SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 Card Announced

SanDisk has announced the first CFast 2.0 compact flash memory card in the world.  SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card read speeds up to 450MB/s and write speeds of up to 350MB/s.

SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card will be available in two versions 60GB and 120GB. Both of them will offer the same reading speeds of up to 450MB/s and writing speeds of up to 350MB/s.

As a competitor to the Nikon-backed XQD standard, this first CFast 2.0 card is introduced alongside with an ARRI AMIRA documentary-style camera that records to internal CFast 2.0 cards. Some Canon’s 4K video-capable cameras will support this CFast 2.0 card.

SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 card available over the following days in the US and Europe. Pricing yet unknown.

SanDisk Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 Card

Press Release:

IBC, AMSTERDAM, Sept. 13, 2013 – 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.

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.

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.