Lexar and AFA's new Elite Legend Series of storage devices, including Lexar Air Portable SSDs and

Serious pro photographers might be interested in the SL500 Portable SSD Elite Legends Series combines read speeds of up to 2000MB/s and write speeds of up to 1800MB/s

Looking for something lighter and prepared to compromise on the speed? Lexar also has you covered with the 512GB or 1TB Air series of the even more portable SSD, which transfers files over USB 3.2 at a slightly more sedate 400 MB/s.

Lexar has also taken the opportunity to launch a co-branded

The problem for me, of course, as an Englishman, is that I'm not especially fond of the so-called talents of the Argentina Number 10 from forty years hence as celebrated by this design.

It is, of course, the famous Diego Maradona and so far as I'm concerned his most famous goal was the "Hand of God" goal scored in the 1986 World Cup in which England ended up losing to Argentina 2-1.

Not unreasonably, the idea of a goal assisted in its path by the hand – somewhat obvious from the video replay – isn't really something which impressed my fellow countrymen (and in 1986 it was only 20 years since England had last won a World Cup, so it didn't even seem impossible at the time).

There are many photographers who might like this device, however.

Scottish football fans have long rejoiced in England's bad luck, for a start!

Lexar has released special editions of three of its portable storage products. Created in partnership with the Argentine Football Association (AFA), the new Elite Legends Series of products reflects Lexar's status of official partner to the Argentine National Football Team. Consequently each product is finished in the same distinctive blue-and-white color scheme as the 2026 Argentinian national football strip. The tie-in is said to celebrate a "shared commitment to performance, resilience, and excellence under pressure".

The Elite Legends Series of special edition Lexar products is comprised of:

SL500 Portable SSD Elite Legends Series

This is a re-liveried version of Lexar's existing SL500 portable SSD. Consequently it's capable of the same rapid 2000MB/s max read and 1800MB/s peak write speeds, achieved via a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. Lexar has managed to squeeze all this performance into a slim metal body just 7.8mm thick and 43g in weight. The SL500 is compatible with Windows, Mac and Android devices, and it can also be connected directly to an iPhone for use when shooting video, with native support for Apple Pro Res recording. Choose between 1TB or 2TB capacities, though right now only the former is available to buy, priced at $259.99.

Air Portable SSD Elite Legends Series

The Air is Lexar's lightest, most travel-friendly portable SSD. It tips the scales at a barely believable 19g, and is also impressively compact, measuring 50.7mm x 70.7mm x 9.3mm. Yet despite the crash diet, Lexar has somehow made the Air tough enough to survive a 2-meter drop. Transfer speeds aren't going to break any records, as the Air is 'only' rated for speeds up to 390MB/s read and 400MB/s write, but who really cares when it's now available in the eye-catching Elite Legends Series livery? One capacity option is available - 512GB - costing $149.99.

Dual Drive D500 Elite Legends Series

The third and final device in the new Elite Legends Series is a USB flash drive, rather than a portable SSD like the other two devices in the range. Again, it's a re-skin rather than a technically new product, this time being based on the existing Jump Drive Dual Drive D500. The signature feature of the Dual Drive D500 is its USB-A and USB-C connectors, positioned at each end of the drive, with a reversible cover able to rotate to protect the connector not currently in use. Expect transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, and when used in conjunction with the Lexar App, the drive will automatically back up mobile photos, videos, and even iPhone Live Photos. Currently only a 128GB capacity priced at $54.99 is available in Elite Legends Series spec, though the regular Dual Drive D500 can also be had in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB options.

Last month I travelled to China as part of a small group of European journalists on an exclusive press trip hosted by Lexar – the storage brand behind some of the most widely used memory cards and SSDs in photography, now owned by Longsys and this year celebrating its 30th anniversary. Over the course of nearly a week, we were given extensive access to the company's operations. But the moment I keep coming back to didn't happen in a factory or a lab. It happened in a press conference room, prompted by a question that had nothing to do with speeds, capacities or market share.

A fellow journalist was thinking about a physical photograph she owned: her great-grandparents' wedding, printed on paper, more than a century old and still entirely legible. She wanted to know whether her own photographs would be accessible to her great-grandchildren. Whether Lexar was thinking about storage technologies built for genuine longevity. The engineers in the room gave her an answer she probably wasn't expecting.

