About a year after the CompactFlash Association announced the CFast 2.0 draft spec, SanDisk has revealed its new Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card. The first of its kind, SanDisk says read speeds of up to 450MB/s and write speeds of up to 350MB/s make it the world's fastest memory card, period. Speed isn't the only improvement either, as the cards claim a tougher, pinless design and even unique serial numbers that owners can register with customer support. For now however, its use is going to be quite limited. The only camera ready for it at launch is the just-announced Arri Amira, although the Arri XT and Classic (with the XR module) cameras can also use it with an adapter. For those still using traditional CompactFlash storage for their 4K shooting the company is stretching the limits there too, with a new 256GB card that it says has the highest capacity ever. That extra storage will cost you however, with a price of $1,809 for the new 256GB version. There's no word on a price for the CFast 2.0 cards or their USB 3.0-equipped reader, but pro videographers in the US and Europe should be able to find them soon at specialty shops and Arri-authorized locations.
SanDisk Launches World's First CFast 2.0 Memory Card
SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 Memory Card is The World's Fastest Memory Card For High-Performance Professional Photo and Video Capture
AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced the SanDisk Extreme Pro® CFastTM 2.0 memory card, designed for professional broadcast, cinematography and next-generation professional photography.
"These cards will enable new digital solutions for professional filmmakers looking to embrace technologies such as high-quality 4K video, and are another example of SanDisk's innovation and leadership in flash memory storage."
The 120GB1 SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card is the world's fastest memory card, with read speeds of up to 450MB/s2 (3000X) for maximum workflow efficiency and write speeds up to 350MB/s2 (2333X) for faster recording performance. The SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card's industry leading transfer speeds offer up to double the shot speed of today's fastest cards. With the new card, industry professionals are able to manage large files faster than ever. For example, a 100GB file takes nearly 20 minutes to transfer from CompactFlash at 90MB/s. With the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card, it takes only four minutes to transfer at 450MB/s3.
"With the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card, we are enabling a next generation card format to meet the needs of high-end professional cinematographers," said Dinesh Bahal, vice president, product marketing, SanDisk. "These cards will enable new digital solutions for professional filmmakers looking to embrace technologies such as high-quality 4K video, and are another example of SanDisk's innovation and leadership in flash memory storage."
The SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast card is the first to utilize the CFast 2.0 specification. This specification was a collaboration of leading CompactFlash Association members to meet the demanding requirements of professional video and photography applications. Early adopters and endorsers include SanDisk, Canon, ARRI and Codex. The result of this alliance is the CFast 2.0 specification, delivering a new level of performance for next generation professional video and photography cameras.
Leading motion picture equipment manufacturer ARRI, will be the first to implement CFast 2.0 as recording media in a camera. The new documentary-style ARRI AMIRA will record to in-camera CFast 2.0 cards, and ALEXA XT camera users will be able to use a new CFast 2.0 adapter, allowing ALEXA XT cameras, as well as ALEXA Classic cameras upgraded with the XR Module, to do the same. Stephan Schenk, general manager of ARRI's camera and DI systems business unit said, "SanDisk's new SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 cards deliver tremendous performance, allowing professionals to record ProRes 4444 up to 200Fps with AMIRA, and up to 120Fps with ALEXA XT/XR cameras, on cost-effective recording media."
Canon is also a supporter of the CFast 2.0 standard. Masaya Maeda, managing director and chief executive of image communication product operations at Canon said, "With extremely fast performance, CFast 2.0 memory cards will enable us to develop next-generation cameras with more powerful features, enabling future 4K Ultra HD video recording capability."
Durability and Reliability
This new high-performance card format is reliable and equipped with a durable form factor. The SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 cards are created to withstand real-world exposure to temperature, shock and vibration, and include a pinless design, which lessens the chance of damaging the card or camera while changing cards. The cards will also be marked with a unique individual serialization number that can be registered into SanDisk Pro Care Customer Support. Additionally, a lifetime limited warranty4 and a downloadable offer for a one year subscription to RescuePRO® media recovery software5 are available.
Availability
SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory cards are available in the U.S. and Europe at select photo specialty stores and at ARRI authorized storefronts in 60GB and 120GB capacities.
Also available is the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 Reader/Writer, the world's first CFast 2.0 memory card reader, designed for professional photographers and videographers in the broadcast, cinema and photography industries. Small enough for field work, the reader is built to handle the high performance demands of CFast 2.0 technology and increase workflow efficiency with support for USB 3.0 interface transfer speeds up to 500MB/s6.
About SanDisk
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) is a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, from research and development, product design and manufacturing to branding and distribution for commercial and retail channels. Since 1988, SanDisk's innovations in flash memory and storage system technologies have provided customers with new and transformational digital experiences. SanDisk's diverse product portfolio includes flash memory cards and embedded solutions used in smart phones, tablets, digital cameras, camcorders, digital media players and other consumer electronic devices, as well as USB flash drives and solid-state drives (SSD) for the computing market. SanDisk's products are used by consumers and enterprise customers around the world.
SanDisk is a Silicon Valley-based S&P 500 and Fortune 500 company, with more than half its sales outside the United States. For more information, visit www.sandisk.com.
1 120GB: Up to 450MB/s read speed; Up to 350MB/s write speed. 60GB: Up to 450MB/s read speed; up to 225MB/s write speed. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes. X=150KB/s.
2 1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes. Actual user storage less.
3 Approximations; Results will vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors.
4 30 years warranty in Germany, Canada and regions not recognizing lifetime warranty.
5 Registration required; terms and conditions apply.
6 Based on USB 3.0 specification; performance may vary depending on use case and host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.
© 2013 SanDisk Corporation. All rights reserved. SanDisk, CompactFlash, RescuePRO and SanDisk Extreme Pro are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. CFast is a trademark of CompactFlash Association. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder(s).