New Lexar Cards Feel the Need for Speed

October 15, 2015

By Greg Scoblete

If there’s one truism in photography and filmmaking, it’s that files get bigger and cameras get faster. As they do, it’s up to memory cards to keep pace.

Lexar’s newest product launch aims to do just that, with cards targeted at high-resolution camera owners and anyone involved in 4K filmmaking.

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First up is a new 2000x 128GB SDXC card. It’s a UHS II U3-rated card delivering read transfer speeds up to 300MB/s and write speeds up to 260MB/s. It will include a UHS II card reader so you can continue to enjoy high speed transfers when it’s time to transfer images to your desktop.

The card is backwards compatible with older SD slots but will only deliver its top speeds if you camera supports UHS II U3 cards–a rather small list that includes Fuji’s X-T1, Samsung’s NX1, Panasonic’s GH4 and Olympus’ E-M10 Mark II.

The 128GB card includes a copy of Image Rescue software and will set you back $290.

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There’s also a new CFast 2.0 card for use in 4K video cameras like the Blackmagic Ursa and Ursa Mini. The Lexar Professional 3500x CFast 2.0 memory card will replace the Lexar Professional 3400x CFast 2.0 card.

The new card will be available in capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB and provide read transfer speed up to 525MB per second. A copy of Image Rescue software is also included. Look for the new CFast 2.0 cards in November, though they’re available for preorder now starting at $274.

Finally, Lexar has new XQD 2.0 cards as well with a new reader for the company’s Workflow HR2 card reader unit. The XQD format is mostly aimed at broadcast cameras, though Nikon’s D4s also supports it as well. There will two lines of XQD cards–a 2933x with read speeds up to 440MB/s and a 1400x line with speeds up to 210MB/s.