Best Value Nikon D780 SD Memory Cards (2TB Max)
- Nathaniel Stephan
- June 10, 2025
Table of Contents
The Nikon D780 has two SD card memory slots. Compatible cards can be up to 2TB in capacity.
Both slots are compatible with the faster UHS-II SD card standard. The D780 can be used with one SD card.
For casual use, a UHS-I V30 card will be good enough. I’d recommend 128GB capacities
If you plan to shoot 4k video or lots of RAW photos, get a UHS-II card. Continuous read and write speeds will be noticeably faster.
My Nikon D780 Lens Recommendations
Recommended SD Cards
A UHS-I V30 SD card will be able to read and write at least 30MB/s. That’s fast enough for most uses.
Faster cards will be an advantage for continuous burst shooting or for recording high quality 4k video. With a compatible card reader, you will save lots of time transferring files.
Avoid used SD cards as they are more likely to fail.
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Lexar Professional 128GB UHS-I
- UHS-I, U3, and V30 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
- Excellent choice for photos.
- Capable of recording 4k Video.
- Larger capacities are available.
See current price and information:
PNY Elite-X 128GB UHS-I
- 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.
See current price and information:
SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC V60 UHS-II 128GB
- Record 6K and 4K UHD
- Quickly clear image buffer
- 280MB/s Transfer Speed
See current price and information:
Lexar Professional SDXC V60 UHS-II 128GB
- Record 4k Video
- 256GB Capacity Available
- 250MB/s Transfer Speed
See current price and information:
PNY EliteX-PRO60 SDXC V60 UHS-II 256GB
- Record 4k UHD Video
- 512GB Capacity Available
- 280MB/s Transfer Speed
See current price and information:
SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V90 512GB
- Record 8K Video
- V90 Rating
- 300MB/s Transfer Speed
See current price and information:
Card reader should have tails
Future proof features:
- USB-C 3.1 or 3.2
- UHS-II Compatible
- Has a Tail
It’s super annoying when a card reader blocks other ports. They can also be built-in multi-port dongles or be able to read multiple types of memory cards.
Multi-card readers can do newer memory cards like CFExpress. If you’re into older cameras, a USB 2.0 26-in-1 memory card reader might be for you.
- Memory Stick (Sony)
- xD (Olympus)
- CompactFlash (Old Nikon, Canon, Pentax)
Nikon D780 SD Card Compatibility
The Nikon D780 is compatible with the SD, SDHC, and SDXC standards.
Check to make sure the camera has the latest firmware.
The newest SDUC cards will not work with the D780. They are too large.
- 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.
Dual Card Slots
Do Both Memory Card Slots Need to be Used?
No, the D780 can be used with one card.
With two cards, the following options can be used:
- 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, the cards do not have to match.
Having both cards be the same helps to prevent potential problems. In particular, a slow card can slow down the camera’s buffer.
Image Capacity
Here’s the approximate image capacity for high-quality JPEGs from the 24.3 megapixel sensor:
- 32GB - 2,090
- 64GB - 4,180
- 128GB - 8,360
- 256GB - 16,720
- 256GB - 33,440
Card Speed Class
Class rating is determined by sustained write speed. The rating will be shown as a number inside of a C on the label.
For example, as card that could write data at 5MB/s would get a Class 4 rating.
Class 10 card are likely much faster than 10MB/s. That’s why there are additional ratings for high resolution video.
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster
Ultra High Speed Bus (UHS)
Don’t pay more for a UHS-II card. The D780 can’t take advantage of them.
The 3 versions of Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) allow for faster read and write speeds.
The rating is shown as a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the card label.
- 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
