Lexar has announced new fourth-generation CF Express media cards that will be initially supported by Sony mirrorless cameras.
The CF Express 4.0 Type A Gold and Type B Diamond cards promise to achieve the fastest read/write speeds on the market, enabling Sony mirrorless cameras to shoot virtually unhindered at the highest possible resolution.
Specs of the Lexar CFE xpress 4.0 Type A Gold and Type B Diamond media cards are spec’d out to reach sustained read/write speeds of 1800 MB/sec and 1650 MB/sec respectively, with a higher-end burst mode of up to 3600 MB/sec.
Image Credit – Lexar Digital
Lexar also states that the cards have received the coveted VPG400 rating from the Compact Flash Association, which the CF Express 4.0 cards easily surpass.
As a rival to Sony in the media market, it’s remarkable that Lexar has been able to reach such a bar before Sony has. This may be due to the camera company’s mirrorless camera development cycle which may not be able to take advantage of that kind of speed immediately.
But in the long run, CFExpress 4.0 cards will most certainly aid in writing videos at 8K and above.
However, it’s likely that now that Lexar has broken the glass ceiling for CFE 4.0, many more media companies will drive in with their own 4.0 spec cards. It’s only a matter of time. So look for Sony cards to appear sooner or later.
It’s also not unreasonable to assume that while the cards were announced to support only Sony cameras, it may be that with a simple firmware update, other cameras will be compatible soon.
Pricing and availability
There is no published MSRP for the CF Express 4.0 Type A Gold and Diamond Type B media cards just yet. Moreover, DIY Photography reports that Lexar will be making the cards available solely in 1 TB capacities for now. The cards are also set to hit the market in the spring or early summer of 2024. So stay tuned as more details come.
Until then, Prograde has approached Lexar’s barometer with 1 TB Type B Gold 4.0 for $399, but with slightly slower read/write speeds. The 1.3 TB Cobalt model is listed at $999. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect that Lexar will price the new 4th gen cards at or above that price point. Only time will tell.
[source: DIYP]
Order Links:
ProGrade Digital 1 TB CF Express 4.0 Type B Gold Memory Card (B&H)
ProGrade Digital 1.3TB CF Express 4.0 Type B Cobalt Memory Card (B&H)
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