Best Memory Cards Nikon Z50 | Real Benchmarks

The Nikon Z50 features a single UHS-I memory card slot. The in-camera speed test shows they run at a top speed of about 55MB/s.

UHS-I memory cards come in two popular speed classes: U1 and U3. U1 memory cards record at a minimum speed of 10MB/s, and U3 memory cards record at a minimum speed of 30MB/s. 

To take advantage of 4k video in the Nikon Z50, U3 memory cards should be used to maintain the 144MB/s or 18MB/s bitrate.

Nikon Z50 – Amazon / B&H

Recommended SD Memory Cards Nikon Z50

The small difference in the performance speeds in the speed chart will not be noticeable in real-world performance. While Sandisk was one of the slowest cards of these top 5, it’s still one of the most reliable brands and one of the best memory cards for the Nikon Z50.

Also, check out my list of Essential Accessories For The Nikon Z50.

Nikon Z50 In-Camera Speed Test

This chart shows how fast each memory card performed in the Z50.

To evaluate memory card performance – Shoot a continuous burst of images until the camera’s buffer reaches capacity, using ISO 100 and a 1/120 shutter speed with a manual lens.

Measure the total data written and the duration required for the buffer to clear. Repeat this process several times for each card to ensure accuracy and consistency.

It’s observed that UHS-II memory cards exhibit faster performance, even in cameras like the Nikon Z50 that aren’t UHS-II compatible. While this increase in speed is expected, it doesn’t necessarily justify the higher cost of UHS-II cards. In practical shooting scenarios, the slight speed advantage of a few MB/s is often imperceptible.

Speed Chart

Many of these cards are great values; just be sure to pay attention to reviews since some brands have better quality control than others.

You may want to avoid expensive UHS-II cards unless you want very fast transfer speeds from your card to your computer. The Nikon Z50 does not have UHS-II tech, and it won’t be able to take advantage of the second row of pins. However, some UHS-II cards, like the new Sony E memory cards, have optimized write speeds for UHS-I cameras and fast UHS-II speeds for fast file transfers to your computer with a UHS-I reader. 

Nikon Z50 Camera Specs And Buffer Questions

Sensor: 20.9MP DX-Format (1.5x Crop Factor) Processor: EXPEED 6 SD Cards Slot: Single Slot, UHS-I Continuous Burst: 11 fps Video: H.264 – 4k24p / 4k25p / 4k30p What Is The Video Bitrate? 144Mbps How Big Is The Buffer? 700MB Estimate How Many Shots To Fill Buffer?  33 RAW What Size Are The Raw Files: 25MB – Average Can I Shoot Uncompressed RAW? No, Compressed RAW only. How Long To Clear Buffer? 10:45 (Toshiba Exceria Pro)

Choosing The Perfect Card Size

For these memory card benchmarks, we’re still mostly just testing 64GB cards. 64GB memory cards are the sweet spot and the best bang for the buck, and you’ll rarely fill a 64GB card if you’re offloading your footage for backup daily. However, if you want to shoot for weeks without backing up your shots (not recommended), you might like bigger cards.

With 64GB memory cards, you get the SDXC 64-bit filesystem so video clips will not be clipped into 4GB chunks.

It’s sometimes nice for video shooters to have 128GB cards or bigger, but this depends on how much you’re shooting.

Here is a chart that shows video record times for the Nikon Z50 based on memory card sizes and the maximum 144Mbps video bitrate.

Record Time Chart

Size	4k 144Mbps
32GB	30min
64GB	59min
128GB	119min
256GB	237min

Best SD Cards | Nikon Z50 Conclusions

For the price, the Nikon Z50 has some nice specs, and if you like shooting at 11fps, you may want to maximize your memory card performance. There are a lot of counterfeit memory cards out there now, so be sure to check reviews and always buy from a trusted source.

You only need UHS-I cards unless you plan on using the camera a lot for video and might want faster speeds when backing up footage to your computer. In that case, stick with the slower UHS-I cards like the new Sony E or the v60 memory cards.

What the Buffer Clear Time Means for Shooting

The 10:45 buffer clear time listed above (tested with the Toshiba Exceria Pro) sounds alarming — nearly 11 minutes to write out a full 33-frame RAW burst. In practice this doesn’t mean the camera is locked for 11 minutes; it means it’s writing in the background while you can still take individual shots. What it does mean is that if you fire a second full burst immediately after the first, you’ll hit a bottleneck. For sports or anything requiring multiple rapid burst sequences, the Z50’s single UHS-I slot and ~700MB buffer is a real constraint regardless of which card you use. Choosing the fastest UHS-I card (targeting 55 MB/s in-camera, which is the Z50’s ceiling) minimizes the gap between bursts but won’t eliminate it entirely.

Can I Use a microSD Card in the Nikon Z50?

The Z50 uses a full-size SD card slot. MicroSD cards work with an adapter, but from experience they can lose connection inside the adapter — I wouldn’t use one for anything critical. See the microSD memory card guide if you need to use one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Nikon Z50 support UHS-II cards?

The slot is UHS-I only, so a UHS-II card will not get UHS-II speeds. As noted in the benchmark data above, some UHS-II cards do show slightly faster in-camera performance due to optimized UHS-I write speeds, but the difference is small and doesn’t justify the price premium. The practical ceiling in the Z50 is around 55 MB/s regardless of card rating.

Do I need a V60 or V90 card for the Z50’s 4K video?

No. The Z50’s 4K bitrate of 144 Mbps translates to 18 MB/s required sustained write speed. Any U3 (V30) card covers that with significant headroom — V60 and V90 ratings are UHS-II specs and don’t apply to this camera’s UHS-I slot. A good UHS-I U3 card is all you need for the Z50’s video.

What size card should I use in the Nikon Z50?

64GB is the sweet spot for most shooting. At 144 Mbps 4K you get about 59 minutes of video, and for stills at 25MB average RAW file size, 64GB holds well over 2,500 RAW files. If you shoot video heavily and don’t offload frequently, step up to 128GB. Going above 256GB is rarely necessary — better to carry a spare 64GB card than one very large card with no backup.

Is the Z50 good enough for action and burst shooting?

At 11fps with a ~33 RAW frame buffer, the Z50 handles short bursts well — a moment, a peak action frame, a pose sequence. Where it struggles is sustained rapid-fire shooting where you need to repeat bursts back-to-back quickly. The buffer clear time is the real limiter here, not the card. If burst-heavy action shooting is your primary use case, the Z50’s single UHS-I slot and buffer capacity are worth factoring into your decision.