Sony XQD S Faster Than Compact Flash

July 2, 2012 | Mark Goldstein | Digital | Comment |

The new Sony XQD S Series memory card is faster than the maximum speed limit of Compact Flash. Offering actual sustained read/write transfer speeds of 168MB/s, XQD surpasses the 167 MB/s maximum interface speed limit of Compact Flash. On the Nikon D4 DSLR, the XQD S Series captures a non-stop burst of 108 RAW frames at 10fps, enough to record the men’s 100m final from start to finish in one burst. The XQD S Series memory card will be available in 64GB capacity from July 2012. A 32GB card will also be available later in 2012.

Sony UK Press Release

XQD™ S Series from Sony outpaces the limits of Compact Flash

Fastest-ever1 memory card with 168MB/s2 read/write speed captures the fastest sporting action

Sports photographers can achieve their best-ever shooting performance this summer with the new XQD™ S Series memory card from Sony.

The high-speed memory card offers the capacity and reliability that’s demanded by professional photo journalists covering sports and other tough shooting assignments.

Offering sustained read/write transfer speeds of 168MB/s (actual speed), the XQD™ S Series outpaces the maximum interface speed limit of Compact Flash (CF) cards (167 MB/s).

Partnered with Nikon’s D4 professional DSLR, the XQD™ S Series effortlessly captures a non-stop burst of 108 RAW frames3 (at 12-bit compressed RAW, approximately 10.5MB file size). At a shooting speed of 10fps, this lets photographers document the men’s 100m sprint final from start to finish in a single, sustained burst of RAW images.

The new card’s blazing transfer speeds also slash PC backup times, boosting workflow for busy journalists and creative professionals facing pressured deadlines. Photo professionals can take full advantage of the card’s unsurpassed transfer speeds, with back-up times slashed by over 30%2 compared with the fastest CF cards. A high-speed driver for the MRW-E80 XQD™ card reader is available now for free download at http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/mrw-e80

Also available, free driver software allows XQD™ memory cards to be used with the latest Thunderbolt™-enabled computers through a compatible card reader.

The card’s high capacity of 64GB makes the XQD™ S Series ideal for storing large volumes of data-heavy RAW files. This makes the card attractive for sports photographers who may be triggering the camera’s shutter remotely and cannot conveniently change media cards.

From August, XQD™ S Series users can also download a free new version of File Rescue, Ver 3.2, software by Sony, allowing recovery of accidentally-deleted photos and videos. It’s the world’s first file recovery utility that now supports the latest AVCHD and 3D5 formats as well as RAW and MOV files. File Rescue software is also available for XQD™ H Series users.

The new XQD™ S Series memory card is available with 64GB capacity from July 2012. A 32GB card will also be available later in 2012 (September/October).

Expanded media choice from Sony
Headed by the TIPA Award-winning4 XQD™ memory card range, the family of media storage solutions from Sony expands with other new products catering for a wide range of users, applications and devices.

The family of microSD cards is ideal for tablets, smartphones and other mobile phones. Supplied with a standard-size SD card adaptor, the range of Class 4 cards now includes a new 16GB capacity model.

The MICROVAULT ‘Style’ range of USB flash drives offers cool, reliable storage. Pink and Green ‘pop’ colour options are now available in capacities up to 16GB.

File Rescue software is also available to registered users of these Sony media products.

For more details, please visit www.sony.co.uk/hub/memory-cards-usb-drives

1 As of June 2012. Based on Sony internal testing as compared to leading industry manufacturers.
2 Based on Sony internal testing. Transfer speeds vary and are dependent on the host device.
3 When used with the Nikon D4, with capture of compressed 12-bit NEF (RAW) images. Based on Sony research.
4 TIPA Awards 2012: Best Imaging Storage Media - Sony XQD™ Memory Cards
5 AVCHD 3D files

Technical specifications: QDS64 – QDS32
Interface PCI Express Gen.1
Transfer speed (Read) 168MB/s *1
Transfer speed (Write) 168MB/s *1
Capacity 64GB 32GB
Usable Capacity 59.4GB 29.5GB
Operating Temperature range -25??65?
Storage Temperature range -40??85?
Weight Approx. 10g
Dimensions (W x D x H) Approx. 29.6 x 3.8 x 38.5 mm
Warranty 5 years
Technical specifications: SR16A4
Speed Class Class4
Capacity 16GB
Usable Capacity 14.4GB
Operating Temperature range -25??85?
Weight Approx. 1g
Dimensions (W x D x H) Approx. 11 x 1 x 15 mm
Warranty 5 years

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