Best Nikon D80 SD Memory Cards

The Nikon D80 can use SD memory cards. The maximum capacity SD card that will work in the D80 is 32GB.

SD memory cards that satisfy the SDXC or SDUC standards will not function properly in the D80. These cards will be At least 64GB or bigger, so they are simple to avoid.

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The SDHC format was announced in 2006. All 32GB cards that are currently being produced will have almost identical performance. You cannot go wrong buying the cheapest class 10 name brand card. At the time of writing this, the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card has the best price.

Below are memory cards that will function correctly with the D80. With all of the cards listed below, you will not have to stress out over sluggish performance or SD memory card problems.

PNY Elite 32GB SD Memory Card
PNY Elite 32GB SD Card
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  • Sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s
  • Class 10, U1 rating delivers speed and performance for full HD photography and HD videography.
  • V10 video speed rating to capture uninterrupted HD video at 1920x1080 format
  • Compatible with point & shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, standard & advanced HD-enabled video cameras, and more
  • Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof

SanDisk Ultra 32GB UHS-I SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 32GB SD Card
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  • Quick transfer read speeds up to 90MB/s.
  • Write speeds are not capable of recording 4k video.
  • Class 10 rating for Full HD video (1080p).
  • Waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray Proof, magnet-Proof, and shockproof.

Samsung EVO Plus 32GB SD Memory Card
Samsung EVO Plus 32GB SD Card
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  • UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) supports Full HD video and burst shots. 130MB/s transfer speeds1 let you upload footage to your PC in an instant.
  • Built to survive tough conditions and heavy usage, whether you’re at home, outside, or on the go. Backed by 10-year limited warranty.
  • Highly durable with comprehensive 7-proof protection.
  • Backed by a 10 year warranty.

Make sure to choose a card from a company with a rock-solid reputation, particularly SanDisk or Lexar. Avoid picking cards from low-priced third-party brand names.

Memory card issues, such as a complete loss of all of your photos as a result of file corruption, is more probable to take place with cheap cards. The decrease in the level of quality is not worth the minor cost savings.

In the case that you want to reduce costs, buy a memory card with a smaller sized capacity. They will be a little bit more affordable and you won’t have to stress out about the SD card failing.

Even then, SD card issues are infrequent. Through the years, I have only experienced a couple of cards fail on me. Age could have contributed to the failure, as the SD cards were bundled with used digital cameras.

The Nikon D80 uses SD memory cards. There are currently four different technical specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards. The benefit is that there is a boost in the maximum capacity and transfer speeds with the introduction of each new technical spec.

Secure Digital memory card readers are backward compatible. A card reader built into a digital camera that can use SDXC cards will also be able to use SDHC and SD memory cards.

The card reader in the Nikon D80 can only read the first and second SD card standards. SDXC or SDUC cards are not going to be compatible.

  • Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the D80.
  • Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the D80.
  • Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 64GB to 2TiB.
  • Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4TiB to 128TiB.
SD card contacts
SD Card Contacts

Trying to use a card that has a storage capacity of 64GB or larger in the D80 results in the digital point and shoot camera to show an error message.

Use an SD card with a capacity of 32GB or smaller to avoid the error.

If you are using a memory card that has a storage capacity less than 32GB, and the card is not functioning correctly, format the memory card while it is in the camera.

This is a quick estimation of the number of large JPEGs you could expect to fit on an SD memory card.

  • 4GB - 1920 images
  • 8GB - 3840 images
  • 16GB - 7680 images
  • 32GB - 15360 images

The speed rating for SD cards is established by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the memory card is important for when many photos need to be written or read from the memory card.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The Class speed rating of an SD memory card is based on the sustained write speed of the SD card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the card can maintain a write speed of at minimum 2MB per second.

  • Class 2 - 2MB/s
  • Class 4 - 4MB/s
  • Class 6 - 6MB/s
  • Class 8 - 8MB/s
  • Class 10 - 10MB/s

The top rating an SD memory card can obtain is Class 10. There are SD memory cards that are a lot faster than 10MB/s. Those memory cards use other technologies, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which use a separate rating criteria.

Sustained write speeds of 2MB, 4MB, 6MB, or 8MB per second means the card has a speed class of 2, 4, 6, or 8. Cards that have write speeds of 10MB/s or faster are rated as Class 10.

Buy an SD memory card for the Nikon D80 based on price. An expensive card isn’t going to improve performance. As long as it is a speed class 10 card, you will be fine. My recommendation is the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card.