The SD card, also called a memory card, is one of the most important “accessories” for any digital camera, and the Sony a6000 is no exception. It is, after all, the piece of hardware that all your photos and videos are saved on.
In this article we’ll briefly touch on a few memory cards for Sony a6000 cameras along with a discussion on whether or not there really is a “best” option when it comes to SD cards.
The Basics
What is UHS-I vs UHS-II?
If you’ve done any sort of memory card shopping, you’ve probably seen the label “UHS-I” or “UHS-II” on most product listings. The biggest difference is that UHS-II cards are, technically, supposed to be faster.
So does it actually matter?
For the Sony a6000, no. It doesn’t take UHS-II cards, thus there’s no point paying extra for one. Just stick to anything labeled UHS-I and save a bit of money.
What is SDXC vs SDHC?
A memory card classed as SDHC stands for “high capacity” which allows storage up to 32gb of data. SDXC, on the other hand, stands for “extended capacity” allowing up to 2000gb of data. That’s a huge difference.
So does it matter which type you choose? To a degree, yes. If you have any interest in video, it should be noted that an SDXC card is needed for the Sony a6000’s new XAVC video format.
To put it simply, if you don’t shoot video and don’t need a ton of space, an SDHC card is fine. If you shoot video or simply want a huge amount of memory, an SDXC card is a better choice. I’d always, frankly, recommend an SDXC card either way.
So is there really a “best” SD card?
There isn’t necessarily a “best” card as a lot of it comes down to personal preference and individual needs, as I touched on in the previous section. Speed matters but most cards are blazing fast either way.
With that being said, I’m a firm believer that you should just get the best memory card you can get as they’re quite affordable anyways.
Invest in Something Good
I’ve personally used a Sandisk Extreme Pro 128gb since I bought my camera many years ago, and it’s been bulletproof, fast, and has never given me any issues. The 128gb is incredibly overkill as I usually offload my pictures onto my PC after every shoot, but like I said, why not get the best?
In addition, I always keep a backup card in my bag in case I forget my main one at home in my PC (it’s happened a lot over the years). The secondary card I use is a smaller Sandisk Extreme Pro 64gb. So, pretty much the same exact thing, but smaller.
I can not stress how important it is to have a backup SD card on hand. I, very rarely, have needed one, but it’s saved me a few times.
At the end of the day, just invest in a nice SD card and it’ll last you years. I’m still using the same beefy 128gb card I originally bought for my camera almost half a decade ago. Zero issues, and it still works good as new (hopefully it stays that way…).
If you want to look into more accessories to enhance your a6000, check out our guides on microphones and streaming/video.
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