Reliable data storage for DSLR cameras.
Aside from my camera, the most valuable piece of equipment I carry with me into a job is my memory card. The card needs to be compatible with the type of camera you are using as well as the type of media you are shooting. Above all else, the card needs to be reliable. For years now, I’ve relied on SanDisk to provide me with solid storage options when I capture photos. I’ve never had one of their cards fail on me to the point where I couldn’t retrieve data from it. I have had one instance where the physical card broke, but, as I said, I was still able to retrieve the data and SanDisk replaced it right away. Needless to say, when I decided to upgrade my SD card, I got the Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card from SanDisk. It’s been a regular rock star for me and worked seamlessly into my standard workflow.
DETAILS
The Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card is built for maximum performance for faster workflow and burst shooting. The card is designed to allow users to capture cinema-quality 4K/8K video thanks to the V90 and UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) ratings. The card features extremely fast transfer speeds (up to 300 MB/s) as well as fast write speeds up to 260 MB/s. It can handle rapid shots and RAW + JPEG capture. The card comes in three different capacities: 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB. The card is backward compatible with SDHC/SDXC supported host devices. The card measures 2.17mm x 23.91mm x 31.92mm. The card is shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and X-ray proof and the card comes with a RescuePRO Deluxe data recovery software offer.
USER EXPERIENCE
The Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card is a standard size SD card. It comes in a simple SanDisk box. The case of the card is plastic and aside from the label on the card, it doesn’t appear to be any different from other SD cards. The card seems sturdy enough. While its specs state that it’s shockproof, it is not unbreakable. The card is well built, but could still be broken if forced into or out of a card reader, card slot, or even a card case. If you are respectful with your card though, it should last a long time.
Because this is a digital storage device, I ran it through a standard series of tests. The results are listed below.
Test A: Transferred a folder of media (JPG files and some MOV files) from a 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro to the card. The file size of the test file was 2.14GB. The transfer completed in 2 minutes and 27 seconds (147 seconds). Transfer rate 14.5 MB/s.
Test B: Ran Blackmagic Disc Speed Test using 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro. The result was 201.5 MB/s WRITE and 262.7 MB/s READ.
Test C: Ran AJA System Test Lite using 13-inch 2016 MacBook Pro. Used the 4096 x 3112 4K Full resolution, ProRes (HQ) codec with the 16GB test file size. The result was 202 MB/s WRITE and 270 MB/s READ.
After running the tests, I discovered the write speed that the Blackmagic Disc Speed Test and the AJA System Test was on point with the specs provided by SanDisk. The specs also state that the card should have a transfer rate up to 300 MB/s, but I didn’t get that with the test file I used. It is possible that the speeds for the transfer were slowed while testing by the docking station connection (Thunderbolt 3), but since the disk speed tests ended up being in the correct range and it was the exact same interface, I’m not really sure what could have caused the slow down.
CONCLUSION
I’ve been very impressed by the overall perfomance of the Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II Card. It’s easy to use and efficient with data storage. Even though the data transfer test I ran seemed to be below spec, I don’t fault the media for that as I believe it was likely caused by the interface used. SanDisk cards are trustworthy. I’ve never had any truly fail on me. They are budget-friendly and defintely reliable for data storage.
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