Best Nikon D3400 SD Memory Card
SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards are meant to function with the Nikon D3400. An SD memory card with fast enough write speeds is critical for video and continuous shooting.
You can mess up the overall performance of your camera by using the wrong card.
If you are in a rush, here’s the best SD memory card you can buy for the Nikon D3400:
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- 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 are now significantly less expensive than when the camera was newly introduced.
Seeing as how cheap prices are, it doesn’t be shrewd to invest in anything other than a professional-level SD card.
The best memory cards I use have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have not had corrupted data or a card break with any of those cards.
All of the issues I have experienced has been because of cheap unbranded SD memory cards. Hoping to save around a buck is not worthwhile if your D3400 is going to experience hassles.
If you want to reduce your cost, get a smaller capacity card from a high-quality company. That way, you will not have to be anxious about the images stored on the 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 D3400 SD Card Compatibility
Only use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards with the Nikon D3400. Ensure you have the current firmware installed on your camera for the best overall performance.
The newest cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), will not be compatible with the D3400.
Four separate types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should be aware of. They are separated by 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 just how many large JPEGs photos you should be expecting to be stored 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 determined by the sequential write and read transfer speeds of the card. Card file write speed is very important for clearing the camera buffer for continuous shooting as well as recording video.
A slow memory card can cause a reduction in the number of continuous photos the Nikon D3400 can take. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write data to the memory card quickly enough.
When recording video, a slow SD card can cause a sudden end to shooting. The video file could also end up being corrupted. If you are going to shoot video, it is important the SD card you use meets the required minimum continuous write speed for video.
Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast transfer speed will save you time.
Speed Class Rating
The Class rating of a card is based on the continuous write speed. Memory cards that have a 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-name SD card that you can buy today will have a Class 10 rating. To determine the class rating of a memory card, find a number inside of the C on the sticker.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is built into SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. The UHS bus allows provides a way to increase file transfer rates.
There are 3 different versions. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
You can find out the rating of a memory card by examining the label. A Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, that is going to be the rating of the SD 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