Recommended Nikon Z5 Memory Cards
The Nikon Z5 can take high-end v90 UHS-II memory cards, but users may not see any benefit from spending extra money on these unless they burst and require the 100-shot buffer.
V60 UHS-II cards are a nice compromise, they provide fast transfer speeds with some improvement to write speeds over UHS-I cards, but they also cost a lot less than the UHS-II V90 cards.
UHS-I cards will likely be the best bang for the buck for most casual photographers.
This recommendation list shows how fast each memory card performed in-camera as well as how each card performed in a UHS-II reader.
Recommended Memory Cards | Speed Class | USB Write | USB Read | Z5 | Links | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CFx-B | X | |||||||||||
Lexar 512 Diamond | CFx-B | 1623 | 1728 | X | X | B&H | ||||||
Lexar 128/256/512GB Diamond | CFx-B | 1617 | 1700 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar Gold 1TB/2TB | CFx-B | 1642 | 1695 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar Gold 64/128/256/512GB/1TB/2TB | CFx-B | 1410 | 1525 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar Silver 512GB | CFx-B | 1141 | 1624 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar Silver 128/258 | CFx-B | 749 | 1719 | X | B&H | |||||||
Sandisk Pro-Cinema 256GB | CFx-B | 755 | 1177 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Sandisk Extreme 512GB | CFx-B | X | B&H | |||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 128/256GB | CFx-B | 429 | 1144 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Sandisk Extreme 65GB | CFx-B | X | X | |||||||||
Sony Tough 128/256/512GB | CFx-B | 1334 | 1603 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
ProGrade Cobalt CF4.0 1.3TB | CFx-B 4.0 | X | B&H | |||||||||
Prograde Cobalt 165/325/650GB | CFx-B | 1429 | 1029 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Prograde 1TB/2TB gen3 | CFx-B | 1516 | 1108 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Prograde 512GB gen3 | CFx-B | 1569 | 1707 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Prograde 512/1TB gen2 | CFx-B | X | X | |||||||||
Prograde 256GB gen3 | CFx-B | 1334 | 835 | X | B&H | |||||||
Prograde 128GB gen2 | CFx-B | 679 | 778 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Black 150/325/650GB | CFx-B | 1425 | 1545 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Black 75GB | CFx-B | 1195 | 1573 | X | B&H | |||||||
Delkin Black 128GB | CFx-B | 1431 | 1035 | X | X | B&H | ||||||
Delkin Power G4 650/1TB/1.3TB/2TB | CFx-B | 1588 | 1710 | X | B&H | |||||||
Delkin Power G4 128/165/256/325/512GB | CFx-B | 920 | 1226 | X | B&H | |||||||
Delkin Power 128/256/512/1TB/2TB | CFx-B | 1429 | 1037 | X | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Delkin Prime 64GB | CFx-B | 974 | 1023 | X | X | Amazon | ||||||
Nikon 660GB | CFx-B | 1397 | 1574 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Hoodman Steel 1TB | CFx-B | 1528 | 1121 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Hoodman Steel 512GB | CFx-B | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Hoodman Steel 128GB | CFx-B | 580 | 969 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Wise Pro 640GB | CFx-B | X | ||||||||||
Wise Pro 160/320GB | CFx-B | 1257 | 1536 | X | B&H | |||||||
Wise 1TB Mk II | CFx-B | 1525 | 1121 | X | ||||||||
Wise 512GB Mk II | CFx-B | 936 | 1236 | X | ||||||||
Wise 128GB/256GB | CFx-B | 190 | 1023 | X | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Angelbird Pro 1TB/2TB/4TB MkII | CFx-B | 852 | 969 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Angelbird Pro 2TB MkI | CFx-B | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Angelbird Pro Mk I 256GB | CFx-B | 844 | 961 | X | X | B&H | ||||||
Angelbird Pro XT Mk II 330/660/1320GB | CFx-B | 1595 | 1597 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
AngelBird SE 1TB | CFx-B | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Angelbird Pro SE 512GB | CFx-B | 789 | 958 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Angelbird Pro SX 160GB/330GB | CFx-B | 1521 | 1688 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
OWC Atlas Ultra CF4.0 1TB/2TB | CFx-B 4.0 | X | B&H | |||||||||
OWC Atlas Ultra 165/325/650GB | CFx-B | 1402 | 1579 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
