Best Nikon D3100 SD Memory Card
The Nikon D3100 may use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. For burst shooting and video, it is important the memory card you use can write data fast enough.
You can mess up the performance of your camera by using the wrong memory card.
Want to skip the technical details? This is my recommendation on the memory card for use in your Nikon D3100:
- 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
SD cards have greatly reduced in cost the time since the launch of the Nikon D3100.
Since prices are quite low, it is not going to make sense to purchase anything besides a professional-level SD memory card.
SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have superb speed and dependability. I have not suffered from a card physically fail or unusable data with any of those SD memory cards.
All the problems I have encountered has been because of generic unbranded memory cards. Hoping to save a little bit of money isn’t worth it if your D3100 will not work properly.
A sensible way to spend less money is to pick a smaller capacity card from a quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you’ll not have to be anxious about the photos stored on the SD card.
Recommended SD Cards
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 D3100 SD Card Compatibility
You can only use SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards with the Nikon D3100. Check to be sure you have the current firmware installed on your camera for the best overall performance.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, will not be usable in the D3100.
There are four different versions of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should know. They are separated by storage capactiy.
- 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
Listed here is a quick estimation of how many max-quality JPEGs photographs you should be expecting to be saved 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
The speed rating of an SD card is based on the continuous read and write speeds. The continuous transfer speed of a memory card is very important for continuous shooting as well as video.
Slows SD cards can decrease the number of continuous photos the Nikon D3100 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the card quickly enough.
With video, a slow SD card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file may also end up being corrupted. If you intend to capture video, it is important the card you use meets the minimum requirements of the D3100.
Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will save you time.
Speed Class Rating
The continuous write speed of an SD memory card is the factor that determines 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 brand of SD memory card that you can find for sale today will be rated Class 10. To locate the class rating of a memory card, look for a number inside of a C on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is available in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. UHS makes it possible for increased data transfer rates.
There are three different versions. They are called UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the label to determine the rating of a memory card. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the front of the 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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