SDHC CARDS ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SD DEVICES. YOU MUST HAVE A DEVICE THAT SUPPORTS SDHC TO USE SDHC CARDS. SD CARDS ARE NOT THE SAME AS SDHC CARDS.
Numerous incorrect ratings are faulting SDHC cards for not functioning properly. It is very apparent that the buyers are not selecting the correct product for their devices. This problem includes the SD card reader devices - users complain they can access the SDHC cards while the cards are in their device but the card ceases to function in their PC reader.
I fault the Sandisk consortium that agrees on design and standards for SD cards. When the SDHC card was developed the consortium designed it with an identical physical appearance (minus the HC logo) to the standard SD cards - knowing full well that the tech is not reverse compatible. I also fault users for not paying closer attention to their purchases. Most SDHC outer packaging I've seen notes that SDHC cards are not compatible with straight SD devices - different manufacturers just make it more or less prominent on packaging.
Additionally, the primary manner in which SDHC cards are rated, by class, is very misleading. Class (Class 1, Class 2, Class 4, etc) dictates a minimum write speed rather than a range. The SDHC manufacturers tend to omit the actual write speed while advertising the card class - which may be very low or high compared to the indicated class rating. Capacity is the typical consumer focus for many users but there are many interested in actual write-speed performance. This dictates whether or not the card throughput will bottleneck and slow a device - especially important in DSLR cameras and HD cameras where the device will simply slow or stop functioning until the card catches up.
The Class rating system creates unusual situations where cards rated in lower Class can outperform cards in a higher class. Thus the off-brand companies will advertise a 16gb card for a fair margin cheaper than Sandisk or Kingston equivalents. However, the latter (Sandisk & Kingston) products will perform significantly better in use because they both write faster despite similar class ratings. Off-brand SDHC cards are fine so long as the associated device doesn't demand faster performance and the user does not mind suspect quality control.
This PNY product works adequately and can keep up with my Canon 450D/XSi full JPEG burst to about 40 consecutive photos at 1/2000 shutter. RAW format fetches 6-10 consecutive photos on the PNY outpacing my Sandisk Ultra II (Class 2) by about 2-3 photos - expected results. However, the 450D has a limit of 3.5/sec for RAW burst which may now be my limiting factor. I may try the Sandisk Extreme III 30 MB/s at a later date once the price comes down.
Buyers with more demanding devices (such as Canon 50D, 7D, 5D, etc.) may wish to look towards a faster card. PNY Optima 16 GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card P-SDHC16G4-EF
This SD card is for devices which are capable of using the HC standard which greatly increases the speed of read and write operations. If you don' know for sure that your device (camera, pda, etc.) uses that newer standard instead of the older SD card standard, hold off buying it until you know for sure.
That said, it has worked perfectly in my new Panasonic DMC-FX50 digital camera. Four gigabytes is a LOT of storage to have on a tiny card for your camera or other device. It allows me to shoot nearly an hour of VGA quality video from my camera or shoot over one thousand 10 megapixel photographs.
Since we feel we can never have enough storage space for our digital memories, that's fine with me. At this very low price, getting this card from a major manufacturer is a tremendous bargain.
Recommended.
I have a love/hate relationship with PNY. I've always been enamored with their prices, going back to the days of the GeForce4600 Graphics cards (they were one of the first vendors on the shelves). But they must cut some corners as far as QA is concerned. The plastic housing on all three of these 8GB cards have issues when inserting/ejecting from my Canon HF10, PS3 and Wii. The size of the card is slightly larger than the receptacle. I have the same problem with a Transcend SDHC 16GB card. Odds are, both PNY and Transcend purchase from the same OEM.
I have an 8GB SDHC card from SanDisk. I've never had physical size issues with that card.
I have no complaints as far as speed is concerned. Even though the card is branded as a Class 4 card, the HF10 rates it as a Class 6 and sustained transfer rates are in the 12 - 15MB/s range.
I can't speak to reliability. So far, I haven't had any issues with data retention, but then, I don't use these for long term storage. Nor would I ever recommend anyone use this class of flash for **any** long term storage purposes. That's what tape, CDR and DVDR are for.
PNY, although slightly less well known than Kingston or Transcend, makes some very fine SDHC cards. This one is no exception. At 32GB, this card can store an amazing amount of data in a very small package. (Anyone else remember when having a 20gb hard drive in a laptop was considered cutting-edge?) However, there are some things to consider before buying this particular card (or any other 32gb SDHC card).
1. This is NOT an ideal card for a digital SLR like a D80, D90, Rebel XT, etc... That is because it is a class 4 device. The class of a SDHC cards has to do with how fast they read and write files, not how much storage they have. For a digital SLR, you should purchase a class 6 SDHC card most of the time. Class 6 cards will allow you to take 'bursts' of photos and not be limited by the card's capacity to write them. Also class 4 cards are slower reading data, meaning they will take longer to upload files to your computer. Upload speed is convenient, especially when loading large batches of files.
2. This card has far more storage than you need for your digital camera. Unless you like to keep all your photos on a SDHC card and never move them to your computer, there is very little need for more than about 8gb of storage space on a SDHC card. (The possible exception to this is if you have a D700 or other professional SLR that shoots files in the 16-20mb range). If all you intend to use this card for is a digital camera, save yourself a lot of money and buy a PNY 8GB SDHC Card. If you're worried about running out of space on a vacation, buy a few of them.
So what is this card intended for? This card is fantastic for use in a video camcorder capable of writing to an SDHC card. (Check with the manual first to insure that a class 4 card will be fast enough first). It is also perfect as extra storage for an ultra portable computer or net book like the Asus EEE pc. Another great application would be as added storage to a personal media player or MP3 player equipped with a SDHC slot such as the Cowon D2.
That said, this is a fantastic SDHC card with a breathtaking amount of storage. PNY makes quality products (I swear by their computer memory) and I think their SDHC cards are easily as good as more recognizable brands. If you have a need for the space, pull the trigger and get one. You'll be glad you did. - Sd Card - Sdhc - 16 Gb - 16gb Sdhc'
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