Best Memory Card for Leica Q3
The Leica Q3 writes ~70 MB DNGs into an 8 GB buffer and will record 8K at 300 Mbps — then 4K / C4K All-Intra at 600 Mbps. That last number is 75 MB/s. V60’s floor is 60. V90’s floor is 90. Leica’s sheet says UHS-II recommended, UHS-I also listed. Independent reviews lock the 8K menu behind a V90 flag, and a Q2 battery. The 2026 card is a 128 GB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V90. It is not the UHS-I Extreme PRO in the same red sleeve, and it is not five “Top Choice” V90s sold as if they were the same pairing.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed August 2026 · Leica Q3 · UHS-II recommended · V90 for 8K menu + 600 Mbps ALL-I · 60.3 MP DNG
V90 / U3. Unlocks 8K. Covers 600 Mbps ALL-I. Confirm the title says UHS-II, not the 200 MB/s UHS-I twin.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Same UHS-II V90 job, usually less money. Confirm V90 on the label — Kingston also sells a V60 React Plus.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Still V90. ~900 DNGs. The BP-SCL6 is 350 CIPA shots — the cell empties first. Do not drop to V30 to save four dollars.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Comparison Table
| Product | Best for | Bus / class | On Q3 | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB UHS-II | Default Q3 | UHS-II · V90 | 8K menu + 600 Mbps ALL-I | ~$40–$70 | Check |
| Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB | V90 without SanDisk | UHS-II · V90 | Same unlock, usually cheaper | ~$35–$60 | Check |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB UHS-II | One battery of DNG | UHS-II · V90 | ~900 DNGs / one ALL-I clip | ~$30–$50 | Check |
| Extreme PRO UHS-I | Skip (wrong bus) | UHS-I · V30 | ~45 MB/s SDR50 on this slot | ~$18–$28 | Check |
| Sony SF-G Tough | Skip as default | UHS-II · V90 | Durability tax the body does not need | $80+ | Check |
How We Picked These Cards
- What Leica published: Q3 (leica-camera.com technical specification): storage UHS-II (recommended), UHS-I, SD / SDHC / SDXC. 60.3 MP effective (9520×6336 L-DNG); DNG ~70 MB; 14-bit DNG / 8-bit JPG; 8 GB buffer. Drive: 2 / 4 fps 14-bit with AF; 7 fps 14-bit; 9 / 15 fps 12-bit (AE/AF/WB locked after first frame at 7+). Video: C8K / 8K to SD at 300 Mbps h.265 4:2:0 10-bit; MOV C4K / 4K All-Intra 600 Mbps at 59.94 / 50 / 48 (SD); 400 Mbps All-Intra at 30p-class; FHD ProRes 422HQ up to 454 Mbps; clip max 29 min. USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C to 10 Gbps. BP-SCL6 2200 mAh, 350 shots CIPA. IP52 body. 743 g with battery. No internal stills store.
- 300 Mbps is V30 math; 600 Mbps is why V90 is the floor — and the menu agrees: 8K at 300 Mbps is 37.5 MB/s (a V60 card can write that stream). 4K / C4K ALL-I at 600 Mbps is 75 MB/s — over V60’s 60 MB/s guarantee, under V90’s 90. Photo Review: 8K settings stay gray without a V90 in the slot, even on a card that prints 300 MB/s without the V90 mark; they also reported short clips when write could not hold. Leica Forum: format in the Q3 (sometimes twice) before 8K appears; use the SCL6, not a Q2 cell. Memory Card Lab (firmware 4.0): the Q3’s in-camera write path did not exceed ~150 MB/s; UHS-I cards were clocked as SDR50 (~45 MB/s). So the pairing is UHS-II V90, not a 299 MB/s Tough sticker and not a UHS-I “200 MB/s” Extreme PRO.
- The box you actually buy: Full-size SDXC, 64 or 128 GB, UHS-II, V90 on the print, formatted in the Q3. Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-II (current 300 MB/s / V90 listings — Photo Review’s timing card in 64 GB). Kingston Canvas React Plus 128 GB V90 (not the V60 sibling). Extreme PRO 64 GB UHS-II if you only dump DNG with the battery. 256 GB Extreme PRO / React Plus UHS-II V90 if the card stays in for 8K. Skip UHS-I Extreme PRO. Skip Sony Tough as the default. Skip Ultra / V30 and expecting the 8K line to light up.