OWC Atlas Pro CF4.0 256/512GB | CFx-B 4.0 | X | B&H | |||||||||
OWC Atlas Pro 512GB/1TB/2TB | CFx-B | 514 | 1632 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
OWC Atlas Pro 256GB | CFx-B | 430 | 1212 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
OWC Atlas Pro 128GB | CFx-B | 232 | 1300 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Sabrent Pro 512GB/1TB/2TB | CFx-B | 856 | 1183 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Sabrent More 512GB/1TB | CFx-B | 438 | 1632 | X | X | Amazon | ||||||
RitzGear 256/512/1TB | CFx-B | 481 | 1302 | X | Amazon | |||||||
RitzGear 128GB | CFx-B | 236 | 1323 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Pergear Ultra 1TB/2TB | CFx-B | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Pergear Pro 512GB | CFx-B | 687 | 1085 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Pergear Pro 256GB | CFx-B | 346 | 1131 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Pergear Lite 128GB | CFx-B | 404 | 997 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Pergear Lite 64GB | CFx-B | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Silicon Power 1TB/2TB | CFx-B | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 512GB/1TB | CFx-B | X | B&H | |||||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 256GB | CFx-B | 379 | 1221 | X | X | |||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 128GB | CFx-B | X | X | |||||||||
Transcend 820 512GB | CFx-B | 985 | 1660 | X | B&H | |||||||
Transcend 820 256GB | CFx-B | 1200 | 1644 | X | B&H | |||||||
SunEast 512GB/1TB | CFx-B | X | X | |||||||||
CFx-A | X | |||||||||||
Sony Tough 960/1920GB | CFx-A | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Sony Tough 80/160/320/640GB | CFx-A | 641 | 852 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar 80/160GB/320GB | CFx-A | 825 | 886 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Black 160GB | CFx-A | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Delkin Black 80GB | CFx-A | 639 | 852 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Power 160GB | CFx-A | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Delkin Power 80GB | CFx-A | 641 | 847 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
ProGrade 160GB | CFx-A | 691 | 845 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
AngelBird 1TB | CFx-A | X | B&H | |||||||||
UHS-II V90 | X | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro V90 32-512GB | UHS-II | 252 | 279 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
Lexar 2000x V90 32-256GB | UHS-II | 219 | 256 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | X | |||||
Toshiba Exceria Pro V90 | UHS-II | 213 | 244 | X | Amazon | 104 | ||||||
Transcend v90 | UHS-II | 175 | 263 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | ||||||
Sony G Tough v90 32-256GB | UHS-II | 239 | 275 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | X | |||||
Delkin Black v90 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 253 | 278 | B&H | 108 | X | ||||||
Delkin Power v90 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 240 | 275 | B&H | 108 | |||||||
Fujifilm Elite II V90 | UHS-II | 158 | 277 | X | 107 | |||||||
Adata v90 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 229 | 268 | Amazon | 108 | |||||||
Hoodman Steel 2000x V90 64/128GB | UHS-II | 155 | 249 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | ||||||
ProGrade V90 64-512GB | UHS-II | 229 | 270 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | X | |||||
PNY EliteX-Pro90 V90 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 276 | 293 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Amplim 2000x V90 32-128GB | UHS-II | 275 | 287 | Amazon | ||||||||
Angel Bird V90 II 64-512GB | UHS-II | 257 | 271 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
OWC Atlas Ultra V90 64-512GB | UHS-II | 270 | 289 | B&H | ||||||||
OWC Atlas S Pro V90 | UHS-II | X | B&H | |||||||||
Kingston Canvas React V90 32-256GB | UHS-II | 256 | 274 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | X | |||||
Kodak V90 32/64/128GB | UHS-II | 260 | 272 | Amazon | ||||||||
Ritz Gear VideoPro V90 64-512GB | UHS-II | 258 | 273 | Amazon | ||||||||
Wise V90 Pro 128/256/512GB | UHS-II | 256 | 275 | B&H | ||||||||
