The Nikon Coolpix P520 is able to use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Having fast write speeds is a crucial element for video and burst shooting.
You can decrease the overall performance of your camera by using the wrong memory card.
Don't want the jargon? This is my suggestion on the SD memory card to get for the Nikon Coolpix P520:
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD Card
- Best value for the money.
- Capacities from 32 GB to 2TB.
- Transfer speeds up to 170 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I
- Temperature Proof, Water Proof, Shock Proof, and X-ray Proof.
Table of Contents
Best SD Cards
SD memory cards are now much less expensive than at the time the camera was originally sold.
Since costs are low, it would not be sensible to buy anything but a professional-level card.
The best cards I use have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have not had a card become inoperable or unusable data with any of those memory cards.
Every problem I have encountered has been because of no-name unbranded SD memory cards. Hoping to save around a dollar isn't worth it if your Coolpix P520 will not function correctly.
To cut costs, grab a smaller storage capacity card from a high-quality supplier. By making that choice, you'll not have to be worried about the images stored on the card.
Recommended SD Cards
SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD Card
- Best value for the money.
- Capacities from 32 GB to 2TB.
- Transfer speeds up to 170 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I
- Temperature Proof, Water Proof, Shock Proof, and X-ray Proof.
PNY Elite Performance 128GB SD Card
- Lower priced card.
- Transfer speeds up to 95 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I.
- Magnet, Shock, Temperature, and Waterproof.
Check price at: Amazon, Adorama, eBay
Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB SD Card
- Lexar Professional Silver Card.
- Transfer speeds up to 160 MB/s.
- Class 10 & UHS-I.
- Includes Lexar Recovery Tool Software.
- Designed for durability in harsh conditions.
Check price at: Amazon, Adorama, eBay
Nikon Coolpix P520 SD Card Compatibility
You are limited to using SDXC, SDHC, and SD cards in the Nikon Coolpix P520. Check to make sure your camera is using the latest firmware.
The newest cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), are not able to be used with the Coolpix P520.
You should be aware of the four different kinds of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards that exist. They are separated by 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.
Image Capacity
Listed below is a fast estimation of the total number of max-quality JPEGs photos you should be expecting to be stored on a card:
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
Card Speed
The speed rating of an SD memory card is determined by the sequential write and read transfer speeds of the card. The write speed of a card is very important for video as well as continuous shooting.
A slow card can reduce the number of continuous images the Nikon Coolpix P520 can take. This is because the camera's buffer will not be able to write data to the memory card quickly enough.
When shooting video, a slow card can cause recording to end. The video file could also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is critical the SD card you use meets the required continuous write speed for video.
Card read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to complete.
Speed Class Rating
The Class rating of a card is determined by the sustained write speed. Memory cards that have a write speed of at least 10MB/s will be labeled 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-name SD card that you can get today will receive a Class 10 rating. To discover the class rating of a memory card, search for a number inside of the C on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is built into SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS cards to achieve faster transfer rates.
Three different versions exist. The versions are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
To find the rating of a memory card, look at the label. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the front of the SD memory 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
Related Cameras
If you needed to choose one, the 128GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Nikon Coolpix P520. It also has excellent compatibility with other cameras.
Here are more pages on cameras similar to the Coolpix P520:
