Pentax K7 -- suggest working memory cards?

ManWithCamera · 02-16-2010, 02:00 PM

Originally posted by K7er

Any recommendations on what brand I should get? SanDisk is a touch too expensive...

You get what you pay for. I never use anything but Sandisk cards.

REM · 02-17-2010, 07:25 PM

Another vote for Sandisk Extremes. Good performance and every once in awhile are a part of sales/promotions where you buy 3-4 you get one free (how I bought mine when i also bought my K-7).

LeDave · 02-17-2010, 07:46 PM

I have a PNY 4gb Class 4 that was 10 bucks cheaper than the SanDisk Ultra ii 4gb Class 4 and I can't tell the difference between the two speeds at all.

CWyatt · 02-18-2010, 02:08 AM

Originally posted by LeDave

I have a PNY 4gb Class 4 that was 10 bucks cheaper than the SanDisk Ultra ii 4gb Class 4 and I can't tell the difference between the two speeds at all.

Not considered terribly fast anymore though.

I was using the A-data 16GB Class 6 Turbo, then got the 16GB SanDisk Extreme Class 10. Buffer lag of 9 RAW files on my K10D went from about 25 seconds to 7 seconds. Would now hate putting any other card in my camera.

You simply can't get a better card (that I know of). It's a once off cost for something that will last, is very useful, and highly unlikely to have problems.

One more vote for SanDisk if you possibly afford it.

bergmania · 02-18-2010, 02:13 AM

I only buy SanDisk nowadays.. Have had Transcend but they have in my mind serious quality problems..

zhewie · 02-18-2010, 07:13 AM

Consider upgrading your K7 to the latest 1.03 firmware.

I had a Class 10 Panasonic card that would cut off after 45 seconds of video recording in 720p mode. After firmware upgrade, I can record in the highest setting for the whole duration of the card. No lag when I turn of video recording.

After continuous shooting of 10 shots, there was a lag of about 2 seconds before I was able to shoot again.

I went with the Panasonic because I was able to buy my 16GB version for half the price of the Sandisk extreme. I regretted the decision when I first used it in my K7, but no regrets now after firmware upgrade.

atown · 03-26-2011, 12:37 PM

Does the K-7 perform any better (in continuous or video mode) with 30 mb/s than with 20 mb/s SDHC cards(e.g. Extreme Sandisk III vs II) ? Or is the SD-X II as fast as the processor can use to any advantage ? There is a big cost bump from class 6 to class 10 so I want to know if there is any practical gain ? Thanks...

Laurentiu Cristofor · 03-26-2011, 04:21 PM

I've been using SanDisk cards for 3+ years with no issues. I also use a couple of Kingston cards and a PNY card and so far (1+ years) I had no problems with those either. The only time I had issues was when I got a cheap SDHC card from an amazon seller - the price was too good to be true, so it wasn't. I never tried Transcend or other brands.

I also recommend filling them before erasing all images, to ensure even wear of card space. That way you're less likely to keep writing to the same region of the card and get that worn out.

ShowMeTheMoney · 03-28-2011, 01:34 AM

Currently use a couple of Transcend 16GB class 10 cards, and a bunch of Transcend 4GB Class 6 cards with my K7, and all have worked flawlessly so far - some are over 1 year old, some just a couple of months old.

Though I only shoot images (usually RAW, on rare occassions some RAW+JPG), I don't think I've ever shot video on my K7, hehe.

REM · 03-28-2011, 09:42 AM

I also use nothing but SanDisk Extreme III/Extreme cards for my K-7. Good reliability and often have promotions (buy X cards, get a rebate gift card). I've heard Lexar is another good brand.

**Lowell Goudge** · 03-28-2011, 10:15 AM

since I have never had a mamory card failure of any tipe in any camera, I am not sure how to recommend a list of compatible cards, but here is what I have

Kodak 1GB - no class stated
Kingston 512 MB - no class stated
SanDisk 1GB Micro SD - no class stated
Core Micro 2GB - no class stated
SanDisk 128MB micro SD - No class stated
SanDisk Ultra II 4GB - C4
SanDIsk Ultra II - no class stated
SanDisk Ultra II 2GB - C4
PNY Optima 8 GB - C4
Kingston 8 GB - C4
Dane Elec 4 GB - C4

I have use all of them in my K10D and K7D with no faults ever.

