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Sony Unveils World's Fastest SD Card (amateurphotographer.co.uk)

Posted by BeauHD on from the there's-a-new-sheriff-in-town dept.

At CP+2017, Sony announced the SF-G UHS-II SD card that features read and write speeds of 300MB/s and 299 MB/s, respectively, which makes it the fastest SD card in the world. Amateur Photographer reports: Available in 32GB, 64GB or 128GB from March 2017, all versions of the cards are compatible with Sony's free file rescue software, for recovering lost content. Pricing has yet to be revealed. Alongside the SF-G series, Sony has also introduced a new memory card reader, the MRW-S1, due for release in April. It features an in-built SuperSpeed USB port for cable-free PC connection, so that your files can be copied faster than by using the slower SD slot on a PC. [From the press release:] "'As the continuous shooting of higher-resolution images and adoption of 4K video with DSLR and mirrorless camera increases, the inherent need for larger, faster and more reliable cards becomes apparent. Thanks to the SF-G series, we continue to show our commitment to providing a full range of extremely high performance media devices to professional photographers and enthusiasts, maximizing their camera performances,' said Romain Rousseau, European Product Marketing Manager."

48 comments

  1. 300 read vs 299 write by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This really bothers me.

    Up your game, Sony.

  2. Hidden extras? by namgge · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Does it include a root kit?

    1. Re: Hidden extras? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Damn in, I wanted to be the first person to ask.

    2. Re:Hidden extras? by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 1

      Just to be sure, I'll wait for the Memory Stick PRO Duo version...

      --
      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    3. Re:Hidden extras? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      that's why the write speed is slower. there's stuff going the *other way* using the rest of the available throughput that they don't want you knowing about.

      but fuck, their marketing people should be fired. everybody knows to round shit like this up. that 299 noted is inexcusable.

  3. All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Sony has also introduced a new memory card reader, the MRW-S1, due for release in April. It features an in-built SuperSpeed USB port for cable-free PC connection, so that your files can be copied faster than by using the slower SD slot on a PC

    I seem to recall an awful lot of Apple Haters whining about a certain new MacBook Pro that had dropped the built in SD reader...

    You just keep on using your slow vestigial reader while us MacBook Pro owners stay at the forefront of technological advance.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because built-in SD slots get jealous when you feel like connecting a faster reader.

      It's not a marriage, dude, we get to choose - speed or convenience. But I'm sure your reality bubble will find a reason to like having no options when you forgot to bring your dongle bag along.

    2. Re:All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless it's Type-C you'll need an adapter. But then you're probably pretty used to that aren't you?

    3. Re:All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      >I seem to recall an awful lot of Apple Haters whining about a certain new MacBook Pro that had dropped the built in SD reader...

      You just keep on using your slow vestigial reader while us MacBook Pro owners stay at the forefront of technological advance.

      You'll only get that if you buy the Sony card, though. So you have no choice in hardware vendor now.
      But I guess you're used to that. /smirk

    4. Re:All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      I seem to recall an awful lot of Apple Haters whining about a certain new MacBook Pro that had dropped the built in SD reader...

      We were complaining about the lack of UHS-II support for about five years before they dropped it. Apple dropping it rather than updating it wasn't the first snub, but rather the last straw.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    5. Re:All you Apple Haters can bite my shiny metal SD by scdeimos · · Score: 1

      Of course what Sony means by the MRW-S1 being "cable-free" is that it's a big-ass USB dongle that will probably block any ports situated either side of the USB port you choose to plug it into, REF: http://www.sony.jp/rec-media/p...

  4. Will it work in a Raspberry Pi? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    One huge drawback to using a Pi as a desktop replacement is read/write access time. If this SD can change that, I might consider it.

    Oh wait - I have boycotted Sony for life (3 Rootkits, George Hotz, PS3 Other OS, etc...)!

    1. Re:Will it work in a Raspberry Pi? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cool story, one-pump chump. I'm sure Sony executives are fraught with fright at your pronouncement.