Best Memory Card for Leica Q3: Detailed Reviews
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB UHS-II View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II · 128 GB V90 (256 GB same family) |
|---|---|
| Class | V90 = 90 MB/s floor — above 600 Mbps ALL-I (75 MB/s) and 8K 300 Mbps |
| On Q3 | ~70 MB L-DNG · 8 GB buffer · 7 fps 14-bit / 15 fps 12-bit · clips to 29 min |
| Capacity math | 128 GB ≈ 1,800 DNGs or ~29 min of 600 Mbps ALL-I. Battery is 350 frames |
| Buy this listing | Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-II V90. Not Extreme PRO UHS-I. Not Extreme (no PRO) V30 |
Why it fits the Q3. This is the first Q that writes a 70 MB DNG and a 600 Mbps All-Intra file. V90 is the class that covers the ALL-I floor and the class Photo Review needed to light 8K. Extreme PRO UHS-II is that class on a SKU people can reorder. Photo Review’s timing used the 64 GB twin: 15 fps JPEG ran ~66 frames then ~30 s to clear; 7 fps L-DNG+JPEG ran ~64 frames then ~90 s. That is the 8 GB buffer emptying, not a reason to buy Sony’s 299 MB/s write. Format in the camera — Forum posts that could not see 8K often had a V90 that had never been formatted here. 256 GB if you refuse to dump; USB 3.1 Gen 2 will move the 300 MB/s read if you pull through the Type-C port or a UHS-II reader. The UHS-I Extreme PRO in the same search carousel is the skip.
Skip this if you want the same V90 cheaper — Kingston React Plus V90. Skip every listing that only says “Extreme PRO 128GB” and then shows a UHS-I box.
- V90 unlocks 8K and covers 600 Mbps ALL-I
- UHS-II — the bus Leica recommended and this slot actually clocks
- 128 GB matches a 350-shot battery of 70 MB DNGs
- Amazon mixes UHS-I and UHS-II in the same PRO row
- Will not make the 8 GB buffer larger
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB V90 View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | Kingston Canvas React Plus SDXC · 128 GB · V90 (not V60) |
|---|---|
| On Q3 | Same 8K / ALL-I job as Extreme PRO UHS-II. Format in-camera |
| SKU trap | Canvas React Plus V60 (60 MB/s floor — under 75 MB/s ALL-I). Canvas Go! Plus (UHS-I) |
| Forum note | Named next to Angelbird / PNY when people were clearing grayed 8K after a format |
| Reader | Some kits include a UHS-II reader — useful; USB-C 10 Gbps on the Q3 also dumps |
Why it is Value. V90 is the pairing. The SanDisk print is optional. React Plus V90 is UHS-II with a 90 MB/s video floor at a street price that is usually under Extreme PRO UHS-II. Memory Card Lab’s “the camera did not exceed 150 MB/s” result is why you do not pay Sony Tough money on top. Confirm V90 on the face. Kingston’s newer V60 React Plus will write 8K’s 37.5 MB/s and will sit under ALL-I’s 75. Format in the Q3 before you decide 8K is “broken.”
Skip this if you want one SanDisk SKU in a mixed bag — Extreme PRO 128 UHS-II. Skip the V60 listing in the same carousel.
- UHS-II V90 at Value money
- 128 GB under any published cap
- Same in-camera format rule
- V60 sibling is easy to buy by mistake
- Less retail shelf presence than SanDisk
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
SanDisk Extreme PRO 64GB UHS-II View on Amazon View on B&H
| Model | SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II · 64 GB V90 |
|---|---|
| Why 64 not 128 | ~900 × 70 MB DNG. CIPA 350. Photo Review’s timing card was this size |
| On Q3 | Still V90 — 8K is not gray. One 29 min ALL-I take will fill it |
| Buy this listing | 64 GB UHS-II V90. Not 64 GB UHS-I Extreme PRO. Not Extreme 64 GB V30 |
| Skip | Class 10. Locked write-protect sliders |
Why it is Budget. Shrink capacity, do not shrink class. 64 GB V90 is how Photo Review timed the body. It is enough DNG for a BP-SCL6 day and enough 8K for a few 29-minute (or heat-shortened) takes. It is the wrong size if ALL-I 4K 60p is the point — 600 Mbps eats 64 GB in one official clip. Format in the camera. The July-style “buy 512 GB because 8K” line ignores the 350-shot battery and the 29-minute stop.