As you can see, I am not too particular about it, but I don't shoot at maximum burst rate continually so I have not gone for any super fast cards. I did not see the need, and still don't

Vylen · 03-28-2011, 01:48 PM

Originally posted by Lowell Goudge

since I have never had a mamory card failure of any tipe in any camera, I am not sure how to recommend a list of compatible cards, but here is what I have

Kodak 1GB - no class stated
Kingston 512 MB - no class stated
SanDisk 1GB Micro SD - no class stated
Core Micro 2GB - no class stated
SanDisk 128MB micro SD - No class stated
SanDisk Ultra II 4GB - C4
SanDIsk Ultra II - no class stated
SanDisk Ultra II 2GB - C4
PNY Optima 8 GB - C4
Kingston 8 GB - C4
Dane Elec 4 GB - C4

I have use all of them in my K10D and K7D with no faults ever.

As you can see, I am not too particular about it, but I don't shoot at maximum burst rate continually so I have not gone for any super fast cards. I did not see the need, and still don't

Since you do have a lot of Class 4 cards, I don't think it would hurt to get a Class 6 or even a 10, for "just in case" you do ever need to shoot at the max burst rate - cause while you don't see a need for super fast cards, I can imagine that one day at a rare moment, there'll be a time when you wish you had one

Plus, they're pretty cheap these days compared to say, 1 or 2 years ago.

**Lowell Goudge** · 03-28-2011, 01:56 PM

Originally posted by Vylen

Since you do have a lot of Class 4 cards, I don't think it would hurt to get a Class 6 or even a 10, for "just in case" you do ever need to shoot at the max burst rate - cause while you don't see a need for super fast cards, I can imagine that one day at a rare moment, there'll be a time when you wish you had one

Plus, they're pretty cheap these days compared to say, 1 or 2 years ago.

no question there, it is just to point out that I have had nothing fail, while paying no particular attention to what I stick in the camera from time to time.

snostorm · 03-29-2011, 11:17 AM

I had been using Sandisk 4GB CLass 6 20MB/s cards since the K20, but have had 2 of them lose the write protect tab. They have lifetime warranties, so I'll eventually get them replaced, but I've gone to Transcend Ultimate Class 10 16GB cards and seem to get similar write speeds. I also have an Adata Class 10 16GB card to try out, and it also seems to write at a similar speed. Both the Transcend Ultimate and the Adata come with lifetime warranties, and I've used both brands in the past with no problems. Both were significantly less expensive than similar spec Sandisk cards. 16 GB is probably a bit of overkill since I normally shoot jpegs -- they show 1767 shots at jpeg *** with the K-5, but it's nice to know that I just don't have to worry about storage space on the card, even if I for some unusualy reasone I'd choose to shoot RAW+ a lot for some exposure insurance.

Like Lowell, I had used a bunch of different brands of cards with no problem. When moving from the K10 to the K20, I noticed a significant slowdown before I could chimp a shot, so looked into faster cards (I had been using Transcend Class 6 4GB cards). At that time, the Class X thing had just become the standard from the former "X" (150 KB/s = 1X) standard, and Sandisk was the only mfg that was specifying faster write times than "at least 6MB/s" so I went with them.

The Sandisks have given me good performance, but it was disappointing to have premium priced cards fail from a physical part that was never used, so should not have had any wear issues. I have heard from one other member of a forum who has experienced the same issue with the Sandisk Extreme III card.

Scott

HawaiianOnline · 03-29-2011, 07:30 PM

I used to use 8 GB Sandisk Extreme III Class 6 cards in my K7, they work very well. However, I noticed that I needed a higher capacity card for surfing (800 - 1000 + images in one session). Mainly because I didn't want to open up the card door when there was a lot of salt sea spray. So, I tried PNY's 16GB Class 10 cards. They work very well too. I wold say that there is no noticeable difference between the two cards apart from the capacity. B&H has a great deal on these at just $27.99 without shipping.

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02-16-2010, 02:00 PM	#16
ManWithCamera Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Auburn, CA Posts: 87	Originally posted by K7er Any recommendations on what brand I should get? SanDisk is a touch too expensive... You get what you pay for. I never use anything but Sandisk cards.

02-17-2010, 07:25 PM	#17
REM Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 78	Another vote for Sandisk Extremes. Good performance and every once in awhile are a part of sales/promotions where you buy 3-4 you get one free (how I bought mine when i also bought my K-7).

02-17-2010, 07:46 PM	#18
LeDave Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Minneapolis - St. Paul Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,067	I have a PNY 4gb Class 4 that was 10 bucks cheaper than the SanDisk Ultra ii 4gb Class 4 and I can't tell the difference between the two speeds at all.

02-18-2010, 02:08 AM	#19
CWyatt Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,291	Originally posted by LeDave I have a PNY 4gb Class 4 that was 10 bucks cheaper than the SanDisk Ultra ii 4gb Class 4 and I can't tell the difference between the two speeds at all. Not considered terribly fast anymore though. I was using the A-data 16GB Class 6 Turbo, then got the 16GB SanDisk Extreme Class 10. Buffer lag of 9 RAW files on my K10D went from about 25 seconds to 7 seconds. Would now hate putting any other card in my camera. You simply can't get a better card (that I know of). It's a once off cost for something that will last, is very useful, and highly unlikely to have problems. One more vote for SanDisk if you possibly afford it.

02-18-2010, 02:13 AM	#20
bergmania Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Helsingborg, Sweden Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 74	I only buy SanDisk nowadays.. Have had Transcend but they have in my mind serious quality problems..

02-18-2010, 07:13 AM	#21
zhewie Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Toronto Posts: 37	Consider upgrading your K7 to the latest 1.03 firmware. I had a Class 10 Panasonic card that would cut off after 45 seconds of video recording in 720p mode. After firmware upgrade, I can record in the highest setting for the whole duration of the card. No lag when I turn of video recording. After continuous shooting of 10 shots, there was a lag of about 2 seconds before I was able to shoot again. I went with the Panasonic because I was able to buy my 16GB version for half the price of the Sandisk extreme. I regretted the decision when I first used it in my K7, but no regrets now after firmware upgrade.

03-26-2011, 12:37 PM	#22
atown Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: United States Photos: Gallery Posts: 50	Does the K-7 perform any better (in continuous or video mode) with 30 mb/s than with 20 mb/s SDHC cards(e.g. Extreme Sandisk III vs II) ? Or is the SD-X II as fast as the processor can use to any advantage ? There is a big cost bump from class 6 to class 10 so I want to know if there is any practical gain ? Thanks...

03-26-2011, 04:21 PM	#23
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	I've been using SanDisk cards for 3+ years with no issues. I also use a couple of Kingston cards and a PNY card and so far (1+ years) I had no problems with those either. The only time I had issues was when I got a cheap SDHC card from an amazon seller - the price was too good to be true, so it wasn't. I never tried Transcend or other brands. I also recommend filling them before erasing all images, to ensure even wear of card space. That way you're less likely to keep writing to the same region of the card and get that worn out.

03-28-2011, 01:34 AM	#24
ShowMeTheMoney Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Metro Manila, Philippines Posts: 80	Currently use a couple of Transcend 16GB class 10 cards, and a bunch of Transcend 4GB Class 6 cards with my K7, and all have worked flawlessly so far - some are over 1 year old, some just a couple of months old. Though I only shoot images (usually RAW, on rare occassions some RAW+JPG), I don't think I've ever shot video on my K7, hehe.

03-28-2011, 09:42 AM	#25
REM Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 78	I also use nothing but SanDisk Extreme III/Extreme cards for my K-7. Good reliability and often have promotions (buy X cards, get a rebate gift card). I've heard Lexar is another good brand.

