Fujifilm X-T2 SD Card Recommendations

The Fujifilm X-T2 camera does not include memory cards by default, so you’ll need to purchase them separately, unless you buy a bundle from a retailer that includes accessories like memory cards. However, it’s important to note that not all SD cards will be compatible with the X-T2 camera’s powerful features, so it’s essential to choose the right one.

The X-T2 has a maximum bitrate of 100 Mb/s and can shoot at high-speed burst photo modes of up to 14 frames per second. But, if you use an SD card that is not fast enough, you risk not being able to use these features or even losing your footage or photos. With so many memory cards on the market, it can be challenging to figure out which one will work.

To help you with this, we have put together some practical recommendations for which SD cards to buy for the X-T2 camera. So you can get out shooting and have all of the camera’s features available to you.

Top Picks for SD Cards for the X-T2

If you’d just like to cut to the chase with some quick recommendations, here are some good options:

And don’t forget that the X-T2 has two SD card slots. You don’t have to fill them both—the camera will still work with only one SD card in it—but if you want to take advantage of the full power of the X-T2’s file storage options, use two cards.

I have a lot more detail below, but the upshot is that any of these are fast enough, are readily available, and are generally good value for money.

Fujifilm’s Official Recommendations on Memory Cards for the X-T2

I have to commend Fujifilm for providing guidance in the instruction manual that is actually more specific and practical than some other camera manufacturers provide. It says: ¹

Fujifilm and SanDisk SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards have been approved for use in the camera; UHS-II cards can be used in both slots, while cards with a UHS speed class of 3 or better are recommended for movies.

And Fujifilm has gone the extra step of providing a webpage that lists a handful of specific memory card models that are officially supported. But that list is somewhat outdated now for the simple reason that memory card manufacturers tend to release new models fairly often and some have come out since that page was last updated. And it also doesn’t factor in things like availability and value for money—some of the cards on their list are surprisingly hard to find, especially at reasonable prices.

So what I’m trying to do is take the information provided by Fujifilm and combine it with both my own experience actually shooting with an X-T2 with these cards and also the findings from my own SD card speed tests. The objective is to provide some practical recommendations for which memory cards to get to be confident that they’ll work well with all of the X-T2’s advanced features.

My emphasis here is on memory cards that offer a good combination of meeting the camera’s technical requirements, are from well-known and reputable manufacturers, are readily available at major retailers, and provide good value for money. This is not designed as a definitive listing of every SD card that will work well in the X-T2—there are others that can also work well—but I’ll do my best to keep it updated as new memory card models are released and I have a chance to use them.

Detailed Recommendations

Here’s more detailed information on these SD card recommendations for the Fujifilm X-T2.

Why Use a Fast Memory Card in the Fujifilm X-T2?

You can use slower SD cards in the X-T2. Many of the basic camera functions like standard single-shot stills photography or the low-bitrate video recording will work with slower cards for the simple reason that in those modes it’s not as crucial for the card to be able to keep up with a large stream of data being thrown at it in a short period of time.

The modes where you’ll run into trouble are the high-bitrate recording (eg. 4K at 400 Mbps) or the high-speed photo burst modes that take sequences of still images in rapid succession. If the card is too slow to keep up with those, you can get unwanted side effects like the recording stopping unexpectedly or the burst sequence being interrupted.

That’s why I’m focusing here on cards that allow you to use all of the X-T2’s capture modes: because I’m assuming that most people who shoot with an X-T2 probably want to have the option available of using the camera to its full potential. But if you never plan to use the high-bitrate video modes or the very high-speed burst photo modes, then you can get away with slower cards and ones that are UHS-I.

Using Two SD Card Slots on the Fujifilm X-T2

If you want to throw in a single memory card and head out shooting, you can. But the X-T2 has two SD card slots. And there are different ways to configure them.

My rule of thumb is that if a camera has two memory card slots, then I want to fill both of them. It’s not because the camera won’t work with only one slot filled—it will—but there are advantages to using two slots. They include having more raw storage space, being able to create backups on separate cards, and being able to separate different types of files (e.g. RAW and JPG or photos and video) onto separate cards as a way to streamline the rest of the workflow.

There are different ways to configure how the camera treats the two slots.

Sequential. This is the default setting. When the card in slot 1 fills up, it automatically rolls over to slot 2 (or the other way around, if you’ve set it that way in the options).

Backup. This creates two copies of each photo. One copy is recorded on each card.

RAW/JPG. This is a special mode that’s available only if you’ve selected one of the RAW+JPG options that saves both a RAW file and a JPG version of the same image. It splits up each file type, recording the RAW version on one card and the JPG on the other.

You find these settings on the menu under:

Settings (wrench icon) > Save Data Setting > Card Slot Setting

Do Both Cards Have to be the Same?

You don’t need to use exactly the same kind of memory card in each slot. They can be different brands, storage capacities, and speed ratings. To avoid complications, it makes sense to have them both fast enough, though.

In short: You can use the same kind of card in both slots, but it’s not a requirement.

How to Format the Memory Cards in the Fujifilm X-T2

The formatting process in the X-T2 is pretty straightforward. There’s no need to decode the differences between “deleting” and “formatting” as there is in some other cameras. On the X-T2 there’s just one process, and it does exactly what you’d expect: format the card to start fresh.

If you haven’t used a camera with two memory card slots before, the only difference in doing it here is that you have to do each card individually.

You will find the option under:

Settings menu tab (the wrench icon) > User Setting > Format

The first option is Format.

Then specify which card slot you want to format.

And finally, confirm that you want to erase all the data from the card.

How to Format SD Cards on a Computer

It’s always best practice to format memory cards in the camera you’re going to use them in, but if that’s not possible or not what you want to do, you can also format cards using a computer. But there are some things to know when formatting SD cards to minimize the risks of your camera having problems with them. So I’ve put together guides on how to format SD cards on Mac and how to use the free SD Card Formatter app for Windows or Mac.

1. Another point the manual makes, which isn’t going to be a concern for most shooters, is that the X-T2 is not compatible with xD-Picture or MultiMediaCard (MMC) devices.[↩]

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