The back story

First, some context. On the second day of the trip, we'd been taken to the Memory Museum; a small but carefully assembled exhibition within the Zhongshan Storage Industrial Park that traces the history of flash memory from its earliest commercial incarnations to the present. It was actually more fun and interesting than you might imagine.

CompactFlash cards the size of small biscuits. USB drives that look like props from a 1950s sci-fi film. The first Lexar products, sitting behind glass like ancient artefacts. It's the kind of display designed to make you feel the pace of progress. But it also prompted a startling thought.

All of those early formats are, for practical purposes, unreadable now. Not because the data degraded, but because the interfaces to access it no longer exist in any mainstream device. The cards themselves might be perfectly intact. But the photographs on them are simply inaccessible without hardware that no one makes any more.

That's one kind of digital preservation problem. The question raised in that press conference pointed to a different and perhaps more immediate one.

The technical challenge

The NAND flash used in virtually all consumer memory cards today comes in several varieties, distinguished by how many bits of data are stored in each memory cell. The most common types in current consumer products – TLC (triple-level cell) and QLC (quad-level cell) flash – offer more storage at lower cost than older formats, which is why they dominate the market. But they carry a big limitation that doesn't feature prominently in any product's marketing material: when left unpowered, they can begin to lose data within as little as one year.

The mechanism is worth understanding briefly. Flash memory stores data as electrical charges in tiny cells. Yet those charges are not permanent: they leak away slowly over time, like air from a tyre. While a card is connected to a powered device, its firmware can monitor the charge levels and top them up before they fall below the threshold needed to read the data correctly. When a card is in use, this happens automatically. When a card is sitting in a drawer, it doesn't happen at all.

SLC (single-level cell) flash, which stores one bit per cell and is far more robust, extends that window to around a decade under good conditions. But virtually no consumer product uses SLC flash throughout, because the cost and capacity trade-offs make it commercially unworkable.

I sat in that press conference room and absorbed the implication of what was being said. The cards in your camera bag, the drives on your desk, the microSD sitting in your drone's slot right now? All of them are on a clock that you may never have thought to look at.

Risk to the archive

The engineers were careful to contextualise this, though. In normal use (cards regularly connected to cameras, computers, and phones) the firmware does its job and the risk is low. The problem is specifically with archival storage: cards or drives that are left unpowered for extended periods because their contents are considered finished and safe. That is precisely the use case that most photographers would describe as "backing up"... and it's the one where flash memory is most vulnerable.

Lexar said, though, it was developing a direct response to this: a physical device designed to periodically refresh the data on stored cards and drives, re-writing it before the charge levels can degrade to the point of data loss. You would connect your archived media to this device every few months, or perhaps set it to run automatically, and it would cycle through everything stored on it, effectively resetting the retention clock.

No release date or pricing was given: I get the sense they're a long way off this. But the fact that a company of Lexar's scale is building such a product tells you something about how seriously the engineering teams take the underlying risk.

Key takeaway

Walking through the Memory Museum really helped me get my head around this. Those old cards aren't just inaccessible because the interfaces changed. Some of them, if they were left on a shelf long enough, may simply no longer contain what they used to. The data didn't go anywhere dramatic. It just slowly stopped being there.

The photo of someone's great-grandparents, printed on paper and stored in a shoebox, will almost certainly outlast any flash drive currently on the market. Not because it's higher technology, but because it doesn't need power to remain legible. Analogue media degrades, certainly, but it degrades passively and predictably and slowly. Digital storage requires active maintenance to stay intact, and most of us have been treating it as though it doesn't.

The practical upshot? Treat memory cards as working storage rather than archival storage. Copy your files to at least two separate locations, and make sure at least one of those locations is connected to power and actively maintained. If you do keep data on flash media long-term, plug those cards or drives into a computer periodically, even just for a few hours, to give the firmware a chance to do its job.

If Lexar's data refresh device makes it to market, it would make this process significantly more straightforward. Until then, the responsibility falls on the photographer. In short, your great-grandchildren's ability to see your work may depend less on the quality of your camera than on whether you remembered to plug in your hard drive.

