Nikon Coolpix SD and CF Memory Card Compatibility

Nikon Coolpix SD and CF Memory Card Compatibility
Table of Contents

165 of the 188 Nikon Coolpix cameras use SD memory cards.

20 use Compact Flash (CF) cards with a maximum capacity of 2GB.

The last 3 have internal memory.

Older Nikon Coolpix cameras have hardware limitations that prevent them from working with newer, larger capacity memory cards. It’s like they can make a phone call, as long as it doesn’t require an area code. As a result, a camera might be limited to using up to 2GB or 32GB maximum capacity.

SD Card Standards

There are four specifications for SD (Secure Digital) memory cards. Each standard has different transfer speed requirements, and file system.

TypeMax CapacityFile System
SD – Secure Digital2GBFAT12/FAT16
SDHC – High Capacity32GBFAT32
SDXC – eXtended Capacity2TBexFAT
SDUC – Ultra Capacity128TBexFAT

The first SDUC card is planned to be released in 2025 by SanDisk. It will be the 4TB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDUC UHS-I memory card. (Western Digital Official Press Release)

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SD Compatible Cameras (39 Models)

Transcend 2GB SD Card.
The only new 2GB SD card choice.

The maximum capacity SD card these cameras can use is 2GB. Using a card with a larger capacity will result in errors. The camera will not be able to capture photos.

22007900L10S3
3200L1L11S4
3700L2L12S5
4100L3P1S6
4200L4P2S7
4600L5P3S7c
4800L6P4S8
5200L7SQS9
5600L8S1S10
5900L9S2

Some Nikon Coolpix digital compact cameras are also compatible with MultiMediaCards (Wikipedia). This memory card standard was extended to Secure Digital (SD) cards, which is the cards can be used in the same slot.

If you have a MultiMediaCard (MMC), you can use it. It should work in most SD card readers, and will work in the “7-in-1” card readers. I would not recommend buying one as they are more expensive than SD cards.

Transcend 2GB SD Card.
Transcend 2GB SD card

The only reasonably priced 2GB SD card is from Transcend.

Avoid buying used cards.

See current price and information:

Amazon Adorama

SDHC Compatible Cameras (33 Models)

Compatible 32GB SDHC Memory Cards
More than fast enough SDHC cards.

I recommend any 32GB SD card with UHS-I.

A card with UHS-I will be able to write data at 10MB/s. That’s more than fast enough for any model that can record video.

Trying to use a larger capacity card will result in errors.

L14P50S51c
L15P60S52
L16P80S52c
L18P90S60
L19P100S70
L20P5000S230
L21P5100S500
L22P6000S510
L23S50S700
L24S50cS710
L100S51S1000pj

Transcend 32GB SDHC

Lexar Transcend 32GB SDHC Memory Card
Transcend 32GB SDHC SD Card
  • UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) supports Full HD video and burst shots.
  • Built to survive tough conditions and heavy usage, whether you’re at home, outside, or on the go.
  • Highly durable with comprehensive 7-proof protection.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

PNY Elite 32GB

PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card
PNY Elite 32GB SDHC card.
  • Sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s
  • Class 10, U1 rating delivers speed and performance for full HD photography and HD videography.
  • V10 video speed rating to capture uninterrupted HD video at 1920x1080 format
  • Compatible with point & shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, standard & advanced HD-enabled video cameras, and more
  • Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

SanDisk Ultra 32GB

SanDisk Ultra 32GB SD Memory Card
SanDisk Ultra 32GB SD Card
  • Quick transfer read speeds up to 90MB/s.
  • Write speeds are not capable of recording 4k video.
  • Class 10 rating for Full HD video (1080p).
  • Waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray Proof, magnet-Proof, and shockproof.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

SDXC Compatible Cameras (93 Models)

Nikon Coolpix SDXC Card Compatibility
Compatible SDXC Cards

SDXC are the most commonly used cards. 2TB is the maximum capacity memory cards these cameras can use.

Any card that has UHS-I will be fast enough. That includes 32GB SDHC cards.

A 64GB memory card will hold thousands of pictures. The only reason to get a card larger than 128GB is if lots of video will be recorded.

