Pentax K-S1 Memory Card Compatibility

The Pentax K-S1 may use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. For video and continuous shooting, it is important the SD card you use can write data fast enough.

The overall performance of your camera can be ruined by using an incorrect SD card.

Want to skip the tech jargon? Here is my suggestion on the SD card to use with the Pentax K-S1:

• 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 range of SD cards has greatly fallen since the release of the Pentax K-S1.

Seeing as how affordable prices are, it would not be smart to pick anything but a pro-level SD memory card.

The best SD cards I own have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have not experienced corrupted data or a card become inoperable with those SD cards.

All the complications I have dealt with has been when using no-name unbranded cards. Attempting to save around a buck isn’t worth the cost if your K-S1 does not work correctly.

A sensible way to spend less money is to select a smaller storage capacity SD card from a high-quality company. By making that choice, you’ll know your photos are safe and sound 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-S1 SD Card Compatibility

The only memory cards compatible in the Pentax K-S1 are SDXC, SDHC, and SD. For best performance, make sure your camera has the most up to date firmware installed.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, are unable to be used with the K-S1.

Four separate kinds of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should know about. You can tell them apart according to their storage capacity.

• 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

Here is an estimation of how many large JPEGs photographs 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, Class, & UHS Ratings

Card Speed

The speed rating of an SD card is classified by the continuous read and write transfer speeds. SD card continuous write speed is essential for video as well as continuous shooting.

Slows SD cards can cause a reduction in the number of continuous photos the Pentax K-S1 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the memory card fast enough.

When recording video, a slow SD card can cause an unexpected end to shooting. The video file might also be corrupted. If you are going to capture video, it is critical the SD card you use meets the minimum requirements of the K-S1.

Read speed is important for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a memory card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to complete.

Speed Class Rating

The Class rating of a memory card is determined by the continuous write speed. SD cards that have a write speed of at least 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 SD memory card that you can purchase today will be Class 10. To locate the class rating of a card, try to find a number inside of the C on the label.

Ultra High Speed (UHS)

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

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

To figure out the UHS rating of a card, look on the label. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the label, that is the rating of the memory 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 why the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Pentax K-S1. Any future camera you buy, you will know what SD memory card to buy.

Here are more pages on digital cameras similar to the K-S1: