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Pentax KP Memory Card Compatibility

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

The Pentax KP can use SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards. For video and continuous shooting, it is necessary the card you use has a fast write speed.

The memory card you purchase has a big effect on the overall performance of your camera.

If you are in a rush, here’s the best card you can buy for the Pentax KP:

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.

SD cards are now considerably cheaper than at the time the camera was newly revealed.

Since costs are so low, it doesn’t be cost-effective to pick anything but a high-quality card.

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

Every complication I have had has been because of cheap unbranded SD cards. Seeking to save around a buck is not worth the cost if your KP is not going to function correctly.

If you want to save some money, buy a lower storage capacity card from a quality supplier. Because of this, you will know your shots are safe on the 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 KP. Check to make sure that you have the most recent firmware installed on your camera for the best compatibility.

The newest memory cards, SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), are unable to be used in the KP.

There are four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should be familiar with. You can recognize them by looking at their 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

The following is a fast estimation of the number of high-quality JPEGs photographs you should expect to save on a card:

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

Speed ratings of an SD card is based on the sequential read and write transfer speeds. Memory card write speed is important for video as well as continuous shooting.

A slow SD card can cause a drop in the number of continuous images the Pentax KP can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write data to the card quickly enough.

With video, a slow card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file might also be corrupted. If you are going to shoot video, it is critical the memory card you use meets the required write speed for video.

Card read speed is nice to have for file transfers to a computer. If you are filling up cards with images or video, a SD card with a fast transfer speed will reduce the time it takes the transfer to complete.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A memory card receives a Class rating according to its continuous write speed. Memory 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 brand of SD memory card that you can find will have a Class 10 rating. You can find the class rating of a card by finding a number inside of a C on the label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed bus (UHS) is a feature that can be found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC cards. UHS allows for faster data transfer rates.

Three separate specifications have been made. They are UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

You can figure out the rating of a SD card by checking the label. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III will be on the label.

  • 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

If you had to choose one, the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Pentax KP. The SD card also has good compatibility with other cameras.

Listed here are more posts on digital cameras related to the KP:

Updated on 2022-09-28
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