Skip this if the card stays in for a week of 8K — Extreme PRO or React Plus 128 / 256.
- V90 / UHS-II at the lowest honest Extreme PRO price
- Matches a 350-shot charge of DNG
- The size independent timing already used
- One ALL-I clip can fill it
- You will dump more often than 128 GB
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
If You Need Something Else
The old version of this page treated every V90 as a “Top Choice.” Two cards in that row are the wrong pairing: a UHS-I twin, and a Tough tax the write path does not use.
SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I View on Amazon View on B&H
| What the box sells | Extreme PRO · often V30 · “up to 200 MB/s” on UHS-I |
|---|---|
| On Q3 | Memory Card Lab: UHS-I is clocked SDR50, ~45 MB/s — not the 200 MB/s sticker |
| 8K / ALL-I | V30 is 30 MB/s. 8K is 37.5. ALL-I is 75. Menu may stay gray |
| What to buy instead | The same name with UHS-II and V90 on the face |
Amazon’s “Extreme PRO 128GB” row is how people buy the wrong bus. Leica listed UHS-I as compatible. Compatible is not “unlocks 8K” and is not “clears a 60 MP burst like UHS-II.” If the sleeve does not say UHS-II and V90, it is not this body’s card.
Skip this if the camera is a Q3 and you care about the video menu or burst clear.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Sony SF-G Tough View on Amazon View on B&H
| What the box sells | UHS-II V90 · up to 299 MB/s write · one-piece / IP68 |
|---|---|
| What the Q3 did in independent write tests | Memory Card Lab: in-camera path did not exceed ~150 MB/s |
| What you get | A V90 card at Tough money |
The previous page led with Sony Tough because the Q3 is IP52 and the card is “18× more bend resistant.” The pairing job is V90 on UHS-II. Photo Review cleared the buffer on a SanDisk UHS-II V90. Buy Tough if you already destroy cards. Do not buy it to make 15 fps last longer — Leica’s 8 GB buffer is the stop.
Skip this as the default if you want the Q3 card, not an extra housing.
Check Price on Amazon US, UK, CA, DE → Check Price on B&H
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Q3 need a V90 card?
For 8K in the menu, independent reviews say yes — a fast card without the V90 mark can leave 8K gray. For 4K / C4K All-Intra at 600 Mbps (75 MB/s), V90 is the speed class that sits above the stream. 8K’s 300 Mbps bitstream alone is V60 math; the body still wants the V90 flag.
Is UHS-I enough?
Leica lists it. Memory Card Lab measured ~45 MB/s (SDR50) on UHS-I in this slot. That is under ALL-I and a slow drain of the 8 GB buffer. Buy UHS-II.
Why is 8K grayed out?
Common causes: not V90, card never formatted in the Q3, or a Q2 / older SL battery. Verge: 8K needs the BP-SCL6. Forum: format in-camera, full charge, then reopen the video menu.
What capacity should I buy?
128 GB is the default (~1,800 × 70 MB DNG, or about one 29 min ALL-I clip). 64 GB V90 matches a 350-shot stills day. 256 GB if the card stays in for 8K. There is no published GB ceiling on the live spec sheet.
Will a faster card make 15 fps last longer?
The buffer is 8 GB. Photo Review hit ~64 L-DNG+JPEG at 7 fps, then waited. A 299 MB/s Tough card does not rewrite that table.
Final Verdict
For a Leica Q3, buy a full-size SDXC that is UHS-II and V90, 64 or 128 GB, formatted in the camera, with the SCL6 in the grip if you want 8K. The default is a SanDisk Extreme PRO 128 GB UHS-II. Want the same V90 cheaper? Kingston Canvas React Plus 128 GB V90. Want battery-sized storage? Extreme PRO 64 GB UHS-II. Skip the UHS-I Extreme PRO. Skip Sony Tough as the default. Five equal “Top Choice” V90s was the old page. This body has one job: V90 on the bus Leica recommended.