Best Nikon 1 AW1 SD Memory Card

The Nikon AW1 may use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Fast write speeds are an essential factor for continuous shooting and video.

The wrong memory card can reduce the functionality of your camera.

Want to skip the tech specs? Here’s my recommendation on the card to get for the Nikon AW1:

• 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 cards are now drastically less expensive than when the camera was newly introduced to the market.

With prices staying quite cheap, it is not going to be wise to pick anything but a pro-level memory card.

SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards are wonderful. I have not had a card become inoperable or unusable data with those SD memory cards.

Every last complication I have encountered has been due to cheap unbranded cards. Trying to save a little bit of money isn’t worthwhile if your AW1 will not function properly.

If you want to reduce your cost, select a lower storage capacity card from a quality supplier. That way, you will not have to worry about the images 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 AW1 SD Card Compatibility

Only SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used by the Nikon AW1. For best performance, ensure that your camera has the latest firmware installed.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) cards, aren’t usable in the AW1.

You need to know of the 4 different kinds of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards that can be used. They are divided 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

Here is an estimation of the volume of maximum-quality JPEGs shots you can expect to store 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

The speed rating of an SD memory card is classified by the sequential write and read transfer speeds of the card. The write speed of a SD memory card is very important for clearing the camera buffer for continuous shooting in addition to recording video.

A slow memory card can cause a decrease in the number of continuous frames the Nikon AW1 can capture. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write data to the memory card quickly enough.

With video, a slow SD card can cause a sudden end to shooting. The video file could also end up being corrupted. If you are going to shoot video, it is crucial the card you use meets the requirements of the AW1.

Read speed is important for file transfers to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a SD card with a fast read speed will save you time.

Speed Class Rating

A memory card receives a Class rating derived from its continuous write speed. SD cards that have a write speed of 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 of card that you can buy online will be rated Class 10. You can locate the class rating of a SD memory card by finding a number inside of a C on the sticker.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is often found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. UHS allows for faster data transfer rates.

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

Look at the front of the card to determine the UHS rating of a SD memory card. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, that is the UHS rating 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

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