The memory stick family of Sony combines the memory stick PRO and Pro Duo, a new version or a revision from their older memory stick that transfers at a faster rate offering more storage space and is available in even smaller form factors. They are highly in use for the portable devices also can be removed easily to load it in the computers. Memory Stick PRO Duo abbreviated as the MPSD is been replaced for the memory stick duo as it suffered from the limitation of the size and the speed of the transfers were quite slow. The limitations are overcome in the PRO DUO and the Sony’s 1GB Pro Duo Memory Stick is given in detail below if in the idea to buy one.

Overview of the Memory Stick:

The Sony has come up with the MSX-M1GST Memory Stick PRO Duo of various capacities that offers high speed transfer. In a small form factor, this flash memory allows a recording capacity of 1 GB also with good resolution and a quality moving image recording.

Size and Design of the Sony PRO duo:

The Sony MSX-M1GST Memory Stick PRO Duo has a dimension of about (H) 20 x (D) 1.6 x (W) 31 mm. This flash memory weighs around 4 grams has an ideal size to be used with Pro’s compatible devices while also is compact. The 1 GB memory stick delivers faster write speeds on the enabled devices and the stick is optimised with a 4 – pin parallel interface. These cards are designed especially for the newer digital cameras, audio devices as well as the PSP handheld entertainment system. The card can also be used with most of the devices which uses the standard Memory Stick PRO Duo media as it is backward compatible. The design of the flash memory by Sony is sleek, ergonomic and packed with features.

Capacity and the Speeds:

The Sony MSX-M1GST flash memory card of 1GB delivers a storage capacity of 940MB. The users could store approximately up to 940 MB while the type of the memory stick is serial and parallel interface. The memory stick offers a minimum of 15 mbps write speed when the card is combined with the PRO format compatible devices. The parallel transfer speeds are 160 mbps (20 MB per sec) which is ideal to capture the images and high quality videos without any trouble.

Features:

The size of the memory stick is reduced but the capacity and features are enhanced in compared with the older sticks. The data transfer rates are higher and the design of the card is well built. The PRO duo features a single 10 pin connector with the guide grooves that helps to have a reliable data exchange. This flash memory includes an adapter to make this card usable and compatible with Memory Stick Pro media devices. Also features an erase protection switch in order to eliminate the accidental deletion of the data.

About Other Technical Details:

The flash memory card operates at an output voltage of 2.5 V – 3.6 V while the operating temperature is -25°C – +25°C that operates fine regardless of the weather conditions. The power consumption of the memory stick is about 1.5 mA in the standby mode. The maximum average operating temperature in the parallel transfer and the serial transfer is 100 mA and 65 mA respectively.  The memory stick works perfect with Sony Ericson W810, P990 etc, PSP and digital cameras.

Look on the Warranty:

The Sony 1 GB Pro Duo carries a manufacturer warranty of a limited lifetime. Sony’s memory sticks works well without getting stuck or freezing during data transfers. If at all any, the limited lifetime warranty comes handy.

In a Nutshell:

The Sony MSX M1GST 1GB Pro Duo is a smart storage device to be combined with the newer model devices for high capacity storage. Included the memory adapter, this card can also be used with devices that uses the older version of memory stick. For the durability and reliability this memory stick checks the box. Consider getting one of these to make the utmost use of the digital devices.

Sony MSX-M1GST 1GB Memory Card – Technical Specification Table

Brief on SanDisk:

SanDisk is a well famous and a largest memory provider solution all over the world. Storage space is highly essential for the individuals to capture their life moments or their favourites to be stored in the gadgets they use. SanDisk with years of experience in the manufacturing along with flash memory technology, the quality and reliability of the products is what makes the people go for this brand.

Outlook on Memory Stick Pro Duo:

The SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo is specially made for the Sony cameras to enjoy the moments again with the past memories by capturing life’s precious times in the latest digital devices. With the memory stick, there are no worries of running short of space in devices.

Form Factor of the Card:

The Memory Stick Pro Duo from SanDisk has a smaller size than the usual ones measuring about 1 (H) x 15 (W) x 11 (D) mm. The card weighs just around 1 gram and offers a storage capacity of 4GB. The card is useful for the latest digital devices and with the adapter included this memory card is adaptable to older devices which use full sized memory sticks. The operating temperature is increased and it ranges from -13 F to 185 F offering greater durability.

