Sony announces first XQD card availability

Sony has announced pricing for new memory card format

Sony is the first manufacturer to offer the new XQD memory card format.

The format, which was announced at the end of 2011, is set to rival Compact Flash in pro-end cameras, offering unrivalled fast read and write speeds of 125MB/sec.

Nikon's D4 pro DSLR, which was also announced today, will be the first DSLR to use the new format, with the camera boasting dual slots for both XQD and more traditional Compact Flash formats.

Sony claims that the new memory cards are able to store up to 100 frames when shooting in raw during continuous shooting mode.

Initially, the cards will be available in two sizes, 16GB and 32GB. A USB 3.0 card reader will also be available.

Prices

Getting hold of the new format won't be cheap. The 16GB card has a listing price of around $129.99 (c. £83), with the higher format 32GB coming in at $229 (c. £147). The USB reader will set you back $44.99 (c. £28).

By comparison, 32GB CompactFlash cards can be picked up for as little as £35, but of course as with any new technology, prices are likely to drop as time progresses and the format gets more widely adopted by other manufacturers.

Several other companies, including Canon and Panasonic have expressed an interest in supporting the new format.

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.