The Best Memory Cards for the Sony A550
The A550 has a single card slot that can use SD cards. SD cards with a maximum capacity of 32GB can be used in the A550.
Attempting to use an SD memory card that has a capacity of 64GB or larger will cause the A550 to display an error code. You will need to buy more SD cards if you need additional storage. The important features to pay attention to should be the transfer speeds the SD memory card is capable of.
Sony PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo cards can also be used in the camera. They are limited to a maximum capacity of 16GB. PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo memory cards are no recommended as they are discontinued and expensive to buy.
If your camera will be getting regularly, you will reduce the time spent on copying files by using a memory card with the fastest transfer speeds. A feature that is nice to have is UHS-I as it allows for faster transfer speeds with a compatible SD card reader.
To make sure the card will work with as many cameras in the future as possible, get a high quality card. You don’t want to end up with a camera upgrade causing you to need to shop for a replacement memory card that has fast enough write speeds for recording 4k video.
Do you own the right focal length lens for the type of photography you are going to do? Here are the best lenses for the A550.
The SDHC format was announced in 2006. All 32GB cards that are currently being produced will have almost identical performance. You cannot go wrong buying the cheapest class 10 name brand card. At the time of writing this, the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card has the best price.Best SD Cards
Since the launch of the A550, SD card prices have gone down and storage capacities have become substantially larger. The price difference between the the card that is the fastest and a cheap option is astonishingly little. The price is more tied to storage size, with the larger SD memory cards costing more.
Purchasing the highest capacity cards is worth it if you are going to shoot a large amount of RAW files for wildlife, sports, events, or action photography. Another reason could be if you are going to replace your camera or use the SD memory card in a different device.
In my opinion, the SanDisk Extreme Pro line of memory cards are in most cases the best choice for most cameras. They are extremely fast cards which gives them the best prospect of being compatible with future digital cameras or devices that also use SD memory cards.
PNY Elite Performance And Lexar Professional are other cards that I have also had excellent experiences with. I have not had images or files become damaged or unrecoverable on any of these cards. If that’s a situation that did happen, all of the manufacturers provide image recovery software.
Problems I have experienced have been with generic SD cards. Being a bundled accessory or a low price are the main selling points. However, this is also the most popular kind of card to have the wrong product information.
It is effortless to put a Class 10 sticker on a card with a Class 4 rating. When the camera image processor starts writing data there is going to be an error or corrupted photos if the card’s write speed isn’t good enough.
Storage capacity controls a big part of the price. You’ll be better off by buying a card with a smaller capacity to lower cost as opposed to choosing a relabeled brand. Read and write speeds are important factors that will affect your experience with the A550.
Recommended SD Cards
- Sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s
- Class 10, U1 rating delivers speed and performance for full HD photography and HD videography.
- V10 video speed rating to capture uninterrupted HD video at 1920x1080 format
- Compatible with point & shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, standard & advanced HD-enabled video cameras, and more
- Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof
- Quick transfer read speeds up to 90MB/s.
- Write speeds are not capable of recording 4k video.
- Class 10 rating for Full HD video (1080p).
- Waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray Proof, magnet-Proof, and shockproof.
- UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) supports Full HD video and burst shots. 130MB/s transfer speeds1 let you upload footage to your PC in an instant.
- Built to survive tough conditions and heavy usage, whether you’re at home, outside, or on the go. Backed by 10-year limited warranty.
- Highly durable with comprehensive 7-proof protection.
- Backed by a 10 year warranty.
Memory Card Reader
The UGreen 4-in-1 memory card reader can read four different memory card formats. These cover all memory cart formats camera manufacturers use in all but their latest professional-level cameras.
The UGREEN reader connects over USB 3.0. The USB 3.0 transfer speeds will be faster transfer speeds than what the A550 is capable of in USB transfer mode.
There are overwhelmingly positive customer reviews for the reader, which I agree with. It’s a good product because it has worked with all the computers (Windows, Mac, and Linux) I have tried it with.
The cable prevents memory card slots from being blocked by other devices or accessories that are plugged into another USB or neighboring port.
When I searched for a card reader that would be lighter for travel, I needed to send a couple of orders back. I came across the most common problem in customer reviews, the readers would not work with my computer.
The UGREEN card reader can be used with the following memory card types:
- CompactFlash Cards
- SD, SDHC, & SDXC Cards (UHS-I supported)
- Memory Stick (MS), MS Pro, MS PRO-HG, & MS XC DUO
- MicroSD, Micro SDHC, & Micro SDXC Cards