The Nikon Z30 has single SD card slots supporting UHS-I V30 or U3 cards.
With photos, the Z30 is capable of bursting at 11fps, and for video, it has a maximum internal recording bitrate of 144Mb/s at 8-bit 4k, which runs at around 18MB/s. So, you will need U3 cards, not U1 cards, for video.
It’s pretty straightforward; grab the best UHS-I card you can find. The camera is only 20MP, so unless you’re bursting a lot or recording a lot of video, you probably wouldn’t need a card much bigger than 64GB. Or go 128GB just to play it safe.
Recommended SD Cards For Nikon Z30
Here are the best memory cards for the Nikon Z30.
| Memory Cards | Review Links | Speed Class | Minimum Write Speed | USB Write | USB Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHS-I U3 | Hide | |||||
| Sandisk Extreme Pro 32GB-1TB | Sandisk Extreme Pro 170 | UHS-I | 30 | 137 | 175 | Amazon / B&H |
| Kingston CanvasGo! 128/256/512GB/1TB | UHS-I | 30 | 124 | 161 | Amazon / B&H | |
| Transcend 300s 128GB | Transcend U3 | UHS-I | 30 | 79 | 91 | Amazon / B&H |
| Delkin Black 32-256GB | UHS-I | 30 | 86 | 93 | Amazon / B&H | |
| Delkin Advantage 128GB-1TB | Delkin Advantage U3 | UHS-I | 30 | 77 | 93 | Amazon / B&H |
Nikon Z30 Capacity
What is the maximum capacity of SD cards that can be used with the Nikon Z30?
Nikon does not officially list a capacity limit to the size of memory cards.
Generally, you’ll want a card around 64 GB unless your primary focus is recording video, in which case you’ll need a larger card. A 1TB card would most likely be overkill.
It generally takes me about a year to shoot 1TB of photos, and I shoot a lot.
Nikon Z30 Camera Specs
Sensor Size: 20.9MP APS-C (DX) CMOS Sensor |
Nikon Z30 Record Times – Memory Card Capacity
The table below illustrates various recording modes and their corresponding time usage on different card sizes. If you want personalized figures, check out the bitrate-to-time converter.
| Nikon Z30 Record Times | 64GB | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB |
| 4k | ||||
| 144Mbps | 18MB/s | 59min | 119Min | 237min | 474min |
Best SD Cards Nikon Z30 | Conclusions
The Nikon Z30 is a nice little compact APS-C camera with fun and capable specs.
Buying the best memory cards for the Z30 is pretty simple and straightforward. It doesn’t need the fastest memory cards out there, but it doesn’t take them, either.
Sandisk, Kingston, Delkin, and Lexar would be my go-to choices for Nikon for UHS-I cards, as they perform great in all their cameras.
How Card Speed Performs in the Z30 — Real-World Context
The Z30 shares the same internal platform as the Nikon Z50 and Zfc. In my in-camera buffer testing on those bodies, the UHS-I slot tops out at 58–61 MB/s with the fastest available cards. The Z30’s behavior is the same. At 11fps with 20.9MP files, the buffer fills in a few seconds of sustained bursting. With a fast card near that ceiling, the buffer clears quickly. With a slower U3 card in the 30–40 MB/s range, recovery takes noticeably longer between burst sequences.
For video at 144 Mbps (18 MB/s), any U3 card has ample headroom. Card speed mainly matters here for stills burst recovery, not video.
Can I Use a microSD Card in the Nikon Z30?
Yes, with a microSD-to-SD adapter. The Z30 uses a full-size SD slot, and any UHS-I U3 microSD in a quality adapter performs the same as a full-size card. The Z30 is well-suited to this — it’s a compact vlogging and travel camera, and microSD allows you to share cards with a drone, action cam, or gimbal-mounted camera in the same kit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Nikon Z30 support UHS-II cards?
No. The Z30 has a single UHS-I slot. UHS-II cards work physically but run at UHS-I speeds — no in-camera benefit. Based on Z50 and Zfc testing, the real-world ceiling on this platform is 58–61 MB/s regardless of card tier.
Does the Z30 have a second card slot?
No — single SD slot only. There’s no backup or overflow option. For the content creation and vlogging audience this camera targets, that’s generally fine, but worth knowing if you’re considering it for professional event work where redundancy matters.
What’s the best card size for video with the Z30?
At 144 Mbps 4K, a 64GB card holds about 59 minutes of recording — enough for most sessions. For long-form or mixed stills and video without frequent offloading, 128GB is a practical step up. The Z30 has no 4K record time limit, so you can run a card down to empty in a single take.
Do I need V60 or V90 for the Z30?
No. V60 and V90 are UHS-II ratings that don’t apply to this UHS-I camera. For 4K at 144 Mbps, U3 (V30) is the relevant minimum. Any good UHS-I U3 card covers everything the Z30 can shoot.
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