Memory Stick Pro Duo’s Features:

The SanDisk memory stick pro duo is designed ergonomically and inserting it in the device distinguishing the front and back is made easy. An adapter is included with the memory stick with which the devices that use the older, big memory sticks can operate efficiently with it. This card is highly reliable and is versatile. It is compatible with most of the latest electronic devices. The slanted grooves provided on the card removes automatically the dust present when inserted in the slot.

Speed and Compatible Devices:

This SanDisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo allows high speed data transfer error free at the minimum write speed of 15 mbps. The quality DVD videos can be securely transferred without leading to any data loss with the Access Control Function. The 4 GB Memory Stick with the Magic Gate technology is compatible with the latest devices such as mobile phones, digital cameras, handy cam, PSP entertainment systems etc and with the fast transfer rates, accidental removal of card during transfer of data do not lead to any loss of data. Also with the old model devices, by combining with the adapter, this card is compatible with those as well.

Users Experience:

People who already own the SanDisk 4GB Pro Duo has mixed opinions. There were no problems as for the working of the memory stick. The transfer speeds are quite fast and it is reliable. The card worked fine with most of the devices without letting down any user. However there are both pros and cons for this memory stick pro duo. After inserting the card properly, still the card was not readable and leaves message as ‘reinsert the memory card’. Quite a lot faced this and a few even had lost their precious data which may be due to the manufacturing error.

Storage Capacities Available:

SanDisk has left the Memory Stick Pro Duo of many capacities to suit every individual’s need. The other storage capacities available are 2GB, 8GB, 16GB and 32GB. These cards can store ample data at ease.

Warranty Detail:

The SanDisk 4 GB Memory Stick Pro Duo carries a warranty of 5 years limited warranty period. Any manufacturing defects are covered under this period on proper proof of the purchase.

In Short:

The SanDisk came up with the new Memory Stick Pro Duo for the latest devices works fine with Sony devices. Write speeds are convincing and the card is compatible with both older and new devices by using with the adapter. Store and capture all the lifetime’s precious memories to live back life once again. Although few users experienced trouble with the card such as the card being not readable, most of the others are contented with the memory stick on their devices.

SanDisk Memory Stick PRO Duo 4GB – Technical Specification Table

Quick Look:

The Kingston 8GB memory card (Product Code: SDC4/8GB) is a reasonable memory space for those who own a device that could take quality pictures, videos and mp3 songs. Before one could run off space in the device, this micro SD card comes in hand to store as much as possible without transferring some to laptop or computers.

Design of the Micro SD card:

The Kingston memory card is a micro SD card which is smaller than the original card’s dimension. The micro SD card has a height of 30 mm and a width of 3 mm. The product has a dimension of about 0.43(l) x 0.59 (h) x 0.039 (w) or 11 (l) x 15 (h) x 1 (w) mm while it weighs about 2.7 g. This memory card belongs to the type SDHC which means secured digital high – capacity card. The card offers memory space more than the host device can support.

Memory Capacity and Speed:

The Kingston SDC4/8GB micro SDHC card has a memory space of 8GB. The speed rating of this card is class 4 which delivers a good performance on the devices that are compatible with SDHC cards. It promises a minimum data transfer speed of 4 MB/sec. The transferring is faster and do not get hanged or freeze. The optimum operating temperature of the card is around -13° F to 185° F (-25° C to 85° C) and can be ideally stored at a temperature of -40° F to 185° F (-40° C to 85° C).

Features and Compatibility:

The Kingston 8GB Class 4 Micro SDHC card is compliant with the SD specification version of 2.00. It features an adapter with which when combined with the adapter can be used as a full – size SDHC card. Thus the memory card features the versatility of both the full size card and the micro SD card. The adapter has a mechanical write protection switch which prevents the accidental deletion or over – writing of any stored data on it. Having the file format FAT 32, this SDHC card is compatible with most of the devices including mobile phones of brands such as Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry, LG, HP Palm, HTC, Motorola, Sony Ericsson etc. However the card does not suit for standard micro SD enabled devices or card readers.

Other Available Capacities:

Kingston has brought in cards ranging in memory space from 4GB, 16GB and 32GB apart from 8GB mentioned above. All the cards are more or less the same except for their storage space. If the speed rating is class 10 then the data transfer rate would be 10 MB/sec.

Details on Warranty:

The manufacturer Kingston gives the memory card a lifetime warranty for both parts and labour. One may feel secure to buy a card from such a leading brand as their products are tested well before coming in to the market. Also the 24 x 7 live technical support is convincing for the customer if at all the card faces any trouble.