UHS-II V60 | X | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro v60 256/512/1TB | UHS-II | 189 | 279 | Amazon | / B&H | X | ||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro v60 64/128GB | UHS-II | 102 | 283 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Lexar 1800x V60 64-512GB | UHS-II | 188 | 255 | Amazon | / B&H | X | ||||||
Lexar 1667x V60 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 100 | 257 | Amazon | / B&H | 89 | ||||||
Lexar Silver Pro v60 | UHS-II | 162 | 255 | |||||||||
Sony M Tough V60 64-512GB | UHS-II | 155 | 268 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | X | |||||
Sony M v60 64-512GB | UHS-II | X | B&H | 107 | ||||||||
Sony E v60 256GB | UHS-II | 142 | 252 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Sony E v30 64GB | UHS-II | 73 | 247 | B&H | 65 | |||||||
Delkin Prime v60 64/128/256GB | UHS-II | 98 | 275 | B&H | 86 | X | ||||||
Hoodman Steel 1500x V60 64/128GB | UHS-II | 99 | 273 | Amazon | / B&H | 85 | ||||||
ProGrade V60 128/256/512GB | UHS-II | 98 | 155 | Amazon | / B&H | 81 | X | |||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 512GB | UHS-II | 180 | 278 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256GB | UHS-II | 183 | 280 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 128GB | UHS-II | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||||
Amplim 2000x v60 | UHS-II | 136 | 253 | Amazon | ||||||||
Amplim 1900x V60 | UHS-II | 97 | 275 | X | 84 | |||||||
Angel Bird V60 II 64-1TB | UHS-II | 144 | 243 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
OWC Atlas Pro V60 64GB-1TB | UHS-II | 100 | 281 | B&H | ||||||||
FreeTail Evoke Pro V60 | UHS-II | 96 | 272 | X | 85 | |||||||
Ritz Gear Video Pro V60 A1 64-256GB | UHS-II | 103 | 280 | Amazon | ||||||||
Wise V60 128GB | UHS-II | 102 | 269 | |||||||||
UHS-I U3 | X | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro 256/512/1TB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro 200MB 32/64/128GB | UHS-I | 144 | 172 | Amazon | / B&H | 74 | X | |||||
Sandisk Extreme 256GB | UHS-I | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 128GB | UHS-I | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 64GB | UHS-I | 51 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | 74 | ||||||
Sandisk Ultra U1 Old | UHS-I | 27 | 93 | X | 25 | |||||||
Kingston CanvasGo! 128/256/512GB | UHS-I | 124 | 161 | Amazon | 74 | |||||||
Kingston CanvasGo! 64GB | UHS-I | X | ||||||||||
Kingston Canvas Select 128/256/512GB | UHS-I | 84 | 93 | Amazon | 79 | X | ||||||
Lexar 1066x SILVER 128-1TB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 1066x SILVER 64GB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 800x BLUE 128/256GB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 633x BLUE 128/256GB | UHS-I | 35 | 93 | Amazon | ||||||||
Sony Professional | UHS-I | 84 | 91 | X | 77 | |||||||
Sony 94 | UHS-I | 60 | 91 | X | 50 | |||||||
Sony 95 | UHS-I | 81 | 90 | X | 71 | |||||||
Transcend Ultra 340s A2 128/256/512GB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend Ultra 340s A2 64GB | UHS-I | B&H | 73 | |||||||||
Transcend High 330s A2 64/128GB | UHS-I | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||||
Transcend 300s 512GB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend 300s 256GB | UHS-I | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend 300s 128GB | UHS-I | 79 | 91 | B&H | 73 | |||||||
PNY Pro Elite 256/512/1TB | UHS-I | 87 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY Elite-X 64-512GB | UHS-I | 56 | 92 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY Elite Performance | UHS-I | 63 | 91 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Delkin Black 32-256GB | UHS-I | 86 | 93 | B&H | 78 | X | ||||||
Delkin Advantage 32-1TB | UHS-I | 77 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | 71 | ||||||
Toshiba Exceria Pro | UHS-I | 74 | 91 | 62 | ||||||||
Toshiba Exceria | UHS-I | 29 | 91 | 28 | ||||||||
Verbatim Pro+ | UHS-I | 77 | 91 | Amazon | 71 | |||||||
Verbatim Pro | UHS-I | 46 | 90 | Amazon | 55 | |||||||
Amplim 667x A1 V30 | UHS-I | 50 | 93 | X | 45 | |||||||
RitzGear Extreme A1 V30 | UHS-I | 62 | 93 | Amazon |
Nikon Z5 In-Camera Memory Card Speeds
We tested each memory card in-camera and measured the speed at which the buffer cleared. We do this by calculating the time it took for the buffer to clear after a burst against the data that was written.
