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Best Nikon 1 J3 SD Memory Card

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Nikon 1 J3 SD Memory Card Compatibility

The Nikon J3 may use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. Fast write speeds are a crucial factor for continuous shooting and video.

You can greatly decrease the performance of your camera by using the wrong SD memory card.

If you are in a hurry, here’s the best SD card you can buy for the Nikon J3:

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SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

Best SD Cards

Since the release of Nikon J3, the cost of SD cards has come way down.

Due to costs being affordable, it would not be intelligent to get anything but a high-quality card.

SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have all been reliable for me. I have never had unusable data or a card break with those memory cards.

All the issues I have had has been due to cheap unbranded SD memory cards. Hoping to save a small amount of money is not worthwhile if your J3 will not operate as it should.

A good way to save money is to grab a smaller storage capacity SD memory card from a quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you will not have to worry about the shots stored on the card.

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SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

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PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

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SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
  • UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
  • Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.

Nikon J3 SD Card Compatibility

The only memory cards that will work in the Nikon J3 are SDXC, SDHC, and SD. Make sure you have the most up to date firmware installed on your camera for the best functionality.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) cards, cannot be used with the J3.

Four different versions of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you need to be familiar with. You can tell the difference between them based on their capacity.

  • 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

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SD Card Contacts

Listed below is a quick approximation of the total number of large JPEGs pictures you should expect to fit 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

Speed ratings of an SD memory card is classified by the continuous read and write transfer speeds of the card. The continuous write speed of a memory card is essential for video as well as continuous shooting.

Slows cards can cut down the number of continuous frames the Nikon J3 can take. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write to the memory card quickly enough.

With video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is crucial the card you use meets the minimum requirements of the J3.

Card read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast transfer speed will cut down on the transfer time.

Speed Class Rating

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SD Card Speed Class

The sustained write speed of a card is the criteria for the Class rating. SD cards that have a minimum write speed of 10MB/s are rated 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 memory card that you can get online will receive a Class 10 rating. To locate the class rating of a memory card, search for a number inside of a C on the sticker.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

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Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS allows for increased file transfer rates.

There are three different specs. The three are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

To find out the UHS rating of a SD card, look at the front of the card. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, 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

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