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Flash memory storage solutions specialist SanDisk announced the Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card, designed for professional broadcast, cinematography and professional photography and boasting read speeds of up to 450M bps for improved workflow efficiency and write speeds up to 350M bps for faster recording performance.
The Extreme Pro CFast card is the first to utilize the CFast 2.0 specification, a collaboration between CompactFlash Association members to meet the 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 higher level of performance for professional video and photography cameras. Canon is also a supporter of the CFast 2.0 standard.
Sandisk claims that with the new card, users are able to manage large files faster than ever. For example, a 100GB file takes nearly 20 minutes to transfer from CompactFlash at 90M bps. With the Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory card, it takes only four minutes to transfer at 450M bps, the company said.
The card format is equipped with a durable form factor. The 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 an individual serialization number that can be registered into SanDisk Pro Care Customer Support. Additionally, a lifetime limited warranty and a downloadable offer for a one-year subscription to RescuePro media recovery software are available.
“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,” Dinesh Bahal, vice president of product marketing at SanDisk, said in a statement. “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 Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 memory cards are available in the United States and Europe at select photo specialty stores and at authorized stores in 60GB and 120GB capacities. Also available is the company’s Extreme Pro CFast 2.0 Reader/Writer, a CFast 2.0 memory card reader, designed for professional photographers and videographers in the broadcast, cinema and photography industries. The reader is built to handle the performance demands of CFast 2.0 technology with support for USB 3.0 interface transfer speeds up to 500M bps.
“SanDisk’s new 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,” Stephan Schenk, general manager of ARRI’s camera and DI systems business unit, said in a statement.