Nikon Zf Memory Cards: Top Picks & the Dual-Slot Trap

Like most cameras, the Nikon Zf doesn’t come with memory cards included as standard. So unless you’ve picked up a bundle that a retailer has put together that includes accessories, you’ll have to pick them up separately.

The Zf takes one full-size SD card in Slot 1 and one microSD card in Slot 2, and the two are not equally fast: Slot 1 is UHS-II, Slot 2 is UHS-I only. So putting just any old SD or microSD card in your Zf might lead to disappointment. To take full advantage of the camera’s high-speed burst shooting and 4K video features, you need cards that can keep up.

Quick recommendations: Best cards for the Nikon Zf

The Nikon Zf has two memory card slots:

• Slot 1: full-size SD (UHS-II)
• Slot 2: microSD (UHS-I)

If you’d just like to cut to the chase, here are my top picks that balance speed, reliability, and value:

Slot 1: SD card

Slot 2: microSD card

I have a lot more detail below, but the upshot is that any of these are fast enough, readily available, and generally good value for money.

And don’t forget: the Zf has two memory card slots, and they each take a different type of card.

You don’t have to fill them both — the camera will work fine with just one SD card — but if you want to create real-time backups or separate your RAW and JPG files, you’ll need both.

You can see some of the photos I’ve taken with the Nikon Zf in these posts:

– Nikon Zf Sample Images (a general collection of sample images taken under various conditions)
– Nikon Zf High ISO Sample Images (focusing specifically on high-ISO photos in low light)
– Nikon Zf ISO Range Sample Images (sequences of the same scenes shot at different ISOs)
– Shooting Panoramas with the Nikon Zf

Memory card requirements & compatibility

The Nikon Zf has quite high bitrate video capabilities — up to 340 Mbps in some settings — as well as a high-speed frame capture photo mode of up to 30 frames per second.

A key thing to know is that if you don’t use memory cards that are fast enough, you run the risk of losing footage, dropping frames, or having the camera lock up while it tries to clear the buffer.

On compatibility, the Zf isn’t fussy about card type. Slot 1 takes SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards; Slot 2 takes microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC. Nikon’s own advice is short: UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) or better for recording and playing back video, and a reminder that the microSD side is UHS-I only.

Nikon’s official recommendations

The Zf’s manual isn’t all that helpful when it comes to pointing to specific memory cards. It says you need a fast one, but it often refers to older speed class ratings rather than the newer Video Speed Class system (V30, V60, V90) that is prominent on modern cards.

So what I’m doing here is taking the information provided by Nikon and combining it with my own experience shooting with a Zf, as well as the findings from my own SD card speed tests and microSD card speed tests.

Recommendations in detail

Slot 1: Full-size SD cards

For Slot 1, you want a UHS-II card. While UHS-I cards physically fit, they are much slower. A UHS-II card (look for the extra row of pins on the back) is essential for clearing the buffer quickly after shooting a burst of photos.

That doesn’t mean you need the fastest card on the shelf. The Zf’s top video bitrate is 340 Mbps, which is about 43 MB/s — comfortably inside what a V60 card sustains, so V60 covers every video mode the camera has. Where a V90 card earns its extra cost is stills: it clears the buffer faster after a long burst at 14 fps.

Slot 2: microSD cards

Here is the quirk of the Nikon Zf: The microSD slot only supports the UHS-I interface.

This means that while you can put a super-fast UHS-II microSD card in there, the camera cannot use that extra speed. It will cap out at UHS-I speeds. So, there is really no reason to spend the extra money on a V60 or V90 microSD card for this camera.

Using two memory card slots on the Nikon Zf

My rule of thumb is that if a camera has two memory card slots, I want to fill both of them. It gives you options:

• Overflow: Automatically switch to the second card when the first fills up.
• Backup: Save every photo to both cards simultaneously for redundancy.
• RAW / JPEG: Save RAW files to Slot 1 and JPEGs to Slot 2.

You can adjust these settings under:

Menu > Photo shooting menu (camera icon) > Secondary slot function

I have a more detailed post specifically on using dual memory cards in the Nikon Zf.

Critical warning: The “Backup Mode” bottleneck

There is one specific scenario where the Zf’s mixed card slots can cause a headache.

If you set the camera to “Backup” mode (writing the same photo to both cards simultaneously) and you shoot fast bursts, the camera is limited by the speed of the slowest card. Backup applies to stills only — video always goes to a single card, the one you choose under [Destination] in the video recording menu.

Since the microSD slot is slower (UHS-I), it acts as a bottleneck. Even if you have a blazing-fast V90 card in Slot 1, the camera has to wait for the slower microSD card in Slot 2 to finish writing.

My Advice: If you shoot long bursts, avoid “Backup” mode unless you’ve tested your specific microSD card thoroughly — “Overflow” keeps the camera writing to the fast card. For 4K 60p or 10-bit video, the setting you want is [Destination] in the video recording menu, set to Slot 1 so the footage lands on the UHS-II SD card.

How to format the memory cards in the Nikon Zf

If you haven’t used a camera with two memory card slots before, the only difference is that you have to format each card individually.

On the Zf, it’s quick and easy. You find the option under:

SETUP MENU (Wrench Icon) > Format Memory Card

Then specify which card slot you want to format (Slot 1 or Slot 2) and confirm. This performs a quick format. If you need to do a low-level format to wipe data completely, you’ll need to use a computer.

How to format SD cards on a computer

It’s always best practice to format memory cards in the camera you’re going to use them in. However, if you need to do it on a desktop, make sure you do it correctly to minimize the risk of corruption.

I’ve put together guides on how to format SD cards on Mac and how to use the free SD Card Formatter app for Windows or Mac, which is generally safer than using the default operating system tools.

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