The Nikon ZR is a 25 megapixel full-frame 6K/60p cinema camera with RED color science that features two memory card slots.
Slot 1 supports CFexpress Type B or XQD cards, and slot 2 supports microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC (UHS-I) cards.
We strongly recommend using CFexpress Type B cards over the now older and slower XQD cards that many manufacturers are discontinuing. You'll also need to use CFexpress Type B cards over the microSD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I cards if you wish to record in all of the video modes supported by the Nikon RED ZR.
Recommended CFexpress Type B Cards
If you want to record in Apple ProRes RAW HQ 6048 x 3402 : 29.97p (5000 Mbps) or R3D NE / N-RAW High quality 6048 x 3402 : 59.94p (3780 Mbps) which are two of the most demanding video modes available, then you'll want to use a card that supports a minimum sustained write speed of no less than 625 MB/s (5000 Mbps).
A Video Performance Guarantee (VPG) of 800 would be best, but there are currently no CFexpress Type B cards with this certification, only VPG400.
Our top recommended CFexpress Type B cards based on speed and reliability for the Nikon ZR are:
| CFexpress Type B Memory Card | Min Sustained Write Speed | Max Write Speed | Max Read Speed | Video Rating | CFexpress Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delkin Devices BLACK 4.0 | 2040 MB/s | 3200 MB/s | 3600 MB/s | VPG400 | 4.0 |
| Delkin Devices POWER 4.0 | 820 MB/s | 3240 MB/s | 3650 MB/s | NA | 4.0 |
| Angelbird AV PRO SE v4 | 1050 MB/s | 1100 MB/s | 3700 MB/s | NA | 4.0 |
| SanDisk PRO-CINEMA | 1400 MB/s | 1500 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | NA | 2.0 |
| Lexar Professional DIAMOND 4.0 | 3200 MB/s | 3400 MB/s | 3700 MB/s | VPG400 | 4.0 |
| Nextorage NX-B2 PRO | 3400 MB/s | 3600 MB/s | 3900 MB/s | VPG400 | 4.0 |
| Delkin Devices POWER G4 | 805 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 1780 MB/s | NA | 2.0 |
| Lexar Professional GOLD 4.0 | 3000 MB/s | 3300 MB/s | 3600 MB/s | NA | 4.0 |
| Lexar Professional SILVER 4.0 | 2600 MB/s | 3000 MB/s | 3600 MB/s | NA | 4.0 |
| ProGrade Digital 4.0 Gold | 850 MB/s | 3000 MB/s | 3400 MB/s | NA | 4.0 |
|
ProGrade Digital 4.0 Iridium |
850 MB/s | 3000 MB/s | 3550 MB/s | VPG400 | 4.0 |
| Sony CEB-G | NA | 1600 MB/s | 1850 MB/s | NA | 2.0 |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO | NA | 1200 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | NA | 2.0 |
Recommended UHS-I Micro SDXC Cards
As well as CFexpress Type B cards the Nikon ZR also supports UHS-I microSD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
The faster UHS-II microSD/SDHC/SDXC can be used in the ZR but they will only work in-camera at UHS-I speeds. Full size UHS-I / UHS-II cards are not supported, only the Micro cards.
We would recommend using microSDXC cards instead of SD/SDHC for video recording to avoid video files being split into 4GB chunks.
Our top recommended UHS-I Micro SDXC cards based on speed and reliability for the Nikon ZR are:
| UHS-I Card | Max Write Speed | Max Read Speed | Video Speed Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC | 130 MB/s | 190 MB/s | V30 |
| Delkin Devices Hyperspeed UHS-I microSDXC | 75 MB/s | 100 MB/s | V30 |
| Lexar Professional Silver Plus UHS-I microSDXC | 150 MB/s | 205 MB/s | V30 |
FAQs
Are CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards compatible with the Nikon ZR?
Yes, the Nikon ZR is compatible with CFexpress 4.0 cards because the 4.0 standard is backward compatible with 2.0. Unfortunately in-camera there is no speed benefit to using a 4.0 card over a 2.0 card because the ZR memory bus does not support the faster 4.0 speeds. Where you will see a benefit is when copying files from your memory card to your computer, with a 4.0 card this can be up to twice as fast compared to a 2.0 card when using a CFexpress 4.0 Type B compatible reader.
What is the difference between CFexpress Type B 2.0 and 4.0?
The main difference is speed. CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards utilize the PCIe Gen 4 bus which delivers twice the bandwidth (up to 4 GB/s) compared to CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards that utilize the PCIe Gen 3 bus (up to 2 GB/s).
CFexpress Type B 4.0 cards are backward compatible with CFexpress 2.0 devices, meaning a 4.0 card will work in a 2.0 camera or reader, but the performance will be limited to CFexpress 2.0 speeds. Similarly, a CFexpress 2.0 card will perform at its peak in a CFexpress 4.0 device.
Are CFexpress Type A cards compatible with the Nikon ZR?
No. The Nikon ZR is not compatible with the physically smaller CFexpress Type A cards, only CFexpress Type B cards are supported in slot 1 and microSD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)cards in slot 2.
Where can you find the Nikon ZR specifications?
Full specifications for the Nikon ZR can be found on Nikon's website.
