Olympus E-PL1 Memory Card Compatibility
The Olympus E-PL1 needs SD memory cards. 32GB is the maximum capacity SD card that can be used in the E-PL1.
SD memory cards that satisfy the SDXC or SDUC specifications will not work in the E-PL1. These cards will be At least 64GB or larger, so they can easily be avoided.
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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-PL1 SD Cards
Here are some possibilities to select from that will work correctly in the E-PL1. With any of the cards below, you will not have to worry about SD card data corruption or slow overall performance.
- 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
Lexar, PNY, Samsung, and SanDisk both manufacture good quality memory cards. Inexpensive house brands need to be avoided.
Inexpensive cards are more inclined to encounter data corruption, meaning you will lose all of your shots saved on the card. A minimal amount of cost savings is not worth the decline in level of quality.
Buying a reduced capacity memory card is a good way to reduce expenses. They may be a tad lower in cost and you won’t have to worry about the SD card becoming corrupted.
Even then, SD card failures are rare. Over the years, I have only experienced 2 cards fail. The two memory cards were used no-name cards that were bundled with the purchase of used digital point & shoots.
Olympus E-PL1 SD Card Compatibility
The Olympus E-PL1 uses SD memory cards. There are currently 4 different specs of Secure Digital (SD) cards. The benefit is that there is an improvement in the maximum storage capacity and transfer rates with the release of every new standard.
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-PL1 will only work with the original two SD card specs. SDUC or SDXC memory cards will not function correctly.
- Secure Digital (SD) - These memory cards have a maximum capacity of 2GB and are compatible with the E-PL1.
- Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) - The capacity of these memory cards range from 4GB to 32GB and are also compatible with the E-PL1.
- 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-PL1 Memory Card Full Error
Trying to use an SD card that has a storage capacity of 64GB or larger in the E-PL1 will cause the digital point and shoot camera to display an error message.
Use an SD card that has a capacity of 32GB or smaller to avoid the problem.
If you have an SD memory card that is 32GB or a smaller capacity, and it is not working, try to format the SD card while it is in the camera.
Speed, Class, & Capacity
SD Card Image Capacity
This is a quick estimation of how many large JPEGs you will be able to fit on an SD card.
- 4GB - 1920 images
- 8GB - 3840 images
- 16GB - 7680 images
- 32GB - 15360 images
Memory Card Speed
The speed rating for SD memory cards is determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The speed of the SD card is important for when many photos need to be written to the SD memory card.
SD Card Speed Class Rating
The Class speed rating of an SD memory card is related to the sustained write speed of the memory card. A Class speed rating of 2 means that the memory card can maintain 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 top rating a card can obtain is Class 10. There are cards that are much faster than 10MB/s. Those cards use other solutions, such as UHS (Ultra Highspeed Bus), that have a separate 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-PL1 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.