Best Nikon Z fc SD Memory Card
SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards will work with Nikon Z fc. Fast write speeds are a critical element for continuous shooting and video.
The overall performance of your camera can be spoiled by using an inadequate SD memory card.
Want to skip the technical details? This is my recommendation on the SD memory card to use with the Nikon Z fc:
- 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
Cards are now drastically more affordable than at the time the camera was initially released.
Due to the price range being so cheap, it would not be smart to invest in anything other than a professional-quality SD memory card.
SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have all worked well for me. I have never encountered a card become inoperable or unusable data with those cards.
Each and every problem I have experienced has been when using cheap unbranded memory cards. Hoping to save around a buck isn’t worth the cost if your Z fc does not operate in the right way.
A shrewd way to spend less money is to purchase a lower capacity SD card from a high-quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you will not have to fret 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 Z fc SD Card Compatibility
You can only use SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards with the Nikon Z fc. Ensure you have the latest firmware installed on your camera for the best performance.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) cards, are unable to be used with the Z fc.
You should be aware of the four kinds of Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be bought. They are broken up by their size.
- 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
The following is an estimation of how many high-quality JPEGs pictures 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 memory card is classified by the sequential read and write speeds. SD memory card speed is essential for continuous shooting as well as video.
A slow SD card can cause a decrease in the number of continuous frames the Nikon Z fc can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the SD card quickly enough.
With video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to shooting. The video file could also end up being corrupted. If you intend to record video, it is critical the memory card you use meets the required write speed for video.
Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast read speed will reduce the transfer time.
Speed Class Rating
A card receives a Class rating dependant upon its continuous write speed. SD cards that have a write speed of at least 10MB/s are labeled 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 SD card that you can get will be rated Class 10. You can check the class rating of a card by searching for a number inside of a C on the front label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is a feature often found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. The UHS bus allows for faster file transfer rates.
Three separate versions exist. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the label to find out the rating of a memory card. If the memory card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be seen on the front of the SD memory 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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