Best Nikon D5200 SD Memory Card
The Nikon D5200 is able to use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. An SD memory card with fast enough write speeds is critical for video and burst shooting.
The wrong card can ruin the functionality of your camera.
Just want to have the best? Listed below is my recommendation on the memory card to use in your Nikon D5200:
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- 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
Cards have come way down in price the time since the introduction of the Nikon D5200.
With costs staying so cheap, it does not be advisable to pick anything besides a high-quality 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 suffered from unusable data or a card break with any of those cards.
All the complications I have dealt with has been when using cheap unbranded memory cards. Seeking to save around a dollar isn’t worth the cost if your D5200 will not operate as it should.
A shrewd way to spend less money is to pick a lower storage capacity card from a high-quality company. By doing this, you’ll know your photos are secure on the SD 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 D5200 SD Card Compatibility
Only SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used by the Nikon D5200. Ensure that you have the most recently released firmware installed on your camera for the best performance.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, can’t be used in the D5200.
There are four separate versions of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should pay attention to. They are separated by 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
Here’s a quick approximation of the total number of large JPEGs photographs you should expect to store on a memory 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 card is dependant on the sequential read and write transfer speeds of the card. SD card write speed is important for video and continuous shooting.
A slow memory card can cause a reduction in the number of continuous frames the Nikon D5200 can take. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write to the card quickly enough.
With video, a slow SD card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file may also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is essential the card you use meets the required minimum write speed for video.
Card read speed is important for file transfers to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a SD card with a fast transfer speed will decrease the transfer time.
Speed Class Rating
The continuous write speed of an SD memory card is the factor that determines the Class rating. Memory cards that have a 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-name memory card that you can find for sale today will be rated Class 10. To discover the class rating of a SD card, look for a number inside of the C on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC memory cards. The UHS bus allows offers a way to improve data transfer rates.
There are three different specifications. They are called UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the front of the memory card to find out the UHS rating of a SD memory card. If the SD card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be found 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
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