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Pentax K-5 II Memory Card Compatibility

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The Pentax K-5 II uses SD, SDHC, & SDXC memory cards. To avoid problems when recording video, cards should be Class 10 with a UHS-I rating.

The Pentax K-5 II can use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. A card with fast write speeds is necessary for video and continuous shooting.

You can wreck the functionality of your camera by using the wrong SD memory card.

Just want the best? Below is my suggestion on the memory card to use with your Pentax K-5 II:

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

In the time since the introduction of Pentax K-5 II, the cost of memory cards has greatly reduced.

Due to prices being so affordable, it does not be sensible to pick anything besides a high-quality memory card.

The best SD cards I use have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have under no circumstances endured unusable data or a card physically fail with any of those SD cards.

Every single hassle I have had has been when using cheap unbranded SD memory cards. Hoping to save a little bit of money isn’t worth the cost if your K-5 II is not going to function in the right way.

If you want to spend less money, opt for a smaller capacity SD memory card from a quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you will know your shots are safe on the SD memory card.

SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
SanDisk Ultra 64GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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
PNY Elite-X 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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 SD Card
SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB SD Card
Check prices on: Amazon
  • 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.

You are limited to using SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards in the Pentax K-5 II. For best performance, be certain that your camera has the most up to date firmware.

The newest cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), cannot be used in the K-5 II.

You should know of the 4 different kinds of Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be purchased. You can tell them apart based on their storage 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.
SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

Listed here is a quick estimation of the volume of max-quality JPEGs photos you can be expecting to be saved on a SD card:

  • 16GB - 4,640 images
  • 32GB - 9,280 images
  • 64GB - 18,560 images
  • 128GB - 37,120 images

Speed ratings of an SD memory card is classified by the sequential read and write speeds. SD card continuous write speed is very important for video in addition to continuous shooting.

Slows memory cards can decrease the number of continuous frames the Pentax K-5 II can take. This is because the camera’s buffer is not able to write data to the card fast enough.

With video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file may also be corrupted. If you intend to shoot video, it is crucial the card you use meets the minimum requirements of the K-5 II.

Card read speed is important for transferring files to a computer. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast transfer speed will decrease the transfer time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

The continuous write speed of a memory card is the criteria for the Class rating. SD cards that have a minimum write speed of at least 10MB/s are labeled as 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 brand-name SD card that you can buy will have a Class 10 rating. You can discover the class rating of a card by searching for a number inside of a C on the front.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is built into SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC memory cards. The UHS bus allows offers a way to increase file transfer rates.

Three different specs have been specified. The versions are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

Look at the front of the SD card to find out the UHS rating of a memory card. The presence of a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD card, that is going to be the rating of your SD 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

As outlined by the topics that were discussed is why the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Pentax K-5 II. You are now ready for any future camera you own.

Listed below are more pages on digital cameras related to the K-5 II:

Updated on 2022-09-28
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