Best Nikon D90 SD Memory Cards

The Nikon D90 uses SD memory cards. 32GB is the biggest capacity SD card that is compatible with the D90.

SD memory cards that meets the SDUC or SDXC standards won’t work correctly in the D90. These cards will be 64GB or larger, so they can easily be avoided.

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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.

Here are several choices to choose between that are compatible in the D90. With all of the cards outlined below, you will not have to worry about SD memory card failure or slow functionality.

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.

Reliable memory cards are produced by both SanDisk and Lexar. Avoid picking cards from low-priced third party brands.

Memory card problems, for example a loss of all your photographs resulting from file corruption, is more probable to happen with inexpensive cards. The reduction in quality is not worth the tiny savings.

Buying a smaller sized capacity memory card is a smart and practical way to cut down on costs. They usually are a tad more affordable and you will not have to fret about the SD card becoming corrupted.

Bear in mind, SD card failures are infrequent. In my time, I have only had two cards fail. Age could have played a part, as the SD cards were bundled with pre-owned cameras.

The Nikon D90 uses SD memory cards. There are currently four different technical specs of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards. Each new memory card specification improves the transfer speeds and max storage capacity when compared to the previous specification.

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 D90 is only compatible with the initial two SD card specs. SDXC or SDUC SD cards are not going to function correctly.

  • Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the D90.
  • Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the D90.
  • 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 memory card that has a storage capacity of 64GB or larger in size in the D90 will cause the digital point and shoot camera to display an error message.

Get an SD memory card with a capacity of 32GB or smaller to prevent the problem.

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

Here is an estimation of the total number of large JPEGs you can expect to save on an SD card.

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

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

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

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

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

The best rating an SD memory card can be given is Class 10. There are memory cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those cards use other solutions, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), that have a different 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 D90 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.