Kingston Action Camera microSD Card Review

By Aidan Moore

Manufacturer: Kingston Technology Co., Ltd.
Product Name: microSD Action Camera UHS-I U3
Model Number: SDCAC/64GB
UPC: 740617251883
Price As Tested: $32.95 (Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Kingston.

After a day of shooting intense action video on your GoPro or drone-mounted camera, nothing would be worse than discovering your video footage has been destroyed because of damage to the microSD card containing the footage.

Action camera recordings take place in wet, dirty and extreme temperature conditions. Clearly there is a need for confidence in the reliability of the SD card recording media, and Kingston Technologies has targeted their new Action Camera SDCAC/64GB microSD card directly at this kind of usage, and thrown in high data rate recording for 4K video as well.

In this article for Benchmark Reviews we’ll look at the construction and performance of the 64GB version of the Kingston SDCAC microSD and see how it performs with speed benchmark and environmental testing.

• Incredible performance to capture all life’s experiences
• Just the right size form factor
• Rugged enough to go wherever life takes you
• 16GB-64GB capacities – enough to capture your entire adventure

Source:Kingston.com web site:

• Capacities: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
• Performance: 90MB/s read and 45MB/s write, UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3)
• microSD dimensions: 11mm x 15mm x 1mm
• SD Adapter Dimensions: 24mm x 32mm x 2.1mm
• Format: FAT32 (microSDHC 16GB-32GB), exFAT (64GB)
• Operating Temperatures: -25º C to 85º C
• Storage Temperatures: -40º C to 85º C
• Voltage: 3.3V
• Warranty: Lifetime

The form factor of a microSD card is tiny: think the size of your baby finger nail, so it is initially difficult to identify any features of this card that would qualify it as a rugged device. The card is rigid and the edges appear to be sealed and beveled, which is a step up from the stamped out edges of unsealed microSD cards.

A fully sealed card would be expected as Kingston specifies the SDCAC card as being waterproof at up to one meter depth for 30 minutes.

The Kingston SDCAC microSD card is also specified as being shock proof and x-ray proof, which should add to your confidence in the integrity of the images and data stored on this card. Add an operating range from -25C to 85C and the microSD card in your rig can be quickly eliminated as a potential target of environmental damage.

After a full day of using the Kingston SDCAC card in an outdoor video shoot, it is clear that the card can handle heavy use without stress or damage. The card appears to be well sealed against moisture, and after multiple insert and extract cycles the card feels solid and maintains error-free connectivity.

A card this size might seem like an unusual product to market as “rugged”, yet it is it’s small size that is most likely to cause the card to end up in a harsh environment. If the card slips out of the camera or carrying case, it becomes a nearly invisible scrap of plastic that could easily end up being washed and dried while in the pocket of your favourite jeans or jacket.

The Kingston SDCAC/64GB is rated at UHS-I U3 (Ultra High-Speed Bus, Speed Class 3) and is specified at 90MB/s read and 45MB/s write capability.

The SD Association defines three types of SD speed classifications, “Speed Class”, “UHS Speed Class” and “Video Speed Class.” A device with a “Speed Class” or “UHS Speed Class” rating basically guarantees that there is a minimum write data rate to ensure that video or audio recording can be performed without risk of a transfer glitch caused by a sudden slowing down of the data rate.

An SD card with a Speed Class rating is marked with Class 2, 4, 6 and 10 corresponding to the minimum write speed in MB/s. Note that the data rates for SD cards is in megabytes per second as opposed to megabits per second.

Cards with a UHS Speed Class rating are marked with U1 and U3 corresponding to a write speed of 10 or 30MB/s respectively. Finally, video Speed Class is marked with V6,V10,V30,V60,V90 again identifying the write data rate in terms of MB/s.

Testing the Kingston SDCAC/64GB microSD with CrystalDiskMark shows that the manufacturer’s claims are pretty much right on target, with the initial write speed coming in well above target.

The BlackMagicDesign Disk Speed Test is intended to stress SSD and other digital media with video data rates used in professional video cameras. The Kingston disk benchmark below shows fast read and write performance, and confirms the card is capable of recording 4K video files at the lower 30fps range.

The Kingston SDCAC microSD was easy to work with during a somewhat messy outdoor video shoot. At no time was I concerned about the elevated temperatures in the GoPro while recording at 4K resolution. Analysis of the captured data showed no dropped frames, which is consistent with the high write speed of the device.

As of October 2016, the Kingston SDCAC/64GB microSD cost $32.95 (Amazon). At this price it is very competitive with other less rugged cards with similar read and write specifications.

There is a huge selection of microSD cards available. Kingston alone offers several variations of the same capacity microSD card with different temperature and environmental specifications. Having a card that features an extra robust design will appeal to users who are recording extreme sports events, and the waterproof specification makes it ideal for boating and beach activities.

The Kingston SDCAC microSD is an excellent choice as robust storage media for activities that take place in harsh and wet environments.

The performance of the Kingston SDCAC microSD is in line with the manufacturer’s specification, and the measured write speed was actually higher than specified. If you have to select one critical specification of a microSD card, it would be the write speed, as this determines the quality of the data recorded on the media.

The white color of the Kingston SDCAC microSD should help with its visibility if dropped, and although the card has a generic appearance, the blue on white lettering should make it easy to locate in a pile of microSD cards.

Construction of the Kingston SDCAC microSD lives up to the rugged claim, although given the card size constraints there is not much room for innovation here.

The functionality of the Kingston SDCAC microSD is right on the manufacturer’s specifications. A fast access rate and solid construction make for one less component to worry about during an outdoor video shoot.

At the current listed price ( Amazon), the Kingston SDCAC microSD is priced comparably to other less robust microSD cards, and represents a great value considering the extra peace of mind provided by the rugged construction .There is a huge selection microSDs on the market with similar speeds, but the Kingston SDCAC microSD seems to have found a unique niche in this crowded space.
+ Very good read and write speeds
+ Exceptionally robust construction
+ Waterproof
+ X-Ray proof

– Nothing notable

• Presentation: 9.00
• Appearance: 9.00
• Construction:9.50
• Functionality: 8.75
• Value: 8.75

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.