The Nikon Zfc uses a single UHS-I memory card slot, and these cards hit a peak speed in-camera of about 58MB/s to 61MB/s – based on my in-camera buffer tests.
The Zfc can shoot photos at a burst rate of 11fps. For video, it supports a maximum internal recording bitrate of 144Mb/s at 8-bit 4K, translating to about 18MB/s. Therefore, you’ll need U3 cards instead of U1 cards for video recording.
Recommended Memory Card For The Nikon Zfc
The top five best memory cards for the Nikon Zfc are based on their price-to-performance.
| Memory Cards | Review Links | Speed Class | Minimum Write Speed | USB Write | USB Read | Links | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHS-I U3 | UHS-I | Hide | Hide | ||||
| Sandisk Extreme Pro 32/64/128GB | Sandisk Extreme Pro 170 | UHS-I | 30 | 144 | 172 | https://geni.us/AjId | Amazon / B&H |
| Kingston CanvasGo! 128/256/512GB | UHS-I | 30 | 124 | 161 | https://geni.us/oJU7q | Amazon / B&H | |
| Transcend 300s 128GB | Transcend U3 | UHS-I | 30 | 79 | 91 | https://geni.us/14Dk9X | Amazon / B&H |
| Delkin Black 32-256GB | UHS-I | 30 | 86 | 93 | https://geni.us/jCCqjj | Amazon / B&H | |
| Delkin Advantage 32-1TB | Delkin Advantage U3 | UHS-I | 30 | 77 | 93 | https://geni.us/HlTWWVh | Amazon / B&H |
Camera Memory Card Speed Test
These benchmarks are taken from the Nikon Z50, which shares the same internal components. This chart gives you a basic idea of how each memory card performs in-camera.
Memory Cards Nikon Z fc | What You Need To Know
With so many different types of memory cards on the market, it can get a little confusing to determine what you need based on their specs.
For the Nikon Z fc, you only need a UHS-I SD memory card with a U3 speed class.
How big of a memory card can you use?
Nikon does not define a maximum SD card size for the Nikon Z fc. Usually, this means the camera is compatible with cards of any size.
You can also use cards smaller than 32GB; however, these will be SDHC memory cards with a 32-bit file structure that will break your video clips into 4GB chunks.
Memory Card Capacity: No Limit
Best SD Card For 4k Video
Nikon does not list their bitrate. However, 4k in the Nikon mirrorless cameras usually maxes out at a bitrate of about 144Mbps or 18MB/s. Note the difference between Megabits and Megabytes.
To maintain a data stream of 18MB/s, you will need an SD memory card that guarantees that performance, meaning any speed class that is U3 or greater.
Memory Card For 4k Video: You only need a U3 UHS-I memory card for 4k video in the Nikon Z fc.
What The Numbers And Letters On UHS-I Memory Cards Mean
U1 or Class 10 – Minimum guaranteed write speed, 10MB/s or 80mbps.
U3 or V30 – Minimum guaranteed write speed, 30Mb/s or 240mbps.
V60 – Found with UHS-II cards guarantees a write speed of 60MB/s or 480mbps
v90 – Found with UHS-II cards, which guarantees a write speed of 90MB/s or 720mbps.
