The Nikon D600 has dual card slots that can use SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. In order to get the best performance from your camera, make sure to use an SD card with UHS-I.
SD cards that are compatible with the D600 include any SD card with a capacity of up to 2TB. Bear in mind that SD cards without UHS-I will be slower, which can negatively impact the camera's capabilities.
Not interested in a long explanation of specs? Here's my recommendation for the best memory card:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD Card
- Best value for the money.
- Capacities from 32 GB to 2TB.
- Transfer speeds up to 170 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I
- Temperature Proof, Water Proof, Shock Proof, and X-ray Proof.
Table of Contents
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY are brands that produce the best Memory cards. The best SD cards I have used have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro SD cards.
That does not mean you need to buy a card from SanDisk for your Nikon D600. Look for cards with impressive-sounding names. That will ensure you get fast read/write rates, water resistance, and other features.
I have not run into problems with Lexar Professional or PNY Elite Performance cards.
The issues I have experienced with memory cards has been when inexpensive no-name brands were used. Not having a brand name increases the possibility of card failure or corrupted data.
If you would like to spend less money, don't buy a cheap card. You will avoid problems by buying a high-quality SD card with a reduced capacity.
Recommended SD Cards for D600
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD Card
- Best value for the money.
- Capacities from 32 GB to 2TB.
- Transfer speeds up to 170 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I
- Temperature Proof, Water Proof, Shock Proof, and X-ray Proof.
PNY Elite Performance 128GB SD Card
- Lower priced card.
- Transfer speeds up to 95 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I.
- Magnet, Shock, Temperature, and Waterproof.
Check price at: Amazon, Adorama, eBay
Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB SD Card
- Lexar Professional Silver Card.
- Transfer speeds up to 160 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I.
- Includes Lexar Recovery Tool Software.
- Designed for durability in harsh conditions.
Check price at: Amazon, Adorama, eBay
Nikon D600 SD Card Compatibility
SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards can be used by the Nikon D600. Use a UHS-I SD card to get the best overall performance from the camera.
Four different specifications of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards have been made. New card specifications add features that provide for increased storage capacity and increased transfer speeds.
- Secure Digital (SD) - 128MB to 2GB.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - 4GB to 32GB.
- Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - 64GB to 2TB.
- Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - 4TB to 128TB.
Image Capacity
Below is an approximate estimation of how many large JPEG images you can expect to store on each size of SD card.
- 4GB - 1,160 images
- 8GB - 2,320 images
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
SD Card Speed
The speed rating of an SD card is determined by sequential write and read speeds. The speed of a card is important for video and continuous shooting.
Slows memory cards can decrease the number of continuous photos the Nikon D600 can capture. This is because the camera's buffer will not be able to write data to the card quickly enough.
With video, a slow card can cause the recording to stop. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is important the memory card you use meets the required continuous write speed for video.
Card read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a memory card with a fast read speed will save you time.
Speed Class Rating
Speed Class ratings of 2, 4, 6, and mean a card is able to sustain a 2MB, 4MB, 6MB, or 8MB sustained write speed. Class 10 is for cards that have a minimum write speed of 10MB/s.
Almost all SD cards that have been made in the last few years will have a class 10 rating. You can tell what class a card is by looking at the number inside a 'C' on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus can be found in SDHC and SDXC cards. UHS allows for faster data transfer rates.
Three separate specifications exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III. To get the most from your Nikon D600, use a UHS-I memory card.
To figure out the rating of a card, look at the label. If there is a roman numeral I, II, or III on the label, that is the UHS rating of your 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
Do Both Memory Cards Slots Need to Be Used in the D600?
No, the D600 can be used with a single SD card. With two cards you'll have more settings.
- 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 Dual Memory Cards Need to be the Same?
No, cards can be different. You can use cards that are different sizes.
Having the two SD cards be identical helps to avoid potential compatibility issues. For instance, one slow card can slow down the camera's buffer.
Related Cameras
Now you know all the tech specs to look for in an SD card. the 128GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Nikon D600.
Here are cameras with similar memory card requirements:
