I know that the SanDisk Ultra II SDHC 4GB was released a couple of years ago, but that doesn’t mean one can’t pick if off the shelves still. Granted, many people have already moved on to 8GB, 16GB and even 32GB capacities, but if you’re picking up a basic point-and-shoot digital camera these days, 4GB is pretty sufficient at this point in time (for casual users – those who shoot more often will definitely find a larger capacity SDHC memory card more accommodating in more ways than one).
I don’t really like the packaging though, as it comes in those hard-to-open stiff plastic cases that could result in an accidental cut if you’re not careful. Good thing it is compact, but it probably won’t win any points with the environmentalists. Taking a sharp scissors, I managed to vanquish the packaging with not much problem at all, and was rewarded by a beautiful 4GB SDHC memory card and the pearl white microMate USB 2.0 reader.
Using HD Tach, I managed to get a sequential read speed of 10.6MB/s which is pretty decent for a SD class 2 device, while it has a write speed of 9.4MB/s. This ain’t too shabby, and will probably be a great storage solution for digital cameras that support SDHC memory cards and capture images that are 5 megapixel and above (shouldn’t be a problem these days considering the lowest common denominator now stands in the 8 megapixel range). Of course, if you’re using a compact digital camera, chances are the flash recharge times will be much longer than the time required to transfer a snapped image onto the card itself, so don’t blame the card if you miss a shot while waiting for the flash to prep itself during night shots.
I would recommend you getting a faster and larger SanDisk Ultra II SDHC memory card if you’re looking for one to store images, but this is a pretty decent buy if you can get one off bargain bins. It ought to come with a SanDisk MicroMate USB 2.0 reader that has been bundled for free (original recommended retail price of $19.99), which is a nice touch since not everyone has an SDHC memory card reader yet.
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