XQD pleasant surprise!

[arthurking83]

Well it seems that the D4 is the first camera to use this new card format.

And to help the format along, Sony have announced the first models of the new breed, and what's pleasantly surprising, is that they're very reasonably priced!!

While not exactly cheap, considering their eventual potential ... starting at this supposed 125Mb/s read/write speed ... they are comparable to some of the current fastest CF cards performance levels, with the added bonus that they're only going to improve(as cameras and the technology improves.

Engadget report that a 16G version of the Sony brand card will cost about US$129, which I reckon is quite good.
Good in that while it's a lot of money for a stupid little card, this is spanking brand new tech, which traditionally used to cost upward of $1K from the likes of ScamDisk and suchlike.

Extrapolate this current price, with the usual bout of discounting from retailers, and maturity of the technology .. We'll hopefully see hundred Gig cards at a few hundrd dollars, which basically gives SSD's a run for their money .. and we all know how stupidly expensive they are!

I paid $109 for my fast 16G CF card, which is a no name brand card from MSY .. and that was cheep!

So $129 for a 16G card, which is currently as fast as most CF cards, and probably faster in ultimate speed tests .. see DPR's overview of the D4 continuous shooting performance comparison between a CF card and an XQD card.

Sony have marked these cards as the H series, which obviously means that other series will become available, but I'm curious as to how much faster, better, more reliable and what file formats will become available with these cards.


.... see endgadget .... sony-xqd-memory-card

Oh! forgot .. I've been in the market for one more (at least 16G) card for my D300, and hopefully D800(next year), and it seems that Sony are to also produce both a USB3 card reader.... and an adapter, for what Endgaget describe as easy portability. I'm assuming that they mean an XQD to CF card adapter???

I hope so. I'll probably look into getting one.

[gqtuazon]

It's been talked about in the computer manufacturer / gamers forums also. This will be the new format with regards to memory card which is complimented by the USB 3.0. Apple and Windows are still battling the USB 2.0 update. Mac computers have thunderbolt and Windows type has USB 3.0. Both provides super fast transfer rate of data. Sooner or later, Lexar and Sandisk will join in.

[AutumnCurl]

Do you still thing the XQD memory cards will take off?


- 32gb in aust is like $499, once again we are paying so much more..

[I @ M]

Do you still thing the XQD memory cards will take off?

If an XQD card is the only type that fits in your new camera 5 years from now I reckon they will take off.

[arthurking83]

Only a few months after it's announcement Nikon brought out the D4 which has a XQD card slot.

I'm pretty sure that the next generation top end Nikon's (ie. D5) will only have XQD slots.

So, a 32Gig 125Mb/s XQD card currently costs about $500 .. how much is a 125Mb/s 32Gig CF card currently retailing for?
Spot price check on cheapchips shows them at approximately $330 or so.

DPR's performance testing is usually done on a 90Mb/s Sandisk card, and on the D4, the XQD card is on average 20-30% faster in bandwidth .... so the 125Mb/s seems to be quite real.

This is only the beginning of the speed scale for XQD card too. Future video and high megapixel bandwidth requirements will most likely need the XQD card type as it's technology is improved over time.

Considering where the CF format began in speed terms, we can probably expect to eventually see Gb/s speeds from the new format.

[Bennymiata]

As most Nikon DSLR's use Sony sensors, I bet that Sony put some pressure on Nikon to use the new cards.

Otherwise, I'm sure they would have used SD cards instead, as many people would object to having to buy a whole new card system and readers etc.

I'm not saying the XQD cards aren't good, as I'm sure they are quite a big advance from SD's, but their ultimate popularity will be seen when and if Canon and others also pick them up for use in their cameras and other devices.

They may end like Sony memory sticks. Good, but not useful in anything other than a Sony product.

[arthurking83]

Considering where the speed range of SD cards began(as with CF cards) and what speeds they're currently struggling to achieve the new format is the way of the future.

It appears that the current crop of popular cards are nearing the end of their useful tech lifetime.
SD will be around for longer than CF will, as once the speed benefits of XQD are fully realised I'm willing to bet many once CF users would change if given the opportunity.
CF is based on the older PATA inteface, whereas XQD is based on the SATA format.
Current specs have the CF format pushing 167Mb/s(UDMA7), whereas XQD is starting at 125.Mb/s and can be enhanced up to a theoretical 500Mb/s(which I don't doubt will eventually be achievable).

XQD is starting it's speed rating at where CF is basically ending, and my understanding of the card format and the way it reads and writes data, it'll probably have a strong future .. with the probability that prices will come tumbling down, as they have for other card types.
Considering the future that camera/video devices are heading towards .. silly massive Mp figures, HD video will soon turn into SHDV(or whatever) and it's requirement for higher bandwidth capabilities .. etc, etc.

I personally don't care who invented the card type or if they're exclusively used in only one brand of camera .. as long as the format is cheap, reliable and technologically superior to the last format that existed.
From what I remember the format was pushed by both Nikon and Sony, so they may be in cahoots.
Time will tell if other manufacturers come in on the act.

Personally I hate the smaller format cards. I've lost an SD card once. It flicked out of my fingers and behind a desk! This moment wasn't anywhere near as bad as the micro SD card moment. It was fitted into a device with a spring loaded retaining system and trying to get it out once saw the micro fly out of the device and to god-knows-where!!
Took me a good hour to find it, being black, and on a dark carpeted floor at the base of desk even with the hi powered LED torch, I struggled to find it.
Got worried as it was my son's saved game data for his DSi.

[BLWNHR]

Also D4's are coming packaged with a 16gb XQD card and reader until May 24th.

[kneekon]

I am pleasantly surprised with XQD, my main gripe is with Nikon not placing 2 XQD cards in my D4. I would have also liked the card to be larger. I really liked the size of CF cards compared to SD cards, but life moves on and so will I. Copying contents over USB3 is faster compared to my CF cards over USB3.

[MrBling]

I think it'll catch on, CF days are numbered.

All I really know if the XQD card in my D4 certainly keeps up with my use quite well (haven't actually managed to bog it down yet).

[I @ M]

With only one camera on the market that uses them at the moment I assume that the take up rate of usage will be slow for a while and having a quick search on the net reveals some very high prices at a limited number of suppliers.

Comparing the US price from site advertiser B&H with a well known Aus retailer it is hard to see how such a price difference can be justified.

$130.00 USD + delivery is a heck of a lot cheaper than $290.00 AUD for the same 16gb card.

I wonder where all the pros are buying their cards or are they simply using the card supplied with the camera as well as their existing stocks of CF cards?