Kingston SD4/16GB Class 4 SDHC Secure Digital 16384 MB

With an ever expanding collection of media on my digital camera, and my need to carry vast amounts of this data around with me I had to update my SD memory capacity. In the past I did use (successfully) a number of SD cards to store data on. This was fine, as the 1,2 and 4GB SD cards I own do carry a fair number of images. The problem is that with ever increasing quality of photographic equipment on the market competing for top stop, I soon found myself needing more capacity. I reached a point where I lost track of which SD card contained which file, and in the end I bought the Kingston Technology 16GB SD card. Although it looks like all the other Kingston SD cards I own, the only noticeable difference is the text on the label which says '16GB'. Other than this the card is identical to my smaller capacity cards. 1,2 and 4GB SD cards can be purchased all for under £10. The 16GB version costs a little more, and can be picked up easily for under £25. When you bare in mind the increase in capacity to the other cards this is one vast amount of data!

Along with the purchase of the Kingston Technology 16GB SD card I notice that they now have a new 'Class' rating, where each card falls into either Class 2, Class 4, or Class 6. It is a simple method of ratings, and this card falls into Class 4. what this means is that data transfer speed runs at 4 MB per second, this is the minimum transfer rate! If you are going to be transferring and holding large amounts of data on such a card then the rating is always important, as you don't want to be waiting forever to the transfer to complete. SD cards are very simple to use, whether you are using it in any compatible digital camera, or slotting it into your PC. I am much happier now with transfer rates and the increase in data storage.

The Kingston Technology 16GB SD card is very versatile. I'm not going to suggest it is durable, as this kind of data storage also has risks of corruption with it. The key problem is that the metal plates which connect to your device are exposed, and therefore the SD card can be damaged irreparably. If looked after well this won't be a problem, but I certainly advise you always keep the SD card in a device at all times when you can. Another word of warning with this product is that it is compatible with SDHC devices, and isn't compatible with the standard SD-enabled format of devices or readers. Once inserted into your compatible reader you will find that it is very easy to access data and transfer it using the drag and drop technique.

I find it hard to compare the Kingston Technology 16GB SD card to other brands directly, but as I have had some experience of competitors' smaller capacity SD cards then there can be some comparisons made. Overall I find the increase in capacity to be a huge advantage to myself. Obviously you do pay more money for many times more capacity, but in all honesty if you need this amount of storage then it is much better to buy one large capacity SD card than a number of smaller ones. Kingston Technology is a company I have bought many products from, I think this just goes to show how much I trust their products - not only in their data storage solutions.

If I were to recommend an SD card for those who wish to store large quantities of data then I would find it simple to recommend the Kingston Technology 16GB SD card. I find it fast at transferring data, easy to use (plug and play) and easy on the pocket.