Kingston is a highly regarded name in flash and computer memory. As the use of devices requiring flash memory grows at a phenomenal pace, the need for faster and bigger flash memory grows. One area of the market driving up demand for flash memory is digital photography. The digital SLR market in particular has caused a huge increase in Compact Flash sales and production. As digital SLR cameras become more prevalent, the need for faster and bigger Compact Flash Memory units increases.
Kingston has release their latest version of professional speed Compact Flash Memory with the CompactFlash Ultimate 266X Memory card.
These cards are specifically designed for devices that require fast write speeds such as digital SLR cameras. Available in 2, 4 and 8 GB capacities, these cards provide space for hundreds of megapixels of images.
Lets see how the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Card stands against some other Compact Flash cards.
Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Card Review
Reviewed by: Tomas Ratas
Sponsor: Kingston
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Card
CompactFlash Ultimate 266X Faster speed, new look!
Advanced amateurs and professional photographers need Flash memory they can count on for even the most demanding shoots. Thats why Kingston enhanced our CompactFlash Ultimate cards. The newly redesigned Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate offers an amazing minimum sustained write speed rating of 266X, making it our fastest card to support high-end digital cameras and devices. Its designed to deliver superior results with fast data transfer and support for continuous shooting.
With its ultra-fast transfer rates of 45MB/sec. read and 40MB/sec. write, you can capture more continuous, high resolution images in less time with the CompactFlash Ultimate than traditional CompactFlash memory cards. For added peace of mind, CompactFlash Ultimate comes with a bonus download for data recovery software from MediaRECOVER. With MediaRECOVER, you can recover lost or deleted files and restore corrupt files on Windows or Mac systems.
To ensure that Kingston Flash memory solutions are among the performance leaders in their class, Kingston engineers select high-performance controllers as part of each cards design. Each card is 100-percent tested and you can rest assured that every CompactFlash Ultimate card has received a perfect score.
Available in capacities up to 8GB*, CompactFlash Ultimate offers plenty of room for capturing and storing high volumes of images in RAW, JPEG, TIFF and other large file formats. As with all Kingston Flash cards, CompactFlash Ultimate cards are backed by a lifetime warranty, 24/7 live technical support and the legendary reliability that makes Kingston the leader in memory.
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Features/Specifications:
Capacities*: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB
Dimensions: 1.43" x 1.68" x 0.13" (36.4 mm x 42.8 mm x 3.3 mm) CF Type I
Speed Rating** : 45MB/sec read, 40MB/sec write
Recovery Utility: data recovery software download from MediaRECOVER. Windows/Mac compatible
Operating Temperature: 32 F to 140 F (0 C to 60 C
Storage Temperature: -4 F to 185 F (-20 C to 85 C)
Standardized: complies with CompactFlash Association specification standards
Easy: plug-and-play
Economical: auto sleep mode preserves system battery life
Guaranteed: lifetime warranty
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A Better Look at Things
:
If you ever ordered some form of flash memory, this packaging should be very familiar. The Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Card arrives in a clear blister package with the card prominently centered.
The back of the card shows the specifications of the card in several languages.
Once, the package is opened, one finds the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X Card, a plastic CF case and a Instruction Booklet. Once again, this is pretty standard package for a flash memory card.
The card is labeled with a sliver and red sticker with some flower petals seen in the background. The back of the card is a white label with an area for writing.
Besides providing a supper fast Compact Flash Card, Kingston also gives you MediaRECOVER software (http://www.kingston.com/support/downloads/mdr/) which is available for both Macs and Windows platforms. This program normally runs for $29.95 from the MediaRECOVER website. Definitely a nice bonus from Kingston!!!
The inside cardboard sleeve has both the Windows and Mac installation keys on it, so be careful not to discard it before you install these programs.
Installation, Testing and Comparison
For testing, I used the following system:
Gigabyte 965P-DS3 Motherboard
Core 2 Duo E6600
Buffalo Firestix DDR2 2 GB
Kingston Media Reader: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 19-in-1 Reader
The software used to benchmark these CF cards was SiSoftware Sandra Professional Business XI and HD TachRW.
For comparison, in addition to the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Compact Flash Memory Card I used the Sandisk Ultra II 2 GB, along with reference benchmark results from Sandra XI.
As you see on the Removable Storage Benchmark using Sandra Professional Business XI, the Kingston CF Ultimate 266X 4GB ran 11106 operations per minute, while the Sandisk Ultra II 2 GB ran 4028 operations per minute. In comparison, a reference 1 GB CF IBM Microdrive and a 1 GB CF Viking ran 1065 and 304 operations per minute, respectively.
In HD TachRW, the the Kingston 266X 4GB had a consistent burst speed of 31 MB/s, average read speeds of 30 MB/s and average write speeds of 26 MB/s using the quick bench, long bench and full bench options with writing enabled. Having the burst and write speed being equal is critical to capturing fast moving data such as multiple photographic action shots.
The Sandisk Ultra II 2 GB had a consistent burst speed of 11.9 MB/s, average read speeds of 12 MB/s and average write speeds of 9 MB/s.
These Compact Flash cards are marketed towards the Digital SLR camera user, so we tested the Kingston, Sandisk and a Generic CF card using a Canon Rebel XTi (EOS 400D). The Sports Mode was used to test consecutive picture taking and the Auto mode was used to take photos with the flash.
Out of the three cards, the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X was the most responsive card and was never a bottleneck in picture taking process. The Sandisk Ultra II was also up to the task of taking multiple shots without a hiccup. On the other hand, the generic CF card seemed sluggish compared to the other two CF cards.
Summary:
Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4 GB Memory Card is the perfect product for those needing lightning fast digital storage for their tech devices, especially cameras. What sets this Compact Flash Card apart from most other CF cards is its incredibly fast write speeds. Plus, the included MediaRECOVER software is also a nice feature.
So if you have a digital SLR camera and want to capture fast, sequential pictures, then this is the CF card for you!!
DragonSteelMods gives the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Compact Flash Memory Card a 5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.
Pros:
– Fast read/writes
– Works fantastic in DSLR cameras
– Includes MediaRECOVER software for Mac and Windows
Cons:
– Price
I would like to thank Kingston for the chance to review the Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 266X 4GB Memory Card and for their support of DSM.
Also, I would like to personally thank David Leong at Kingston for all his assistance!
Discussion, Questions HERE
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