Have you noticed that the price of microSD cards and CFexpress cards hasn't been falling at the rate you might expect, or that the same budget that bought you 256GB a year ago now stretches only to 128GB? Well, there's a reason for it. And it's not manufacturing problems, or shipping disruptions, or any of the usual suspects. It's artificial intelligence.

I got a fresh insight into this recently, as part of a small group of European journalists on an exclusive trip to explore Lexar's Chinese operations first-hand (factories, labs, the lot), in the week the company marked its 30th anniversary. 

The access was genuine and the hospitality generous. But the most useful conversation of the whole trip wasn't in any of the polished presentation rooms. It came during a press conference, when I asked Lexar's representatives about memory card pricing, and why it isn't going the way anyone buying camera storage would like.

Back story

First, some background. Since around the middle of last year, the major NAND flash manufacturers have been reallocating production capacity away from consumer storage and toward the kind of high-density, high-endurance memory that AI infrastructure demands. Data centres, AI accelerators and the systems that run large language models eat enormous quantities of flash memory – and they pay more for it. The result is a squeeze on the supply available for cameras, drones, phones, and everything else the rest of us use.

Sitting in that briefing room, listening to Lexar's representatives field questions about European market share and product roadmaps, I pushed on this point directly. The answer I got was not what I expected from a corporate press event. "We have to accept that this situation could be long term," one rep said, "because the industry has been shifted to a new era." 

So let's be clear. Lexar doesn't see this as a temporary inconvenience to be managed through clever supply chain work. It's a structural change: one the company itself has to navigate because that's simply the world we're living in.

The centre of gravity has shifted

The downstream effect on buyers is tangible and already here. Twelve months ago, 256GB was the default sweet spot for microSD: the capacity most consumers bought without thinking too hard about it, whether for a DJI drone, an Insta360 action camera or a compact mirrorless. Lexar's figures suggest that centre of gravity has now shifted to 128GB, pushed down by rising prices that have quietly eroded the value proposition at the higher capacities. There's even renewed interest in 64GB from some distributors, and in bundling scenarios, 32GB; capacities that felt almost nostalgically small just a couple of years ago.

The position Lexar finds itself in is somewhat ironic. The company discontinued its 32GB and 64GB microSD cards some time ago, reasonably anticipating that demand would keep moving upward. Reintroducing those capacities quickly isn't straightforward. "We have thought about changing 256 back to 128," their representative told me. "We're ready for that. But 32 is a difficulty for us due to resource shortages."

Crucially, though, the response to the squeeze – which became clear across multiple conversations during the trip – is not to expand production and flood the market with lower-cost cards. It's to focus on where constrained supply can be put to best use: products that offer the strongest value proposition rather than simply the highest or lowest price point.

This has produced some genuinely interesting results. The world's first 2TB microSD Express card is one. A new range of AI-optimised storage products, which I saw demonstrated at the Zhongshan Innovation R&D lab, is another. But this does mean that affordable high-capacity cards are not the priority they once were. And I have to be honest, I get it.

Walking the production floors at Zhongshan and later visiting the packaging and testing facility at Longforce's Suzhou site (a joint venture between Longsys and Taiwanese semiconductor company PTI), the sheer complexity of modern flash memory production becomes viscerally apparent. These are not factories that can simply turn a dial to produce more of one thing and less of another. The retooling required to shift production priorities takes months, not days.

For photographers, the practical implication is this: the decade-long trend of flash storage getting cheaper every year has stalled, and the reasons are structural rather than cyclical. If you're planning to stock up on cards, the current moment is unlikely to look expensive in retrospect. And if you've been waiting for prices to fall before upgrading your storage, the industry's own representatives are quietly telling you not to hold your breath.

I just looked at the price of memory cards on Amazon and well, that was a very fast way to ruin my day. Experts have previously forewarned that the rise of generative AI would increase demand for storage – and based on the prices of everything from external SSDs to memory cards, photographers are already beginning to see the effects.

When browsing through memory cards gave me a serious case of sticker shock, I turned to an Amazon price tracker to see just how much the price of several favorite memory card brands has changed over the past few months. A 256GB UHS-II SD card from SanDisk costs about $100 more right now than it did a year ago. Lexar’s 256GB UHS-I Silver is about twice its average cost right now.

