Lexar has announced two new additions to its professional line: a relatively affordable CFexpress Type A “Silver” series card and a new “Gold” series microSDXC UHS-II card.
The CFexpress Type A card is undoubtedly the most interesting of the new cards for enthusiasts and professional photographers. It is an interesting card in part because it has Video Performance Guarantee 200 (VPG200) certification rather than the faster VPG400 certification, which is available in Lexar’s Gold Series CFexpress Type A card.
It is worth drilling down on this because it is very relevant to the utility of the new CFe Type A card for different users. VPG200 means the card is certified to deliver a sustained write speed of 200 MB/s, whereas a VPG400 card guarantees double that. The sustained performance is also promised across the entire capacity of the card, which is vital for users who intend, or may, fill up the whole card on a job.
VPG200 or 400 is noticeably below the maximum read speeds of cards, including Lexar’s new Silver Series CFexpress Type A card, which promises maximum write speeds of up to 700 MB/s. Lexar also says that the card offers sustained write speeds of 600 MB/s, although, of course, it is only certified for VPG200 and not the faster VPG400 standard.
The card is guaranteed not to drop frames for video recording with bit rates under 200 MB/s. That promise may also hold for higher bit rates per Lexar, but it cannot be assured.
Due to this VPG200 certification, Lexar’s newest CFexpress Type A card is best suited to photography applications, even high-speed burst shooting. Essentially, there is no photography application that will exceed the Lexar Silver card’s performance.
The card should also work well for many video applications, such as relatively lightweight 4K and higher resolution recording. However, the most demanding video applications with heavy-duty files will outstrip the VPG200 certification. In its press release, Lexar specifically cites compatibility with Sony’s Alpha and FX-series cameras.
The Lexar CFexpress Type A Silver Series card is available to order now and starts at $190 for the 160GB version, while the larger 320GB card is $380. The Gold Series version is currently on sale for $316 for the 160GB version, and the 320GB one is $480.
Compared to other CFexpress Type A cards, the recent Exascend Essential Series card costs $160 for the 120GB version and is also VPG200 certified. Compared to competing VPG400 cards, like the Sony Tough 160GB card, currently on sale for $348, VPG200 cards like Lexar’s new product are a relative bargain.
The new Lexar Professional Gold microSDXC UHS-II promises transfer speeds up to 75% faster than UHS-I cards and has maximum read speeds up to 280 MB/s. The card has a V60 rating, ensuring it can record extended 4K video without dropping frames, and has max write speeds of up to 180 MB/s. The microSDXC cards start at $40 for 128GB, and the 256 version is $75.
“We know that for our professional users time is money,” says Joey Lopez, Director of Marketing at Lexar. “That is why we design our professional cards not only with the superior performance to capture stunning images and video, but also with the read speeds to transfer files in a flash, ensuring an accelerated workflow.”
Image credits: Lexar