The Nikon Z5 can take two SD cards, but is that something you need or not?
People seem divided on this issue. Some say it’s essential since it gives a sense of security. Others say it’s not necessary at all. Most, I guess, fall somewhere in between, not sure if either side is right.
And there is probably not a right answer.
But for a long time, I’ve had mainly cameras with two card slots: the Nikon D7200, the D800e and now the Z5. So I obviously think it’s a good thing.
On the Z5 you can use the slots as follows:
- The default is overflow, meaning that when card one fills up, the camera keeps saving photos to the second card. With this option, you maximize space.
- I typically use backup, meaning that the camera saves each shot to both cards simultaneously. This option gives you security, if one card should fail for some reason.
- Then there’s RAW+JPEG, meaning the camera writes RAW to one card, and JPEG to the other. This gives you flexibility in terms of what you can do with the shots, since JPEG is more compatible than RAW.
- And the fourth option is photos/video, meaning the camera writes photos to one card and video to the other. If you do a lot of such hybrid shooting, this might be a suitable option. I typically shoot so little video, this makes no sense to me.
In conclusion, I’d say having two card slots is a good thing, mainly for peace of mind, but also for other reasons. It was one reason for me selecting the Z5, you have to consider if it’s important to you.
For me, another reason to pick the Z5 was that I could keep using my 128GB SD cards from the D7200. If nothing else, it saved me some money not having to invest in new cards.
