Olympus E-P1 Memory Card Compatibility

The Olympus E-P1 requires SD memory cards. The maximum capacity SD card that is compatible with the E-P1 is 32GB.
SD memory cards that meets the SDXC or SDUC requirements are not going to function properly in the E-P1. These cards will be At least 64GB or larger, so they are easy to avoid.
The SDHC format was announced in 2006. All 32GB cards that are currently being produced will have almost identical performance. You cannot go wrong buying the cheapest class 10 name brand card. At the time of writing this, the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card has the best price.Recommended E-P1 SD Cards
Here are some possibilities to choose from that can be used in the E-P1. With all of the cards outlined below, you will not have to stress out over memory card problems or sluggish functionality.

- Sequential read speed of up to 100MB/s
- Class 10, U1 rating delivers speed and performance for full HD photography and HD videography.
- V10 video speed rating to capture uninterrupted HD video at 1920x1080 format
- Compatible with point & shoot cameras, DSLR cameras, standard & advanced HD-enabled video cameras, and more
- Reliable & Durable: Magnet Proof, Shock Proof, Temperature Proof, Waterproof

- Quick transfer read speeds up to 90MB/s.
- Write speeds are not capable of recording 4k video.
- Class 10 rating for Full HD video (1080p).
- Waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray Proof, magnet-Proof, and shockproof.

- UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) supports Full HD video and burst shots. 130MB/s transfer speeds1 let you upload footage to your PC in an instant.
- Built to survive tough conditions and heavy usage, whether you’re at home, outside, or on the go. Backed by 10-year limited warranty.
- Highly durable with comprehensive 7-proof protection.
- Backed by a 10 year warranty.
Best SD Cards
SanDisk, PNY, Samsung, and Lexar both make good quality memory cards. Cheap third-party brand names need to be avoided.
Bargain-priced cards are much more likely to encounter file corruption, meaning that you can lose all of your photos contained on the card. A minuscule amount of decrease in price is not worth the decline of quality.
Buying a smaller capacity memory card is a clever way to minimize costs. They tend to be slightly more affordable and you will not have to be anxious about the SD card losing your photographs.
Be aware that, SD card problems are rare. Only a couple cards have become unusable out of the multitude I have possessed over the years. Both of the memory cards were pre-owned house cards that were included with the purchase of pre-owned cameras.
Olympus E-P1 SD Card Compatibility
Currently, four separate specs of Secure Digital (SD) memory cards are currently being manufactured. The Olympus E-P1 can only use SD memory cards. Each new memory card specification raises the transfer speeds and maximum storage capacity when compared to the former spec.
Secure Digital memory card readers are backward compatible. A card reader built into a digital camera that can use SDXC cards will also be able to use SDHC and SD memory cards.
The card reader in the Olympus E-P1 is only compatible with the first and second SD card specs. SDXC or SDUC cards are not going to operate correctly.
- Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the E-P1.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the E-P1.
- Secure Digital eXtended Capacity (SDXC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 64GB to 2TiB.
- Secure Digital Ultra Capacity (SDUC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4TiB to 128TiB.
Olympus E-P1 Memory Card Full Error

Trying to use a memory card that is 64GB or larger in the E-P1 results in the camera to display an error.
Get an SD memory card with a storage capacity of 32GB or smaller to prevent the problem.
If you have an SD memory card that has a capacity less than 32GB, and it is not working correctly, try to format the SD card while it is in the camera.
Speed, Class, & Capacity
SD Card Image Capacity
This is a quick estimate of the total number of large JPEGs you will be able to keep on an SD memory card.
- 4GB - 1920 images
- 8GB - 3840 images
- 16GB - 7680 images
- 32GB - 15360 images
Memory Card Speed
Speed ratings for SD memory cards are determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD memory card is important in cases where many photographs need to be written to the SD card.
SD Card Speed Class Rating

The Class speed rating of an SD card is based on the sustained write speed of the SD memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the SD card can sustain a write speed of a minimum of 2MB per second.
- Class 2 - 2MB/s
- Class 4 - 4MB/s
- Class 6 - 6MB/s
- Class 8 - 8MB/s
- Class 10 - 10MB/s
The best rating a card can receive is Class 10. There are SD cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those memory cards use other technology, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), which have a different rating specifications.
Sustained write speeds of 2MB, 4MB, 6MB, or 8MB per second means the card has a speed class of 2, 4, 6, or 8. Cards that have write speeds of 10MB/s or faster are rated as Class 10.
Conclusion
Buy an SD memory card for the Olympus E-P1 based on price. An expensive card isn’t going to improve performance. As long as it is a speed class 10 card, you will be fine. My recommendation is the PNY Elite 32GB SD memory card.