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Best Memory Cards for the Nikon D3300

Looking for SD cards that work well in the Nikon D3300? Here are some practical recommendations.

Nikon-D3300-Memory-Cards

Categories: Memory Cards
Tags: Nikon, Nikon D3300 DSLR, SD Cards
Last updated about 1 week ago // Originally published about 6 years ago

The new Nikon D3300 has some pretty impressive video and photo capabilities in a relatively inexpensive package. But if you use a memory card that isn’t fast enough, you’ll find your videos stop recording part way.

Nikon issues its own guidelines for officially approved memory cards for the Nikon D3300, but it’s pretty hard to make sense of. They’re buried on page 310 in the technical notes section of the Nikon D3300 instruction manual. They look like this.

Nikon D3300 Memory Card Recommendations - Official

I don’t find that especially helpful. So I’ve taken those official recommendations from Nikon and translated them into practical recommendations below that cut through all the confusing jargon that memory card manufacturers use in their marketing.

In general, the Nikon D3300 will accept SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards. All of those types look exactly the same–the difference is in the amount of memory. SD refers to cards up to 2GB in size. Now that memory card prices have come down and you can buy very good 32GB cards for $15, there’s no good reason to be buying a 2GB card if you camera supports larger ones. So I’d recommend sticking with SDHC or SDXC for the Nikon D3300. SDHC refers to cards that are 4GB up through 32GB. SDXC refers to cards that are 64GB or above. And with the D3300 shooting photos at over 24 MP, you’ll probably find a card that’s at least 32 GB will give you more flexibility.

If you’re doing video recording, you’ll need a card that’s designated as class 6 or higher. The reason is that when recording video the camera needs to write a lot of data to the card quickly. If you’re card isn’t able to write data fast enough, the video recording will stop. The current crop of memory cards are all class 10, so you’re better off going with one of them than searching around for an old class 6 card.

So here’s a mix of recommended memory cards that will work well in the Nikon D3300 and that are reasonably priced, readily available, and good value. This list isn’t exhaustive, and there are both faster and slower SD cards that will also work, as well as smaller and larger ones. Because of the similarities between the two cameras, these are essentially the same memory card recommendations for the Nikon D5300 as well.

Recommended Memory Cards for the Nikon D3300

These aren't necessarily the fastest SD cards on the market, but they're fast enough for this camera. It's also not designed to be a comprehensive list of every SD card that will work.

My emphasis here is on cards that meet these criteria: fast enough for all the features of this camera; from a reputable and reliable brand; readily available at retailers; and good value for money. If you want to use a faster, fancier card you can, but you won't see any extra benefit in doing so while you're operating the camera (but you might see some faster speeds when downloading the photos to a computer, depending on your computer and memory card reader combination).

SanDisk Extreme U3 UHS-I

SanDisk 256GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Card -...
SanDisk 256GB Extreme SDXC UHS-I Card -...
Check Price at Amazon

The SanDisk Extreme line is a good option when the emphasis is on video recording. They have faster write speeds than SanDisk's Ultra line but still make for good value without getting in the faster (and more expensive) Extreme Plus and Extreme Pro models.

SanDisk recycles its model names. This latest version of the Extreme card is rated for V30/U3 for video recording and uses a UHS-I interface. It's faster than this camera technically needs, but because the Extreme line is so popular, they're generally easy to find and competitively priced.

It comes in sizes ranging from 16GB through 256GB.

Buy at Amazon or B&H Photo.

Lexar 633x U1 UHS-I

Lexar Professional 633x 256GB SDXC UHS-I...
Lexar Professional 633x 256GB SDXC UHS-I...
Check Price at Amazon

The Lexar 633x range has been one of the mainstays of Lexar's SD cards for a while now. There are now faster cards available, but this one is again fast enough for this camera while also representing good value for money.

One distinctive thing about this range is that they're available from 16GB up through a whopping 512GB.

Buy at Amazon.

PNY Elite Performance V30 UHS-I

PNY 256GB Elite-X Class 10 U3 V30 SDXC...
PNY 256GB Elite-X Class 10 U3 V30 SDXC...
Check Price at Amazon

PNY as a brand isn't as well known as some others, but they've been around a long time and make very good memory cards that are usually very competitively priced and good value.

This particular model is available in sizes ranging from 32GB through 512GB.

Buy at Amazon or B&H Photo.

Delkin Devices Advantage V30 UHS-I

Delkin Devices 256GB Advantage SDXC...
Delkin Devices 256GB Advantage SDXC...
Check Price at Amazon

Delkin Devices have been around for a long time but have been relatively quiet in recent years. But they're freshed their entire lineup of cards recently to simplify the range and bring the cards up to current specs.

The Advantage card is rated to V30 and has a UHS-I interface. It currently comes in sizes up to 512GB.

Buy at Amazon or B&H Photo.

Transcend V30 UHS-I

Transcend TS128GSDC500S-E 128GB UHS-I U3...
Transcend TS128GSDC500S-E 128GB UHS-I U3...
Check Price at Amazon

Transcend isn't as well known as SanDisk or Lexar, but they've been making solid, reliable memory cards for a long while now and their SD cards are often competitively priced.

This particular card is faster than this camera needs, but it is still a good option. It's available in sizes from 64GB up through 256GB.

Buy at Amazon.

Sony U3 UHS-I

Sony 64GB High Performance Class 10...
Sony 64GB High Performance Class 10...
Check Price at Amazon

Though not always as readily available as some other brands, Sony memory cards are very good, which won't come as much of a surprise.

This particular card is available in sizes from 16GB through 256GB.

Buy at Amazon or B&H Photo.

Kingston U1 UHS-I

Kingston 128GB SDHC Canvas Select Plus...
Kingston 128GB SDHC Canvas Select Plus...
Check Price at Amazon

Kingston is another brand that isn't as well known as some of the others, but they've been making reliable memory cards for a very long time. As a brand, they don't tend to focus on the cutting edge speeds but rather on reliable and good-value memory cards.

This particular card (model SDS2 Canvas Select) isn't the fastest in Kingston's range, but it's fast enough to work well in this camera. It's available in sizes from 16GB through 128GB.

Buy at Amazon.

Other Brands

There are also a lot of smaller, mostly unknown brands. In general, I'd recommend sticking to a brand you know and trust or one of the brands I've mentioned on this page because they have well-established reputations for putting out high-quality cards. Some of the other lesser-known brands might work, but they also might not be all they claim to be. The ones above should give a good selection of ones you can find fairly easily at retailers near you.

Faster Cards

If you're looking to use a faster card, take a look at the ones that I've subjected to my independent SD card speed tests.

Avoiding Counterfeit Memory Cards

It’s worth buying from a reputable manufacturer. There are counterfeit cards on the market that often pop up on from shady dealers. It’s also not a bad idea to have a spare on hand. Memory cards are remarkably resilient things but like any electronic device they do fail from time to time.

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2021-01-24 at 05:39. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on January 15, 2021

Categories: Memory Cards
Tags: Nikon, Nikon D3300 DSLR, SD Cards

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

News & Deals

With the holidays fast approaching, there’s some great deals on photography gear and services available. I’ve put together a roundup of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Photography Deals. It’s a running list as new deals are announced, so be sure to check back.

Canon announces new EOS Rebel T8i DSLR. Canon has announced their new T8i DSLR. 24MP APS-C cropped CMOS sensor, 4K24 video, and updated image processing and detection systems. It’s available for preorder from B&H Photo.

New Firmware for the Ricoh GR III. Ricoh has release firmware v1.31 for the GR III. Release notes are: “Corrected — When shooting with the multiple exposure, in rare cases the live view may not display correctly. Improved stability for general performance.” You can download it here.

New Canon 1D X Mark III Pro DSLR Announced. Canon has announced their new flagship model of pro DSLR, the 1D X Mark III. They’re sticking with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor, but it’s a new and improved version and boasts an incredible native ISO range of ISO 100 to ISO 102400 and an extended range that goes up to a jaw-dropping ISO 819200. With revamped autofocus, a new image processor, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, it’s no wonder that Canon is billing it as “The Ultimate EOS.”

New Manfrotto Pro Rugged Memory Cards. Manfrotto, an Italian probably best known for their tripods and studio accessories, has launched a new Pro Rugged range of high-end SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards. While they don’t have a huge selection of sizes and speeds, the cards are aiming for very fast cards that can put up with rugged demands. For instance, they claim that their V90 rated SD cards can withstand three times the force (20kg / 45 lbs) of a regular SD card. I’ve ordered some to run through my speed tests.

New Sony Alpha a7 firmware released. A firmware update for the Sony a7R IV now lets you control external Sony flashes from the camera’s own menu system. Up to 15 flashes in five groups can be controlled via the camera. It also applies to the a7R III and a7 III.

Comments

  1. Ash says

    September 26, 2020 at 9:06 pm

    I know the Nikon d3300 is limited to 20 minutes of recording time. Is that per card? So if I put in a new card after recording 20 minutes of footage, I’ll have 20 more with a new card? (Sorry newbie here!)

    Reply
    • David says

      September 27, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      No, it’s not by card. It’s by single recording. As in, you can press record and do a clip up to 20 minutes. After it stops, you can start another one immediately. You don’t need to switch out the memory card so long as there’s enough space on it.

      Reply
  2. Jonathan Doidge says

    May 3, 2020 at 8:29 am

    Hi there, wondered if you know whether it’s possible to take photos on the D3300 without a memory card? i.e. is there any internal memory in the camera? I have looked right through its menus, but there is no obvious mode that I can switch it to enabling me to do that… Can’t find anything in the manual either.

    Reply
    • David says

      May 3, 2020 at 9:09 am

      No, it doesn’t. It has a small buffer that it can use to hold a small queue of images as they’re waiting to be written to the memory card, but you can’t access that space directly or save images there longer-term.

      Reply
  3. Anna says

    November 23, 2018 at 3:49 am

    I bought a 64GB as card and formatted it when I put in camera. But camera won’t take pics, reads “memory card full” although it hasn’t been used yet

    Reply
  4. Andy says

    October 29, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    With new storage technology I contacted Nikon about limitations on SD cards and my 3300. They were pretty useless showing their tests that max out with one manufacturer and 128 gb storage. I now see a 2 TB micro sd card with adaptor available. I picked up a 512GB micro card w/ adaptor for $8 on ebay. It’s a generic brand but I am currently using a 256GB micro card w/ adaptor in my camera. It has worked so far. Can you touch on any thoughts when it comes to a higher storage card and if you know of any limitations on the camera that would only recognize a certain amount of the memory. Nikon is absolutely useless to help me determine this question. I was hoping some common sense answers were out there:)

    Reply
    • David says

      October 30, 2018 at 10:35 am

      In my experience, at least, I’ve not been running into any maximum ceilings with newer cameras. I’ve generally found that once a newer camera supports the SDXC spec, any of the SDXC cards I’ve tried, regardless of size, have worked. That hasn’t always been true–some older cameras have had ceilings, but I don’t know specifically which camera models that might apply to. I suspect, though, that if you’re already using a 256GB card, then you should probably be fine using larger ones so long as they properly conform to the SDXC spec. But I’m not in a position to say that for sure. And manufacturers usually won’t promise that their cameras work with cards that they haven’t specifically tested. I know that’s not particularly helpful, but unfortunately it mostly leaves trial and error.

      Reply
  5. Amber Gupta says

    September 20, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    Dear Friend,

    kindly tell me if i can use Samsung EVO Plus 32GB MicroSDHC Class 10 (95MB/s) Memory Card(With Adapter) in nikon D3300 i am getting that online today in 759 rupees.

    Reply
    • David says

      September 20, 2017 at 7:37 pm

      It will work so long as in the SD adapter, yes.

      Reply
  6. Shirley says

    September 14, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    How about a Sandisk Ultra Plus 32GB memory card for the Nikon D3300? I happened to buy this, but can find no reference to its compatibility anywhere.