Coolpix AL25P300S30S3700S8000
A10L26P310S31S4100S8200
A100L27P330S32S4150S9100
A300L28P240S33S4200S9200
A900L29P500S100S4300S9300
A1000L30P510S800cS5100S9600
L330L31P520S1100pjS5300S9700
AW100L32P530S1200pjS6100S9900
AW100sL110P600S2500S6150
AW120L120P610S2600S6200
AW130L310P900S2700S6300
W100L610P950S2900S6400
W150L620P1000S3000S6500
W300L810P7000S3100S6600
B500L820P7100S3200S6800
B600L830P7700S3300S6900
B700L840P7800S3600S7000
SanDisk Extreme PRO not Compatible
The only SD card not compatible with the adapter.

Lexar Professional 128GB

Lexar Professional 128GB SD Memory Card
Lexar Professional 128GB SD Card
  • UHS-I, U3, and V30 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
  • Excellent choice for photos.
  • Capable of recording 4k Video.
  • Larger capacities are available.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

SanDisk Ultra 64GB

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Memory Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
  • 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.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Memory Card
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
  • 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.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Memory Card
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
  • 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.

See current price and information:

Amazon eBay

CompactFlash Compatible Cameras (20 Models)

SD to CF card adapter.
An SD to CF card adapter can save money.

CompactFlash cards were used in some of Nikon’s first digital point and shoot cameras. The maximum capacity compatible cards will be 2GB. This is due file system limitations.

600995
7002000
7752100
8002500
8804300
8855000
9005400
900S8400
9508700
9908800

Just like with SD cards, Transcend is the only option. Other similarly priced cards are trying to fool people into thinking they are SanDisk cards.

It can also be cheaper to use a SD to CF card adapter.

2GB TranscendAmazonAdorama
SD to CF AdapterAmazoneBay

Internal Memory (3 Models)

These 3 cameras only have internal storage. No memory card can be used to expand the storage.

This means needing to track down a proprietary USB cable.

ModelReleasedInterfaceMemory
1001997PCMCIA
3001997Serial & SCSI
S012012USB - UC-E168GB

There are other models that have internal storage and can also use memory cards.

Memory Card Readers

Collection of memory card readers for SD, miscroSD, and CF.
I don’t know how I ended up with so many.

A memory card reader is the fastest way to read data from a card. Images and video can also be transferred to a phone with a USB-C card reader.

Plugging a camera into a computer via USB will result in slow USB 2.0 transfer speeds. If you don’t have the USB cable, Nikon has a support page. It will help you find which of the 9 proprietary cables is needed.

  • UC-E21
  • UC-E16
  • UC-E12
  • UC-E10
  • UC-E6
  • UC-E5
  • UC-E3
  • UC-E2
  • UC-E1

SD Card Speed Ratings

MB/s is often used to represent the peak transfer rate of a memory card. Recording video requires knowing what the sustained write speed of a memory card is.

Marketing loves finding new ways to explain transfer rate requirements for video. Everything

The speed ratings of an SD card all revolve around the maximum continuous read and write speed a memory card is able to maintain. This is important to know to make sure the card can handle video recording.

If the card can not keep up with the video output of a camera, the recording will stop. This isn’t much of an issue as the cards currently being sold will be more than fast enough.

Using a card reader can allow for much faster transfers to a computer or phone. This can be a big time saver if the card is full of photos and videos.

Speed Class Rating

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The sustained write speed of an SD memory card is the criteria for the Class rating. Cards that have a write speed of 10MB/s will be rated Class 10.

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

Class 10 is the maximum rating. Newer cards can has sustained write speeds over 90MB/s.

There will be a number inside of a ‘C’ on the SD card label that signifies the card’s Class rating.

Ultra High Speed (UHS) Bus

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is found in SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS makes it possible for increased file transfer rates.

Three separate specifications have been made. The three are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the SD card to figure out the UHS rating of a SD card. If the memory card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the label.

  • 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

Memory Card Image Capacity

SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

Listed below is a quick estimation of the volume of high-quality JPEGs photos you should expect to save on a card:

  • 2GB - 580 images
  • 4GB - 1,160 images
  • 8GB - 2,320 images
  • 16GB - 4,640 images
  • 32GB - 9,280 images
  • 64GB - 18,560 images
  • 128GB - 37,120 images