Like most cameras, the Sony a7C II doesn’t come with a memory card included as standard. Unless you’ve purchased a specific retail bundle, you will need to pick one up before you can start shooting.
NB: In typical Sony style, this camera goes by several names. I am calling it the Sony a7C II here, but it is also officially known as the ILCE-7CM2, a7C2, α7CII, or Alpha 7C II. All recommendations below apply regardless of what’s printed on the box.
However, throwing any old SD card into the a7C II will lead to disappointment. This camera packs the powerful 33MP sensor and BIONZ XR processor from the larger a7 IV into a compact body. If your card isn’t fast enough, you won’t be able to take advantage of its best features.
Sony a7C II memory card requirements
Before buying a card, there are three critical technical specifications you need to know about the a7C II:
- Single Slot: Unlike its larger siblings, the a7C II only has one memory card slot to save space. Since you cannot record redundant backups to a second card simultaneously, buying a highly reliable card from a reputable brand is essential.
- UHS-II Compatibility: The slot supports ultra-fast UHS-II SDXC cards. While older UHS-I cards will physically fit, they will severely bottleneck the camera during bursts or video recording.
- Video Bitrates (V60 vs. V90): The camera’s highest-end video codec (4K XAVC S-I) pushes a massive 600 Mbps data rate. To record this without dropping frames, you absolutely need a V90-rated SD card. For standard 4K video (XAVC S or HS) and everyday photography, a less expensive V60-rated card is highly capable and sufficient.
The reason comes down to simple arithmetic. 600 Mbps works out to 75 MB/s of sustained data, and a V60 card only guarantees 60 MB/s of sustained write speed. That is the guarantee the V number makes, and it is the number that matters here. The big figure printed on the front of most cards is a peak read speed, which tells you how quickly you can pull files off the card on a computer, not whether the card can keep up while the camera is recording.
Top recommendations: V90 SD cards (for maximum performance)
If you plan to shoot high-speed 10fps RAW bursts or record 4K video using the heavy 600 Mbps All-Intra codec, you need the sustained write speeds of a V90 card. Here are my top picks for reliability and speed.
One thing a V90 card won’t do is make the camera shoot faster. The a7C II tops out at 10 frames per second no matter what card is in the slot. What the faster card buys you is a shorter wait afterwards, because the buffer empties to the card more quickly and you get back to shooting sooner.
With a camera this good, you don't want to skimp on a memory card that's too slow to let you use all the camera's features; that's just asking for problems. Here are some good choices that will let you use all the features of your camera.
SanDisk Extreme PRO V90 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 310 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Check current price and availability at:
SanDisk is probably the best-known of the SD card manufacturers listed here, and the Extreme Pro range is their top model.
One thing to note with SanDisk cards is that they recycle their model names. And in this case, not only are there older cards that carry the Extreme Pro name, but there are also V30 and V60 versions. This is the newest V90 version.
You'll probably find those older versions work just fine — it really depends how far back you go — but you can tell the latest version because it's labeled with both V90 and UHS-II and has 310MB/s read and 304 MB/s write ratings listed on the card itself.
ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 300R Iridium
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Check current price and availability at:
ProGrade Digital emerged after corportate upheaval at Lexar several years ago, and they have since built a very well-regarded brand. They cater to the top end of the market. And, having used a number of their cards (and top-notch memory readers) intensively for several years now, I've found them to be excellent.
Lexar Professional 2000x GOLD V90 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Check current price and availability at:
This is the fastest card in the Lexar Professional line, with a rated write speed of up to 260 MB/s. It's available in sizes from 64GB to 256GB.
Delkin Devices POWER V90 UHS-II SDXC
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Check current price and availability at:
Delkin Devices have actually been around for years, but a few years ago they overhauled their SD card lineup to make it both clearer and more competitive. The Power range is their fastest line. This card is rated at V90 with UHS-II.
PNY EliteX-PRO90 V90 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
Check current price and availability at:
New Jersey-based PNY have been making very good flash memory for quite some time, and in my own tests I've found this card to be very fast — even slightly faster than the speeds they claim on the box. It comes in storage capacities of 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB.
Angelbird AV PRO SD MK2 V90 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Check current price and availability at:
Angelbird is a relatively new entrant in the memory card game, and they're a boutique manufacturer catering to the very top end of the market. And in my experience, their reputation for excellence is well deserved. These cards aren't always widely available, but they're well worth trying to track down. An interesting tidbit: the branding on the cards is printed directly onto the card so that there's no adhesive to melt when the cards get hot -- and they will get hot, as all cards do when you push them with high-spec cameras like this. There's also a V60 version. It's also very good, but the one I'm including here is their faster V90 card.
