This page will explain which SD cards are compatible with the Nikon D5200.
If you're in a hurry my here's my recommendation:
SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC Card
- Best value for the money.
- Transfer speeds up to 170MB/s.
- Excellent reliability.
- Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.
For additional information, check out the Nikon D5200 Resources page.
Best SD Cards
High quality manufactures of memory cards for the Nikon D5200 are SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY. My first choice is always SanDisk.
I have never had a SanDisk card fail or become corrupted. Lexar Professional and PNY Elite Performance have also been problem-free for me.
When I have had problems with SD cards, it was due to using a generic branded card.
Trying to save a buck on a cheap card might result in losing all your photos on it in the future.
If you want to save money, the best memory card will be a high-quality card, with a smaller capacity.
Recommended SD Cards
SanDisk 64GB Extreme PRO SDXC Card
- Best value for the money.
- Transfer speeds up to 170MB/s.
- Excellent reliability.
- Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.
PNY Elite Performance 128GB SDXC Card
- Class 10, UHS-I.
- Read Speeds up to 95MB/s.
- Excellent reliability.
- Magnet proof, shock proof, temperature proof, and waterproof.
Lexar Professional 667X 64GB Card
- Professional Class. Card
- Read speeds up to 100MB/s.
- Excellent reliability.
Nikon D5200 SD Card Compatibility
The D5200 uses SD memory cards. Secure Digital (SD) cards come in 3 different formats, with each newer format supporting higher storage capacities. They are all forward and backward compatible with each other.
- Secure Digital (SD) - Up to 2GB cards will work.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - Up to 32GB cards will work.
- Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - 64GB and larger cards.
Memory Card Requirements for Video
A class 6 or faster card is needed to record video. Using a slower card will cause problems, such as the recording suddenly stopping.
Most cards that have been produced in the last several years will be class 10 cards.
Image Capacity
Below is an approximate estimation of how many large JPEG images you can expect to store on each size of SD card.
- 8GB - 600 images
- 16GB - 1,200 images
- 32GB - 2,400 images
- 64GB - 4,800 images
- 128GB - 9,600 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
SD Card Speed
SD card speed is rated by sequential read and/or write speed. Sequential performance is important when large amounts of data needs to be written or read from the card.
Slow cards will have difficulty handling continuous shooting and recording video.
Speed Class Rating
Speed Class ratings of 2, 4, 6, and mean a card is able to sustain a 2MB, 4MB, 6MB, or 8MB sustained write speed. Class 10 is for cards that have a minimum write speed of 10MB/s.
Almost all SD cards that have been made in the last few years will have a class 10 rating. You can tell what class a card is by looking at the number inside a 'C' on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is a feature that allows for faster data transfer. There are 3 different standards, UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III, that can be found on some SDHC and SDXC cards.
You can tell the UHS rating of a card by looking for a Roman numeral I, II, or III next to the SD logo. Or there will be a 1, 2, or 3 inside of a U, similar to how the class rating looks.
Maximum transfer rates for the standards are:
- UHS-I - 104 MB/s
- UHS-II - 312 MB/s
- UHS-III - 624 MB/s
