Compatible Nikon D3000 Memory Cards
The Nikon D3000 requires SD memory cards. 32GB is the biggest capacity SD card that will work in the D3000.
SD memory cards described as SDXC or SDUC are not going to work properly in the D3000. These cards can simply be avoided as they have a capacity of 64GB or more.
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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.Recommended D3000 SD Cards
Listed below are memory cards that will function correctly with the D3000. With any of the cards below, you won’t have to worry about SD card problems or slow capabilities.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
Best SD Cards
Excellent memory cards are manufacture by both Lexar and SanDisk. Low-priced generic brands need to be avoided.
Inexpensive cards are more probable to have file corruption, meaning you will lose all of your images stored on the card. The reduction in construction quality is not worth the minimal amount of savings.
Get a reduced capacity card in the event you want to save money. They usually are a bit lower in cost and you won’t need to be concerned about the SD card having data failure.
Even then, SD card issues are very rare. Only 2 cards have become corrupted out of the loads I have owned over many years. Age could have played a role, as the SD cards were included with previously owned digital cameras.
Nikon D3000 SD Card Compatibility
Currently, four different specifications of Secure Digital (SD) cards exist. The Nikon D3000 can only use SD memory cards. Each new memory card spec increases the transfer rates and max capacity when compared to the earlier standard.
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 Nikon D3000’s card reader can only read the initial two SD card standards. SDUC or SDXC SD memory cards won’t operate correctly.
- Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the D3000.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the D3000.
- 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.
Nikon D3000 Memory Card Full Error
Trying to use a card that has a capacity of 64GB or larger in the D3000 results in the digital camera to display an error.
Use an SD card which has a storage capacity of 32GB or less to fix the error.
If you are using a memory card that has a storage capacity less than 32GB, and the card is not working correctly, try to format the SD memory card while it is in the camera.
Speed, Class, & Capacity
SD Card Image Capacity
This is a quick estimate of the number of large JPEGs you could expect to save on an SD memory card.
- 4GB - 1920 images
- 8GB - 3840 images
- 16GB - 7680 images
- 32GB - 15360 images
Memory Card Speed
Speed ratings for SD cards are determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD memory card is important in the event that many shots need to be written to the SD card.
SD Card Speed Class Rating
The Class speed rating of an SD memory card is determined by the sustained write speed of the SD memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the SD memory 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 maximum rating a card can be given is Class 10. There are cards that are a good deal faster than 10MB/s. Those SD memory cards use other technologies, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which have a separate rating standards.
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.
Conclusion
Buy an SD memory card for the Nikon D3000 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.