Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC Memory Card

First published on: Friday, 27 June 2008

I bought a Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC memory card for myself on 26th June, 2008 for my Canon XSi / 450D.

Additionally, I’m compiling links to timings, tests, reviews, user opinions and feedback on the Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC Memory Card.

Transcend 8GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
(Photo notes: Nikon D300, Tamron 28-75mm, ISO 400, cropped in Adobe Photoshop CS3)

I was curious to see if the card lived up to the tons of great reviews it’s getting.

Here are some photos of the packaging and what comes in the box.

On the reverse side of the packaging

The Transcend 8GB SDHC card is an Ultra Speed media that can only be used on (compatible with) SDHC devices with SD slot.
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

There’s a clear indication of the website (www.transcendusa.com).
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

Quick Start Guide

Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

What’s interesting to me in this piece of literature is the specifications:


  1. Dimensions, (L x W x H in mm): 34 x 24 x 2.1

  2. Operating Voltage: 2.7V to 3.6V

  3. Operating Temperature: -25? (-13?) to 85? (185?)

  4. Durability: 10,000 insertion / removal cycles

  5. Full compatibility with Secure Digital v2.0 specifications

Speaking of dimensions, here are two side-by-side photos of the Transcend 8GB SDHC next to the SanDisk Ultra II 4.0GB CompactFlash card that I use in the D300. The size difference is pretty obvious.

Top view
Size comparison -- Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6 side-by-side with a SanDisk Ultra II 4.0GB CompactFlash CF memory card

Thickness comparison
Thickness comparison -- Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6 side-by-side with a SanDisk Ultra II 4.0GB CompactFlash CF memory card

Promotional pamphlet for Transcend cards and readers
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

Promotional pamphlet for Transcend T.Sonic MP3 players
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

Here’s the reassuring Transcend Warranty Card
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6

Timings

The figures I’m about to present won’t meet lab test requirements.

The equipment used were:


  1. MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz 15” (2008 model)
    MacBook Pro 2.4 Ghz 15" (2008 model)

  2. Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-port Ultra-Mini Hub (silver) — this was connected to my computer:
    Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-port Ultra-Mini Hub (silver)

  3. Transcend Multi-Card Reader M3 — this was connected to the Belkin USB hub:
    Transcend Multi-Card Reader M3

My Mac continued to run all kinds of programs during the speed test.

I selected a bunch of directories in the iTunes folder which came up to about 3.8 GB in size (find out how I determine the size of multiple selected folders / files), with about 34 folders and 341 mp3 / m4a files.
Size and number of files used for timings test

I copied the files over to the card in the card reader, and then copied them back to the hard disk in my MacBook Pro.

I used the computer’s clock to note the start and end times — nothing fancy.

Here are the results:

SanDisk Ultra II 4.0GB CF card
SanDisk 4GB Ultra II CF card in the Transcend Multi-Card Reader M3
(Photo taken with a Canon XSi / 450D and EF-S 18-55mm IS kit lens)


  1. Write files to the card:
    Start: 10:59:35
    End: 11:11:33
    Time taken: 11 minutes 58 seconds

  2. Read files from the card:
    Start: 11:37:22
    End: 11:44:42
    Time taken: 7 minutes 20 seconds

Transcend 8GB Class 6 SDHC card
Transcend 8GB SDHC Class 6 card in the Transcend Multi-Card Reader M3
(Photo taken with a Nikon D300 plus Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens)


  1. Write files to the card:
    Start: 11:18:00
    End: 11:27:07
    Time taken: 9 minutes 7 seconds

  2. Read files from the card:
    Start: 11:28:30
    End: 11:34:53
    Time taken: 6 minutes 23 seconds

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