Best Nikon Coolpix P510 SD Memory Cards

The Nikon P510 is able to use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. A card with fast write speeds is critical for continuous shooting and video.

The performance of your camera can be reduced by using the wrong card.

If you’re in a rush, here’s the best SD card you can buy for the Nikon P510:

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

SD memory cards have dropped in cost since the introduction of the Nikon P510.

Seeing as how affordable the price range are, it is not going to make financial sense to pay for anything but a professional-level SD memory card.

The best SD memory cards I use have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have never had a card failure or corrupted data with any of those SD cards.

Every one of the problems I have experienced has been with low-cost unbranded memory cards. Attempting to save a little bit of money isn’t worth it if your P510 will not operate as expected.

If you want to spend less money, opt for a lower storage capacity SD card from a quality company. By doing this, you will not have to fret about the photos stored on the card.

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
  • Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
  • Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
  • Larger capacity cards are available.
  • Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
  • UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
  • Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.

Only SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used by the Nikon P510. Ensure you have the current firmware installed on your camera for the best functionality.

The newest memory cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), are not able to be used in the P510.

There are four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you need to pay attention to. SD memory cards can be identified based on their storage size.

  • SD (Secure Digital) - 128MB to 2GB.
  • SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) - 4GB to 32GB.
  • SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) - 64GB to 2TB.
  • SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) - 4TB to 128TB.
SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

Below is a fast estimation of the total number of large JPEGs photographs you can be expecting to be stored on a card:

  • 16GB - 4,640 images
  • 32GB - 9,280 images
  • 64GB - 18,560 images
  • 128GB - 37,120 images

The speed rating of an SD memory card is dependant on the continuous read and write speeds. Card continuous write speed is important for clearing the camera buffer for continuous shooting and recording video.

A slow card can cause a reduction in the number of continuous photos the Nikon P510 can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write to the SD card fast enough.

When recording video, a slow SD card can cause recording to stop. The video file may also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is crucial the memory card you use meets the minimum requirements of the P510.

Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast read speed will reduce the transfer time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The sustained write speed of a card is the criteria for the Class rating. SD cards that have a minimum write speed of 10MB/s are labeled as Class 10.

  • Class 2 - 2MB/s
  • Class 4 - 4MB/s
  • Class 6 - 6MB/s
  • Class 8 - 8MB/s
  • Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster

Every brand of memory card that you can buy today will be Class 10. You can determine the class rating of a SD card by finding a number inside of the C on the label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is often found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS makes it possible provides a way to improve data transfer rates.

Three different specifications have been specified. The versions are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the SD card to determine the rating of a SD memory card. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be found on the front of the SD card.

  • UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
  • UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
  • UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s

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