03-28-2011, 10:15 AM	#26
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	since I have never had a mamory card failure of any tipe in any camera, I am not sure how to recommend a list of compatible cards, but here is what I have Kodak 1GB - no class stated Kingston 512 MB - no class stated SanDisk 1GB Micro SD - no class stated Core Micro 2GB - no class stated SanDisk 128MB micro SD - No class stated SanDisk Ultra II 4GB - C4 SanDIsk Ultra II - no class stated SanDisk Ultra II 2GB - C4 PNY Optima 8 GB - C4 Kingston 8 GB - C4 Dane Elec 4 GB - C4 I have use all of them in my K10D and K7D with no faults ever. As you can see, I am not too particular about it, but I don't shoot at maximum burst rate continually so I have not gone for any super fast cards. I did not see the need, and still don't

03-28-2011, 01:48 PM	#27
Vylen Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,262	Originally posted by Lowell Goudge since I have never had a mamory card failure of any tipe in any camera, I am not sure how to recommend a list of compatible cards, but here is what I have Kodak 1GB - no class stated Kingston 512 MB - no class stated SanDisk 1GB Micro SD - no class stated Core Micro 2GB - no class stated SanDisk 128MB micro SD - No class stated SanDisk Ultra II 4GB - C4 SanDIsk Ultra II - no class stated SanDisk Ultra II 2GB - C4 PNY Optima 8 GB - C4 Kingston 8 GB - C4 Dane Elec 4 GB - C4 I have use all of them in my K10D and K7D with no faults ever. As you can see, I am not too particular about it, but I don't shoot at maximum burst rate continually so I have not gone for any super fast cards. I did not see the need, and still don't Since you do have a lot of Class 4 cards, I don't think it would hurt to get a Class 6 or even a 10, for "just in case" you do ever need to shoot at the max burst rate - cause while you don't see a need for super fast cards, I can imagine that one day at a rare moment, there'll be a time when you wish you had one Plus, they're pretty cheap these days compared to say, 1 or 2 years ago.

03-28-2011, 01:56 PM	#28
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,888	Originally posted by Vylen Since you do have a lot of Class 4 cards, I don't think it would hurt to get a Class 6 or even a 10, for "just in case" you do ever need to shoot at the max burst rate - cause while you don't see a need for super fast cards, I can imagine that one day at a rare moment, there'll be a time when you wish you had one Plus, they're pretty cheap these days compared to say, 1 or 2 years ago. no question there, it is just to point out that I have had nothing fail, while paying no particular attention to what I stick in the camera from time to time.

03-29-2011, 11:17 AM	#29
snostorm Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Chicago suburb, IL, USA Posts: 1,535	I had been using Sandisk 4GB CLass 6 20MB/s cards since the K20, but have had 2 of them lose the write protect tab. They have lifetime warranties, so I'll eventually get them replaced, but I've gone to Transcend Ultimate Class 10 16GB cards and seem to get similar write speeds. I also have an Adata Class 10 16GB card to try out, and it also seems to write at a similar speed. Both the Transcend Ultimate and the Adata come with lifetime warranties, and I've used both brands in the past with no problems. Both were significantly less expensive than similar spec Sandisk cards. 16 GB is probably a bit of overkill since I normally shoot jpegs -- they show 1767 shots at jpeg *** with the K-5, but it's nice to know that I just don't have to worry about storage space on the card, even if I for some unusualy reasone I'd choose to shoot RAW+ a lot for some exposure insurance. Like Lowell, I had used a bunch of different brands of cards with no problem. When moving from the K10 to the K20, I noticed a significant slowdown before I could chimp a shot, so looked into faster cards (I had been using Transcend Class 6 4GB cards). At that time, the Class X thing had just become the standard from the former "X" (150 KB/s = 1X) standard, and Sandisk was the only mfg that was specifying faster write times than "at least 6MB/s" so I went with them. The Sandisks have given me good performance, but it was disappointing to have premium priced cards fail from a physical part that was never used, so should not have had any wear issues. I have heard from one other member of a forum who has experienced the same issue with the Sandisk Extreme III card. Scott

03-29-2011, 07:30 PM	#30
HawaiianOnline Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Hawaii Posts: 613	I used to use 8 GB Sandisk Extreme III Class 6 cards in my K7, they work very well. However, I noticed that I needed a higher capacity card for surfing (800 - 1000 + images in one session). Mainly because I didn't want to open up the card door when there was a lot of salt sea spray. So, I tried PNY's 16GB Class 10 cards. They work very well too. I wold say that there is no noticeable difference between the two cards apart from the capacity. B&H has a great deal on these at just $27.99 without shipping.