[Uncle Jaque]

The manual for my K-50 recommended the use of a "High Speed" memory card in order to capture video data properly.

Is this card:

"8GB Class 10 SDHC High Speed Memory Card For Panasonic Camcorder SDR-S26P/PC. "

And similar cards made for video cams compatible with the K-50, and is it OK to use in other Pentax DSLRs like my K-100D?

Are there any known issues with them that make them less optimal for still photography?

[Adam]

The manual for my K-50 recommended the use of a "High Speed" memory card in order to capture video data properly.

Is this card:

"8GB Class 10 SDHC High Speed Memory Card For Panasonic Camcorder SDR-S26P/PC. "

And similar cards made for video cams compatible with the K-50, and is it OK to use in other Pentax DSLRs like my K-100D?

Are there any known issues with them that make them less optimal for still photography?

I believe that SDHC cards are supported by the K100D after a firmware update, so the 8Gb card would work with it. The card should also work well with the K-50, but will most likely be shy of optimal speed.

The K-50 maxes out at a write speed of about 30 Mb/s, so if you get a card with that speed rating or higher, it would be optimal. Most cards that bear the "UHS-I" designation should satisfy this criteria.

Here's the card I currently recommend, by the way:

SanDisk 32GB Extreme UHS-I U3 SDHC Memory Card SDSDXN-032G-G46

[condor27596]

I currently have the k-5 so this may not be applicable. I've also not used video since I started using 32gb cards or more.

My fastest card in terms of real life use performance ( granted a little subjective ) is a 128gb micro sd with adapter random generic on eBay $6 shipped. It writes twice as fast as my 32 sandisk class 10 sd card. But that is the one I use for special occasions " just in case ".

It is important to note I lost a ton of irreplaceable vacation video on my Fuji camera using an identical 32 sd card.

I now format every few weeks.

[Uncle Jaque]

Thanks; I have an order going on Amazon but B&H prices are actually a little better and since they are a sponsor I'll throw them the business.

Now I need to spend another $7.18 to qualify for free shipping... Now what little gimcrack do I need that I don't have???

Looked for a case but they don't have one I like - Amazon has a cheap one that looks OK so I guess I'll get that.
Like to have a little protection for the camera when I've got it strapped around my neck swinging around.
Was sitting in a steel folding chair the other day and when I stood up the lens had hooked under the back plate and pulled off hard - no damage that I can determine.
Good thing Pentax makes a rugged camera!

Have had problems with some of my SD cards - double exposures, frames cut off etc.. Seems like the higher capacity ones are most apt to mess up like that.
I only format once, but perhaps should follow condor's example, back up my files and re format every so often, eh?

The K-100D has had a firmware upgrade since I bought it and I think it's the latest version. Have heard so many horror stories about firmware updates bricking cameras that I'm reluctant to even try it with my K-50 unless it's really necessary.

[ramseybuckeye]

Have had problems with some of my SD cards - double exposures, frames cut off etc.. Seems like the higher capacity ones are most apt to mess up like that.
I only format once, but perhaps should follow condor's example, back up my files and re format every so often, eh?
.

Way back when I first used digital cameras I read that you should format in camera after you download your photos and I believe that is a good practice. When you don't format a used card, the old images are still there, they won't be deleted until they are overwritten. I had a bunch of corrupted photos once but that was my mistake of putting a new card in and forgetting to format it. Also buy good cards, you seldom hear of problems with Sandisk. Lexar has always been highly regarded also, but I bought two high speed Lexar cards last year that always corrupt the first one or two photos, everything else is fine, so I always waste two shots..

[southlander]

There's a few threads in the forum discussing problems with using microSD cards with an adapter in Pentax cameras. While they should be electrically identical, microSD don't always want to play nicely.

So I would encourage buying SD cards and not microSD cards for use in Pentax cameras.

My own personal experience was that good quality microSD cards (Sandisk) didn't work well in my K-x. Often it would only write a 1K file for an image (which of course meant that that image is lost). I fortunately picked it up quickly because reviewing images in playback mode came back with a blank screen. Didn't do it for all image writes, just some. And wasn't an individual card at fault as I swapped the first one with the retailer and still had the same issue with the replacement card. Have not bothered trying to see if the K-3 plays better with microSD.

Note also that the advertised speed of cards is typically the read speed. The write speed which is relevant when using the camera is less, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Digging into the card specs normally reveals the write speed.

I have been keeping my recent purchases to cards with write speeds above 50-60 MB/sec (eg the Sandisk Extreme Plus - next step up from Adam's suggestion or a Samsung Pro with the same specs as the Extreme Plus). From memory the K-3 writes out files somewhere in the 40's MB/sec. A faster card is not a whole lot more expensive if you keep an eye out for sales and means they probably will still be fast enough for the next generation of cameras. Not really worth buying the ultra fast (and expensive) top of the line cards IMHO unless you own something like a 645Z and are dealing with enormous file sizes.

Hilarious to see how the SD card marketing departments have dealt with product naming as faster cards emerge, eg Sandisk Ultra -> Extreme -> Extreme Plus > Extreme Pro. Seem to have exhausted themselves at Extreme Pro as the new UHS-II 280MB/sec cards are still called Extreme Pro. No 'Humongously Extreme' or 'Really Extremely Sick' branding. Very disappointing

[link81]

I have had very bad luck with lexar cards in my k30. They work perfectly fine in my other camera's but for some reason in the K30 they just refuse to work occasionally. So, now my Q and *ist use the lexar ones, and the K30 uses sandisk ones.

[Uncle Jaque]

I ordered the SanDisk 32GB "Extreme" from B&H.
Filled in my order to qualify for free shipping with a spare battery for the Pentax Optio W-80 and a AA battery adapter for the K-50.
B&H actually had better prices than Amazon, so I pulled a couple of items off of my Amazon cart and got them from B&H in stead.
Their sponsorship of this forum is another incentive to trade with them.
I'll let you know how it works after it arrives and we get to experiment with it a bit.

The next trick is to dig into the manual and study up on fine tuning the focus; Have had focus issues with the K-100D which I've learned to compensate for somewhat, but they are worse with the new K-50, especitally in closeup and macro, and now it sits in the bag while I take my shots with the 100D.
Initial testing has been quite disappointing. Hopefully nothing that can't be fixed with judicious tweaking.

The idea was to use the K50 as my new primary and the 100D as the back up, but with the focus issue the roles have been reversed.