Nikon Memory Card Compatibility - SD Card Differences

Nikon digital cameras use a variety of memory cards. The most common are SD cards and CompactFlash.

Older cameras can be limited by the maximum capacity of a memory card. Larger capacity cards will cause errors. The camera will not work.

If the camera model is not prominantely displayed, look at the bottom of the camera. There should be a sticker with the model name, number, and possibly a serial number.

Cameras are grouped by memory card compatibility requirements.

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SDXC Compatible Cameras

The cameras are compatible with SDXC memory cards. They are backwards compatible with SDHC and SD cards. Any card with UHS-I will have a fast enough continuous write speed to meet camera requirements.

• Nikon-1 AW1
• Nikon-1 J1
• Nikon-1 J2
• Nikon-1 J3
• Nikon-1 S1
• Nikon-1 V1
• Nikon-1 V2
• Nikon Z50
• Nikon Z fc
• Nikon D3500
• Nikon D5500
• Nikon D610
• Nikon Df

Dual Slots (SD/CF)

• Nikon D810

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Cameras Compatible with SDHC Cards (4GB to 32GB)

• Nikon D40X

Recommended SDHC Cards

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SD Compatible Cameras

The Nikon D50 can only use SD cards up to a maximum of 2GB in capacity.

• You don’t really have a choice.
• Best value for the money.
• 2GB SanDisk card is twice as expensive.

Cameras Compatible with CompactFlash Cards

• Nikon D1
• Nikon D1X
• Nikon D1H
• Nikon D2H
• Nikon D2Hs
• Nikon D2Xs
• Nikon D3X (Dual CF card slots)
• Nikon D3S (Dual CF card slots)
• Nikon D70s

Dual Slots (CF/SD)

• Nikon D810

SD Card Versions

Ensure you have the latest firmware installed on your camera for the best performance.

You should be aware of the four kinds of Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be bought. They are broken up by their size.

• 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

The following is an estimation of how many high-quality JPEGs pictures you should be expecting to be stored on a SD memory card:

• 16GB - 4,640 images
• 32GB - 9,280 images
• 64GB - 18,560 images
• 128GB - 37,120 images

Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings

Card Speed

The speed rating of an SD memory card is classified by the sequential read and write speeds. SD memory card speed is essential for continuous shooting as well as video.

A slow SD card can cause a decrease in the number of continuous frames the camera can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the SD card quickly enough.

With video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to shooting. The video file could also end up being corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is critical the memory card you use meets the required write speed for video.

Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast read speed will reduce the transfer time.

Speed Class Rating

A card receives a Class rating dependant upon its continuous write speed. SD cards that have a write speed of at least 10MB/s are labeled as 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 name-brand SD card that you can get will be rated Class 10. You can check the class rating of a card by searching for a number inside of a C on the front label.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is a feature often found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. The UHS bus allows for faster file transfer rates.

Three separate versions exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the label to find out the rating of a memory card. If the memory card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be seen on the front of the SD memory 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