Advancement in flash memory technology has been instrumental in designing compact, fast and power-efficient electronic gadgets like PMPs (MP3players), cellphones, small laptops and cameras. Millions of people around the world rely on flash memory cards in these devices to capture, store and share their digital images and other data.
With camera manufacturers cramming tonnes and tonnes of pixels on that tiny sensor chip and image files soaring in size, the need for high capacity, faster and reliable flash memory cards has become an immediate necessity, especially for people using digital SLR cameras.
SanDisk, a leading player in flash memory cards, has recently launched their ?Extreme Pro? CF (Compact Flash) memory cards with upto 90 megabytes per second read/write performance and in capacities ranging from 16 to 64 gigabytes (GB).
Since the ?flash memory? embedded in memory cards determines the maximum read/write speed of the card, data can?t be transferred to the card any faster than the flash memory is capable of accepting it.
Unlike film cameras, when the shutter button is pressed in digital cameras, light hits an image sensor that converts the resultant image into electrical signals. There, within the camera?s body an analog to digital converter switches them into a binary number and that, in turn, creates the image file. In standard digital SLR cameras, this process typically lasts a fraction of a second.
This image file stays in the camera?s internal memory buffer and in continuous shooting mode, this happens in quick succession until the memory buffer is full. Hence, you can?t shoot further until these files are transferred and written on the flash memory card.
SanDisk has developed a good way to offload the internal buffer to the memory card by making these data storage cells within the card, work together for faster execution.
The ?Extreme Pro? CF cards feature a new ?Power Core? Controller that enables lightning-fast read and write speeds of up to 90MB per second over a UDMA-6 bus, almost ?twice? the speed of existing high-end cards.
Large storage capacity and faster read and write speeds means you can shoot many more pictures in less time without running out of space and obviously will spend less time offloading those images on the PC subsequently.
These ?Extreme Pro? cards are also designed to work even in extreme temperatures (minus 25 degree C to plus 85 degree C) and are coated with RTV silicone for added protection against moisture and humidity.
The cards can withstand accidental drops of up to nine feet and carry a lifetime limited warranty.