[lewisglick]

Any issues such as delay in writing to card when shooting in RAW?
I know that the K3 should only use a high sped card that can keep up with the processor speed...
I only use RAW and just wanted to get some user input.

No problem at all. SanDisk Extreme 45MB/s
21 RAW @ 8 frames/second before it starts to choke.

[kkoether]

I've been using SanDisk Extreme Plus 32G 80MB/s in my K-3. 32G holds roughly 1000 RAW shots. I've never checked how many continuous shots I get before it slows down. I usually use Continuous Low for boat racing and don't really have issues with clearing the buffer. I've been pretty happy with them.

[stevebrot]

Any issues such as delay in writing to card when shooting in RAW?

Are you seeing something like the orange status light on the back of the camera being lit for several seconds after an exposure? I have seen something similar.


Steve

[Na Horuk]

Whats important is that you buy a fast card (big cards are only needed if you do lots of video, or if you can't carry spare cards) of a reputable brand. A reputable brand will actually perform at the advertised rate, sometimes even better, while other brands can have write errors and poor overall speed. Get Sandisk or Lexar. Some people like Transcend. With a fast SD card, the limit will be the buffer of the camera, rather than the card.
I avoid Sony and Panasonic. There are some thread about SD cards and SD card tests

[PT1]

I did an SD card test recently:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/266218-buffer-clear-time-m...-sd-cards.html

I didn't need 8 fps for more than 3 seconds, so didn't waste money on expensive 'Extreme Pro' cards (the buffer in the K-3 may mean you possibly don't care too much how fast the data writes to the SD card).

I use different make cards in slots 1 and 2, with DNG RAW to Card 1, and JPG + Video to Card 2.

Get a better lens with the money instead?

[jhmos]

Something with the write speed of the Sandisk Extreme (45MBs) is about the limit of the K-3 write speed. Sandisk Extreme Pro gains very little, maybe a second or two less to clear the buffer, so not worth getting for the K-3 at least.
I have found that many other cards, like the PNY Elite Performance, don't live up to their claimed speeds. The PNY cards I have are not as fast as the Sandisk Extreme, let alone the Extreme Pro.

---------- Post added 09-10-14 at 10:16 AM ----------

I did an SD card test recently:

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/172-pentax-k-3/266218-buffer-clear-time-m...-sd-cards.html

I didn't need 8 fps for more than 3 seconds, so didn't waste money on expensive 'Extreme Pro' cards (the buffer in the K-3 may mean you possibly don't care too much how fast the data writes to the SD card).

I use different make cards in slots 1 and 2, with DNG RAW to Card 1, and JPG + Video to Card 2.

Get a better lens with the money instead?

Yes, that is the most economical arrangement, as long as you don't need RAW backups. Writing RAW to both cards does take longer to clear the buffer. I decided JPG will be good enough for me.


John.

[kkoether]

I've been getting the 32G SanDisk Extreme Plus 80 MB/sec for around $35.00 each. I have 4 of them which works well for me.


SanDisk 32GB Class 10 Extreme Plus SDHC Flash Media Card SDSDXS-032G-A46 - Micro Center

[lewisglick]

Thanks to all for the great info!