    2. Re:Will it work in a Raspberry Pi? by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      It will work in a Raspberry Pi, but the Pi doesn't have the required contacts to support UHS-II, so it won't benefit from the extra bus bandwidth. And it doesn't even support UHS-I fully (max speed is 100 MHz instead of 200 MHz) because you apparently can't put the SoC into 1.8V signalling mode (or so I've read). So you'll presumably benefit from improvements to random access time from the faster microcontroller on the SD card, but you won't get the full speed benefit.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  5. SuperSpeed USB port for cable-free PC connection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is that an internal card reader or what?

  6. Free file recovery software by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Recover files that you lost at 300MB/s. Very reassuring.

  7. Raid? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So does this mean a capture device configured to have 4 such devices can capture 8K at 120 FPS and 23K at 60 FPS?

  8. vita memory card by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Now if only they could start selling PS Vita memory cards as big as 128GB... The biggest one at the moment is 64.

  9. Micro SD format? by danceswithtrees · · Score: 1

    As easy as micro-SDs are to lose, I would like to see this in a format that would work with a Raspberry PI 3. Pricing? I'm hoping its not "if you have to ask..."

    1. Re:Micro SD format? by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Actually, seeing SD and Sony brings to mind a question - did they discontinue the memory stick? Yeah, I've lived under a rock as far as Sony goes, but I really haven't been following them. I remember back in the day when every Sony camera or camcorder had a memory stick

    2. Re:Micro SD format? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As nice as fast SD cards sound I consider this as non-existing until someone other than Sony have an alternative.
      They kept distributing rootkits even after a court told them they couldn't do that and they got away with a slap on the wrist both times.
      My home is Sony-free and I intend to keep it that way.

    3. Re:Micro SD format? by dave420 · · Score: 2

      In the time you spent writing that question you could have answered it yourself.

  10. What about random read performance? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    For some reason, a lot of uSD cards have poor random read performance. For those of us trying to use them as a root volume for a tiny computer, this is extremely relevant.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re: What about random read performance? by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      As bad as their random-read performance is, their random-WRITE performance is usually much, MUCH worse. And almost none do their own wear-leveling, so a Linux swapfile can literally max out the lifetime writes of a microSD card in 1-3 months (because the multi-million stat assumes well-distributed block erasures & writes... if you're scrubbing away at the same few blocks, you'll wear it out in a FRACTION of the rated write-life. That's why AOSP Android ROMs (generally) won't allow you to create a swap partition on internal flash... you could ruin the entire phone.

    2. Re: What about random read performance? by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      this is why I got a Pine A64+... cheapest thing with 2GB RAM. It makes a pretty snazzy Linux server. I don't actually care about the anemic GPU. I'm not even using the video output.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    3. Re: What about random read performance? by KiloByte · · Score: 3, Informative

      As bad as their random-read performance is, their random-WRITE performance is usually much, MUCH worse.

      You get a massive speed increase if you switch to a better filesystem: btrfs or f2fs.

      git reset --hard: 3m45s btrfs, 3m55s f2fs, 12m30s ext4, 16-18m xfs (huge variance)
      "./configure && make -j4 && make test" of a shit package with only ~2MB of persistent writes: f2fs 95s, btrfs 97s, xfs 120s, ext4 122s

      (class-4 card in a Pine64)

      And almost none do their own wear-leveling, so a Linux swapfile can literally max out the lifetime writes of a microSD card in 1-3 months

      Not SD but eMMC: Samsung's fancy-schmancy eMMC cards are apparently made by someone no one told about the write endurance problem: I've been running Debian archive rebuilds and other I/O-heavy loads since early 2013 on a 64GB card ($89) in an Odroid-U2, and despite me heavily overcommitting memory (ie, heavy swapping a lot of the time), the card is still going strong.

      --
      The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    4. Re: What about random read performance? by Miamicanes · · Score: 1

      > You get a massive speed increase if you switch to a better filesystem:
      > btrfs or f2fs.

      For the record, no stock Android kernel I'm aware of allows you to use anything besides FAT, FAT32, or exFAT on a microSD card since sometime between Jellybean and KitKat (some custom kernels restore that capability), for reasons known only to Google. :-(

    5. Re: What about random read performance? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm using ext4 on cyanogenmod

  11. Is capacity next? by John.Banister · · Score: 1

    The BlackMagic Production camera needs 265 MB/s for it's 30 fps 4000 x 2160 CinemaDNG RAW recording mode, which means it would fill the big card in less than 10 minutes. How can we make amazing quality home movies of our children if we have to fiddle with changing cards every 10 minutes?

