SimpleTech 256 MB ProX Secure Digital Card (STI-PROXSD/256)

Rating:
Summary: Keeps up with 640x480/30fps movie mode in friend's camera.
Review: I was looking for a fast 256MB SD card to keep up with my friend's new Sanyo J1 camera with VGA/30fps movie mode, and I was tipped-off to this model by a non-Amazon review of another brand SD/256 card where the reviewer mentioned that this (SimpleTech) card kept up with his digital camera's VGA30 mode. I was originally going to recommend the Sandisk Ultra II to my friend, but on seeing so many bad experiences w/that particular 256MB card (this site and others), and seeing as I personally have a 256MB Ultra II card in CompactFlash format which cannot keep up with my own Sanyo MZ3's VGA/30 mode, we opted to go with this SimpleTech 256MB ProX. Opinions aside regarding the drawbacks of the SD format itself, if you have an SD-format camera and need a hi-performance card, this is the one, as it keeps up with the J1 at full bore with no problem, which was a huge relief and a pleasure. And this SimpleTech card is actually (significantly) cheaper than the Ultra II anyway--also has a better warranty & tech support. Card comes with a little plastic clamshell case about the size of a CF type 1 card but with ribs to hold the tinier SD card in place. As the page info says, also features a miniscule switch on the card to write-protect it. Card came pre-formatted, so no need to format in-camera. Most cameras will add their own file structures automatically, so if you stick it in & it works, I recommend you leave in the factory formatting (who knows, they may use a more-optimized cluster size) and only reformat the card if you are having troubles. FYI, doing a high-speed card speed comparison through a USB 1 interface is futile, since these cards are far faster than USB 1's 1MB/sec limit. I see a lot of reviewers mentioning their new fast card doesn't upload any faster through their old card to the computer via their USB 1 card reader, and all I can say is consider the source of such advice. Many digital cameras boast voice record capability superior to handheld cassette recorders, and sound captures an event in a way stills & brief movies can't. And when recording extended sound on large-capacity cards, even with the LCD off, the battery can often run out before the memory is full because of the large drain flash memory creates. Because of that, the lower battery drain of the ProX card is a big plus. I haven't fully verified the low-electricity-drain benefit with the ProX, but I have no reason to doubt it because in my world, SimpleTech has 'delivered the goods' in the other ways I've tested.