On the Whole:

The Kingston micro SDHC card has an ample space of 8 GB memory which lets one to store music, images, videos and a lot more. The functioning of memory card runs smooth without facing any trouble and the transfer rate also is convincing. The usage of card as a full size card by combining with adapter or simply as a micro SD card is convenient. Yet some users feel their mobile phone gets switched off or freeze whenever this card is inserted in phones such as xperia mini pro. Apart from this, the Kingston 8 GB card is a reliable one to use on compatible devices.

Kingston 8GB Micro SDHC Class 4 Memory Card – Technical Specification Table

Perspective:

xD – Picture Card is a flash memory card format, used mainly in advanced digital cameras. xD stands for Extreme Digital and were first developed by Olympus and Fujifilm. Type H and M cards may suffer problems of compatibility with the older digital cameras but works extremely well with the newer ones.

Design and Features of Card:

The Fuji DPC-H1GB 1GB Memory Card is one of the ultra compact cards available that just weighs and has a dimension of about 2 g and 25 (H) x 20 (W) x 1.7 (D) mm. These picture cards are the new standards for Fuji and Olympus digital cameras. The memory card though so small, is extremely powerful and has the capacity 1 GB. These xD picture cards were introduced as a replacement for the older Smart Media cards. It is suitable for delivering the very fast read and write speeds and high capacities which the new products may require.

Features of Fuji 1 GB Card:

This flash memory card from Fuji is a picture card of the type H operates at a write speed of 4MB/s and a read speed of 5MB/s which is 2 to 3 times faster than the standard other types. However these speeds depends on the device it is paired with. The maximum size available is 2GB and the other sizes are 256 MB, 512MB and 1 GB. This type of XD card has the ability to support the special picture effects when used in some Olympus cameras. It features exclusive arts and 3D functions. To capture video at high resolutions (640x480x30), this card can be used with new models. This type of card is identified by the “H” displayed on the front of the card.

Compatibility:

This 1GB Fujifilm xD picture cards are compatible with Fuji and Olympus digital cameras but one drawback may be that although the Fuji xD cards are compatible with Olympus cameras it may not support the panoramic function seen on some Olympus cameras. While in other devices, this card works fine without causing any troubles even at faster speeds. Therefore it is recommended to check for the compatibility of the device before buying one.

Details on Warranty:

The manufacturer provides a reasonable warranty for this picture card. The XD-H-1GB carries Olympus 2 years exchange or repair warranty against any manufacturing defects which may affect its performance.

Available Storage Capacities:

Apart from the 1 GB storage capacity card that is available, other cards of varying capacities of storage are also provided by the manufacturer. They are 256MB, 512MB and 2GB, as already mentioned above, may be purchased according to the need and device requirement.

In a Nutshell:

The Fuji 1GB xD Card of type H delivers speed rates faster than other storage device. As with the performance, there are no specific faults with this card. However, there prevail certain compatibility issues which can be avoided by checking the compatible device beforehand. The picture card from Fuji may not support the panoramic functions that are seen in few Olympus cameras. Apart from these, this card is a reliable one to go in for.

Fuji DPC-H1GB 1GB xD Type H Memory Card – Technical Specification Table

Overview:

The Sony’s new memory card, the Sony 8GB MSHX8B Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo is of great use for storing, sharing and transferring quality pictures, videos and music with the buddies. The tiny memory media provides good entertainment than one expects.

Design and Card Type of the Memory Stick:

The Sony Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo is petite measuring about (W) 31 x (H) 20 x (D) 1.6 mm and hardly weighs about 5 grams. This flash card is of type MS PRO-HG Duo and has an amazing memory capacity always by the side. Sony with SanDisk, introducing the Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo in the beginning was only serial and 4-bit parallel interfaces were supported in the Memory Stick PRO format but sooner an 8-bit parallel interface was added to the Memory Stick PRO-HG format making advancement in the technology.

Memory Capacity and Speed:

The internal memory capacity of the PRO-HG Duo memory stick is 8192 MB which is 8 GB. The card allows any number of data to be transferred fast with a read speed of 30 MB/s and has a write speed of 20 MB/s. One can take up to 180 large JPEG photos per minute. Also, the maximum interface clock frequency is increased and with these enhancements, a high transfer rate is achieved, which is almost three times faster than the Memory Stick PRO format.

