Olympus E-M5 Memory Card Compatibility
SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards are compatible with the Olympus E-M5. Fast write speeds are a critical aspect for video and burst shooting.
An inadequate SD memory card can greatly reduce the performance of your camera.
If you’re in a hurry, here’s the best memory card you can buy for the Olympus E-M5:
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- 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.
Best SD Cards
Memory cards are now significantly more affordable than at the time the camera was newly unveiled.
With costs being so affordable, it would not be wise to invest in anything besides a high-quality SD card.
The best SD memory cards I own have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have never suffered from data errors or a card physically fail with any of those cards.
Every one of the trouble I have encountered has been when using low-cost unbranded SD memory cards. Attempting to save a small amount of money isn’t worth it if your E-M5 is going to experience trouble.
If you want to spend less money, pick a smaller storage capacity SD memory card from a quality company. By making that choice, you will know your photos are safe on the memory card.
Recommended SD Cards
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Olympus E-M5 SD Card Compatibility
You are limited to using SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards in the Olympus E-M5. For best performance, be sure that your camera has the most up to date firmware.
The newest memory cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), can not be used with the E-M5.
You need to know the four different types of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards that can be bought. They are separated by their size.
- 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
Listed below is a fast approximation of how many maximum-quality JPEGs shots you can expect to be stored on a memory card:
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
Card Speed
The speed rating of an SD memory card is dependant on the continuous write and read transfer speeds. Card continuous write speed is critical for continuous shooting and video.
A slow card can reduce the number of continuous frames the Olympus E-M5 can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write data to the SD card quickly enough.
When shooting video, a slow memory card can cause recording to end. The video file could also end up being corrupted. If you intend to shoot video, it is important the memory card you use meets the minimum requirements of the E-M5.
Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a memory card with a fast read speed will cut down on the time it takes the transfer to complete.
Speed Class Rating
The Class rating of a memory card is determined by the sustained write speed. Memory cards that have a write speed of 10MB/s will be rated Class 10.
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s or faster
Every name-brand card that you can find for sale today will be Class 10. To locate the class rating of a memory card, find a number inside of a C on the label.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is a feature often found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC memory cards. The UHS bus cards to have increased transfer rates.
Three separate specifications have been made. The versions are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
Look at the front of the SD card to determine the rating of a memory card. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, that is the rating of the card.
- 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
Related Cameras
According to the topics that were mentioned is what makes the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Olympus E-M5. Any future camera you buy, you will know what card to get.
Listed below are more posts on cameras similar to the E-M5: