SDHC UHS Speed Class 3 cards for 4K

arum

I am using the card reader on my lenovo w520. I agree that there may be some compatibility issue. This is the second time I test a card that should go over 45MB/s and does not (but the other one did not even reach 30MB/s). I'll see if I can get a sandisk 95/90 or 80 and see if the issue lies on my hardware.

RRRR

Anyone has an idea if these cards will perform well on a bmpcc?

RRRoger

I have the new 64GB Kingston class 3 SD card and it works fine in my GH3 Can't wait to see if it is up to GH4 4k output.

I am surprised that the SanDisk 280MBs cards do not have an advertised sustained write speed faster than a 80MBs Kingston card.

Perhaps someone will do a real world performance test instead of the standard "up to"? ie. My Porsche will go up to 1,000MPH (if dropped from outer space orbit).

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Transcend has announced the launch of SDXC/SDHC UHS-I cards featuring full support for the Ultra High Speed Class 3 (U3) specification.

Capable of reaching read and write speeds of up to 95MB/s and 85MB/s, Transcend’s SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards provide the performance necessary to harness the full power of UHS U3-compliant digital recording equipment.

Recently released by the SD Association, the Ultra High Speed Class 3 specification guarantees a minimum constant write speed of 30MB/s to facilitate cinema-quality video recording. Transcend’s SDXC UHS-I U3 and SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X “Extreme” cards, however, can achieve at least double this performance with write speeds of up to 60MB/s and 85MB/s respectively.

In devices that do not support the UHS-I specification, Transcend’s SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3 cards offer constant write speeds of at least 10MB/s (SD Speed Class 10 performance), which makes them perfect for Full HD video recording as well as fast-action consecutive shooting.

Featuring capacities ranging from 32GB to an enormous 128GB, Transcend's UHS-I U3 memory cards are fully equipped to handle the increased capacity requirements of professional photography and filmmaking. For instance, the 128GB SDXC UHS-I U3 card can store more than 20,000 high-resolution JPEG images (12 megapixel camera, 6MB file size), over 8,500 RAW images (based on 14MB file size), or a full 8 hours of 4K Ultra High-Definition footage (4096x2160 35Mb/s H.264 AVC compression).

The SDXC UHS-I U3 cards are available in 64GB (US$49) and 128GB (US$109) capacities, while the SDXC/SDHC UHS-I U3X cards are available in 32GB (US$59) and 64GB (US$119) capacities.

mrbill

Wow. Cheap as chips. Fingers crossed the transcends are good in the GH4

mpgxsvcd

@Vitaliy_Kiselev

It all depends on specific cards, but Sandisk is known as best option usually.

Try telling that to GoPro.

mpgxsvcd

It looks like the “Standard”(Not Extreme 60 MB write speed) versions of the Transcend cards are shipping now. My 64 GB card should be here on Thursday.

I didn’t get the 128 GB version because the battery won’t last that long. I don’t mind swapping out the memory card at that the same time as the battery. I will buy several of these 64 GB cards if they work in the GH4 ok.

You can get a 128 GB 600x Transcend card for $95 that theoretically should work in the GH4 as well. I will get one of those when the GH4 ships just to try it.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EH5US4W/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3GAGRWZRDL55J&coliid=IUUX09GNAFWIP&psc=1

AdamT

I got one of the Kingston 64GB U3 cards and I had the feeling that files were transferring much faster over my USB3 card reader. Just did a comparison to my Transcend 32GB Class 10 card and found that copying a 1.3GB file from my desktop to the card is almost 7X faster with the Kingston card (21s vs. 1m 20s). Going the other way the speed increase seems about the same.

aldolega

I try to stay with SanDisk because I've read that they are one of the only companies that actually make their own cards/memory, and it seems to me like they would pawn the stuff that fails QC off on the other brands they supply memory/cards for. Maybe this is true, maybe not, but to me, it seems silly to skimp on cards to save a few bucks when I've spent thousands on everything else.

AdamT

FYI, Kingston is one of the biggest RAM manufacturers in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston_Technology

mpgxsvcd

@aldolega

GoPro recently put Sandisk on their blacklist. Basically GoPro publicly stated that Sandisk cards don’t write at their stated data rates. GoPro put out firmware that dumbs the camera down if a Sandisk card is inserted.

Basically any of these companies can make bad cards including Sandisk. The best way to handle it is to not overspend on the cards and buy several of them instead. Any card can fail at any given moment no matter how much you spent on it.