Compatibility:

The Sony PRO-HG Duo MSHX8B 8GB Capacity memory card is especially made for Sony digital cams, Alpha and PHP products of higher resolutions. It offers good performance ensuring fast shot capabilities and high definition videos also for high mega – pixel and high – def Sony products. Its smaller size is ideal to use on compact devices and for burst shooting with DSLR. The flash card is also compatible with copyright protection technology (Magic Gate).

Other Technical Details:

HX Engine which a new and smart flash memory controller realizes high-speed, stable and reliable data transfer in this card for continuous shooting and is also free software downloadable (Memory Card File Rescue supporting AVCHD files & x- Pict Story for Memory Card). The card works fine in temperatures from -25 °C to 85 °C.

Details on Warranty:

The Sony 8GB Flash memory card stick PRO-HG Duo has a limited manufacturer’s warranty. The cards face no problems of freezing during any process as it is a trusted brand company. However it is a peace of mind to have 10 years warranty period.

In Brief:

Heaps of storage one can get in a small 8GB Flash memory card PRO-HG Duo from Sony. With a commendable speed, this memory stick is sure a durable and reliable one. However it is a Sony card hence can be used only with Sony products. Clarity of pictures and videos make difference from other cards. Going in for this card definitely does not end in disappointment.

Sony 8GB MSHX8B Memory Card – Technical Specification Table

Quick look:

Transcend memory card in regards to quality has always proved convincing to the users. This 32GB flash card is supported by almost all the electronic devices and faces no problems of getting hang or freeze.

Dimensions and Compatibility:

The Transcend 32 GB Class 10 Flash memory card (model no: TS32GSDHC10) has a size of about 7.7 (H) x 4.6 (W) x 0.2 (D) inches which is the usual size of other cards that is available in the market. This SDHC card is fully compatible with SD 3.0 standards and also with SDMI devices allowing content protection for recordable media (CPRM). This card suits the most for storing HD videos and images having high resolutions.

Storage Capacity and Speed:

This Secure Digital flash memory card has a capacity of 32 GB storage space and a Class 10 speed rating. The read and write speeds of the card is satisfying for high definition videos and pictures. The optimum temperature for the card is -25 °C (-13 °F) to 85 °C (185 °F) to maintain the write and read speed of 20 MBPS.

Features of the Memory Card:

The Transcend Memory card, as already mentioned supports all the SDHC devices as well as readily meets the requirements of high speed devices. The card has the ability to detect and fix the errors while transferring information by the Built-in Error Correcting Code (ECC).  It also supports the auto-standby, power-off, sleep mode and has a mechanical write protection switch.  The memory card is also RoHS compliant which means Restriction of Hazardous substances that there are no materials used in the manufacture of cards which causes harm to human health.

Performance:
The good thing about this memory card is that no troubles were faced while recording or transferring. Thus the card gives an optimum performance without hanging and is very easy to use. This flash card allows In System Programming (ISP) for updating firmware. Though the recent devices accept SD cards while this card is not compliant with standard SD devices, every card needs an updation. Thus SD cards have to be replaced by SDHC cards.

Warranty Detail:

The package includes a 32GB Transcend Class 10 flash card and a lifetime limited warranty card. This memory card is no doubt durable and can even withstand more than 10000 insertions and removals. However, the manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty for the 32 GB flash memory card.

Overall View:

The Transcend 32GB Class 10 SDHC Flash memory card is a reliable, fast and with a large storage space. The card has not disappointed while capturing, storing or transferring data for any individuals who own this. With respect to price and performance, Transcend is a brand to trust and it never lets down in its quality. For the lots of new SDHC devices out in the market, this flash card is a wise choice to consider and along with the lifetime time warranty, this class 10 SDHC flash card is great to go for it.

Transcend 32GB Class 10 SDHC Flash Memory Card – Technical Specification Table

Outlook:

Lexar Secure Digital Memory Cards are of size similar to that of multimedia cards designed for use in many digital devices including camcorders, Mobile phones and PDA. High performance with relatively large capacity range, this memory card prevents frequent changing of cards in order to get all the shots or pictures at a stretch.

Design features:

The Lexar Professional 133x SDHC Memory Card is a great gift to professional photographers for capturing quality pictures or full – motion videos with the SDHC enabled digital cameras. The card’s high-speed performance provides a minimum speed capability of 20MB per second while it significantly reduces the time required to download the stored information. These cards have erase – prevention switch for keeping all data safe.

Dimension and capacities:

The Lexar Secure Digital SD has a dimension of 6.5 x 5 x 1 inches. This card is available in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities. The solid – state design and small size of the cards perfectly suits many applications. The Lexar Professional 133x SDHC Card 8GB (product code: SD8GB-133-381), 16GB (code: LSD16GCRBNA133) and 32GB (code:  LSD32GCRBNA133) are made sure they are compatible with the digital cameras ranging from the basic to the most advanced ones.

Performance:

The Lexar Professional 133x SDHC Card offers maximum Class 10 speed rating, providing  fast and excellent minimum sustained speed capability of 133x (20MB per second). Thus the cards serve great for fast sequence shooting while reducing the time for changing cards and also minimizes the down time between transferring the images from cameras to computers by improving workflow.

Included software:

Lexar Professional Secure Digital Memory Cards has a free downloadable copy of latest version of Lexar Image Rescue Software. Whether filming child’s birthday party or capturing exclusive pictures on a family vacation, those memories are well protected by this card as the Image Rescue 4 provides recovery of most of the photos and video files even when accidently deleted or when the card is corrupted.

Best quality:

Lexar boasts the performance and quality of their memory cards as high quality as all the cards are tested numerous times in the Lexar Quality laboratories to satisfy all customers. The compatibility, reliability, quality and performance of the cards are checked with more than 800 digital cameras and other devices. Thus, this memory card turns out to be of good quality and also a reliable one.

Warranty detail:

All the Lexar Professional SDHC cards backs up lifetime limited warranty giving further peace of mind to people. Apart from this, it includes the added benefit of technical support line in case of any expert assistance is required.

Conclusion:

Lexar Professional 133x SDHC Card performs flawlessly with very high speed. Digital cameras, laptops and computers face no problems while working with it. Lifetime memories of any event, be it video or picture format remain forever as the erase – prevention switch recovers any accidentally deleted data even when the card gets corrupted. Performance, storage with good write and read speeds are amazing and not to leave out the lifetime warranty carried by this memory card. Thus this is a decent memory card from Lexar and worth a buy.

Lexar Professional 133x SDHC Card – Technical Specification Table

Design Features:

The Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Class 4 Memory Card (product code: P10N079830A) is for anyone who is looking into buying an SDHC card with higher amount of memory. Indispensible for any amateur or professional photographer, this memory card can work with most cameras and could capture about 30,000 photos on the lowest quality. On the highest quality, you may get about 1200 photos (as per our testing process). There is also a user selectable mechanical write protect switch located on the exterior card casing.

With solid state and no moving parts, the Fuji memory card is built with a protect switch and protects the accidental deletion of data. This Fuji memory card is non-volatile meaning it can retain its memory even after power is shut off.  Coming to the application part, it is widely made used in Handheld computer, Digital cameras, Media Players, PDA, GPS receivers, Mobile phones and Video game consoles for storing images, music, voice and data files.

Dimension: The petite black colour memory card is built with a dimension of 32mm x 24mm x 1.4mm with a weight of 1.5g. This micro SDHC card is just about the size of quarter of a SD card. This memory card is exclusively built for use with ultra-small mobile phones and several other devices. It requires a supply voltage of 2.7V – 3.3V for operation.

Performance:

Just for the sake of information, the Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Card is a new Flash memory card that is based on the Secure Digital Association (SDA) 2.00 specifications. Performance wise, the Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Class 4 card is kind of superb for use in digital camera, particularly when it requires fast write speeds and pretty large capacity. And also most cameras these days are built with continuous movie and shooting modes with fairly high number of megapixels and the Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Memory Card can live up to your expectations by performing exceedingly well with these devices. Usually designed for movie recording, it is useful to know the minimum sustained write speed of the Fuji SDHC Card instead of the maximum speed which is usually quoted on the other memory cards.

The fact that it is fast and holds a huge number of pictures makes it a best buy, given the price. We tried the memory card out with our SLR camera to find it particularly fast and it does its intended job well. This said we are yet to try the Xtreme III cards though. Easy to plug and play, the Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Card is designed with a high transfer rate for fast copy/download.

