help! 🙂
Nice video and love the clear explanation.
Thanks Abhey!
Thanks Andrew
No problem, Asif!
Thanks for the content 🙏. Can I use 2 sd momery card 90v for my Sony a7iv ?
No problem! Yes, V90 SD cards work well with the a7 IV (that's what I use).
Do I need the same size v90 cards in both slots? For example 2 x 256gb or 1 128gb and in the other 256gb.
What will happen if I mix the size of the memory?
Cheers for your video
Thanks! You can mix different SD card sizes, video speed class rating, card types, etc. pretty much without issue. The only caveat is with simultaneous recording that you'll be limited to the specs/capacity of the lesser card for recording to both.
Thank you, Andrew. Forgive me, could you just tell me which option would be best for long-form vlogs? I don't understand codecs/bit-rates etc. Thanks very much
No problem, I usually go with XAVC S, 10-bit 4:2:2 for most of my filming - handles long takes well while keeping a good balance of size and the files being easy to work with in post.
@@andrewsaraceni very kind. Thank you. I tend to produce long-form vlogs so I’ll follow suit! As an aside, I also use the pocket 3 and the audio sync slides on the longer takes…
Kingston canvas react plus v90 sd card is my go to 👍, 128gb for $80 (CDN was on sale)
How have the Kingstons held up over time?
Amazing
Thanks Santiago!
Thank you
No problem!
Not a video shooter and I have NO IDEA what these settings mean. I just get fast cards for burst photography to minimize buffering. I’d like to get more into video but I’ll have to figure out all these settings.
The V30 SanDisk cards would probably work fine for that, but the V90 ProGrades would future-proof you for video.
if the camera has 01 xqd card and another sd and when filling the xqd will it automatically record on the sd? in full hd for example.
Yes, regardless of the cards you're using (CF Express Type A or SD), as long as the Auto Switch Media setting is set to On, it should automatically switch.
when the type A card fills up does the camera start recording on slot number one sd or slot number two sd?
@@TVPALOTINA Slot 2 - only Slot 1 supports CF Express Type A (but both support SD cards).
Hey what sd card do you recommend for the new Sony a6700 to record all modes with no issues up to 4k 120. And which one is fine to use for normal 4k and photos.
The same recommendation as the a7 IV and a7R V - the ProGrade V90s: amzn.to/35zH3Qg
I definitely don't need cfexpress but it came bundled with my a7iv so I'm not gonna decline haha
Certainly doesn't hurt to have if you have it already. 😀
Would I get the same error if I have one V90 in Slot 1 & a V30 in slot 2? I seem to not be able to record XAVC S-I 4k at 60fps
You definitely wouldn't be able to do simultaneous recording in that case, since the V30 wouldn't support that. But may still be fine with proxies, or just recording to the V90.
I'm primarily into photography and slowly learn the video aspects.
Would you suggest getting 128gb or 256gb?
128GB cards would probably be fine for that, I have a couple. The majority of my cards are 256GB so that for most larger gigs (e.g. weddings), I can fit an entire day's footage on one card for each camera.
@Tomáš David I usually easily have 3-5 hours of footage on my main camera for a wedding, i.e. a mixture of 4K 24fps and 60fps. Second or third cameras might have 1-2 hours.
Good video. But I noticed that 4k 60fps S-I shoots at 600mbs, which those Prograde V90 SD Cards can’t handle… just putting it out there
Thanks, but they definitely can handle it. Double check your camera firmware and make sure it's up-to-date - a few folks reported similar issues that resolved once they updated it. I can confirm it works in XAVC S-I 4K 60fps - you'll see I'm in that exact mode with a ProGrade card at the end of the video in my record time examples.
Thanks for clarifying… this really helped me make my decision.
What would be the advantage of a CF express card in the A7IV?
Good question, honestly...not much. Slightly faster read/write speed when transferring files to your computer, and/or clearing the buffer slight quicker when shooting bursts of photos.
Dwhen using dual sd cards, is it ok to use different size and speeds?
It should be fine so long as the frame rate, codec, etc. you're shooting in are supported by both cards. e.g. You could shoot 4K 24fps in XAVC S with both a V30 and V90 card simultaneously without issue.
