Sandisk Developing CFast 2.0 Flash Memory Card

SanDisk
Corporation
is developing flash memory cards based on the new CFast2.0 specification
introduced by the CompactFlash Association.

The specification enables
next-generation photo and video applications by delivering up to four
times faster performance than the CompactFlash memory cards currently
used in DSLR cameras and other imaging devices.

"CFast2.0
memory cards will help drive the future of professional photography
and video-recording applications,"
said Shuki Nir, SVP and GM, Retail, SanDisk. "With
the CFast2.0 specification’s unparalleled performance, flash memory
can now enter new markets such as high-definition TV and even cinema
production."

For next-generation
professional video applications
Professional video applications are
growing more powerful, with 2K video enjoying widespread use and
full-frame 4K video already gaining adoption in high-end production
environments. These video applications can produce videos with high
resolutions and large file sizes.

The CFast2.0 specification supports
advanced video applications through higher interface bandwidth and
higher levels of video performance guarantee to meet the requirements
of 2K/4K digital intermediate compressed production environments.

"Professional
photographers, videographers and cinematographers demand increasingly
powerful cameras that help them unleash their creativity,"
said Masaya Maeda, MD and chief executive, Image communication
products operations, Canon. "With
extremely fast performance, CFast2.0 memory cards will enable us to
develop next-generation cameras with more powerful features than are
currently supported by CompactFlash cards."

Cameras are expected to become more
powerful, with the ability to capture images at greater than 40MP
resolution. They will produce photos of unprecedented
quality, and the large file sizes can quickly overwhelm a
CompactFlash memory card’s data-transfer rates and halt shooting. The
CFast2.0 specification features theoretical performance of up to
600MB/sec, four times faster than the highest-performance
CompactFlash memory cards.

The specification delivers fast
speed needed to capture a series of high-resolution photos and
transfer them quickly to a computer, important to professional
photographers whose workflows demand the most efficiency.

"PhaseOne
believes in open standards where many players have access to the
technologies required to create a healthy ecosystem and drive the
future of imaging,"
said Henrik Hîkonsson, CEO, PhaseOne, a medium format camera
manufacturer. "We
intend to integrate CFast2.0 memory cards into our new cameras
because they offer significantly higher recording performance and
faster offload speeds than other memory card formats."

SanDisk is sampling
CFast2.0 memory cards to camera manufacturers as they design and
optimize their next-generation host devices for the new
specification.