Performance Results: Designed to be made use of with any device that is SDHC compatible to store music, photos or movie files, the Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Memory Card as the manufacturer claims has a maximum sustained read speed of 10MB/sec and write speed of 4MB/sec. Based on their testing, the memory card can store up to 2723 images with 5 million pixels that is stored at 1.5MB and 137.3 minutes of movie at a resolution of 25fps 320 x 240. And there again you can store another 1000 music tracks of approx. 4 minute duration and 128kbps mp3 encryption. The data can be retained in the card for about 10 years. The low battery consumption of the Fuji memory card can increase battery life in portable devices.

Accessories:

The Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Class 4 Memory Card comes with an adaptor that allows you to use the card in a number of devices and comes complete with a protective case completely free.

Alternate Capacity & Speed Ratings:

This Fuji Memory card is also available in a number of different storage capacities including 4GB SDHC Class 4 (code: P10N079830A), 4GB SDHC Class 4 – Twinpack (code: P10NM00390A), 8GB SDHC Class 4 (code: P10N079840A), 16GB SDHC Class 4 (code: P10NM00600A) and 32GB SDHC Class 4 (P10NM00250A).

Guarantee Details:

The Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Memory Card is covered under a generous 5 year guarantee offered by the manufacturer.

Verdict:

With a speed rating of Class 4, the Fuji SDHC Card Memory Card has faster storage speed. It does exactly what it says on the box, so you can purchase it with utmost confidence, but do check if the device is compatible with this SDHC card before you go for one.

Check Latest Memory cards, Memory Card Reviews and Best buys in our website.

Fuji 4GB Micro SDHC Class 4 Memory Card – Technical Data

But let truth be told, the Transcend is no way closer to the speed of the 30Mb/s version of Sandisk as a point of comparison. This said, the Transcend card simply seems to do the job without the slightest of hassles. Let us see what the Transcend 133x CF card has in store for us in terms of performance and value in the following review.

Features:

The Transcend 133X Compact Flash Memory Card as the name implies is a compact card measuring 42.8mm x 36.4mm x 3.3mm in size and weighing 11.4g that you need to ensure you do not lose it anywhere, despite the fact that you can easily slip one into your pocket for convenience and safety. The card is based on the ATA interface that helps connect it to your computer. The cross-platform compatibility comes as a big plus. Confirming to CompactFlash type I standards, it could operate either in a CF Type I or CF Type II slot. The RoHS compliant Transcend 133X is designed for 10000 insertion/removal cycles and is pretty durable requiring lower power consumption.

Dual-channel support: Transcend has made sure the card embraces good compatibility and speed as this card works in both the Ultra DMA mode 0-4 (default setting) which supports speeds from 16MB/s – 33MB/s, as well as dual-channel mode giving you non-stop video recording and shooting with some of the best DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras on the market.

ECC technology: The CF 4.0 compliant Transcend 133X cards are built from the ground up for reliability and speed. These cards feature integrated ECC (Error Correction Code) that helps automatically detect and rectifies errors during the transfer of data. This helps prevent missing files and data corruption. The manufacturer has ensured that it makes use of only branded MLC NAND Flash chips and components of superior quality during the process of manufacturing for longer durability, robust and quality performance.

Performance:

Test results with highly rated cameras: As a user, what do you look for in a flash memory card of this sort? There can possibly be only two factors, one is speed and the other should be size. Talking about the speed, we found the card being on the slower side, particularly when you are shooting in RAW (the data that gets written on the flash memory card at full high quality without any compression and simply by the way, the camera sensor tends to see it). Now that is okay, but if you need to review the pictures a lot, you may get frustrated. We are sure that there are faster cards available on the market as we tested it with the Nikon D60S and had no issues when we were copying data forwards and backwards onto the computer. Transcend 133X gave more than 500 RAW+ JPEG images with the Canon SLR. And the good thing here is that it is able to save much faster than the Extreme II considering it is the market’s top card even in continuous mode. Coming to the in-camera speed which was tested by shooting in continuous mode, the card showed good all-round performance.  You can also use it as a semi-permanent drive making use of a PCMCIA card reader and this can hold all the photos which your hard drive is otherwise cluttered with. And mind you there could be problems at times if you are working with multiple images.

Testing it with the Canon 50D & Canon 7D, we had to concede that the card is not express fast for full RAW photographs in continuous mode, though in single mode, it is reasonably good. We also tried using the Transcend 32GB CF card to shoot 1080p HD video at 30 fps on the 5D Mark 2 and we were able to capture a whole lot of pictures (about 1350 RAW). There have been no issues with it even after shooting for as much as 30 hours of video footage. Furthermore, testing it with the Canon EOS 1DS MK 3 only showed positive results. There were no obvious speed penalties either working with the Nikon D300, particularly when writing NEFF (RAW) files of 12 bit size.