Understand that these are numbers based on the cards I have. Manufacturing and serial numbers are constantly changing with these cards, so use this as a general guide as to how each brand is performing with the camera. Some cameras just work better with the way some brands do their memory card controllers, and this list gives you a general idea of that performance.
Here are the recorded speeds for how each memory card performed in-camera. USB-C read and write speeds are taken from AJA System Test in Windows 11. From this list, you can find the fastest memory card for the Nikon Z5, but it may not be what’s best for what you need since the price and size are always a factor.
Memory Cards | USB Write | USB Read | Sustain | Z5 | Links | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CFx-B | X | ||||||||||
Lexar 512 Diamond | 1623 | 1728 | 1562 | X | X | B&H | |||||
Lexar 128/256/512GB Diamond | 1617 | 1700 | 1565 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Lexar Gold 1TB/2TB | 1642 | 1695 | 1582 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Lexar Gold 64/128/256/512GB/1TB/2TB | 1410 | 1525 | 1382 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Lexar Silver 512GB | 1141 | 1624 | 891 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Lexar Silver 128/258 | 749 | 1719 | 490 | X | B&H | ||||||
Sandisk Pro-Cinema 256GB | 755 | 1177 | 496 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Sandisk Extreme 512GB | X | B&H | |||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 128/256GB | 429 | 1144 | 316 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Sandisk Extreme 65GB | X | X | |||||||||
Sony Tough 128/256/512GB | 1334 | 1603 | 349 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
ProGrade Cobalt CF4.0 1.3TB | X | B&H | |||||||||
Prograde Cobalt 165/325/650GB | 1429 | 1029 | 1304 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Prograde 1TB/2TB gen3 | 1516 | 1108 | 1506 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Prograde 512GB gen3 | 1569 | 1707 | 825 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Prograde 512/1TB gen2 | X | X | |||||||||
Prograde 256GB gen3 | 1334 | 835 | 1057 | X | B&H | ||||||
Prograde 128GB gen2 | 679 | 778 | 583 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Delkin Black 150/325/650GB | 1425 | 1545 | 1421 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Delkin Black 75GB | 1195 | 1573 | 1195 | X | B&H | ||||||
Delkin Black 128GB | 1431 | 1035 | 1304 | X | X | B&H | |||||
Delkin Power G4 650/1TB/1.3TB/2TB | 1588 | 1710 | 1507 | X | B&H | ||||||
Delkin Power G4 128/165/256/325/512GB | 920 | 1226 | 842 | X | B&H | ||||||
Delkin Power 128/256/512/1TB/2TB | 1429 | 1037 | 1305 | X | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||
Delkin Prime 64GB | 974 | 1023 | 1205 | X | X | Amazon | |||||
Nikon 660GB | 1397 | 1574 | 1394 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Hoodman Steel 1TB | 1528 | 1121 | 1502 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Hoodman Steel 512GB | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Hoodman Steel 128GB | 580 | 969 | 176 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Wise Pro 640GB | X | ||||||||||
Wise Pro 160/320GB | 1257 | 1536 | 1281 | X | B&H | ||||||
Wise 1TB Mk II | 1525 | 1121 | 1514 | X | |||||||
Wise 512GB Mk II | 936 | 1236 | 847 | X | |||||||
Wise 128GB/256GB | 190 | 1023 | 142 | X | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||
Angelbird Pro 1TB/2TB/4TB MkII | 852 | 969 | 852 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Angelbird Pro 2TB MkI | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Angelbird Pro Mk I 256GB | 844 | 961 | 800 | X | X | B&H | |||||
Angelbird Pro XT Mk II 330/660/1320GB | 1595 | 1597 | 1583 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
