Nikon Coolpix L16 SD Card Review

The Nikon Coolpix L16 is a pocket-sized digital camera which made its market entry in the closing years of the 2000s with the sole target of serving informal photography enthusiasts and new camera users. Its popular 7.1-megapixel sensor combined with a standard 3x optical zoom, and a fairly simple user interface, quickly made it well known for many looking to buy an inexpensive and very easy point-and-shoot camera. An important accessory that any Nikon Coolpix L16 owner will need is a good and reliable SD card that provides a storage medium for the photos and videos taken by him/her.

The SD card is a small and removable flash memory card that is used to store your images and videos digitally. For the Nikon Coolpix L16, the SD card is all that one needs to make the camera functional because it extends the internal storage memory which, at a few megabytes only, has space for just a few images taken.

In this article, we have reviewed and evaluated compatible types of SD cards for the Nikon Coolpix L16 camera, the acceptance SD cards to allow near-optimal performance, various factors to consider for an SD card to suit this camera, and a hint or two on how to troubleshoot some SD card common problems.

Types of SD Cards and Their Compatibility

SD and SDHC cards are those that your Nikon Coolpix L16 can work with. The SD (Secure Digital) format of cards has dramatically evolved in all these years since the first production of such cards to offer larger and faster versions of SD cards. Understand the difference between all kinds of SD cards, especially for your Buddy, the Nikon Coolpix L16:

SD (Secure Digital) Cards: The original SD card format has a storage capacity of up to 2 GB. It can work with most older devices including coolpix L16. If you are a casual photographer and not likely to take many resolution images or videos, an SD card with a 1-or 2-GB capacity can be just fine.

SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) Cards: Every SDHC card differs from each other with respect to capacity, i.e., storage of a minimum of 4 GB and a maximum of 32 GB. Such cards can also be used in the Nikon Coolpix L16 and will be the perfect companions for those users who have the need to store a bigger number of photos and videos as they seem to be offering bigger storage space.

SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) Cards: SDXC cards can store anything between 32 GB and 2 TB. Unfortunately, SDXC cards won’t work with the Nikon Coolpix L16 camera as they will not be supported by the camera because the camera’s firmware was released before the SDXC card format was launched.

Hence, the best SD cards available for the Nikon Coolpix L16 are simply SD and SDHC cards of different storage capacities, ranging from 1 GB to 32 GB. Now, let’s see what it is exactly that makes some SD cards better than others, and what you should keep in mind so as to make the right choice for yourself.

Storage Capacity: How Much is Enough?

For example, storage capacitance forms one of the most important considerations when selecting an SD card for use in the Nikon Coolpix L16. Depending on how many pictures you make, whether you record any videos, and the image resolution that you capture, there is a particular capacity that should be ideal for your particular usage. The built-in megapixel counts for the cameras under this perspective, as the Nikon Coolpix L16 has a maximum resolution of 7.1 megapixels (which is not all that impressive compared to modern cameras’ megapixellation in terms of file sizes of single images).

1 GB SD Card: A 1 GB SD card can roughly keep 300–400 high-quality JPEGs taken by the Nikon Coolpix L16. This is for the casual user who doesn’t quite take many photos and enjoys smaller, more portable SD cards.

2 GB SD Card: About 600–800 photos can be stored on a 2 GB card, which provides a little more room for the occasional shooter that really wants to take hundreds of shots before making any computer download.

4 GB SDHC Card: The 4 GB SDHC card can hold anywhere from 1200 to 1500 images, thus making it really good for family vacations or any event where there would be a lot of picture taking.
8 GB SDHC Card: This is for users of the Nikon Coolpix L16 who do not want to run out of space; you can save over 2,000 images with an 8 GB card, especially for those who take several photographs and make short videos.

16 GB or 32 GB SDHC Cards: It is true that the Nikon Coolpix L16 will allow the usage of SDHC cards with a maximum capacity of 32 GB; however, these are too big from the casual user point of view. However, you’d always make sure that extended cards can store a lot of footage on top of the photographs you’d shoot.

All in all, between 4 to 8 GB cards can be the most sensible choice for most Nikon Coolpix L16 users as it is already considerable enough storage wise and won’t burden the modest capabilities of the camera.

sd card speed classes does it matter to you?

The speed class of an SD card determines how quickly data can be written to or read from the card. This is maybe the most important consideration for people who like to take bursts of photographs and/or record video. A slow SD card will cause “bottle necks” during file saving because writing will take much longer than the image or recording capture. Therefore, category classifications are established in SD cards under which speed categories are given according to minimum data transfer rates that a card should provide:

Class 2: where minimum write speed is 2 MB/s for standard definition video recording;
Class 4: where minimum write speed is 4 MB/s, digitized for basic photo storage and a casual recording of videos;
Class 6: where minimum write speed is 6 MB/s and good for HD video recordings;
Class 10: where minimum write speed is 10 MB/s and optimum for Full HD video and continuous shooting in more advanced cameras.

