Prior to going on vacation, I bought an additional SD memory card for my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2 digital camera. Prior to this, I had only one 512-Mb card - a Kingston 512 SD Card (sd/512), which lets me fit close to 550 photos. The additional memory card I got is Kingston Elite Pro 512 MB SD Card with 65x speed.

Later, I upgraded to a 5-Megapixel camera and started using TIFF mode, in which the camera writes 14-Megabyte files. This is where the speed of this Elite Pro card was evident.

Pricing

I got my SD card online for $50 (shipping and tax included). It is more expensive than the previous card of the same capacity I got ($27), but that card had only 2 Mb/s speed and I didn't want to invest in a card that will slow down my future cameras. Plus, unlike the previous card, there were no rebate hassles involved.

Construction

To see pictures of this card, go to

http://www.review-shop.com/Kingston_SD_512_Elite_Pro/Kingston_SD_512_Elite_Pro_1.html

You can copy and paste the above address into your web browser's address area.

Just as my previous Kingston SD card, this card came with a semi-transparent case made of plastic - a useful item for card storage. The SD card itself seems to be well-built, but, as with any electronic device, I would not recommend to put it in extreme weather conditions or apply strong bending forces to it. I normally keep it in an internal pocket of my camera bag or in the camera itself.

The card has size that is standard for SD cards - 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm.

Write Protection

The card has a mechanical switch that provides write protection. I never use since it is pretty difficult to erase all pictures at once or format the card in my camera accidentally. Also, after I fill one card with photos, I remove it and store in the aforementioned translucent case thereby avoiding the danger of deleting images unintentionally.

While the card is in use, I keep it in my camera most of the time. I use the camera’s USB port to transfer the photos to my computer. I also transfer pictures to my computer as soon as feasible.

Speed

The card provides transfer rates of up to 8.2 MB/s for read operations and up to 7.7 MB/s for writing (about 65x). I have not noticed the difference in speed in comparison with my other card while using it with the old camera, which is rated at 2 MB/s, primarily because the images I took were only about 1 MB each. Even without exploring the card's full potential, the speed was impressive.

But once I switched to a 5-Megpixel Panasonic FZ5 and started using its TIFF mode, in which the files are 14 MB each, I saw a remarkable difference. The difference made me sell my previous card and keep this one.

My previous card required about 15 seconds to write a 14-MB image in my camera, whereas the new card took only 3 seconds!

Capacity

At 512 MB, the card is not the capacity champion, but it fits about 550 2-Megapixel pictures in Fine mode of my camera. Obviously, it is not enough when you travel to such picturesque places as London and around Scotland. Not only you have a lot of places and subjects you want to take pictures of, but you may want to use exposure bracketing in difficult lighting conditions.

I had to recharge my camera's battery several times and brought back more than 700 digital pictures in addition to two rolls of 36 frame film (Fujicolor Superia Reala) and two rolls of 24 frame film shot with two film cameras - Nikon N55 and old Chinon 35EE-II.

There is an advantage to having two 512-MB cards as opposed to having one 1-GB card. If one card breaks (unlikely, but possible), you will still have pictures from the other card and will only loose half of your pictures (on average). You can store the card that is not currently loaded in your camera somewhere more safe, making it less prone to being stolen with your camera. It is also a little easier to copy files from a card when it has less files.

Warranty

The card came with lifetime warranty. Although it is good to have this kind of warranty, I am sure than you will be able to buy 8 Gb card for peanuts in a couple of years from now. And the warranty will not help you if your valuable photos are lost. Therefore, backup is essential. As soon as feasible, I copy my photos to my computer and burn them on CDs or DVD.

Durability

Since the card has no moving parts, I expect high reliability and durability, especially taking into account the fact that I don’t remove it from the camera often. My previous cards, for instance, have no signs of use on the exterior and work as well as new.

Uses

The card can be used in devises that accept Secure Digital cards (e.g. digital still cameras, Panasonic e-wear cameras, MP3 players, PDAs, etc.) Currently, more manufacturers are switching to Secure Digital cards, thereby indicating that SD is superior technology. Even Canon is switching to SD in their PowerShot line (their SD line or Digital Elph cameras and upcoming Canon S2 IS).

Bottom Line

The Kingston Elite Pro 512 MB SD Card is a good and very fast SD card, which will not break the bank. I highly recommend it.



My Reviews of Digital Cameras

Canon:
Canon Powershot S2 IS Digital Camera Review
Canon Powershot S1 IS Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A520 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A510 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S500 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S410 / Digital IXUS 430 Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD400 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review

Panasonic:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ4 4-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ15 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2 Digital Camera with 12x Leica Lens and Optical Image Stabilizer Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1 Digital Camera with Optical Image Stabilizer and 12x Leica Lens Review

Olympus:
Olympus Camedia C-765 4.0-Megapixel Digital Camera with USB and ED Lens Review
Olympus Stylus 410 4-Megapixel All-Weather Digital Camera Review
Olympus Camedia D-580 / C-460 4.0-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Olympus D-565 Zoom Digital 4-Megapixel Camera Review
Olympus D-575 Zoom Digital Camera Review

Sony:
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T33 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T7 Digital Camera Review

Others:
Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Digital Camera Review
Pentax *istD Digital SLR Camera Review



Recommended: Yes