AngelBird SE 1TB | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Angelbird Pro SE 512GB | 789 | 958 | 796 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Angelbird Pro SX 160GB/330GB | 1521 | 1688 | 1447 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
OWC Atlas Ultra CF4.0 1TB/2TB | X | B&H | |||||||||
OWC Atlas Ultra 165/325/650GB | 1402 | 1579 | 1400 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
OWC Atlas Pro CF4.0 256/512GB | X | B&H | |||||||||
OWC Atlas Pro 512GB/1TB/2TB | 514 | 1632 | 324 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
OWC Atlas Pro 256GB | 430 | 1212 | 268 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
OWC Atlas Pro 128GB | 232 | 1300 | 158 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Sabrent Pro 512GB/1TB/2TB | 856 | 1183 | 858 | X | Amazon | / B&H | |||||
Sabrent More 512GB/1TB | 438 | 1632 | 331 | X | X | Amazon | |||||
RitzGear 256/512/1TB | 481 | 1302 | X | Amazon | |||||||
RitzGear 128GB | 236 | 1323 | 158 | X | Amazon | ||||||
Pergear Ultra 1TB/2TB | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Pergear Pro 512GB | 687 | 1085 | 629 | X | Amazon | ||||||
Pergear Pro 256GB | 346 | 1131 | 343 | X | Amazon | ||||||
Pergear Lite 128GB | 404 | 997 | 224 | X | Amazon | ||||||
Pergear Lite 64GB | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Silicon Power 1TB/2TB | X | Amazon | |||||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 512GB/1TB | X | B&H | |||||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 256GB | 379 | 1221 | 319 | X | X | ||||||
Silicon Power Cinema 128GB | X | X | |||||||||
Transcend 820 512GB | 985 | 1660 | 274 | X | B&H | ||||||
Transcend 820 256GB | 1200 | 1644 | 294 | X | B&H | ||||||
SunEast 512GB/1TB | X | X | |||||||||
CFx-A | X | ||||||||||
Sony Tough 960/1920GB | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Sony Tough 80/160/320/640GB | 641 | 852 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Lexar 80/160GB/320GB | 825 | 886 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Black 160GB | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Delkin Black 80GB | 639 | 852 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
Delkin Power 160GB | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||||
Delkin Power 80GB | 641 | 847 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
ProGrade 160GB | 691 | 845 | X | Amazon | / B&H | ||||||
AngelBird 1TB | X | B&H | |||||||||
UHS-II V90 | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro V90 32-512GB | 252 | 279 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
Lexar 2000x V90 32-256GB | 219 | 256 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
Toshiba Exceria Pro V90 | 213 | 244 | X | Amazon | 104 | ||||||
Transcend v90 | 175 | 263 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | ||||||
Sony G Tough v90 32-256GB | 239 | 275 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
Delkin Black v90 64/128/256GB | 253 | 278 | B&H | 108 | |||||||
Delkin Power v90 64/128/256GB | 240 | 275 | B&H | 108 | |||||||
Fujifilm Elite II V90 | 158 | 277 | X | 107 | |||||||
Adata v90 64/128/256GB | 229 | 268 | Amazon | 108 | |||||||
Hoodman Steel 2000x V90 64/128GB | 155 | 249 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | ||||||
ProGrade V90 64-512GB | 229 | 270 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro90 V90 64/128/256GB | 276 | 293 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Amplim 2000x V90 32-128GB | 275 | 287 | Amazon | ||||||||
Angel Bird V90 II 64-512GB | 257 | 271 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
OWC Atlas Ultra V90 64-512GB | 270 | 289 | B&H | ||||||||
OWC Atlas S Pro V90 | X | B&H | |||||||||
Kingston Canvas React V90 32-256GB | 256 | 274 | Amazon | / B&H | 108 | ||||||
Kodak V90 32/64/128GB | 260 | 272 | Amazon | ||||||||
