Best Sony NEX-5N Memory Card
Two types of memory cards will work in the Sony NEX-5N. Sony PRO-HG Duo and PRO Duo can be used with in addition to SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards.
Only one card can be used at a time. You will have to choose between a PRO Duo or SD memory card.
Sony is the owner of the PRO Duo format. For that reason, SD cards are quite a bit cheaper and generally will have greater performance than PRO Duo memory 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.
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are brands that produce high-quality SD cards. The best SD cards I have owned have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards.
That does not mean you need to purchase a card made by SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-NEX-5N. Just make sure the name is impressive. That will ensure you get fast transfer speeds, water resistance, and more features.
I have not run into errors with PNY Elite Performance or Lexar Professional cards.
The issues I have experienced with SD cards has been when cheap generic brands were used. A low cost card increases the chance of card errors or corrupted data.
If you would like to spend less money, don’t buy a cheap card. You will be better off purchasing a high-quality card with a reduced 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 NEX-5N SD Card Compatibility
SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used in the Sony NEX-5N. To get the best overall performance from the camera, use a card.
The newest SDUC cards are not supported by the NEX-5N.
There are four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards. New memory specifications add tech that allows for larger storage capacity and greatly improve 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
The speed rating of an SD card is determined by the sequential write and read speeds. SD memory card continuous write speed is very important for continuous shooting and video.
Slows cards can cause a decrease in the number of continuous images the Sony NEX-5N can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write data to the SD card quickly enough.
When shooting video, a slow memory card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to capture video, it is critical the memory card you use meets the requirements of the camera.
Read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will cut down on the time it takes the transfer to complete.
Speed Class Rating
A memory card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained data write speed of the card. Class 10 is the highest rating, even though SD memory cards are available that have a faster read/write speed.
Here are all of the Class ratings and the applicable lowest 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
Practically every SD card worth picking for the Sony NEX-5N will be a Class 10 SD memory card. In the time period since the camera was made, Cards have gotten much faster.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS allows offers a way to increase data transfer rates.
There are three separate specifications. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
To find the UHS rating of a card, look on the label. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the memory card, that is going to be the UHS rating of the 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 NEX-5N PRO Duo Card Compatibility
One PRO-HG Duo or PRO Duo cards can be used in the Sony NEX-5N. 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 twice as much to purchase a PRO Duo card than an equal SD card. Considering the price difference, I will not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo memory card for use in a NEX-5N.
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
There is no more you need to understand about SD and PRO Duo memory cards.