Best Nikon D7200 SD Memory Cards
SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards are meant to function with the Nikon D7200. A card with fast enough write speeds is important for video and continuous shooting.
The functionality of your camera can be decreased by using the wrong SD memory card.
Just want a card that is compatible with the camera? Here is my suggestion on the memory card for use with your Nikon D7200:
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- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
Dual Card Slots
Do Both Memory Card Slots Need to be Used?
No, the camera is usable with only one card. With two CF 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 SD Cards Need to be the Same?
No, SD memory cards are not required to match. You can use SD memory cards that have different storage capacities.
Having both Compact Flash memory cards be the same helps to prevent potential compatibility problems. In particular, a slow card can slow down the camera’s buffer.
Recommended SD Cards
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
- UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
- Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
- Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
- Larger capacity cards are available.
- Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
- Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
- UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
- Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.
Best SD Cards
Memory cards are now noticeably more affordable than at the time the camera was originally revealed.
Since costs are so cheap, it doesn’t make financial sense to pick anything other than a high-quality SD card.
SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have all worked well for me. I have not suffered from a card break or data errors with those SD memory cards.
Every hassle I have dealt with has been because of generic unbranded memory cards. Hoping to save around a dollar is not worth it if your D7200 does not function correctly.
To save money, purchase a lower storage capacity card from a quality company. Because of this, you’ll know your photos are secure on the memory card.
Nikon D7200 SD Card Compatibility
The only cards that are compatible with the Nikon D7200 are SD, SDHC, and SDXC. Make sure you have the most up-to-date firmware installed on your camera for the best overall performance.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, can’t be used in the D7200.
There are four different versions of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should be aware of. You can recognize them by looking at their capacity.
- SD (Secure Digital) - 128MB to 2GB.
- SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) - 4GB to 32GB.
- SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) - 64GB to 2TB.
- SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) - 4TB to 128TB.
Image Capacity
Listed below is an approximation of the volume of maximum-quality JPEGs photographs you should be expecting to be stored on a card:
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
Card Speed
Speed ratings of an SD memory card is dependant on the sequential write and read speeds of the card. The speed of a SD memory card is important for continuous shooting in addition to video.
A slow card can cut down the number of continuous frames the Nikon D7200 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the memory card fast enough.
With video, a slow memory card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you intend to capture video, it is important the memory card you use meets the requirements of the D7200.
Card read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a SD card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the transfer time.
Speed Class Rating
A memory card receives a Class rating based on its continuous write speed. Memory cards that have a write speed of 10MB/s will be labeled Class 10.
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster
Every brand of card that you can find today will receive a Class 10 rating. To check the class rating of a SD card, look for a number inside of the C on the front.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is available in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. UHS allows provides a way to increase data transfer rates.
There are 3 separate specifications. The three are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
You can determine the UHS rating of a SD memory card by examining the front of the SD card. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD card, that is going to be the rating of the SD card.
- UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
- UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
- UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s
Related Cameras
Taking the specs into consideration, the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Nikon D7200. You’re now prepared for any future camera you own.
Here are a few more pages on digital cameras similar to the D7200: