Looking for the best memory cards for the Nikon D850?
The Nikon D850 has 2 memory card slots, 1 for XQD and 1 for SD.
It’s an amazing camera, with 7fps burst, 45MP sensor, 4K videos and 8K time-lapse feature. What else could you want from a camera?
But in order to take full advantage of the features the D850 offers, you’ll need a really fast memory card. Buy the wrong thing, and you’ll end up waiting for the buffer to clear, get random pauses while recording videos and so on.
The Top 4 Cards We Selected
- Lexar Professional 2933x XQD
- Sony G-Series 400MB/s XQD
- Lexar Professional 300MB/s UHS-II U3
- SanDisk Extreme Pro 280MB/s UHS-II
The Nikon D5 shoots at 7 frames per second, or 9 if you’re using the battery grip. If you’re into sports and wildlife, you can’t afford to wait a few seconds every time after taking a few pictures in burst. The D850 has a big buffer, but then again we’re talking about a sensor with 45MP and those are some big processes inside the camera.
Best XQD Memory Cards for the Nikon D850
Lexar Professional 2933x XQD
Looking for the best there is? The Lexar Professional 2933x XQD card is the fastest and best deal for the money. It’s got a writing speed up to 400MB/s and reading speed up to 440MB/s, and a 64GB version will cost you less than $90.
The card can easily store 200 RAW files in a single burst, the buffer waiting time is also the shortest among all cards. It’s perfect for the D850’s 4K videos, 8K time-lapse and 45MP x 7 frames per second.
It’s available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions, and you can get each with a reader (extra $20).
You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.
Sony G-Series XQD
The Sony XQD 64GB G-Series is more or less the only other option besides the Lexar above. It also comes with a dedicated XQD memory card reader.
Why did we include it here? Mostly so you can see why the Lexar above is such a great deal. The Sony costs more and has both reading (400MB/s) and writing speeds slower (350MB/s). It’s also available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB versions.
You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.
Best SD Memory Cards for the Nikon D850
Lexar Professional 2000x UHS-II
The fastest and best SD card is the Lexar Professional 2000x. The D850 supports UHS-II and if you prefer them over XQD, don’t even think about getting UHS-I as you’ll regret it. The card is blazing fast and great for everything the D850 offers.
It comes with a USB 3.0 reader and downloadable Image Rescue software. Both of these additional items are excellent, and the card comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB sizes.
You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.
SanDisk Extreme Pro 280MB/s UHS-II
Besides Lexar, SanDisk is our top recommended brand. The Sandisk Extreme Pro 280MB/s SD memory card is UHS-II U3 and has a reading speed of 280MB/s and reading around 250MB/s.
Unless you absolutely need an SD memory card, the XQD above is similarly priced and much faster. It comes in 32GB and 64GB sizes.
You can buy it at Amazon or see more reviews here.
Last Updated on September 14, 2021 by Nick Voorhees
First and foremost, I’m a husband and father. Then professionally I’m photographer, designer, blogger, and Esty store owner. My homebase is near the stunning Wasatch mountains in Utah but I love traveling with my family as part of our homeschooling journey. I also love teaching and helping out others. My faith is one of the biggest aspects of my life and brings be a consistent joy that I haven’t found in anything else. My main blog is BestPhotographyGear.com and I strive to make photography simple for anyone looking to learn or find gear for their individual needs. By nature, I like to study, research, and analyze things and I use that help provide the best advice and reviews I can.