Sony A3500 Memory Card Compatibility
Two different kinds of memory cards will work with the Sony A3500. SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used in addition to Sony PRO Duo and PRO-HG Duo memory.
The camera only has only one memory card slot. You will need to choose between a PRO Duo or SD memory card.
PRO Duo cards are a proprietary memory card format owned by Sony. Due to that, SD cards are quite a bit cheaper and frequently 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 make high-quality SD cards. The best SD cards I have used have been SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards.
That does not mean you need to purchase a card from SanDisk for your Sony ILCE-A3500. Make sure the name is impressive. That will make sure you get fast read/write rates, shock resistance, and other professional features.
I have not had problems with Lexar Professional or PNY Elite Performance cards.
The issues I have experienced with cards has been when I have used cheap no name brands. A low cost card increases the chance of card failure or data corruption.
If you would like to save money, don’t buy a generic card. You will be better off buying a high-quality memory card with a reduced 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 A3500 SD Card Compatibility
SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards can be used with the Sony A3500. If you’d like the optimal performance, use a card.
The newest SDUC cards can’t be used in the A3500.
Currently, there are four different specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards. Newer memory specifications increase features that allows for increased storage space as well as increased transfer speeds.
- 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 memory card is dependant on the sequential read and write speeds. The transfer speed of a SD memory card is essential for clearing the buffer for continuous shooting and recording video.
A slow SD card can cause a reduction in the number of continuous photos the Sony A3500 can take. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the SD card fast enough.
When shooting video, a slow SD card can cause an unexpected end to recording. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to capture video, it is essential the memory card you use meets the required minimum continuous write speed for video.
Card read speed is important for file transfers to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a card with a fast read speed will save you time.
Speed Class Rating
A SD memory card is labeled with a Class rating based on the sustained continuous transfer rate of the card. Class 10 is the maximum rating, even though memory cards are manufactured that are noticeably faster.
Here is a list of the Classes and their corresponding 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 deciding to buy for the Sony A3500 will be a Class 10 memory card. In the time since the introduction of the camera, SD cards have gotten so much faster.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is available in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. The UHS bus cards to achieve increased read and write speeds.
Three separate specifications exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the front of the SD card to determine the rating of a SD card. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the label, that is the rating of the SD 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 A3500 PRO Duo Card Compatibility
The Sony A3500 can use either a PRO Duo or PRO-HG Duo cards. PRO-HG signifies the memory card may have read speeds up to 50MB/s and a 15MB/s minimum write speed.
Sony Pro Duo cards are usually double the price of an SD card. I would not recommend purchasing a Sony PRO Duo memory card to use with a A3500 due to the difference in cost.
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 not anything else you need to learn about SD and PRO Duo memory cards.