The Best Memory Cards for the Sony A99
Two types of memory cards can be used with the Sony A99. SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards are compatible as well as Sony PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo memory.
The A99 only has just one memory card slot. You’ll need to make a decision between a PRO Duo or SD card.
PRO Duo cards are a proprietary format controlled by Sony. SD cards have had a wider adoption that PRO Duo cards because SD cards are considerably faster and less expensive.
- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are brands that make high-quality SD cards. The best memory cards I have owned have been SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards.
That does not mean you need to purchase a card from SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A99. Make sure the name sounds impressive. That will mean you get fast read/write rates, shock resistance, and other professional features.
I have not had issues with PNY Elite Performance or Lexar Professional memory cards.
The issues I have had with memory cards has been when inexpensive generic brands were used. A low cost card increases the chance of corrupted data or card errors.
If you would like to spend less, don’t buy a cheap card. You will be better off purchasing a high-quality card with a smaller storage capacity.
Recommended SD Cards
- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
- Larger capacity cards are available.
- Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.
- Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
- Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.
Sony A99 SD Card Compatibility
SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards are usable in the Sony A99. Use a SD memory card to get the maximum overall performance from the camera.
The newest SDUC memory cards can’t be used with the A99.
Currently, there are four different specifications of SD (Secure Digital) cards. New memory specifications increase tech that provides for greater memory capacity and greatly improve data transfer rates.
- Secure Digital (SD) - 128MB to 2GB.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - 4GB to 32GB.
- Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - 64GB to 2TB.
- Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - 4TB to 128TB.
SD Card Speed
Speed ratings of an SD card is determined by the sequential write and read speeds. SD memory card write speed is essential for continuous shooting and video.
A slow memory card can cause a drop in the number of continuous images the Sony A99 can take. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the card fast enough.
With video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to shooting. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is critical the SD card you use meets the minimum requirements of the camera.
Card read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a SD card with a fast read speed will decrease the transfer time.
Speed Class Rating
A memory card is assigned a Class rating based on the continuous write speed of the memory card. Class 10 is the highest rating, even though memory cards can be purchased that are a whole lot faster.
Here is a list of the Classes and associated minimum read/write speeds:
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster
Virtually any SD memory card worth owning for the Sony A99 will be a Class 10 SD memory card. In the time period since the introduction of the camera, Memory cards have gotten so much faster.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is available in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS cards to have increased read and write speeds.
Three different specs exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the front of the memory card to figure out the rating of a card. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the front of the memory card.
- UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
- UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
- UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s
Sony A99 PRO Duo Card Compatibility
One PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo memory cards can be used in the Sony A99. What PRO-HG signifies is that the memory card has a minimum read speed of 50mb/s and a 15mb/s minimum write speed.
You have to hand over more money to get a hold of a PRO Duo card than a comparable SD card. I would not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo memory card to use in your A99 due to the total price difference.
Image Capacity
Below is an approximate estimation of how many large JPEG images you can expect to store on each size of SD card.
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
- 256GB - 74,240 images
Related Cameras
At this point you know all the things about PRO Duo and SD memory cards.