Finally testing it with a Sony A200 DSLR gave us about 2000 JPGs, but testing it with the RAW produced about 500 when it is empty, so here the speed is absolutely fine. Transfer speed of RAW files from the camera is not bad either by any means, though we have no real comparisons.

Data transfer speeds: The data transfer speeds of up to 21.5 MB/sec have been good and we tested this spec against an 80x 2GB Lexar CF disk and the Transcend came up thumps with the write speed almost 20% faster which is a welcome improvement on the Sony A200. The Transcend is quick enough to take a few burst of photo shots on the JPEG in addition to the RAW setting at 6.5 frames/sec with no significant loss of speed that we can detect on our Canon EOS 400D.

Read speed: We found the Read speed fast enough as the time consumed to download a huge number of JPEG ‘RAW’ files straight from our camera onto the PC though the camera’s own USB cable without read/write errors was comparatively short. The 16GB version of this card was used on the EOS 40D and we were so impressed with the speed that testing the 32GB version on the EOS 50D was nothing short of spectacular.

Write speed: If the Read speed is good, given the price (which is useful when it comes to downloading data), the write speed is even better. It proved better than what the Kingston 133x could deliver, just to draw out a comparison as using the Kingston 133x in burst mode was just painful. The write speed performance could be rated somewhere between the Extreme III and IV of Sandisk and for a price tag which is slightly lesser than the Sandisk Extreme II.

Capacity: The Transcend 133X CF cards are available in a wide range of capacities including 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB/16GB & 32GB. Like most memory cards on offer, a particular percentage of space is allotted for header information, so this means it has a usable capacity and least it should give you peace of mind that you have got huge memory capacity in case you require it. Therefore, if you are a Canon EOS 400D Rebel XTi user, you will appreciate its fine speed plus the huge storage capacity, given the price. But if you are someone who uses Canon 40D for shooting, may be you will look for a faster card. Then we have a review on the SanDisk Extreme III 2GB SD Memory Card which will help you to make a smarter decision on how fast your memory card needs to be.

We even tried it with the e620 Olympus, the storage looks like it will never end. We had the 16GB version on the Canon Eos 1 which allowed us to catch important shots and if there is something more you can expect out of the card, it should be increased storage and shooting time. Therefore, it is rather fine when transferring images by linking the camera to the PC.  Nevertheless, you have space to store nearly 1500 photos on the card even when you’re shooting with RAW.

We were able to capture about 4000+ high quality 15mp JPEG pictures using a single card and that is probably 10% more than that on a 10MP camera, though it differs according to the type of pictures that is taken as apparently there are some pictures that have a bigger file size. You need to remember that some cameras, particularly the older ones do not go well with the high capacity compact flash memory cards, therefore you have to check your model for compatibility before going for this card just to avoid any sort of disappointment.

Issues with formatting the card: We would like to know if anyone had problems formatting the card with the Sony SLR. It seems like XP is unable to read it and cannot re-format it. But we do believe it has nothing to do with the card as Default windows will not be able to format devices above 8GB. If you are using on a Sony SLR, then do not format it either with it. Choice ‘B’ is to make use of the Software to do the formatting directly. There have been problems obtaining the full 16GB out of the Transcend 133X, if customer reviews are any indication. Having formatted the card ourselves in the EOS400D, we were able to manage formatting it to 8GB. This again we feel has a lot to do with the Canon camera, as nothing went wrong with the complete 16GB card with photos. Anyway, if you format the card with the camera and you could use only 8GB, make use of MS windows (or whatever OS you have) and remove the partition with the Disk Manager and then the next step will be to create and format a fresh partition for the full 16GB. It is as simple as this!

Warranty:

The Transcend 133X CF Memory Card is covered under a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects and faults, which starts from the original purchase date.

Verdict:

With reasonably good burst rates that enable continuous stream of data with no write-failures or data loss, besides brilliant capacity range, the Transcend is almost a steal at this price. There are lots of cards way quicker than this on sale, however if you are an amateur photographer learning the nuances of the trade, this type of mid-range flash memory should suit your budget. The card which comes in an original Transcend package does everything the manufacturer proclaims and more importantly does it well on all counts.

