As professionals, we take great pride in our equipment and the fact that we have the best tools. We spend countless hours testing and investing in the right cameras, making sure we pick and pack the perfect lenses for the job.
So with all the time and investment we’ve spent on our setup, the last thing we want to do is let our gear (and ourselves) down with low-performance memory cards.
Sometimes it’s just a mistake; all memory cards are basically the same, so it doesn’t matter, right? Other times it’s a matter of budget; it’s more important to buy a slightly better lens or a nicer camera bag, right? And perhaps sometimes we get carried away by a bargain; this card is super cheap so i can get two for the price of one more expensive one so doesn’t that make more sense?
(Image credit: OWC)
The truth is that your memory card is the single most important part of your setup. It’s more important than the lens on the front of your camera, or even the camera itself. After all, if your card can’t keep up with what you’re shooting (or can’t deliver the speed you need to discharge), then it doesn’t matter how good your glass is or how brilliant your body is.
Worse still, nothing is more devastating than losing your data after an important project because the card you purchased was not designed with quality and reliability in mind.
You should put as much time, care and investment into choosing memory cards as you do into any other part of your setup – because all cards not created equal. Just like you need a professional camera to do professional work, you also need a professional memory card.
What to pay attention to
Look for reliable cards from reputable names. Companies like OWC – a memory card manufacturer that has been in business for over 35 years – have not only proven themselves in the industry, they also offer reliable customer support and after-sales service to provide peace of mind. In the case of OWC, this also means a worry-free three-year limited warranty.
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Of course, speed is critical with your cards, especially with the increasingly demanding workflows of high-resolution RAW photos and high bitrate 4K, 6K and 8K video. So you have to pay attention to much more than just capacity, because not all cards can keep up with this data-intensive imaging!
The most common CFexpress form factor among professional cameras is the Type B card, which delivers the fastest possible speeds – twice as fast as its little brother, CFexpress Type A. Be sure to look for write and read speeds of approximately 3,000 MB and 3,650 MB. respectively, like OWC’s Atlas Pro or Ultra CFexpress Type B cards.
(Image credit: OWC)
Crucially, these cards not only comply with existing CFexpress 1.0 and 2.0 standards, but also with the latest CFexpress 4.0 requirements. While there are no cameras yet that support the specification, investing in a 4.0-compatible card will future-proof your workflow – and allow you to immediately benefit from faster offload speeds when using compatible readers (such as the OWC Atlas CFexpress 4.0 Type B reader, with a speed of up to 5000 MB/s).
Professional filmmakers within the Sony ecosystem require CFexpress Type A memory cards. Here you should ensure that you achieve speeds of around 1,700 MB/s for writing and 1,850 MB/s for reading. More importantly, make sure your card is VPG200 certified, as only these cards can unlock the highest settings allowed in Sony’s Alpha, FX and FR7 cameras.
OWC has also taken a unique step in building an ecosystem around its memory cards and readers, through an application called Innergize. This free software allows you to check the status of your cards and clear their factory conditions to maximize their performance. It also allows you to upgrade your card’s firmware for faster performance or better compatibility with new cameras.
Ultimately, there’s no point in having a powerful camera if you don’t have a powerful and reliable memory card. So take your time, do your homework, and make sure you choose a card that gives your camera (and your work) the credit it deserves.
Digital Camera World created this content as part of a paid partnership with OWC. The content of this article is completely independent and reflects solely the editorial opinion of Digital Camera World.
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