    Reply
    • David says

      September 15, 2017 at 11:37 am

      Yes, they’ll work fine. The Ultra Plus is a newer addition to the Sandisk lineup, released well after the D3300 came out.

      Reply
  7. Anna says

    August 22, 2017 at 9:12 am

    Dear David,

    Thank you very much for your advice!

    Reply
  8. Anna says

    August 22, 2017 at 4:38 am

    Will it support a Intenso micro SDHC 32GB CLASS 10 Memory card with adapter?

    Thank you in advance !

    Reply
    • David says

      August 22, 2017 at 9:00 am

      I’m not familiar with that brand, but in broad terms a microSD in an SD cartridge adapter should work just fine. The the combination of the card and adapter is slow you might run into some issues with recording video, but that shouldn’t be too much of an issue with the D3300.

      Reply
  9. jou says

    July 9, 2017 at 12:21 pm

    can i use a samsung sd card? 128gbs?

    Reply
    • David says

      July 9, 2017 at 5:58 pm

      Yes.

      Reply
  10. Bibin says

    June 12, 2017 at 8:15 am

    SanDisk 32GB UHS-1 Extreme Pro SDHC Class 10 Memory Card will work.

    Reply
    • David says

      June 12, 2017 at 3:13 pm

      Yes.

      Reply
  11. mike says

    March 22, 2017 at 5:44 am

    sandisk extreme pro 64 gb will work? thanks,

    Reply
    • David says

      March 23, 2017 at 3:16 pm

      Yes, works well.

      Reply
  12. Steve Ray says

    February 11, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Thank you for a very helpful (non-biased, I believe) article. Blessings on you.
    Steve
    Fort Collins

    Reply
    • David says

      February 11, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      Glad it’s helpful.

      Reply
  13. Robin Pearson says

    January 18, 2017 at 8:06 am

    Great no-nonsense article. Thanks.

    Reply
  14. Dave says

    December 7, 2016 at 9:06 am

    Will it support SanDisk Ultra 64 GB MicroSDXC Class 10 80 MB/s Memory Card?

    Reply
    • David says

      December 7, 2016 at 1:40 pm

      Yes.

      Reply
  15. asolis says

    July 29, 2016 at 8:25 am

    Thanks David.
    Have my first model volunteer this weekend and didn’t want it to be a waste. You’ve answered my all my questions, especially concerning video.

    Reply
  16. Jan DMan says

    June 16, 2016 at 10:49 pm

    Can you recommend a good wifi sd card for this camera?

    Reply
    • David says

      June 17, 2016 at 11:14 am

      I’ve found the [easyazon_link identifier=”B00TKFEPHA” locale=”US” tag=”05060702-20″]EyeFi Mobi Pros[/easyazon_link] to work well. The regular Mobi card works fine too, but it doesn’t transfer RAW files or let you select the images to download–it’s all or nothing.

      Reply
  17. Eddie Miller says

    March 4, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    I have a Lexar 633x 32GB. works fine but my wifi adapter wont work so Nikon said to make sure I have a approved sd card. Just FYI

    Reply
    • David says

      March 5, 2016 at 4:55 pm

      Thanks for the heads up. Did they happen to explain why the SD card had anything to do with the wifi adapter?

      Reply
  18. Tom Henderson says

    January 8, 2016 at 5:16 pm

    New to Digital, used Nikon cameras 35 years tho. Now here with my 2nd. Nikon D3300. This is the *best information I’ve found. Thank You Very Much, *Great Job. Tom, in Daytona Beach, FL

    Reply
    • David says

      January 11, 2016 at 11:33 am

      Glad it’s useful!

      Reply
  19. enrique says

    December 11, 2015 at 9:35 pm

    Thanks for the article! Extremely helpful.

    Reply
  20. tonygets says

    November 28, 2015 at 10:48 am

    What about MicroSd. My Samsung 32g evo MicroSd class 10 works well but SanDisk MicroSd extreme class 10 is not recognized. Pc no problem with it. And tried other adaptors

    Reply
  21. corredora says

    July 24, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    Thank you! This is just the kind of advice I was looking for to buy a memory card for my new Nikon D3300.

    Reply

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