Be prepared to switch out cards at a moment’s notice and also be prepared to lose footage. Limiting the impact of those losses is what will be the best option.

mpgxsvcd

I got the Transcend card today. It works as advertised. Plenty fast enough for GH4 and dirt cheap.

joe1946

My UPS guy just delivered my Transcend 128GB UHS-1 SDXC Memory Card (Speed Class 3) from B&H today so now I wait for my GH4 from them. https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/13761583664_a89cb2f40b_b.jpg

Vitaliy_Kiselev

Extending its industry leadership in memory card solutions, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., a committed leader that collaborates with technology companies to create breakthrough designs, has introduced the world’s fastest microSD memory cards. The new cards are the first in the industry to comply with the UHS-II interface standard, the ultra high speed serial bus interface defined in the SD Memory Card Standard Ver. 4.20. Available in 32GB and 64GB capacities, Toshiba’s new microSD memory cards offer the fastest transfer rates available, are UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) enabled, and allow high-quality 4K video capture at constant minimum write speeds of 30MB/s. This means that 4K2K video, live broadcast and content can be recorded on high-performance cameras.

The 64GB cards offer a maximum read speed of 260MB/s and a maximum write speed of 240MB/s. The 32GB cards have a maximum read speed of 145MB/s and maximum write speed of 130MB/s, which represents an 8x write speed improvement and 2.7x read speed improvement when compared to Toshiba’s current 32GB microSD UHS-I cards (5). These faster transfer speeds reduce the time required to download large data movie and music files to smart phones and tablets, and enable camera users to shoot high resolution digital still images in a continuous high speed shooting mode.

karl

I wonder whether the microcontrollers in those new fast SD cards will at some point have enough computing power to allow for funky hacks like "let the SD card merge some images written in succession" (as in focus stacking or alike).

Here's an interesting article on hacking SD card controllers.

kellar42

I'm a little confused by all of this...Amazon seems to think the extreme pro Sandisks I already have will work, but there is a new Sandisk linked to here which cannot but immediately shipped from anywhere that seems very powerful. I bought a kingston that is the recommended accessory just to have an option in case what I have doesn't work. If anyone has a link to a sure thing top of the line that is shipping NOW, please let me know.

mrbill

@kellar42 - shipping to where?

kellar42

I use a Florida address to get things to Panama, so the U.S.

kevin_kirchman

@mpgxsvcd You got the transcend working in a GH4 (both 4k and 200mbps 1080p) or just in theory it should work?

aaronchicago

@mpgxsvcd I'm wondering the same thing about the 128gb Transcend card. I guess you'll find out in a couple of days huh?

Vitaliy_Kiselev

ADATA Launches SDXC UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3) Memory Cards

Supports 4K Ultra HD Video Capture

ADATA™ Technology, a leading manufacturer of high-performance DRAM modules and NAND Flash application products, announces the launch of XPG and Premier Pro series SDXC UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3) memory cards. Compared to the UHS-I U1, write speeds are increased by 750% and 500%, respectively. Both series are designed to support the latest UHS-I U3 specifications, enabling the cards to capture professional grade high-quality images as well as smoothly transfer large files without any time gaps.

As demand for ultra-fine quality video continues to increase, the 1920 × 1080 pixel resolution of Full HD in the past has quickly evolved into the 4K Ultra HD high resolution standard (3840 × 2160). High-quality video recording creates larger files which require more disk space, presenting challenges to the operation and load bearing capacity of recording equipment and storage media. ADATA XPG and Premier Pro SDXC UHS-I U3 are specifically tailored to 4K2K ultra-high definition devices, and deliver outstanding speeds of up to 95/85 MB/s and 95/60 MB/s, respectively. The SDXC UHS-I U3 cards are ideal for burst mode photography and high resolution videos to capture each fantastic moment with the utmost precision.

According to the SD Association, the UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3) must achieve a minimum write speed of 30MB per second and support UHS-I U3 photographic equipment specifications to deliver optimal capacity. ADATA XPG and Premier Pro series SDXC memory cards are based on the UHS-I U3 standard and provide users with next-level performance. ADATA SDXC UHS-I U3 cards have been tested under extreme conditions, and come with a lifetime warranty. The XPG series provides 64GB of storage capacity and the Premier Pro series is available in both 64GB and 128GB.