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11-12-2013, 07:52 AM   #1
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Best SD Card for K-3

Hi Guys,

First off i'm loving my new K-3, Pentax have done such an amazing job with this camera - it was really worth the wait. I upgraded from a K-r which I've had for a few years and was dying for a professional grade DSLR - I really had hit the limits of the K-r.

Here are some shots I've taken with it so far -

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245345892286770.1073741854.1496962...1

https://picasaweb.google.com/114770491270272169513/201311WilfordFireworks?au...eat=directlink

I have a quick question re SD Cards - currently I have two Transcend Class 6 cards - 32gb and 16gb. I want to get some quicker ones for the K-3 as there is a noticeable delay saving images onto my current cards. I know that the K-3 supports the UHS-1 protocol so i'm currently thinking either the SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro SD Card (SDHC) - 95MB/s Class 10 UHS or the normal SanDisk Extreme (80MB/s). Has anyone got a preference of the two?

Also run a photography business (AJC Photography) and have got quite a few weddings booked for next year so i'm thinking about getting two cards and using both slots on the K-3? That way I'll have an instant backup of the photos. Trying to decide whether 32gb will be enough or if I should go for a couple of 64gb cards but that's going to be pricey!

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

Alex

11-12-2013, 09:03 AM   #2
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The review that's been posted by Adam looks at the effects of SD card write speed on K-3 performance. Take a look at that, it might be helpful:

Pentax K-3 Review - Performance and Burst Mode - PentaxForums.com
11-12-2013, 10:33 AM   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by sharepointalex Quote
Hi Guys,

First off i'm loving my new K-3, Pentax have done such an amazing job with this camera - it was really worth the wait. I upgraded from a K-r which I've had for a few years and was dying for a professional grade DSLR - I really had hit the limits of the K-r.

Here are some shots I've taken with it so far -

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245345892286770.1073741854.1496962...1

https://picasaweb.google.com/114770491270272169513/201311WilfordFireworks?au...eat=directlink

I have a quick question re SD Cards - currently I have two Transcend Class 6 cards - 32gb and 16gb. I want to get some quicker ones for the K-3 as there is a noticeable delay saving images onto my current cards. I know that the K-3 supports the UHS-1 protocol so i'm currently thinking either the SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro SD Card (SDHC) - 95MB/s Class 10 UHS or the normal SanDisk Extreme (80MB/s). Has anyone got a preference of the two?

Also run a photography business (AJC Photography) and have got quite a few weddings booked for next year so i'm thinking about getting two cards and using both slots on the K-3? That way I'll have an instant backup of the photos. Trying to decide whether 32gb will be enough or if I should go for a couple of 64gb cards but that's going to be pricey!

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

Alex
This card or once of its smaller/larger cousins is what I'd recommend for high-speed shooting:
SanDisk 32 GB SDHC Memory Card Extreme Pro Class SDSDXP-032G-A46

Lexar also has some nice comparable cards.

Adam
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11-12-2013, 10:39 AM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
This card or once of its smaller/larger cousins is what I'd recommend for high-speed shooting:
SanDisk 32 GB SDHC Memory Card Extreme Pro Class SDSDXP-032G-A46

Lexar also has some nice comparable cards.
Very nice!

One Caveat - make sure you read the SN# carefully when ordering SD cards
Just because the picture shows a '32gb' card with one transfer rate, make sure you get the right one!

11-13-2013, 03:49 AM   #5
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I use Hoodman RAW Steel and Sandisk Extreme PRO 32gb cards. I prefer the RAW Steels as they're just as fast as the Sandisk EP (if not faster) and very tough. See: https://www.hoodmanusa.com/products.asp?dept=1013
11-13-2013, 06:11 AM   #6
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The one thing you have to look for if you want to purchase a card, regardless of the brand, is to get one with UHS-1 compatibility. That will ensure that you get the best speed possible.

The cheapest I found that appear to be any good are the microSD Sandisk UHS cards that sell with an adapter to make them regular SD. Lifetime warranty, works also in a cell phone or tablet, and about 15$ CAD for 16 GB.
11-13-2013, 08:11 AM   #7
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I use the PNY Elite Performance 32 GB UHS-1, 90MB/s and Sandisk Extreme 32 GB UHS-1, 80MB/s. Both have the same warranty and physical specs. Both seem to offer similar speed but the PNY is less expensive.

11-13-2013, 09:15 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by sharepointalex Quote
Hi Guys,

First off i'm loving my new K-3, Pentax have done such an amazing job with this camera - it was really worth the wait. I upgraded from a K-r which I've had for a few years and was dying for a professional grade DSLR - I really had hit the limits of the K-r.

