Ok, let's get it out that and make sure everyone gets it - when a camera manufacturer - Nikon or otherwise - lists cards that are "approved" for their cameras, it strictly a business decision about money - it has absolutely no bearing on technical reality. AKA, it's a business scam so please don't get scammed. How do these card companies get their name listed as part of the "approved" list ? By paying Nikon money to put their cards through their paces with the camera. Yes, it's a pay to play and nothing more and nothing less. Sony refused to play that game so you'll not find Sony SD cards, however fast and reliable they are to be on the list of "approved" card.
As far as I know, only ScanDisk makes their own cards - in a plant in Shenzhen, China which they control. They also make it for other brands. All other brands are "re-branders." If the cards are made in the USA, they are made by Micron Technology in Milpitas, CA.
Watch this video and appreciate the complexity of the manufacturing operation and imagine the cost of capital investment to start a manufacturing line to make these card. It would not be affordable and definitely economically not viable for any one brand to make their own or to make only one product. Micron Technologies in the same plant, using the same machines also make other memory chips, USB drive, DIMM modules and even CPU chips - that's how the economy of scale can work in their favor and make the SD cards affordable. (btw, the video is a Lexmar promotion video which states that their chips are made in Lehi, Utah - ha.. ha.. what liars.. if you watch the video, you'll sure notice that the worker on the assembly line don't look like no work force from Lehi, Utah!!!)
