The Bottom Line: The SanDisk 512 MB SD Card provides surprising speed and is inexpensive. It also comes from a reputable manufacturer. I highly recommend it.
dkozin's Full Review: SanDisk (SDSDB-512-768) 4x (512 MB) SD Card
I am buying and selling quite a few digital cameras regularly. Sometimes they come as a package with a memory card. This is how I got the SanDisk 512 MB Secure Digital card.
I wanted to sell it without even opening the package first since I already have enough memory cards. But then I started thinking that it might be better than one of my cards (standard speed Kingston 512 MB SD Card (sd/512)). The problem with Kingston 512 standard is the fact that it takes it about 15 seconds to write a 14-MB TIFF files from my Panasonic FZ5 5-Megapixel digital camera, whereas it only takes 3-4 seconds using my other card - a Kigston Elite Pro 512 MB SD card.
Speed
I was unsure of the kind of speed this SanDisk card can provide. I was unable to find the information about its speed on the SanDisk's web site or in product descriptions on web sites that sell them.
There were two possibilities. The more likely one was that the car is pretty slow and the manufacturer does not disclose its speed because people would not buy them knowing how slow the card is. The other, less likely, possibility was that the card is so fast, it would compete with SanDisk's premium lines of memory card that are more expensive but probably offer nothing more that faster speed.
To try out, I put this card to a test in my Panasonic FZ5. For comparison purposes, I used both the standard speed (slow) Kingston 512 MB SD card and the fast Kingston Elite Pro.
When shooting JPEG files (1-2.5 MB each), there was no difference if I was shooting at intervals of about 2 seconds. But if using the burst mode of my camera, there were less delays with either the SanDisk or the Elite Pro than with standard Kingston.
And in TIFF more with file size of 14 MB, the Kingston standard took 15 seconds, the Elite Pro 3-4 and the SanDisk only 4-5 seconds per image.
This means that it is much faster that standard Kingston SD card (rated at up to 1.5 MB/sec write speed) and is close to Elite Pro (rated at 7-8 MB/sec). At least in my camera, this (supposedly standard) SanDisk card delivers write speed of at least 3.5 MB/sec. And since the camera is probably limiting factor, the speeds that can be achieved in a faster-writing camera or a fast USB 2.0 card reader will be even better.
I recently got a card reader (Dazzle 8-in-1 USB 2.0 Hi-Speed) and did some speed tests with this card. It was able to srite a 151 MB of files on it in 55 seconds, which amounts to almost 3 MB/s.
The read speed was even faster (I removed and reinserted the card to make sure the files were not cached). I was able to read 151 MB in 30 seconds, which amounts to 5 MB/s! Pretty good for a non-speed rated card.
Since this card is so much faster than my standard Kingston, I am getting rid of it and keeping this SanDisk card.
Capacity
At 512 MB, the card is not the capacity champion, but it fits about 550 2-Megapixel pictures in Fine mode or 190-200 5-Megapixel pictures in Fine mode. And using TIFF, I can store about 36 14-Megabyte photos.
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.
Pricing
The card sells for about $38-50, which is a good price for such a fast card.
Construction
Just as my previous Kingston SD cards, 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.
Warranty
The card came with 5-year 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). And Nikon D50 (their new digital SLR camera) uses SD cards as well.
Bottom Line
The SanDisk 512 MB SD Card provides surprising speed and is inexpensive. It also comes from a reputable manufacturer. I highly recommend it.
SanDisk 512 MB Secure Digital Card General Features: 512 MB capacity High transfer rate Low power consumption Write protect switch Regulatory Approval...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
512 MB capacity User selectable mechanical write protect switch on the exterior card casing Works with all SD enabled devices Low battery consumption ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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