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Panasonic GH2 Memory Card Compatibility

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The Panasonic GH2 uses SD, SDHC, & SDXC memory cards. To avoid problems when recording video, cards should be Class 10 with a UHS-I rating.

SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards are compatible with the Panasonic GH2. A card with fast write speeds is essential for burst shooting and video.

The wrong SD memory card can greatly reduce the overall performance of your camera.

Want to skip the technical details? Here is my suggestion on the SD card for use with your Panasonic GH2:

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.

Since the release of Panasonic GH2, the price of memory cards has greatly reduced.

Seeing as how affordable costs are, it will not make financial sense to get anything but a pro-level memory card.

The best memory cards I use have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have not suffered from corrupted data or a card physically fail with those SD memory cards.

Every single problem I have dealt with has been because of generic unbranded SD cards. Trying to save a buck is not worth the cost if your GH2 does not function in the right way.

To save money, pick a lower storage capacity card from a quality manufacturer. By doing this, you will not have to be concerned about the photographs stored on the 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.

Only SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards can be used by the Panasonic GH2. Be sure that you have the most recent firmware installed on your camera for the best overall performance.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, are not able to be used in the GH2.

You should understand the four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be used. SD memory cards can be told apart 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.
SD Card Contacts
SD Card Contacts

Here is an approximation of the volume of high-quality JPEGs photos you should be expecting to be saved on a memory 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 determined by the sequential write and read speeds of the card. SD memory card continuous write speed is very important for continuous shooting and video.

A slow SD card can reduce the number of continuous images the Panasonic GH2 can capture. This is because the buffer in the camera is not able to write to the card quickly enough.

With video, a slow memory card can cause a sudden end to shooting. The video file might also end up being corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is essential the SD card you use meets the requirements of the GH2.

Card read speed is nice to have for transferring files to a computer or laptop. If you have cards that are full, a card with a fast transfer speed will save you time.

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A card receives a Class rating determined by its continuous write speed. SD cards that have a write speed of 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 name-brand card that you can find online will be Class 10. To determine the class rating of a SD card, find a number inside of a C on the label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

The Ultra High Speed (UHS) bus is a feature often found in SDHC, SDXC, and SDUC memory cards. UHS memory cards to achieve increased transfer rates.

There are 3 separate specs. They are called UHS-I, UHS-II, and UHS-III.

You can determine the UHS rating of a card by checking the front of the memory card. If the card has UHS, a Roman numeral I, II, or III can be seen on the front of the SD 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

In line with everything that was covered is why the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Panasonic GH2. The SD card also has excellent compatibility with other cameras.

Here are a few more pages on digital cameras similar to the GH2:

Updated on 2022-09-28
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