Pentax K-r Memory Card Compatibility
The Pentax K-r is able to use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Having fast write speeds is a critical aspect for burst shooting and video.
The performance of your camera can be greatly decreased by using an inadequate card.
If you’re in a rush, here’s the best memory card you can buy for the Pentax K-r:
- 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
Like all things tech, the price level of SD memory cards has greatly fallen since the release of the Pentax K-r.
Due to the price range being quite cheap, it would not make sense to pick anything but a professional-quality memory card.
SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance cards have all worked well for me. I have under no circumstances encountered corrupted data or a card failure with any of those cards.
All the trouble I have encountered has been due to no-name unbranded memory cards. Hoping to save a little bit of money isn’t worthwhile if your K-r is likely to experience problems.
To save money, get a lower storage capacity card from a quality supplier. By making that choice, you’ll not have to be anxious about the shots stored on the SD 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.
Pentax K-r SD Card Compatibility
Only SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards can be used by the Pentax K-r. Check to make sure that your camera is using the most recent firmware.
The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) cards, aren’t going to be usable in the K-r.
You need to know the four types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that exist. SD cards can be identified from the storage capactiy of the SD card.
- 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
Below is a fast estimation of just how many high-quality JPEGs photos you should expect to be saved on a card:
- 16GB - 4,640 images
- 32GB - 9,280 images
- 64GB - 18,560 images
- 128GB - 37,120 images
Speed, Class, & UHS Ratings
Card Speed
Speed ratings of an SD card is determined by the sequential read and write speeds. The transfer speed of a SD card is very important for continuous shooting as well as video.
A slow SD card can cause a drop in the number of continuous frames the Pentax K-r can capture. This is due to the camera’s buffer not being able to write to the card quickly enough.
When shooting video, a slow SD card can cause a sudden end to shooting. The video file may also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is essential the memory card you use meets the required write speed for video.
Card read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to finish.
Speed Class Rating
The continuous write speed of an SD card is the criteria for the Class rating. SD cards that have a minimum write speed of at least 10MB/s will be labeled 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 of SD memory card that you can find for sale online will receive a Class 10 rating. You can find the class rating of a SD card by finding a number inside of a C on the sticker.
Ultra High Speed (UHS)
The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) can be gotten with SDUC, SDXC, and SDHC cards. UHS cards to have increased transfer rates.
Three different versions have been specified. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.
You can find out the UHS rating of a card by looking at the front of the SD card. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the SD memory 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
Related Cameras
As outlined by the topics that were mentioned is why the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Pentax K-r. You are now ready for any future camera you own.
Here are a few more posts on cameras with similar requirements as the K-r: