The oft recommended SanDisk Extreme 30 MB/s Edition SDHC cards have been discontinued and are becoming quite hard to find (including the 16 GB one, item number SDSDX3-016G-A31). Whatever you do, don't order it from Amazon. You won't get what you order.
A bit of background on the "30 MB/s Edition" SanDisk SDHC cards: they support a SanDisk-proprietary transfer mode that is 50% faster than what you'd get with any SDHC-spec card in HS mode. Only a few Nikon cameras and Sandisk card readers support this proprietary transfer mode. Other devices support HS mode, which tops out at around 20 or 22 MB/sec. The GH1 doesn't support UHS mode either.
There are other, current SanDisk Extreme cards:
SanDisk Extreme Pro: UHS at up to 45 MB/sec, Class 10 for HS mode
SanDisk Extreme HD Video 20 MB/s: up to 20 MB/sec in HS mode, Class 6 for HS mode
SanDisk Extreme HD Video 30 MB/s: up to 30 MB/sec in UHS mode, up to 20 MB/sec in HS mode, class 10 for HS mode
Note that the two diferent Sandisk Extreme HD Video cards have carried the same SanDisk item numbers at different times, so, thanks a lot, SanDisk.
I have an Extreme HD Video 30 MB/s card. In testing with a card reader, it sustains 14 MB/sec writes. In the camera, FHD at 41 Mbps is pretty reliable. In SH mode, I need to reduce the bit rate setting to 27 Mbps to get reliable recording. The video looks great even at 27 Mbps, but I do wonder if I could achieve even higher rates with a diferent card.
BTW, the HD Video 30 MB/sec cards are two for $60 at Beach Camera: http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E1SDSDRX3016GA21
A bit of background on the "30 MB/s Edition" SanDisk SDHC cards: they support a SanDisk-proprietary transfer mode that is 50% faster than what you'd get with any SDHC-spec card in HS mode. Only a few Nikon cameras and Sandisk card readers support this proprietary transfer mode. Other devices support HS mode, which tops out at around 20 or 22 MB/sec. The GH1 doesn't support UHS mode either.
There are other, current SanDisk Extreme cards:
SanDisk Extreme Pro: UHS at up to 45 MB/sec, Class 10 for HS mode
SanDisk Extreme HD Video 20 MB/s: up to 20 MB/sec in HS mode, Class 6 for HS mode
SanDisk Extreme HD Video 30 MB/s: up to 30 MB/sec in UHS mode, up to 20 MB/sec in HS mode, class 10 for HS mode
Note that the two diferent Sandisk Extreme HD Video cards have carried the same SanDisk item numbers at different times, so, thanks a lot, SanDisk.
I have an Extreme HD Video 30 MB/s card. In testing with a card reader, it sustains 14 MB/sec writes. In the camera, FHD at 41 Mbps is pretty reliable. In SH mode, I need to reduce the bit rate setting to 27 Mbps to get reliable recording. The video looks great even at 27 Mbps, but I do wonder if I could achieve even higher rates with a diferent card.
BTW, the HD Video 30 MB/sec cards are two for $60 at Beach Camera: http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E1SDSDRX3016GA21