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Panasonic GH4 Memory Card Compatibility

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The Panasonic GH4 uses SD, SDHC, & SDXC memory cards. To avoid problems when recording video, cards should be Class 10 with a UHS-I rating.

The Panasonic GH4 may use SDXC, SDHC, and SD memory cards. Having fast write speeds is an important element for video and continuous shooting.

The wrong memory card can spoil the performance of your camera.

Want to skip the jargon? Here’s my suggestion on the SD card to use in your Panasonic GH4:

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.

Like all things tech, the price of memory cards has greatly fallen since the release of the Panasonic GH4.

With the price range getting so cheap, it does not make sense to invest in anything other than a professional-quality card.

The best cards I own have been the SanDisk Extreme Pro, Lexar Professional, and PNY Elite Performance models. I have never suffered from a card become inoperable or corrupted data with those SD cards.

Every complication I have had has been with generic unbranded SD cards. Trying to save a small amount of money is not worthwhile if your GH4 will not work correctly.

To spend less, get a lower capacity memory card from a high-quality manufacturer. By making that choice, you will not have to be anxious about the images stored 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.

Only SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards can be used by the Panasonic GH4. Make sure you have the most up-to-date firmware installed on your camera for the best results.

The newest SDUC (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity) memory cards, are unable to be used in the GH4.

Four different types of Secure Digital (SD) cards that you should know about. They are separated by storage capactiy.

  • 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 a quick estimation of the number of maximum-quality JPEGs shots you can 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

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

A slow card can decrease the number of continuous frames the Panasonic GH4 can capture. This is because the camera’s buffer will not be able to write data to the memory card quickly enough.

When recording video, a slow memory card can cause an abrupt end to recording. The video file might also end up being corrupted. If you are going to record video, it is important the card you use meets the requirements of the GH4.

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

SD Card Speed Class
SD Card Speed Class

A memory card receives a Class rating based on 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-name memory card that you can purchase will receive a Class 10 rating. To check the class rating of a SD card, look for a number inside of a C on the front label.

Example of UHS Rating
Example of UHS Rating

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

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

You can figure out the rating of a memory card by checking the front of the card. If there is a Roman numeral I, II, or III on the front of the card, that is the UHS rating of your 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

As outlined by the topics that were mentioned is what makes the the 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro is the best memory card for the Panasonic GH4. Any future camera you buy, you will know what SD memory card to get.

Here are a few more posts on digital cameras with the same specs as the GH4:

Updated on 2022-09-29
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