Best Memory Card for Sony FX5
The 2026 Sony FX5 will record 5K Open Gate and in-camera X-OCN only when the card in the slot is CFexpress Type A with a VPG400 guarantee. SDXC still covers many XAVC Long GOP modes, and V90 is enough for XAVC S-I, but every X-OCN row in Sony’s Help Guide is marked not guaranteed on SD. Type B cards do not fit. CFexpress 4 cards work, then behave as CFexpress 2 inside this body. The card that matches those constraints without overbuying capacity is the Sony CEA-G480T. Check the CEA-G480T on Amazon.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed September 2026 · ILME-FX5 dual combo slots · X-OCN needs Type A VPG400
480 GB Type A, VPG400, TOUGH shell, fast offload on a CFexpress 4 reader.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓VPG400 Type A at 512 GB for less than Sony’s 480 GB card.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Same VPG400 Type A class in a smaller card for X-OCN without a 480 GB bill.
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How We Tested
Cards were scored against the FX5 media table, not against generic “fast card” marketing. Sony’s ILME-FX5 recommended memory card guide marks every X-OCN LT / C1 / C2 row — including 5K Open Gate — as guaranteed only on CFexpress Type A VPG400. VPG200 Type A and all SDXC classes are marked not guaranteed for X-OCN. XAVC S-I needs V90 or Type A. The FX5 product footnotes add two hardware facts: CFexpress Type B is not supported, and a CFexpress 4 card is recognized but treated as CFexpress 2 in-camera. Sony’s CEA-G series pages set the VPG400 floor at 400 MB/s sustained. Anything that is Type B, VPG200-only, or sold as an X-OCN card while being SD-only was dropped.
Best Memory Card for Sony FX5: Detailed Reviews
Sony CEA-G480T View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | CEA-G480T |
|---|---|
| Format | CFexpress Type A (CFexpress 4) |
| Capacity | 480 GB |
| Rated speed | Up to 1800 MB/s read, 1700 MB/s write |
| Video rating | VPG400 (400 MB/s minimum write) |
Why it fits the FX5. This is the Sony-branded Type A card that lines up with the camera’s own media table. All CEA-G cards carry VPG400, which is the only CFexpress column Sony marks as guaranteed for X-OCN, including 5K 3:2 Open Gate. The 480 GB size is the practical production step above 160 GB without jumping to 960 GB. The 240 / 480 / 960 / 1920 GB G-series cards use the CFexpress 4 bus (1800 / 1700 MB/s). On the FX5 that extra bus speed does not raise in-camera write: footnote 24 says a CFexpress 4 card is treated as CFexpress 2. The payoff is offload on a CFexpress 4 reader, plus the TOUGH shell (Sony quotes 5× drop strength and 10× bend resistance versus the Type A spec, IP57). Street price is about $479. Sony also used CFexpress Type A media for the body’s CIPA recording-time figure, so this is the card class the camera was measured with. Pair two of them if the job is relay or simultaneous recording; the FX5 has two combo slots.
Buy it as the default X-OCN card. Skip it only if 256–512 GB of third-party VPG400 Type A is enough, or if the camera will stay on XAVC Long GOP and a V90 SD in slot B is the real need. See Best Accessories for Sony FX5 for the rest of the kit around these slots.
- VPG400 Type A, the class Sony guarantees for X-OCN
- 480 GB is a usable day size in either combo slot
- CFexpress 4 offload speeds on a matching reader
- In-camera, CFexpress 4 is treated as CFexpress 2
- Costs more per gigabyte than Lexar’s 512 GB GOLD series
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Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress Type A 512GB View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | LCAEXG4512G-RNENG |
|---|---|
| Format | CFexpress 4.0 Type A |
| Capacity | 512 GB |
| Rated speed | Up to 1800 MB/s read, 1650 MB/s write; 1400 MB/s sustained write |
| Video rating | VPG400 |
Why it fits the FX5. Lexar’s Professional GOLD Type A line is VPG400 certified, which is the rating Sony’s Help Guide requires for X-OCN. The 512 GB SKU lists at $349.99, which undercuts Sony’s 480 GB CEA-G480T on both price and capacity. Headline speeds are 1800 / 1650 MB/s with a 1400 MB/s sustained write claim. On the FX5 those peak numbers are an offload story: the body treats CFexpress 4 as CFexpress 2, so in-camera recording still sits on the VPG400 floor. The card is the same 20 × 28 × 2.8 mm Type A form factor as Sony’s, so it seats in either combo slot. Lexar also sells 256 GB, 640 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB in this family if the 512 GB size is wrong for the bag.
Buy the 512 GB GOLD series when two Sony 480 GB cards would blow the media budget. Skip it if the production requires Sony-branded media only, or if a matching pair of CEA-G cards is already in the kit for dual-slot simultaneous recording.
