Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card SD6/4GB Review

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(More customer reviews)
I came here to post my review for the Kingston 8GB Class 6 SDHC Card. Then I realized that several products and reviews had been collected on this page. The Kingston 16 GB SDHC Class 4 Memory Card is also now being sold here. I actually own and use almost all the products listed here except for the 4 GB SDHC card from Kingston. I do have other 4 GB SDHC cards, just not that one. I will try to list as much info as possible to help all those shopping for one of these Kingston memory cards.
The 2 GB, 2 GB Elite Pro, and 2 GB Ultimate Cards
The 2 GB regular SD card from Kingston is pretty comparable to the Sandisk card, which I also own. It's a steady performer at a good price, still only around $10. Just for the sake of clarity, the technical details speed rating of 5 MB/sec read speed and 1.5 MB/sec write speed applies to the basic card. The Elite card is 50x, giving you up to 10 MBs read and 5 MBs write and the Ultimate card basically doubles those numbers.
The only criticism I can list about the basic 2 GB card is that in my Nikon camera I definitely notice the lag after taking pictures. That was the original reason why I stepped up to the Elite Pro and Ultimate Cards. With the Elite Pro I experienced only a mild improvement in the performance, but the Ultimate really gave me a noticeable improvement.
Is it worth it to buy a faster 2 GB card for twice or three times the price? I would actually say "NO" and here's the reason why. 2 GB used to be a lot of storage, but now 8 GB is the benchmark. 16 GB SDHC cards are soon to become common too. Most people who are buying 2 GB cards are doing so because they are basic users or have older devices that can't use larger SDHC cards. For that reason, few people will want to pay the extra cash at the 2 GB size. Get the basic card if you just need the largest compatible card.
My SDHC specific review points
As long as your devices are compatible with the SDHC format, 8 GB is the way to go. Granted 4 GB is a nice size too, but most users who need cards that are SDHC compliant are probably using it for RAW image storage on high end cameras. To me 8 GB capacity on this guy makes it perfect for high capacity storage.
The class 6 speed is the fastest speed available in mass market SDHC cards, meaning that you would have to step up to much more expensive professional rigs to improve upon the speed of this 8 GB card. Class 6 guarantees minimum transfer speeds of 6 MBs, but I've gotten speeds on the order of 20MBs writing and reading! Those are real world numbers I have been able to get. It should be noted that I buy a lot of external hard drives with USB 2.0 speed ratings of 480Mbs that have actual production speeds of less than this guy! That makes this card perfect for professional photographers storing pictures in RAW image formats.
The 8 GB SDHC Class 6 is on par with the Sandisk Extreme III cards that are about $15 more per card on average. If you don't have an SDHC reader, you may opt to get the package with a reader included to download your pics. Sandisk SDSDRX38192 Extreme III SDHC 8GB Card with MicroMate Reader
General SDHC and SD Card Tips
There are a few tips that I've learned the hard way through buying TOO MANY different memory cards.
1. Make sure your device is compatible with the card! Even in regular SD cards, some older electronics aren't compatible with that large of a size (2 GB). In terms of SDHC cards, make sure your camera or other device is SDHC compatible. SDHC is different from regular SD and only newer devices tend to have built-in compatibility
2. Once you install this in your camera or device, you will generally want to format the card with your compatible device's interface. That is because the standard formats for certain devices, particularly Canon, are different from the factory installed format
3. Just like your devices, most computer SD card readers are not compatible with the SDHC format. So use a card reader or download the pictures via USB connection to the camera with the card still installed.
4. For some reason, placing the card in the locked position allows some older laptops to still read it. This is just to be used in a pinch however, and it won't apply to all systems
5. If you did not properly format your card, you may be able to save things to it and then have them "disappear." If this happens to you, make sure you use the software recovery tools BEFORE you try to save anything else to your card. That way, you can retrieve your images without over-writing them.
6. Make sure you know what you are going to use this card for. Once you have set up everything and ensured it's all compatible, you still have to decide on speed. If you are using this for storing RAW images instead of JPEGs or HD video, step up to the faster class 6 speed format if you can afford it.
7. If you are going to pay more for a faster speed, make sure your device can benefit from it. I've read, for example, that Kodak cameras are set to a fixed voltage and cannot go faster than standard speed. So the extra cash spent on Class 4, 5, or 6 is basically wasted.
Conclusion
I've had good luck with all my Kingston memory cards. If you only can go up to 2 GB based on your device limits, save the cash and stick with the basic card. If you can use SDHC, the 8 GB SDHC card is awesome as long as your device is SDHC compatible. An SDHC card reader can be bought separately if your PC doesn't have a compatible slot. Make sure you review your needs; if you have a high capacity camera (10 Megapixels or more) and are storing videos or RAW images, the extra cash for the 8GB card is worth it.
Enjoy!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card SD6/4GB

