Best Memory Cards Nikon Zfc – 39 Cards Tested

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.

Nikon Zfc – Amazon / B&H

Recommended Memory Card For The Nikon Zfc

The top five best memory cards for the Nikon Zfc are based on their price-to-performance.

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.

Burst Shooting and Buffer Recovery on the Zfc

My in-camera tests on the Zfc show real-world write speeds of 58–61 MB/s with the fastest UHS-I cards. The Zfc shares internal components with the Z50, which has a buffer of approximately 700MB (around 33 RAW frames at 11fps). That fills in roughly 3 seconds at full burst speed. With a fast card in the 58–61 MB/s range, buffer recovery is quick — you’re back to shooting in a few seconds after a full burst. Slower cards that write at 30–40 MB/s will extend that wait noticeably.

For the retro-styled shooting that most Zfc buyers do — street photography, portraits, travel — the buffer limit won’t come up often. If you’re shooting sports or anything requiring sustained rapid burst fire, the single UHS-I slot and ~700MB buffer is the real constraint, not which specific UHS-I card you choose.

Can I Use a microSD Card in the Nikon Zfc?

The Nikon Zfc 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 Zfc support UHS-II cards?

No. The Zfc has a UHS-I-only slot. UHS-II cards will work physically, but they operate at UHS-I speeds inside this camera. As the benchmark chart shows, in-camera write speeds top out at 58–61 MB/s regardless of the card tier — there’s no benefit to paying the UHS-II premium for this body.

What’s the fastest card I can use in the Zfc?

The in-camera ceiling is 58–61 MB/s based on direct testing. Cards like the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I and Kingston Canvas Go+ perform at the top of that range. Any card that hits 55+ MB/s in this camera is effectively maximizing what the slot can do — there’s no meaningful gain between the fastest and second-fastest cards here in real shooting.

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

No. V60 and V90 are UHS-II ratings that don’t apply to this UHS-I camera. For 4K at 144 Mbps (18 MB/s), any U3 card provides over 60% more write speed than the video requires. A fast UHS-I U3 card is all you need for every mode the Zfc supports.

How does the Zfc compare to the Z50 for card selection?

They use the same internal platform and the same UHS-I SD slot, so card behavior is identical. The benchmark chart above, taken from Z50 testing, applies directly to the Zfc. The same cards that perform best in the Z50 will perform the same in the Zfc.