Ritz Gear VideoPro V90 64-512GB | 258 | 273 | Amazon | ||||||||
Wise V90 Pro 128/256/512GB | 256 | 275 | B&H | ||||||||
UHS-II V60 | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro v60 256/512/1TB | 189 | 279 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro v60 64/128GB | 102 | 283 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Lexar 1800x V60 64-512GB | 188 | 255 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Lexar 1667x V60 64/128/256GB | 100 | 257 | Amazon | / B&H | 89 | ||||||
Lexar Silver Pro v60 | 162 | 255 | |||||||||
Sony M Tough V60 64-512GB | 155 | 268 | Amazon | / B&H | 107 | ||||||
Sony M v60 64-512GB | X | B&H | 107 | ||||||||
Sony E v60 256GB | 142 | 252 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
Sony E v30 64GB | 73 | 247 | B&H | 65 | |||||||
Delkin Prime v60 64/128/256GB | 98 | 275 | B&H | 86 | |||||||
Hoodman Steel 1500x V60 64/128GB | 99 | 273 | Amazon | / B&H | 85 | ||||||
ProGrade V60 128/256/512GB | 98 | 155 | Amazon | / B&H | 81 | ||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 512GB | 180 | 278 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 256GB | 183 | 280 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY EliteX-Pro60 V60 128GB | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||||
Amplim 2000x v60 | 136 | 253 | Amazon | ||||||||
Amplim 1900x V60 | 97 | 275 | X | 84 | |||||||
Angel Bird V60 II 64-1TB | 144 | 243 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
OWC Atlas Pro V60 64GB-1TB | 100 | 281 | B&H | ||||||||
FreeTail Evoke Pro V60 | 96 | 272 | X | 85 | |||||||
Ritz Gear Video Pro V60 A1 64-256GB | 103 | 280 | Amazon | ||||||||
Wise V60 128GB | 102 | 269 | |||||||||
UHS-I U3 | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro 256/512/1TB | B&H | ||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme Pro 200MB 32/64/128GB | 144 | 172 | Amazon | / B&H | 74 | ||||||
Sandisk Extreme 256GB | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 128GB | |||||||||||
Sandisk Extreme 64GB | 51 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | 74 | ||||||
Sandisk Ultra U1 Old | 27 | 93 | X | 25 | |||||||
Kingston CanvasGo! 128/256/512GB | 124 | 161 | Amazon | 74 | |||||||
Kingston CanvasGo! 64GB | X | ||||||||||
Kingston Canvas Select 128/256/512GB | 84 | 93 | Amazon | 79 | |||||||
Lexar 1066x SILVER 128-1TB | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 1066x SILVER 64GB | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 800x BLUE 128/256GB | B&H | ||||||||||
Lexar 633x BLUE 128/256GB | 35 | 93 | Amazon | ||||||||
Sony Professional | 84 | 91 | X | 77 | |||||||
Sony 94 | 60 | 91 | X | 50 | |||||||
Sony 95 | 81 | 90 | X | 71 | |||||||
Transcend Ultra 340s A2 128/256/512GB | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend Ultra 340s A2 64GB | B&H | 73 | |||||||||
Transcend High 330s A2 64/128GB | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||||
Transcend 300s 512GB | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend 300s 256GB | B&H | ||||||||||
Transcend 300s 128GB | 79 | 91 | B&H | 73 | |||||||
PNY Pro Elite 256/512/1TB | 87 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY Elite-X 64-512GB | 56 | 92 | Amazon | / B&H | |||||||
PNY Elite Performance | 63 | 91 | X | Amazon | |||||||
Delkin Black 32-256GB | 86 | 93 | B&H | 78 | |||||||
Delkin Advantage 32-1TB | 77 | 93 | Amazon | / B&H | 71 | ||||||
Toshiba Exceria Pro | 74 | 91 | 62 | ||||||||
Toshiba Exceria | 29 | 91 | 28 | ||||||||
Verbatim Pro+ | 77 | 91 | Amazon | 71 | |||||||
Verbatim Pro | 46 | 90 | Amazon | 55 | |||||||
Amplim 667x A1 V30 | 50 | 93 | X | 45 | |||||||
RitzGear Extreme A1 V30 | 62 | 93 | Amazon |
Nikon Z 5 Specs
To estimate the buffer size we burst to a very slow card. Raw Shot to fill buffers are taken from the fastest card and are exactly what Nikon reports in their documentation.
