Best Nikon Coolpix P520 SD Memory Cards
The Nikon P520 can use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. An SD card with fast write speeds is important for video and burst shooting.
You can greatly reduce the functionality of your camera by using the wrong SD memory card.
Don’t want the jargon? This is my suggestion on the memory card to get to use with the Nikon P520:
- 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.
Best SD Cards
SD memory cards are now considerably less expensive than when the camera was first introduced.
With the cost becoming affordable, it doesn’t be advisable to pay for anything but a pro-level card.
SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have superb overall performance and dependability. I have not encountered unusable data or a card physically fail with any of those cards.
Every issue I have dealt with has been due to low-cost unbranded cards. Seeking to save a buck is not worth it if your P520 will not work correctly.
To save money, purchase a smaller storage capacity card from a quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you will not have to worry about the photographs stored on the SD memory card.
Recommended SD Cards
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nikon P520 SD Card Compatibility
Only use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards with the Nikon P520. For best performance, be certain that your camera has the latest firmware installed.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, are not compatible with the P520.
You need to be aware of the four types of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards that are available for purchase. They are separated by storage capactiy.
- 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 an estimation of the total number of max-quality JPEGs pictures you can expect to fit on a SD card:
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
Card Speed
Speed ratings of an SD memory card is based on the sequential read and write speeds. Card speed is very important for continuous shooting as well as video.
Slows memory cards can decrease the number of continuous images the Nikon P520 can take. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write data to the SD card quickly enough.
When shooting video, a slow SD card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file might also end up being corrupted. If you are going to shoot video, it is important the SD card you use meets the minimum requirements of the P520.
Read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast read speed will decrease the amount of time it takes the transfer to complete.
Speed Class Rating
A memory card receives a Class rating in accordance with its continuous write speed. Cards that have a write speed of at least 10MB/s are rated 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-name SD card that you can find for sale online will have a Class 10 rating. You can find the class rating of a card by finding a number inside of the C on the sticker.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is often found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. UHS makes it possible offers a way to improve data transfer rates.
Three different specifications have been created. The three are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
To figure out the rating of a card, look on the front of the card. If the memory 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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