Don't Overpay for a Olympus E-M1 SD Memory Card

The original Olympus E-M1, from 2013, uses SD memory cards. It can use cards up to 2TB in capacity.

Any card with UHS-I will be fast enough.

128GB is the best value per GB. A 64GB card would also be fine.

Do not buy an expensive UHS-II card. The E-M1 is not compatible with them. It can’t use the extra speed.

Recommended SD Cards

Any new card will be fast enough for photos and video.

Don’t pay for a super fast card. The E-M1 can’t write data that quickly.

Don’t buy a UHS-II card. It will work, but the E-M1 can’t use the extra speed.

Don’t buy a used card. Flash memory has a finite life. They are more likely to fail or cause corrupted images.

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Lexar Professional 128GB

• UHS-I, U3, and V30 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
• Excellent choice for photos.
• Capable of recording 4k Video.
• Larger capacities are available.

SanDisk Ultra 64GB

• UHS-I, U1, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 10MB/s write speeds.
• Excellent choice for photos.
• Capable of recording Full HD (1920x1080) Video.
• Inexpensive with more than good enough performance.
• Larger capacities are available for a reasonable price.

PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card

• UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
• Good for burst shooting photos and recording 4K video.
• Larger capacity cards are available.
• Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof.

SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB

• Comparatively expensive for faster read speeds.
• UHS-I, U3, V30, and Class 10 Speed Rating. Can sustain 30MB/s write speeds.
• Only makes sense for professional use or if you need the largest storage capacity available.
• Temperature-proof, waterproof, shock-proof, and X-ray-proof.

Card reader should have tails

Future proof features:

• USB-C 3.1 or 3.2
• UHS-II Compatible
• Has a Tail

It’s super annoying when a card reader blocks other ports. They can also be built-in multi-port dongles or be able to read multiple types of memory cards.

Multi-card readers can do newer memory cards like CFExpress. If you’re into older cameras, a USB 2.0 26-in-1 memory card reader might be for you.

• Memory Stick (Sony)
• xD (Olympus)
• CompactFlash (Old Nikon, Canon, Pentax)

Olympus E-M1 SD Card Compatibility

The Olympus E-M1 is compatible with the SD, SDHC, and SDXC standards.

Check to make sure the camera has the latest firmware.

The newest SDUC cards will not work with the E-M1. They are too large.

• SD (Secure Digital) - 128MB to 2GB.
• SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) - 4GB to 32GB.
• SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) - 64GB to 2TB.
• SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) - 4TB to 128TB.

Image Capacity

Here’s the approximate image capacity for high-quality JPEGs from the 16 megapixel sensor:

• 32GB - 6,600
• 64GB - 13,200
• 128GB - 26,400
• 256GB - 52,800
• 256GB - 105,600

Card Speed Class

Class rating is determined by sustained write speed. The rating will be shown as a number inside of a C on the label.

For example, as card that could write data at 5MB/s would get a Class 4 rating.

Class 10 card are likely much faster than 10MB/s. That’s why there are additional ratings for high resolution video.

• Class 2 - 2MB/s
• Class 4 - 4MB/s
• Class 6 - 6MB/s
• Class 8 - 8MB/s
• Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster

Ultra High Speed Bus (UHS)

Don’t pay more for a UHS-II card. The E-M1 can’t take advantage of them.

The 3 versions of Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) allow for faster read and write speeds.

The rating is shown as a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the card label.

• UHS-I - Maximum transfer rate of 104 MB/s
• UHS-II - Maximum transfer rate of 312 MB/s
• UHS-III - Maximum transfer rate of 624 MB/s