    1. Re:Is capacity next? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Re "if we have to fiddle with changing cards every 10 minutes?"
      Buy a pro video camera with a 1TB hard drive or consider a consumer product with h264 or 265 support.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  12. David Manning says "But wait, there's more!" by jbn-o · · Score: 1

    Not just a rootkit, there's also another new patent-encumbered format you don't really need for doing something you'd be better off doing another way, and proprietary firmware that will take away advertised features at some as-yet unannounced date. David Manning says it's "this year's hottest new star!" but I think you'll BE MOVED to consider other options.

    --
    Digital Citizen
  13. Still they are miffed by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1

    They tried with betamax, with some strange micro DVD, memory stick. They are sad they have to work on some industry standard.

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Still they are miffed by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What's your gripe about betamax?

  14. capacity by whoozwah · · Score: 1

    I see semi frequent headlines about how they're making SD cards faster and faster. Where's the capacity progress? I want terabyte and up microSD cards.

    1. Re:capacity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      First of all FUCK OFF SONY!! NOBODY WANTS YOUR STUPID PROPRIETARY FORMAT GARBAGE!!! Second, at current read/write speeds it would take far too long to copy anywhere close to 1 TB of data! If you really need that capacity, buy a USB 1Tb SSD. There was a 1TB flash drive a year or two ago...last time I looked it was priced at about $1500.00...

    2. Re:capacity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most of the time you don't copy the whole 1 TB in one go - high capacity frisbee storage devices exist. You accumulate it over time and access only small bits of it at a time. Having 1 TB on your keychain shouldn't be that weird. Losing 1 TB from your keychain would be embarrassing though.

    3. Re:capacity by whoozwah · · Score: 1

      I want it for my phone. I can't use a USB drive on my phone.

    4. Re:capacity by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      These things keep on progressing usually following moors law like growth. As others have pointed out 1TB ones are available but they are expensive. My rule is that I will pay about $20 for a flash card or thumb drive which means now I can get a 64GB uSD card for just under $20, a 64GB USB 3.0 thumb drive for about $16, or a 64 GB USB OTG drive for about $20. Some time in the next 16 months I should be able to get 128 GB drives at those price points, and in 18 months after that 256GB drives. If I wanted I could get a 256GB USB 3.0 thumb drive now for about $55 or a 128GB uSD card for about $40. So give it a few more years (3-5 would be a good guess) and the miracle of smart engineers will deliver what you want at a reasonable price.

      --
      Time to offend someone
  15. Re:SuperSpeed USB port for cable-free PC connectio by scdeimos · · Score: 1

    Given your two options, it's a "what"... it's a fat dongle. REF: http://www.sony.jp/rec-media/p...

  16. proprietary Sony? by unixisc · · Score: 1

    Proprietary format? For Sony, this was their Memory stick, but this story is about them coming out w/ an SD card, which would then have to mean a card compliant w/ the SD standard. Also, I think it will be a while before you can have TB capacities on thumb drives., let alone micro SDs

    1. Re:proprietary Sony? by MrL0G1C · · Score: 1

      Also, I think it will be a while before you can have TB capacities on thumb drives

      Been around for a while already. Since at least 2013 actually.

      --
      Waterfox - a Firefox fork with legacy extension support, security updates and better privacy by default.
  17. Re:Hidden extras? Does it include a root kit? by grep+-v+'.*'+* · · Score: 1

    Yes, the one that you can find.

    As for the other one -- we'll, there's only one, so never mind.

    --
    If the universe is someone's simulation -- does that mean the stars are just stuck pixels?
  18. Sony == Pure Scum by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stop feeding this HORRIBLE ENTITY.

  19. compatible with Sony's free file rescue software? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What the heck does "compatible with Sony's free file rescue software" in non-marketdroid speech?

    Not that I'm gonna buy Sony, they are up there on my No-Buy list, right next to Microsoft, Apple and a couple of others. But a translation into human-readable tech-speak would be still welcome.