Kingston Technology's Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC) memory card is designed to meet the storage demands of high-quality digital still and video cameras and other high-resolution image recording devices.With a 4 GB capacity, the SDHC card offers larger-volume data storage and optimized recording performance with support for FAT 32 file formats. With a Class 6 rating, the card delivers a minimum data transfer rate of 6 MB per second for optimum performance with SDHC devices.For added reliability and durability, this solid-state SDHC memory card is built of nonvolatile memory components and has no moving parts that could wear out or break. Although identical in size to today's standard SD card, the new SDHC cards are designed differently and are only recognized by SDHC host devices. To ensure compatibility, look for the SDHC logo on cards and host devices such as cameras and camcorders. Fully compliant with the new Secure Digital Association 2.00 specification, this memory card is backed with a lifetime limited warranty.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1/H 10MP "Exmor R" CMOS Digital Camera with 3-inch Touch-Screen LCD (Grey) Review

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(More customer reviews)It was probably a month or two ago that I saw some press releases on a new point and shoot Sony had coming out, the WX1, which intrigued me. Like a lot of photo enthusiasts, while a DSLR is the weapon of choice, the elusive holy grail seems to be a small point and shoot camera that can slip in your pocket so you can be packing at all times, yet would still take good looking photos that are not so riddled with noise (a problem almost always plaguing point and shoots because of their small sensors) that they look like your tv screen when the test pattern has gone off. As the old adage goes, the best camera is the one you have on you when you need it and a DSLR is a little tough to integrate into your daily accessories.
So in evaluating this camera, perspective is required. This is not the camera you would go to for your best work. It is not the same package of everything you have with your DSLR and collection of lenses shrunk down to something the size of a couple of packs of gum. It is a tiny point and shoot camera that easily slips into your pocket with room to spare that does way better than the average point and shoot. In other words, it's a top performer for the junior varsity but its not ready to hang with the varsity.
Here's the reasons I wanted one:
1. I wanted a small camera I could keep in my pocket for daily use. What a lot of photographers call a "street shooter", something you can pull out and use to grab shots of whatever you happen to run into during your day.
This camera is certainly small. I've seen a few people refer to it as "chunky" and they must consider Ellen Page to be fat. This is tiny. I was surprised at how small the box it came in was, and even more surprised when I found the camera in the small box. My first impression was it wasn't much bigger than one of those old minolta spy cameras. My previous point and shoot camera was the Sony W300, which most people considered slim and stylish, and this camera is smaller in all respects than that. Side by side the WX1 seems slight smaller than the W300, but looking at it alone it looks like a tiny toy camera. I gave the W300 to my wife, and when she caught a view of the WX1 her reaction was "But yours is so much smaller." She was thrilled when I gave her the W300 but now has taken to calling it a hand me down. I went from hero to goat. As they say, size matters.
2. Stealth factor - I wanted a camera that I could sneak into places that don't allow cameras.
You could drop this baby into the front pocket of your levis and still have room for a decent game of pocket pool. I can easily get it, a wallet and even a cell phone all in the front pocket of my jeans. Alone in the pocket, it scarcely makes even a bump that a security guard might notice.
3. Low light capabilities - I dislike using a flash and wanted something that could take good pictures in natural light, and could function well in dark places.
The low light capabilities of this camera are astonishing. The camera can basically see better in the dark then you can. Lots of the pictures I took in dark rooms look way more illuminated in the photos then they were in reality.
Because it seemed to be everything I had been searching for in a point and shoot, I went ahead and ordered this as soon as Amazon had them available. Because they were not yet widely available, there were no hands on reviews by the usual photography sites and blogs. While waiting to get the camera, I would check Amazon every day to see if anyone who had actually used the camera had put up any reviews yet. The initial few reviews were alarming. People who said they wanted to love the camera didn't. The gist of their complaints seemed to be that the camera took good pictures in low light (although a few didn't even agree with that) and crappy pictures in good light. Sample photos that people began posting on Flickr also didn't look too hot. Because of this I regretted ordering the camera so quickly and almost just sent it back to Amazon without even opening the box.
I decided to try it for myself before deciding whether to send it back, and found it to be much better than the initial reviews had painted it (and subsequent reviews on Amazon now seem to be swinging towards the positive).