Here are some shots I've taken with it so far -

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245345892286770.1073741854.149696268518400&type=1

https://picasaweb.google.com/114770491270272169513/201311WilfordFireworks?au...eat=directlink

I have a quick question re SD Cards - currently I have two Transcend Class 6 cards - 32gb and 16gb. I want to get some quicker ones for the K-3 as there is a noticeable delay saving images onto my current cards. I know that the K-3 supports the UHS-1 protocol so i'm currently thinking either the SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro SD Card (SDHC) - 95MB/s Class 10 UHS or the normal SanDisk Extreme (80MB/s). Has anyone got a preference of the two?

Also run a photography business (AJC Photography) and have got quite a few weddings booked for next year so i'm thinking about getting two cards and using both slots on the K-3? That way I'll have an instant backup of the photos. Trying to decide whether 32gb will be enough or if I should go for a couple of 64gb cards but that's going to be pricey!

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

Alex
With 32GB RAW you will get almost 600 images on the cards. That should be enough, but if it isn't then you would be looking at 2 32GB and maybe adding 2 16GB for extra capacity. Or you could just go with 2 64GB and not worry about it. They question is: How many images do you take at a typical wedding? If you shoot 1000 images at a wedding then you need more capacity.
01-25-2014, 12:39 PM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by sharepointalex Quote
Hi Guys,

First off i'm loving my new K-3, Pentax have done such an amazing job with this camera - it was really worth the wait. I upgraded from a K-r which I've had for a few years and was dying for a professional grade DSLR - I really had hit the limits of the K-r.

Here are some shots I've taken with it so far -

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.245345892286770.1073741854.1496962...1

https://picasaweb.google.com/114770491270272169513/201311WilfordFireworks?au...eat=directlink

I have a quick question re SD Cards - currently I have two Transcend Class 6 cards - 32gb and 16gb. I want to get some quicker ones for the K-3 as there is a noticeable delay saving images onto my current cards. I know that the K-3 supports the UHS-1 protocol so i'm currently thinking either the SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro SD Card (SDHC) - 95MB/s Class 10 UHS or the normal SanDisk Extreme (80MB/s). Has anyone got a preference of the two?

Also run a photography business (AJC Photography) and have got quite a few weddings booked for next year so i'm thinking about getting two cards and using both slots on the K-3? That way I'll have an instant backup of the photos. Trying to decide whether 32gb will be enough or if I should go for a couple of 64gb cards but that's going to be pricey!

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

Alex
I just had to send back a Sony 64GB 94MP/sec sdxc1 card because it kept generating the error ¨card not formatted¨ and losing what photos I had on it, nothing important fortunately. It did this after reformatting several times both on the Mac and in the K3- So I´d give that one a miss anyway.
04-07-2014, 09:00 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Adam Quote
This card or once of its smaller/larger cousins is what I'd recommend for high-speed shooting:
SanDisk 32 GB SDHC Memory Card Extreme Pro Class SDSDXP-032G-A46

Lexar also has some nice comparable cards.
Adam: Did you see this test?

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/249390-looking-fast-sdhc-c...i-94-mb-s.html
09-15-2015, 10:57 AM   #11
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K-3 Memory Card Q&A | Ricoh Imaging Support
09-16-2015, 07:30 PM   #12
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I've been using the 32GB Sandisk Extreme Plus cards in my K-3 for over a year now. I've been real happy with them in Burst Mode which I use a lot at the races. While the rear LCD says 600 shots when they are empty I regularly get around 1000 shots per card. They usually retail around a $1.00 per gig.
11-05-2015, 03:34 PM - 1 Like   #13
Des
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Pentax K-3 II SD Card Write Speed Comparison of Fastest Memory Cards for the Pentax K3 II Digital Camera - Camera Memory Speed Comparison & Performance tests for SD and CF cards
11-06-2015, 09:33 AM   #14
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Nice link, Des. The chart confirms what Adam has long indicated - you are wasting your money buying cards that outperform the camera buffer. I did similar tests and came to the same conclusion. I went with the Sandisk Extreme Plus, but even the slower Extreme pretty much matches that (I'm not sure if the Extreme can handle full HD video without a glitch, though). It looks like the Lexar 600x 64gb at $25 is a great deal now.

One supreme rule separates professional work from all else. A pro always has a back up plan - and that is a cardinal rule for weddings, obviously. You absolutely must have a duplicate card on stand by (or even two extras - they're so cheap). I'd sacrifice performance or prestige to make sure you are covered in case of possible card failure.
11-06-2015, 10:54 AM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by ScooterMaxi Jim Quote
One supreme rule separates professional work from all else. A pro always has a back up plan - and that is a cardinal rule for weddings, obviously. You absolutely must have a duplicate card on stand by (or even two extras - they're so cheap). I'd sacrifice performance or prestige to make sure you are covered in case of possible card failure.
I overheard the owner of one of our local camera stores saying that he thinks that memory cards are so cheap and that hard drives and writeable CDs/DVDs so unreliable that every time he fills a card he buys new card. In other words, SD cards alone are his long-term storage strategy. I don't think I could afford to buy new Sandisk Extreme cards every time I filled cards.
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