Transcend 133X Compact Flash Memory Card – Specification Table

Coming to the applications, it can be best made use of in a wide range of digital products including PDAs, digital cameras, Sat Nav Units, MP3/4 players, HD camcorders and digital video recorders that need the highest performance. The high speed memory is ideal for DSLR cameras with Class 10, one of the fastest in the Integral range. Let us focus on some of the key features of the 16GB UltimaPro SDHC Class 10 Memory Card in the following review.

Performance Features:

We decided to review this card as we had previously tested one of the manufacturer’s cards in the order of 2GB capacity in the MMC Plus version viz the Integral 2GB MMC Plus Memory Card, though there were less expensive cards available. First, we tested the Integral 16GB UltimaPro SDHC Class 10 Memory Card (product code: INSDH16G10) with Canon SX30is & Lumix TZ7 and it worked well in both the cameras without any hassle. We were able to capture more than 1000 photos and some movies on them and still had plenty of space left on the card. For instance when we loaded the card into the Canon, it still had space for more 4700 photos. The card worked pretty well with the newest HD digital cameras and camcorders, yet at full HD (1920 x 1080p) and with professional DSLR cameras, it can deliver smooth video capture.

Class 10 Speed:

The class 10 Speed of the Integral INSDH16G10 Memory Card helps fast transfer of data from the SDHC to Mac/PC (making use of card reader), making video and photo editing much more enjoyable and quicker. Also, downloading the files onto the computer proved pretty painless and was completed in minutes. We even used the card on a Nikon D7000. Here, we found that during playback and sometimes on record, the memory card simply locks up and needs ejecting with the camera turning on and off so as to gain access. It does seem to work well on the computer and it is okay with the DSC-HX5 compact and this includes filming HD. We found that most Digital SLR cameras can perform remarkably well when you utilize an Integral UltimaPro SDHC Class 10 in comparison to Class 2, 4, 6 speed SDHC memory cards that are relatively slower.

Transfer speed:

This Integral memory card being class 10 claims a transfer speed of up to 23 MB/s and therefore should be good enough for the camera. On testing the Sandisk Extreme with transfer speed of 30MB/s, it does seem to work well on the Nikon compared to this Integral card.  This Integral SDHC card meets or betters the SD Card Association’s Class 10 specification offering you a continuous write speed of 10MB/s. The transfer speed of 23 MB/s is based on the internal testing.

FAT32 File format:

This Integral 16GB UltimaPro SDHC Card is supported by FAT32 file format and must be formatted to FAT32 and it is always considered a best practise to format the memory card in your device before you use it. But just a word of caution that formatting your card would delete all data and that you should refer to the device manual. The card is compatible with the Windows ME/2000/XP/7 and Mac OS 8/9/X.

USB Card Reader:

The memory card also comes with a USB card reader (code: INSDH16G10R) which is also good and the speed of copy from the Vista PC to this card is fabulous. The card reader is also a handy upgrade for the PC. Our PC had a multi-reader, though it cannot read SDHC cards, only SD. This helped us to make use of the card with any PC and not just our own. With 9 connector pins and power consumption of 2.7V – 3.6V, the memory card comes complete with a free protective case.

Available Capacities:

This memory card is also available in other capacities including 4GB (INSDH4G10) + Card Reader (INSDH4G10R), 8GB (INSDH8G10) + Card Reader (INSDH8G10R) and 32GB (INSDH32G10) + Card Reader (INSDH32G10R).

Package Contents:

• 1 x Integral 16GB UltimaPro SDHC Class 10 Memory Card
• 1 x USB card reader
• Free protective case

Manufacturer Warranty:

With a 5 year warranty provided by the manufacturer, the card is a steal at a price tag of about £17. The card reader is provided a warranty of 2 years.

Conclusion:

Weighing 2g (which is negligible) and measuring 32mm × 24mm × 2.1mm, the Integral UltimaPro SDHC memory card makes sure that all your data is saved faster when you take a picture, therefore there is not much time to wait before you take the next picture and is also great for digital SLR cameras. A bit of testing showed this new Integral card is 10% faster at reading and 25% faster at writing than any of its predecessors.  There will obviously be sample variations with any manufactured product, though this variation especially in the write performance tends to be pretty large to us. Our Transcend card, though three years old and although with constant use in a digicam has proved both fast and reliable for its class.

Integral  UltimaPro 16GB SDHC Memory Card – Technical Specification Table