Sensor: 24.3MP FX-Format CMOS Sensor Processor: EXPEED 6 Image Processor Continuous Shoot: 4.5fps Est. Buffer Size: 780MB RAW Shots To Fill Buffer: 100 Max Memory Card Size: Unlisted, Likely unlimited. 4k Datarate: 144Mbps |
Best Memory Cards 4k Video Nikon Z 5
The Nikon Z 5 does 4k at 144Mbps like its big brother and sister the Z 6 and Z 7. At 144Mbps we only need a bitrate of 18MB/s.
Typically when dealing with video, you should buy memory cards with the rated spec that is above your video bitrate.
In other words, U1 cards only guarantee 10MB/s, U3 cards guarantee 30MB/s, v60 cards guarantee 60MB/s, and so on.
With the Nikon Z 5, you will need a minimum of U3 memory cards, so UHS-I U3 cards are fine.
There is one nice UHS-II card that is U3 as well made by Sony, the Sony E-card. It has UHS-II read speeds but UHS-I write speeds, and it’s a nice card for a camera like this.
The Lexar Lexar 1667x is also priced very competitively and runs a little faster than the Sony E-card.
Nikon Z5 Video Specs & Recording Modes
Record Limit: 30min
Audio FIle Format: AAC, Linear PCM
4k Recording Modes 1080p Recording Modes |
Nikon Z 5 Record Times – Memory Card Capacity
Here are the record times for 4k bitrates based on a few memory card sizes.
Use this table to see the memory card capacity with different record settings.
We don’t actually know the bitrates of all the different record modes on the Nikon Z5 yet. They haven’t disclosed that information but Nikon has been delivering their 4k 8-bit codecs at 144Mbps.
Nikon Z5 Record Times | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB |
4k | Â | Â | Â | Â |
4k 144Mbps | 18MB/s | 59min | 119min | 237min | 474min |
What Size SD Card Is Best?
If you’re struggling to decide which size memory card to buy and shoot video and stills, you can use the chart above to get an idea of how much time you can get on each card.
For shooting stills you’ll be able to get through most days with a 64GB card. But if you shoot big events and need thousands of shots or shoot RAW+JPG to a single card, then it might be wise to go with a 128GB card.
I’ve yet to ever fill a 128GB card but I regularly clear off my cards to get everything backed up.
Larger than 128GB cards would be ideal if you plan on shooting for days or weeks without clearing off your cards. This is nice for vacation shooters.
Avoiding Counterfeit Memory Cards
Counterfeit memory cards are an unfortunate reality. They are out there and I regularly get emails from people that have received counterfeit cards.
The best thing you can do to avoid counterfeit cards is to buy from certified trusted retailers.Â
I buy almost all my cards from BHphoto or Adorama and sometimes Amazon.
If you decide to buy cards from Amazon, or eBay, make sure you still select a trusted store. Adorama for example sells through Ebay and Amazon sometimes.
Even then, you should be careful since Amazon occasionally mixes inventory between stores.
How to test to see if you have a counterfeit card?
Counterfeit memory cards are usually produced by hacking the memory control to tell the camera or computer that there is more data in the card than there really is. The card will have a 128GB label on it but it might only have 64GB of memory. Once you cross that 64GB threshold, the card fails.
To check to see if your card is legitimate, fill the card right when you get it. If it fails, it is likely counterfeit. Also, make sure the card is performing at close to the rated spec by watching some file transfers.
Fastest Memory Cards Nikon Z5 Conclusions
There is no doubt that the Nikon Z 5 is an impressive little camera for the price. The dual UHS-II memory card slots offer photographers in critical situations peace of mind.
When trying to decide which speed class to go with, for many, the v90 UHS-II speed class is likely going to be overkill.
Stick with UHS-II cards only if you want faster transfer speeds from your card to your computer, or look for some nice deals on some of the lower v60 speed class UHS-II cards.
UHS-I cards will be fine for most people with this camera even when shooting 4k video.
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