Nextorage NX-F2PRO V90 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V90
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Check current price and availability at:
I've found the cards from Japanese memory card maker Nextorage to be excellent. But they're not always widely available at retailers in the US.
Recommendations checked: August 2026
Top recommendations: V60 SD cards (best value)
If you do not plan to shoot in the massive XAVC S-I video format, you can save a significant amount of money by opting for a V60 card. These are still incredibly fast UHS-II cards that will handle standard 4K 10-bit video and everyday RAW photography without breaking a sweat.
V60 cards are the current lower-end of UHS-II cards. And they're designed for cameras that have UHS-II slots to take advantage of that faster BUS interface. There's a faster step above these -- the V90 cards -- but for the purposes of this camera, the V60 cards are often a more cost-effective option while still giving you full access to all your camera's features.
SanDisk Extreme PRO V60 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V60
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 300 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Check current price and availability at:
SanDisk's Extreme Pro range is their top line, but, confusingly, they have Extreme Pro cards that carry V30, V60, and V90 ratings. And, as you move up in speed, the price increases. This is the V60 UHS-II version, and it's usually a little cheaper than the V90 version.
ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V60 250R Gold
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V60
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 250 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Check current price and availability at:
ProGrade Digital was born out of some corporate upheaval at Lexar several years ago. Since then, they've built solid name recognition for their higher-end cards, and I can speak from personal experience that they make very good memory cards (and other accessories). I routinely use ProGrade CFexpress and SD cards in several of my cameras, as well as their top-notch memory card readers. I've been impressed.
This is their V60 line (they also have a V90 card). It's available from 128GB up to 1TB, and you can often find good deals on 2-packs (very useful if shooting video!).
Lexar Professional SILVER PRO V60 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V60
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 280 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Check current price and availability at:
Over many years of using Lexar memory cards, I've found them to be good, reliable performers, and they've remained so even after going through a change of ownership several years ago.
Somewhat confusingly, this Silver Pro branding replaces the older Silver 1667x cards.
PNY EliteX-PRO60 V60 UHS-II
- Type: SDXC
- Video Speed Class: V60
- UHS Bus Interface Type: UHS-II
- Maximum Read Speed: 280 MB/s
- Storage Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Check current price and availability at:
New Jersey-based PNY have been making very good flash memory for quite some time. While they don't have the name recognition of some of the other brands here, that's more of a product of their lower marketing budget than any reflection on the quality of their cards. To the contrary, having used several of their cards, I've found them to be excellent.
Recommendations checked: August 2026
Why use a fast memory card in the Sony a7C II?
You can use slower, older UHS-I SD cards in the a7C II for basic single-shot photography or 1080p video. Because those modes don’t throw a massive stream of data at the card all at once, an older card can usually keep up.
The problem arises when you want to utilize the features you actually paid for. If you attempt to shoot a fast burst of RAW photos or high-bitrate 4K video on a slow card, you will encounter dropped frames, interrupted recordings, or massive buffer delays where the camera locks up while trying to write the files. Buying a modern UHS-II card ensures you can use the camera to its full potential.
How to format the SD card on the Sony a7C II
It is always best practice to format a new memory card directly inside the camera before you start shooting. You can find the format function on the a7C II menu here:
MENU → (Shooting) → [Media] → [Format], then select the card slot and choose Enter.
Menu > Shooting > Media > FormatSelecting Enter runs a Quick Format. Full Formatting isn’t listed as a second menu item, which trips people up: press the Delete button while the format screen is showing, and the camera offers the full format instead. For general day-to-day use, a Quick Format is appropriate and fast. A Full Format is best if your memory card has been slowing down, throwing read errors, or if you need the data to be securely wiped. (I have a separate guide explaining the difference between quick format and full format if you want to dive deeper.)
If you prefer to format your cards on a computer rather than in-camera, be sure to use the official SD Card Formatter app to minimize the risk of file system errors.
For anybody shooting in cold temperatures the Lexar Card is rated only to 32 degrees F, while the Sandisk is rated to -15
Great tip! Thanks! I’d be curious to test this out and see whether there’s any actual performance difference at low temperatures or whether it’s just a matter of setting a rating threshold.