I do have to agree that a lot of the shots I've taken outdoors in bright sunlight seem a little overexposed and dull, but I've also had this problem with my Canon DSLRs when set on automatic. In any case, I've found that with the WX1, all you have to do is open the photo in Photoshop and click "Auto Contrast" and the problem is instantly corrected. A reviewer on Amazon has also noted that you can get more vivid, warm outdoors photos from the WX1 by using the Program mode and moving the White Balance setting from Auto to Flash. I tried this, and with the White Balance set to Flash the pictures basically look the same out of the camera as they do after I've run them through Photoshop and hit Auto Contrast. Another user mentioned in some of his posts that turning off the DRO in the menu greatly improves outdoor photos.
The argument that most people just want nice looking snapshots right out of the camera and don't want to mess with Photoshop is valid, but those are probably not the people who are going to be interested in this camera anyway. The camera's not cheap and those people would be very happy with the snapshots they could get with an inexpensive entry level point and shoot.
In any event, after a couple of weeks with the camera, my recommendation for everyday daylight shots is not to use the Intelligent Auto mode, but rather put the camera in the "P" or program mode. This will allow you to fix the ISO at 160, which is fine 90% of the time. Decrease the EV setting by .07. Most shots will now come out great. If you want warmer colors put the white balance on Flash, or increase the saturation a little after the fact in Photoshop. As noted above, turning off the DRO also seems to help.
As for claims that the WX1 photos come out noisy, I don't agree. Even the low light pictures don't seem to have a noise problem. This is not to say they are DSLR quality, but they don't look bad at all for a point and shoot.
Other positives:
4. A nice 24mm wide angle lens, which lets you get very close to things and is also great for cramped indoor settings, buildings and landscapes. Speaking of getting close to things, the macro feature springs into gear automatically when you stick the camera within an inch or two of an object.
5. Fast on, little lag time between shots unless you're using the Burst, Panoramic, Anti-Blur or hand held Twilight modes which take a little time to process.
6. HD Video. I never really use this but nice to have in case I ever catch the You Tube bug.
7. Panoramic mode. In this mode simply press the shutter and sweep your arm and the camera creates a panorama all by itself. You don't have to take a bunch of single shots and try to stitch them together later with a photo program. The only drawback is that it sets the exposure for the area you start, which can make it difficult to get a good one in uneven lighting.
8. Battery life seems pretty good.
So what's not to like about this camera?
1. No manual controls.
The W300 had full manual controls, and I wonder why Sony couldn't have included them here and really made this a top of the line point and shoot. Many serious amateur photographers who would otherwise love this camera won't even consider it because it doesn't allow them the ability to manually control aperture, shutter speed, etc. This, along with the lack of RAW capabilities, will probably keep this camera from competing with the Panasonic LX3 and upcoming Canon S90.
As note above, there is a limited work around. Using the Program (as opposed to Automatic) Mode allows you to set the ISO between 160 and 3200, which will force the camera to use a slower or faster shutter speed. You should note that if the DRO is on, you can't use a ISO higher than 800. Turn it off if you want to go higher. You can also put the camera in High ISO mode, which allows for faster shutter speed.
Canon's soon to be released S90 seems to have become the great new hope for shutterbugs longing for a small point and shoot that takes great low light photos instead of the WX1, primarily because it not only also has a fast lens and improved sensor, but also manual controls and raw capabilities.
2. No viewfinder.
I read somewhere this morning that 25% - soon to be a third - of the population are aging baby boomers. If they're anything like me, they have a hard time reading a restaurant menu in dim light, or for that matter anything else a few feet from their face without reading glasses. Translated to small point and shoot cameras, it's almost impossible for an older pair of eyes to clearly see what's on a 2.7 or 3 inch LCD screen on the back of camera, even if bright sun isn't washing out the screen. Most of the time with the WX1 I really can't make out what's on the screen, because to me its all out of focus (the problem is my eyes, not the camera). I just have to sort of aim the camera in the direction I want and estimate the framing and have faith. The W300 had a viewfinder, which was why I bought it. Sure wish this one did too, even if they had to make the camera a little bigger.
3. Mediocre zoom.
The WX1 has a 5x zoom, which would seem to be better than the standard 3x zoom found on a typical point and shoot. In practice, because this camera has such a wide angle lens to start with, zooming out 5x doesn't seem to get you any closer than a 3x zoom on a point and shoot without a wide...Read more›

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The TX1 features a 10.2 megapixel 1/2.4-Inch Exmor R CMOS image sensor that delivers fast speed, high resolution, and twice the low-light sensitivity of traditional CMOS sensors, resulting in outstanding image clarity and drastically reduced noise. Get up close to your subject with the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens featuring a 4x telescopic zoom for distant subjects and Close Focus mode for close-ups up to just under ½-Inch from the subject.

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