Transcend Releases New Ultra-fast 4K SDXC UHS-II U3 Cards with 285MB/s Read and 180MB/s Write Speeds2 min read
Reading Time: 2 minutesThese days, 4K cameras are a dime a dozen and seems like a new 4K camera is released just about every other week. In a post IBC 2015 world, where the majority of filmmakers await the arrival of the Blackmagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K and the new Sony PXW-FS5, both of which are due to land before the end of November (especially in the case of the former), it is a good idea to start thinking about basic and vital accessories for such cameras and more like them.
Of course, media cards and batteries come to mind immediately, which are sadly often time overlooked and though of at the last minute before a shoot. There are quite a few manufacturers of SDXC cards in particular ““ Sandisk, Kingston, Lexar and of course, the more budget friendly Transcend. Some camera manufacturers like Sony and Panasonic also make their own SDXC cards.
Although SDXC cards are generally some of the most affordable media for 4K cameras such as the Sony A7r II, the upcoming Panasonic DVX200 or Sony FS5 for example, with prices often between $35-$50 on places like Amazon.com for a decent 64GB card for 4K recording. However, despite the fact they are very cheap, SDXC and SDHC cards are considered not as reliable as other more expensive and faster media ““ such as Panasonic Express P2 cards or Sony SxS Pro+ cards ““ which are the de-facto media cards for higher end 4K cameras like the Varicam 35 or the Sony F55 for example.
These cards cost in upwards of $1,000 depending on capacity and generation, but do offer substantial performance and reliability benefits, such as built-in error correction and longer life cycle compared to consumer recording media such as SDXC. For example, SxS Pro cards are guaranteed by Sony in a way that they’ll recover lost data (in almost 100% of the cases) at no additional cost at an engineering facility in Belgium. In the world of professional broadcast production especially, reliability and performance are key factors, which more often than not influence purchasing decision as to what cameras are to be used on productions.
via: 4K Shooters
Image Credit: Transcend