Lexar SDXC 2000x 300MB/s UHS-II C10 V90 U3 doesnt work with any S&Q mode. maybe i am doing some settings wrong. not sure yet. i only got a7 iv today, spent several hours setting it up and i cannot get it to work in s&q modes.
Can't say I've tried Lexar's, but I really trust ProGrade's cards and can confirm they work without issue.
Would you also recommend v90 for the sony fx3 or fx30?
Yes, also a great choice for those cameras (I use it on my a7S III).
Hi Andrew, I ve just bought based on your video Sandisk extreme pro v90 128gb SD card, and I cant record any All-I modes on A7IV camera, now even HD All-I.. Do you know what would be the problem? Thank you for any information
Hi Jan, you might want to check and make sure you're on firmware version 1.01 (or above), and update if not. I believe there were some bugs with this in previous a7 IV firmware versions.
@@andrewsaraceni thank you for your info, bot I have Ver.1.01 and I cant update to 1.05 because there is some global problem with the update, so sony cancel it for some time
@@rajfl90 No problem, yeah there's issues with the latest firmware. I would also check dual recording and proxy recording settings, as that could be a factor there, and try the card in both slots. I've heard it can be finicky depending on the card, but V90 SD cards support all of the shooting modes in the camera.
@@andrewsaraceni Thank you Andrew! Its working in slot 2
@@rajfl90 No problem! Glad to hear that worked.
💎
Thanks!
can you do a video how long video you can shoot on a 256gb v90 card? every quality if possible :)) on a7iv
The additional point at 4:48 pretty much covers that for a good chunk of them
@@andrewsaraceni i asked before getting there, thank you
Can I just use only one slot in the camera and leave the other one empty? We can use the CF express card alone and have the camera work it's full potential..right..
Yep, that would work fine.
I heard 10bit HD in s&q 120 needs a cfexpress card, is that true?
You can definitely do HD 120fps with an SD card (e.g. V60 or V90). But it only looks like 8 bit 4:2:0 is available for HD 120, regardless of the card you choose.
Hi I got an a7iv, there is 10bit 120 HD in S&Q
Can you confirm that you can or cannot record on a v90 card with proxy turned "on"? I have the same 256gb Prograde card for the a74.
You can, it's definitely supported.
Thank you for confirming. Unfortunately I may be doing something wrong, but I still can’t record with a v90 card with proxy turned on, trying to shoot at the highest format in 4K XAVC S-I 24p-60p.
@@stealth1221 I think XAVC S-I may not be supported (in general, regardless of card type, make) when proxies are enabled. But XAVC S or HS would work fine.
Thank you so much for the clarification and quick response!
hi andrew wat about CF Express Type B Card
CFExpress Type B cards aren't supported on Sony's mirrorless cameras, unfortunately - only Type A (and select models).
@@andrewsaraceni thanks for the response,
love from India.
Owned sony a7iv, am wedding photographer.
Now have SONY M Series Card 64GB. Plan to upgrade.
Have options
1. KINGSTON V90 64 GB CANVAS REACT PLUS
2. SONY TOUGH V90 CARD
WHICH ONE TO GO, Kindly suggest andrew
@@vibrantfotoz5162 No problem! Between the two I'd go with Sony Tough cards, but I'm a really big fan of ProGrade's V90 cards.
@@andrewsaraceni thank Andrew, it's valuable reply, take care
Would this card work well for photography as well?
Absolutely, it works just as well for photo use.
@@andrewsaraceni Thank you so much!
is 128 enough for highest record quality in a7iv
?
I think 128GB is sufficient, you would still be able to get 2.5+ hours in 4K 24p. Size doesn't impact the codecs you can film in (just the maximum time you can film).
Hi I have v60 cards is it worth to upgrade to v90 cards? Thanks🎉
I would say having at least one v90 is a good option to have, but you can certainly get by with v60 cards in the a7 IV.
@@andrewsaraceni thank you so much for your quick response 👍👍 I should comment under the A7rv video, but just want to be clear I’m using A7r5 mainly for photography. sorry for the confusion
@@hellochii1675 No problem! I'd say the same thing applies for the a7R V, especially for photo use.