Speed class is not a significant factor for the Nikon Coolpix L16; the camera does not aim for high-speed continuous shooting or Full HD video recording. A Class 4 or Class 6 SD card is more than sufficient for most users. There is no need to go for a Class 10 card unless you plan on using the SD card in other devices that have a need for the faster speeds, such as modern DSLRs or action cameras.

Consider this one of the best SD Card Brands for Nikon Coolpix L16.

All that we have above is a good SD card with some reputation attached, as it is a must to avoid all future hassles of any data loss while keeping to the types of brands one should select. Here we go with some of the names that can provide one of the best one-stop shops to get SD cards.

1. SanDisk

SanDisk is one of the oldest names in the memory card industry. They have a huge range in SD cards in the SanDisk Ultra and SanDisk Extreme series. SanDisk Ultra Class 4 or Class 6 SDHC makes for a perfect fit for the Nikon Coolpix L16 with its fast read/write speeds and reliable performance.

2. Kingston

Kingston is another very well-set up brand that has established itself in the fields of relating affordable and reliable SD cards. Their Kingston Canvas Select line is perfect for the casual photographer doing his shooting on a point-and-shoot camera like the Nikon Coolpix L16.

3. Lexar

Manufacture of high-performance SD cards, Lexar is a widely recognized name for both professionals and amateurs. Their more demanding Lexar Professional cards may be overkill for the Nikon Coolpix L16, but they do have some in this series that would suit the camera quite well.

4. PNY

PNY has SD cards of good quality and budget prices. The PNY Elite Performance SDHC cards prove to be decent on speed and storage, if required, for Nikon Coolpix L16.

5. Transcend

So, Transcend. SDHC cards have crossed boundaries with the photographers of the world. Value for money and a good range of capacity makes them an excellent option for Nikon Coolpix L16 users.

Select the SD Card for Your Nikon Coolpix L16

Things You Should Know Before Buying an SD Card for Your Nikon Coolpix L16:

Size: This one will mostly suffice in size. If you are not shooting many photographs, a 2 or 4 Gigs card will be enough. The more active ones might use the 8 or 16 GB Card.
Speed: This class specifies the shooting speed. If you are shooting lots of videos or doing rapid shots, I would recommend Class 4 or Class 6 SD cards for your Nikon Coolpix L16.

Brand Popularity: Go for that well-known brand such as SanDisk, Kingston, Lexar, PNY, and Transcend if you want to have a good reliable card that will not corrupt or fail on you.

Price: High specs and superior performance mean high price tags in the world of SD cards. These cards are inclined to be overpriced for a model like the Nikon Coolpix L16, so find the right mix of price and features for your card.

Solving Common Problems with SD Cards

I’ve gone over a few common conditions and solutions that you might encounter with an SD card when using the Nikon Coolpix L16:

1. Error Message by Memory Card.

When the camera shows memory card error message, it is usually due to many factors which could be a corrupted card, a not properly formatted card, or physical damage in the SD card.

For solution: The first thing to try is to take out the card and reinsert it – if the error persists then try to format the card using the menu inside the camera (remember that formatting will erase everything in the card). If the proble…

2. Camera Does Not Detect the SD Card

Camera not recognizing the SD card has many reasons such as compatibility issue, wrong way insertion of a card, or damage in the card.

Solution: Check whether the SD card is compatible with Nikon Coolpix L16 (i.e. SD or SDHC not SDXC) and also remove, clean the contacts a little bit using a soft cloth and reinsert it. If it doesn’t recognize the card, try to use the card on another devic…

If it works there, the camera might have a problem with its card slot. Try formatting it on a computer, and then reinserting it into the camera. If the card does not get detected again, it means that the SD card needs replacement or you can contact…

3. Taking Pictures Slow Speed.

While saving photos or switching from photo-taking mode, the camera does not respond as quickly as it usually does. This has to do with the speed class of the SD card. A slower card, for example, Class 2, yields considerable delay, particularly when taking videos or pictures continuously.

Optimistic view: While enhancing the performance of a camera, consider upgrading to Class 4 and Class 6 SDHC cards for capturing faster write speeds, which in turn allow faster image saving, enabling smooth operation. Upgrading to a higher-speed SD card can reduce lag significantly, especially if one has a slow card.

4. File Corruption

File corruption is a common phenomenon with every SD card, but it becomes even worse where there is improper ejection from the camera or computer or physical damage.

Solution: Always safely eject your SD card from the camera or computer to avoid file corruption. If you encounter corrupted files on your card, you can try using file recovery software to recover lost photos. However, it would be better to backup images regularly and replace the card for possible damage or faults to avoid future occurrences.

5. The “Card is Locked” Message

The “Card is Locked” message will show when a camera reads a write-protect switch on the side of an SD card.

Solution: Check the SD card for a small slider on the side and ensure that it is in the unlocked position. If the slider is in the locked position, the camera will not be able to write data to the card. Move the switch to unlock the card, and the camera should be able to save photos and videos again.

Maintenance and Care: SD Cards

For an SD card to function well, it has to be maintained and taken care of since this protects your images and videos in their safe storage. Here are maintenance and care tips for your SD card.