[Merts]

Hi everyone,

I have just ordered a K5ii with the 17-135 WR lens, after using a Fuji ultrazoom for the last 10 years and missing the flexibility of my old K2 film SLR.
It seems the class printed on a lot of data cards bears little relation to the actual data transfer speed.

Can anyone recommend a suitable sd card which will allow me to record reasonable length video, and bursts of still shots?

(I have searched the forum, I promise)

[Adam]

You'll always want class 10 cards IMO. If you want the absolute best performance, a write speed of 30Mb/s is about as fast as the camera can write, so you should look for cards with that rating or higher.

I generally recommend sandisk 45Mb/s cards (16gb or 32gb) as they're fast, big, and reliable

[Merts]

Thanks Adam.

The advice is much appreciated.

The read-write speeds on some of the class 10 cards appear to be down around the 10 to 15 MB/sec mark, so Sandisk Extreme it is!
I will grab a couple and impatiently wait for the new toy to arrive.

[Kerrowdown]

Sandisk Extreme it is

+1, you wont go far wrong with that choice.

[MikeDSr]

Truth be known clearing the buffer after continuously shooting 25 shots takes around 11 seconds with the SanDisk Extreme. And just a few seconds more with a Professional rated Class 10. Not as critical with snaps (unless sports, etc) as when shooting video. I use PNY Professional Class 10 16 gig 20 mbs cards and SanDisk Extreme 16 gig 45 mbs cards with my K5II. Never noticed any great difference with either. I primarily have the Extreme available for occasional videos. PNY can be bought at Costco or BJ's for abut $1 a gig. The Extreme goes for $2+. Many pros use 8 gig cards. The advice given above is good, but as time with your new camera passes you'll find what works best for you. Cheers.
ps
Make sure you've downloaded all the latest firmware. One had update for reading high capacity/speed cards.

[comprock]

@Merts, Thank you for asking this question.

@all, Thank you for your responses and culling the SanDisk Extreme answer. I've got a Sony SDXC 64GB UHS-1 that doesn't perform as it should for burst modes on my K-5 II, latest firmware.

This post has been quite helpful for finding SD card replacements. Further, there's a rebate or something going on now for SanDisk SDXC Extreme Plus Class 10 UHS-1 Memory Cards at B&H.

$ 40.95 for http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/992490-REG/sandisk_sdsdxs_032g_a46_32g...eme_class.html
$ 80.95 for http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/992492-REG/sandisk_sdsdxs_064g_a46_64g...eme_class.html