Best Nikon D300S SD Memory Cards
The Nikon D300S uses Compact Flash memory cards. 64GB is the largest card storage capacity that is compatible.
A CF card over 64GB will not be recognized or the D300S will display an error.
Recommended CF Cards
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SanDisk Extreme Pro CF 64GB
- Records and captures cinema quality 4K and Full HD video.
- Transfer speed of up to 160MB/s (1067X) read speeds.
- Industry leading shot speed performance of up to 150MB/s (1000X) write speeds.
- Designed for professional photographers and videographers
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SanDisk Extreme 64GB CompactFlash Card
- Write speeds of up to 85 MB/s for faster shot-to-shot performance.
- Transfer speeds of up to 120 MB/s for increased efficiency.
- Video Performance (VPG-20) for Full HD video recording.
- RTV silicone coating protects card from shock and vibration.
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Lexar Professional CF Card 64GB
- High speed performance—leverages UDMA 7 technology to deliver a read speed up to 1066x (160MB/s).
- Supports the VPG-65 specification for professional-quality video.
- Captures high-quality images and extended lengths of stunning 1080p Full-HD, 3D, and 4K video.
- High-speed file transfer to dramatically accelerate workflow.
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Dual Card Slots
Do Both Memory Card Slots Need to be Used?
No, you can use the camera with only one CF card. When you use two cards you will have additional options.
- Mirror the Cards. Both memory cards will have the same files written to them.
- Overflow. Once the first card is full, files will be written to the second card.
- RAW+JPEG. Raw files will be written to one card and JPEGs of the same images will be written to the second card.
Do CF Cards Need to Match?
No, the CF cards are not required to match. You can use CF cards that have different sizes.
Having both cards be the same helps to avoid compatibility concerns. In particular, a slow Compact Flash can bottleneck the camera’s buffer.
Compact Flash Card Types
Compact Flash cards come in two physical sizes. The cards are known as Type I or Type II.
The difference between the types is the thickness of the cards. The length and width of the cards are identical.
- Type I - 3.3mm thick
- Type II - 5mm thick
The Type II spec was thicker to allow Microdrives to be used in the Nikon D300S. A Microdrive was a little mechanical harddrive, the size of a CF card.
When CF memory cards were first launched they had high prices and very small capacities. Microdrives were the only solution to get large amounts of storage.
Microdrives are no longer manufactured. Because they were mechanical, failure came from prolonged use or age. So you cannot even find them used.
SD to Compact Flash card adapters also use Type II sized slots. There are adapters that will allow you to use SD or Micro SD cards in a CF slot.
Card Reader
The UGREEN 4-in-1 card reader is what I use with my CF cards.
The UGREEN card reader is USB 3.0 compatible. Using the card reader will provide transfer speeds that are faster than what the Nikon D300S can achieve.
The reader also supports these memory card types:
- CompactFlash Cards
- SD, SDHC, & SDXC Cards
- Memory Stick (MS), MS Pro, MS PRO-HG, & MS XC DUO
- MicroSD, Micro SDHC, & Micro SDXC Cards
Avoiding Card Read Errors
One of the most common errors with cameras that use CF cards are damaged card slot pins. If a pin is bent, you could see a ‘unable to use card’ error message.
To avoid damaged pins, do not force a CF card into the Nikon D300S. The extra space for a Type II card makes it possible for a Compact Flash card to be aligned incorrectly.
If the compact flash card won’t easily slide into the slot, remove it and check the alignment of the card. Also, check to see if there is any damage to the card or slot.
If everything looks fine, carefully position the CF card and try again.