Sony announced 32GB and 64GB S Series memory cards supporting the XQD specification which are the fastest ever developed, with read and write speeds of 168 MB/s. The new “S Series” is ideal for professional photographers and join Sony's H Series 16GB and 32GB XQD memory cards.
Sony's S Series cards are based on the XQD memory card specification, which the CompactFlash Association approved and licensed as an open format. A unique controller and optimized flash memory enables high-speed data processing, resulting in faster write speed and performance that surpass the maximum interface speed of CF cards (167 MB/s). Transfer speeds may vary and are dependent on the host device.
“With transfer times up to 30% faster than even the fastest CF cards, the S Series gives new meaning to high-performance digital image capture, more than conventional CF can offer, for pro shooters and advanced photo enthusiasts,” said Viviano Cantu, Director of Consumer Media for Sony Electronics.
Using the S Series XQD memory cards, users can capture up to approximately 108* frames in RAW format in continuous shooting mode. Translating this to real-world shooting, for example, a sports photographer can shoot RAW continuously for an entire 100 meter race without “missing the moment.”
In addition to outstanding high-speed data transfer capability, the new cards are highly reliable to protect users' data and images. XQD users can also shoot with ease knowing their photos and videos are protected thanks to Sony's File Rescue Software, which can help recover photos and videos that may have been accidentally deleted. File Rescue is the only software that can support the latest 3D AVCHD file formats and the newest version (available late summer 2012) now adds more advanced capabilities such as support for RAW stills and MOV files, as well as Full HD 60p video files.
Sony offers a USB 2.0/3.0 compatible XQD card reader (MRW-E80) so users can quickly transfer large quantities of high capacity data to their PC. An XQD ExpressCard Adapter (QDA-EX1) is available for use with computers with an ExpressCard 34 card slot. A new driver for devices with Thunderbolt technology lets users transfer files to Macintosh systems, when using a compatible reader/writer. The driver will be available for download in late July 2012.
Price and Availabililty
* When used with Nikon D4, with capture of compressed 12-bit NEF (RAW) images. Based on Sony testing.
