Sony XQD S Memory Card at 168MB/s R/W Speed

Sony Electronics‘s new memory cards supporting the XQD specification are the fastest developed, with read and write speeds of 168MB/s.

The new S Series is for professional photography applications where performance and blazing fast image capture are critical, such as sports and live events.

S Series cards are based on the XQD memory card specification, which the CompactFlash Association approved and licensed as an open format. A controller and optimized flash memory enable high-speed data processing, resulting in faster write speed and performance that surpass the maximum interface speed of CF cards (167MB/s). Transfer speeds may vary and are dependent on the host device.

The cards are available in 32GB and 64GB capacities and expand XQD line, joining the H Series, recognized by the Technical Image Press Association with a 2012 award for Best Imaging Storage Media.

"Professional photographers need to shorten their workflow – the time between shooting, processing and editing," said Viviano Cantu, director of Consumer Media for Sony Electronics. "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."

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.

Using the S Series XQD memory cards, users can capture up to approximately 108 frames in RAW format in continuous shooting mode when used with Nikon D4, with capture of compressed 12-bit NEF (RAW) images (based on Sony testing). 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 fast data transfer capability, the cards are reliable to protect users’ data and images. XQD users can also shoot 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 a software that can support the latest 3D AVCHD file formats and the newest version now adds more advanced capabilities such as support for RAW stills and MOV files, as well as Full HD 60p video files. The software is planned to be available later this summer for free download.

The company offers a USB 2.0/3.0 compatible XQD card reader (model MRW-E80) so users can 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.

S Series XQD memory cards
are available at the following prices:

• QD-S32/T: 32 GB, $259.99
• QD-S64/T: 64 GB, $459.99