Congrats on the gift, tho picking a card for the Q3 43 can be a bit of a headache. Honestly, performance levels from some industry leaders have been quite disappointing lately. My testing shows that many cards simply cannot keep up with the 60MP throughput, leading to frustrating buffer delays. Methodically, here is what works best after several failures:

• Sony SF-G Tough Series 128GB UHS-II V90
• This is the most robust option, but unfortunately, it is the most expensive.
• ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 256GB
• A solid alternative that i switched to after having issues with reliability lately. Staying away from anything less than a V90 rating is my best advice. The Q3 43 write speeds are demanding, and using a slower card basically cripples the experience of such a high-end machine. Dont risk it with cheaper brands... the buffer will drive you crazy.

Omg congrats!! What an amazing gift from your dad, seriously love that for you. I just started out with my Q3 43 recently too and honestly, I was so terrified of getting a fake card like KernelKnight mentioned. Since the camera is such a masterpiece, I didnt want to take any chances with sketchy sites just to save a few bucks. Tbh even though those high end cards are super expensive, I found that just getting a smaller capacity version of a reliable one made it way more affordable for me. You dont always need 512GB right away! It definitely gives me peace of mind knowing the buffer wont hang while I'm still learning the ropes... just make sure you buy from a real shop and not some random third-party seller!

TL;DR: Don't risk your data with cheap cards; the Q3 43 sensor is too fast for them. Re: "Congrats on the gift, tho picking a card..."

• Sunburstafw is totally right about the throughput. I would suggest being extremely careful with where you buy your storage. I once picked up a card that looked legit from a big online marketplace, but it turned out to be a fake with lower write speeds than advertised. The camera basically choked during a street shoot. It got super hot, the buffer took forever to clear, and eventually the whole thing just errored out. Lost half my shots because the file table corrupted. Tbh, these 60MP files are no joke and they generate a lot of heat during write cycles. You might want to consider only buying from pro photo shops to avoid the counterfeit stuff... it isnt worth the stress of a card failure. Make sure to double check that you arent just looking at the read speed on the box. It's the sustained write speed that keeps the camera from locking up when you're shooting quickly.