- VPG400 Type A at 512 GB for about $350
- More capacity than Sony’s 480 GB card
- Same physical slot as CEA-G; works in SLOT A or B
- Not the card Sony used in its own recording-time note
- CFexpress 4 peak speeds do not raise FX5 in-camera write
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Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress Type A 256GB View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | LCAEXG4256G-RNENG |
|---|---|
| Format | CFexpress 4.0 Type A |
| Capacity | 256 GB |
| Rated speed | Up to 1800 MB/s read, 1650 MB/s write; 1400 MB/s sustained write |
| List price | $229.99 |
Why it fits the FX5. A cheap SD card is not a budget X-OCN card. Sony’s table leaves every X-OCN cell blank for SDXC, including V90. The inexpensive way to unlock the codec this body was launched for is a smaller VPG400 Type A card. Lexar’s 256 GB GOLD SKU is the same VPG400 / CFexpress 4.0 Type A design as the 512 GB card, listed at $229.99. That is less money than Sony’s 160 GB CEA-G160T, and it still seats in either FX5 combo slot. Capacity is the compromise: 256 GB fills faster on 5K Open Gate X-OCN than 480 or 512 GB, so this is a two-or-three-card kit, not a one-card day. Firmware 2.0 (planned August 2027 or later) adds 5K 120 fps X-OCN and 4K 240p; those modes will still want Type A, not a V30 SD card.
Buy two 256 GB GOLD series cards if the body must record X-OCN this month and 512 GB can wait. Skip this size if the job is a long interview in X-OCN C2 — step up to 480 or 512 GB, or run relay across both slots.
- VPG400 Type A under $230
- Cheaper than Sony’s 160 GB CEA-G160T for more capacity
- Same slot and rating as the 512 GB GOLD series
- 256 GB is short for a full X-OCN day
- Still the wrong card if the codec stays on XAVC Long GOP only
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Sony SF-G Tough 256GB View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SF-G256T / SFG256T/T1 |
|---|---|
| Format | SDXC UHS-II |
| Capacity | 256 GB |
| Rated speed | Up to 300 MB/s read, 299 MB/s write; 90 MB/s minimum (V90) |
| Build | TOUGH, IP68, rib-less / switchless |
Each FX5 slot accepts SDXC UHS-I/II or CFexpress Type A. That is why a V90 SD still belongs in this list — as the second-slot card, not as the X-OCN card. Sony’s table allows V90 (and Type A) for XAVC S-I. Many 4K XAVC Long GOP modes are marked guaranteed from U3 / V30 up. X-OCN is still a Type A-only column. The SF-G256T is Sony’s V90 TOUGH SD: 300 / 299 MB/s peak, 90 MB/s minimum write, IP68, listed at $539.99. Put Type A in SLOT A for X-OCN or S-I, and this V90 in SLOT B for proxy or a cheaper XAVC master. Do not buy it expecting 5K Open Gate RAW. Open Gate is X-OCN-only on this body, and X-OCN is Type A-only in the Help Guide.
- V90 covers XAVC S-I on the FX5 media table
- Fits the SD side of either combo slot for proxy
- TOUGH IP68 shell for weather days
- Not guaranteed for any X-OCN mode
- Costs more than a 256 GB VPG400 Type A card that can record X-OCN
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Buying Guide: How to Choose a Memory Card for the Sony FX5
Comparison Table
| Product | Job on the FX5 | Key spec | Street | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sony CEA-G480T | Default X-OCN card | 480 GB Type A VPG400 | ~$479 | Check |
| Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress Type A 512GB | More GB per dollar | 512 GB Type A VPG400 | ~$350 | Check |
| Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress Type A 256GB | Entry X-OCN media | 256 GB Type A VPG400 | ~$230 | Check |
| ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A Iridium Dual VPG | Fast ingest / VPG800 hedge | 512 GB or 1 TB Dual VPG | ~$570 | Check |
| Sony SF-G Tough 256GB | XAVC / proxy on SD | 256 GB UHS-II V90 | ~$540 | Check |
Frequently Asked Questions
Whether an SD card can record X-OCN on the FX5
No. Sony’s recommended-card table marks X-OCN LT, C1, and C2 — including 5K Open Gate — as guaranteed only on CFexpress Type A VPG400. Every SDXC class, including V90, is marked not guaranteed. Open Gate itself is X-OCN-only on this body, so Open Gate and SD are not a pair.
Why CFexpress Type B cards do not belong in this camera
Type A and Type B are different physical sizes. The FX5 combo slots take Type A or SDXC. Sony’s product footnotes state CFexpress Type B is not supported. A Type B card from an FX6, BURANO, or a computer reader will not seat.
What a CFexpress 4 logo actually changes on the FX5
In-camera, Sony treats a CFexpress 4 card as CFexpress 2. Recording still depends on VPG400, not on a 1700 MB/s peak-write claim. The faster bus shows up when the card is in a CFexpress 4 or USB4 reader. That is why a Gen3 CEA-G160T and a CFexpress 4 CEA-G480T can both be valid X-OCN cards, with the 480 GB card winning on capacity and offload.
Whether VPG200 Type A is enough for X-OCN
Not according to Sony’s table. The X-OCN columns are × under VPG200 and ✓ only under VPG400. A Type A card that is only VPG200 is the wrong rating for the codec this body was launched around.
What to put in the second slot
For X-OCN relay or simultaneous recording, a second VPG400 Type A card. For proxy or a cheaper XAVC master, V90 SD such as the SF-G Tough 256GB is the Help Guide-legal choice. Do not mix a Type A X-OCN master with the hope that a V30 SD will also hold X-OCN; it will not.
Final Verdict
If the FX5 was bought for internal X-OCN, start with Type A VPG400 and ignore Type B and SD for that codec. The CEA-G480T is the straightforward Sony-branded 480 GB card. The Lexar GOLD 512 GB series is the better spend per gigabyte, and the 256 GB GOLD series is the honest starter. Keep V90 SD for XAVC and proxy in the second slot. CFexpress 4 speed is for the reader on this body, not for a higher in-camera bitrate.