Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card

slob1 · 3rd May 2007

Hi all,

just had a SD card failure and will like to share my experience with you.

I have a 4 month old Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card. use it on my FZ7.
before the failure I have use it to take about 40 shots and used my computer which is equipped with a SD card reader to download the pictures.
After that, i have left it alone untouched for about 2 months due to busy schedule and business travel. when I use it again a few days back, it failed on the second shot.
I try to read it using my computer but failed as well.

Contacted Kingston for assistance and warranty.

please note the following two warnings, they are from the tech guy in Singapore that does the warranty for Kingston:

1. there is a known issue on the 2GB SD card when use on both camera and computer (supposedly same thing for all other brand names as well). apparently the computer write something into the SD cards and caused the card to be not readable by the camera and might cause the card to malfunction. it is recommended that you use the camera and the USB cable to download the picture rather than directly from the SD slot in your computer.

2. some Kingston cards are parallel imported by some seller in Singapore. the company appointed by Kingston to do the warranty on Kingston's behalf will not honor the warranty if your Kingston card is not bought directly from their reseller. you'll be stuck with no warranty at all.

please do check where you have purchased your Kingston card and check if you are one of those who is not currently covered. contact Kingston Taiwan directly and make a case to ensure that your rights as a customer is covered. Kingston's number is 800 886 1042 (just dial like normal local call).

jmmtn4aj · 3rd May 2007

Use the card reader, then format with the camera?

nikkie · 30th July 2007

have a problem here too... took 177 pics, then downloading stopped in the middle. one file is said to have error (on the PC). but i can still be read on the camera during playback. however it cannot be altered by the camera for filter effects etc.. the file is said 'cannot be processed' by the camera.
i later managed to copy the rest of the files, skipping this one.

this is risky. what if the file w problem is a critical shot.. urghh..
i wonder if other brands of sd cards will have such problems.

Isaiahfortythirtyone · 30th July 2007

i actually emailed kingston tech support once on this issue. they told me that their memory products all have international warranty. so how can it be that convergent doesnt honour the warranty?

mickie · 31st July 2007

Did you format your card everytime you use?

silvergetz · 31st July 2007

Originally Posted by mickie

Did you format your card everytime you use?

Format once in a while is enough, not everytime u use it.

mrbinks76 · 3rd August 2007

Originally Posted by mickie

Did you format your card everytime you use?

I format my card everytime before starting a new series of shots. Better to do that than risk anything.

NeTHaCk · 5th August 2007

Originally Posted by Isaiahfortythirtyone

i actually emailed kingston tech support once on this issue. they told me that their memory products all have international warranty. so how can it be that convergent doesnt honour the warranty?

simple. convergent ISNT the only one who distrubutes kingston products. thats why its much more advisable when u buy a kingston product and has convergent reseller sticker

FilterFunk · 5th August 2007

Ingram Micro is the other distributor, thats the distributor Best Bargain got their Kingston products from.

mickie · 5th August 2007

Originally Posted by mrbinks76

I format my card everytime before starting a new series of shots. Better to do that than risk anything.

Yes, ditto.
It's safer this way.

VSonic06 · 5th August 2007

Do a full format on your PC first, thats what the folks at Convergent said, and it does work wonders. I've done that to my problematic cards (the recent Kingston SD cards) and there hasn't been any bad picture files since. Seems like Kingston don't really zero out the cards in factory anymore.

Formatting in camera isn't really zeroing out the entire card, just writing the FAT directory structure.

3rd May 2007	#1
slob1 New Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 32	Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card Hi all, just had a SD card failure and will like to share my experience with you. I have a 4 month old Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card. use it on my FZ7. before the failure I have use it to take about 40 shots and used my computer which is equipped with a SD card reader to download the pictures. After that, i have left it alone untouched for about 2 months due to busy schedule and business travel. when I use it again a few days back, it failed on the second shot. I try to read it using my computer but failed as well. Contacted Kingston for assistance and warranty. please note the following two warnings, they are from the tech guy in Singapore that does the warranty for Kingston: 1. there is a known issue on the 2GB SD card when use on both camera and computer (supposedly same thing for all other brand names as well). apparently the computer write something into the SD cards and caused the card to be not readable by the camera and might cause the card to malfunction. it is recommended that you use the camera and the USB cable to download the picture rather than directly from the SD slot in your computer. 2. some Kingston cards are parallel imported by some seller in Singapore. the company appointed by Kingston to do the warranty on Kingston's behalf will not honor the warranty if your Kingston card is not bought directly from their reseller. you'll be stuck with no warranty at all. please do check where you have purchased your Kingston card and check if you are one of those who is not currently covered. contact Kingston Taiwan directly and make a case to ensure that your rights as a customer is covered. Kingston's number is 800 886 1042 (just dial like normal local call). Last edited by slob1; 3rd May 2007 at 02:47 PM.

3rd May 2007	#2
jmmtn4aj Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Singapore Posts: 996	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card Use the card reader, then format with the camera? __________________ Zenfolio

30th July 2007	#3
nikkie Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 830	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card have a problem here too... took 177 pics, then downloading stopped in the middle. one file is said to have error (on the PC). but i can still be read on the camera during playback. however it cannot be altered by the camera for filter effects etc.. the file is said 'cannot be processed' by the camera. i later managed to copy the rest of the files, skipping this one. this is risky. what if the file w problem is a critical shot.. urghh.. i wonder if other brands of sd cards will have such problems.

30th July 2007	#4
Isaiahfortythirtyone Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Clementi Posts: 2,470	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card i actually emailed kingston tech support once on this issue. they told me that their memory products all have international warranty. so how can it be that convergent doesnt honour the warranty?

31st July 2007	#5
mickie Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 79	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card Did you format your card everytime you use?

5th August 2007	#9
FilterFunk Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: 卧龙岗 Posts: 2,659	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card Ingram Micro is the other distributor, thats the distributor Best Bargain got their Kingston products from.

5th August 2007	#11
VSonic06 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 808	Re: Warning - Kingston 2GB elite pro SD Card Do a full format on your PC first, thats what the folks at Convergent said, and it does work wonders. I've done that to my problematic cards (the recent Kingston SD cards) and there hasn't been any bad picture files since. Seems like Kingston don't really zero out the cards in factory anymore. Formatting in camera isn't really zeroing out the entire card, just writing the FAT directory structure.