Even a budget 256GB UHS-I from SanDisk costs twice as much as the average right now. Smaller cards aren’t immune either – like Lexar’s 256GB UHS-II microSD card from the gold series that averages around $59, but is currently $135.

The unusually high prices aren’t just in the US – which may also be impacted by tariff changes as well as AI. A SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro UHS-II card that averages about £52 at Amazon UK is at its highest ever price of £119.19 right now.

The price change doesn’t seem to be even across every brand or format. This Lexar CFexpress card is only a little higher than its $160 average, though that’s more than twice its Black Friday price.

Memory cards aren't the only storage format affected, either – the price of external hard drives has also risen, and the DRAM crisis is also expected to affect the price of devices like laptops and smartphones. The high demand for DRAM could potentially also impact cameras themselves – Canon recently told investors that two-thirds of the estimated ¥6 to 7 billion predicted DRAM cost increase for 2026 is for the imaging division.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the increasing cost of memory cards right now is that the culprit is something that many photographers are already frustrated with: artificial intelligence. Adding the rising cost of SD cards to take real pictures with real cameras is like delivering a knock-out punch to someone who is already writhing on the ground. Creators are already fighting to keep their images out of training data, worrying about the rising cost of software, and stressing about keeping the work coming in in the age of AI.

There’s never a good time for prices to increase, but the rising cost of memory cards and external hard drives comes at a time when both megapixel counts and burst speeds are increasing. Cameras with 100MP are no longer hard to find, and the burst speed for still photos is now rivaling that of video frame rates. (Videographers, are you okay right now?!?)

That means cameras are filling memory cards both with larger files and more images at a time when those cards are becoming rapidly more expensive – all thanks to a technology that wants to compete with photography using copyrighted images scraped from the internet.

Whenever a creator is looking at a gear purchase, factoring the cost of accessories should be part of that decision – and that’s especially true with memory cards right now.

If memory card prices continue in the same direction, the memory crisis may, like film photography, serve as a reminder for quality over quantity – because leaving your camera on burst mode and storing a backlog of extra images is rapidly becoming quite expensive.

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Browse the best memory cards or the best CFexpress cards.

After teasing its new TouchLock Portable SSD at the 2026 CES trade show, Lexar has officially launched this new portable SSD with next-generation security features.

The TouchLock's signature feature is its dual-layer security system. This combines one-touch NFC authentication with 128-bit AES hardware encryption. Using a smartphone as the key, you can tap to unlock the drive, only after which will it become visible to the host device and the drive's contents de-encrypted. This contact-free method of unlocking eliminates any need for remembering a password or code.

Lexar has also designed the TouchLock to be MagSafe-compatible. It'll snap securely to an iPhone, conveniently supplementing its internal storage when shooting video. The slimline exterior ensures the drive will slip easily into any kit bag, yet this is still a tough device, capable of withstanding drops from up to 2 meters.

The TouchLock Portable SSD is rated at 450MB/s read and 420MB/s write speeds. It will be available in 512GB and 1TB capacities, priced at $84.99/£59.99 and $139.99/£99.99, respectively. A 2TB version is also said to be on the way.

Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD with Hub

The Lexar Professional Go has been available for around a year now, but it lines up alongside the TouchLock as another compelling portable SSD option for iPhone cinematography and videography.

At roughly the size of a thumb, the Go Portable SSD is considerably smaller than most portable SSDs, yet it still offers 1TB or 2TB of capacity, while also matching the thickness of recent iPhone Pro models. It supports direct external recording of Apple ProRes video when connected to iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Transfer speeds are rated at up to 1050MB/s read and up to 1000MB/s write, via a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. This ensures smooth 4K 60fps recording, or fast backups of important media. A custom USB Type-C connector with increased plugging force has been implemented to maintain a more stable cable connection during handheld shooting and mobile use.

Then there's the Professional Go standout feature: the included hub. When the SSD is connected to an iPhone's USB port, it thereby prevents the use of additional accessories. The hub expands connectivity with multiple USB Type-C ports, allowing simultaneous connection of microphones, lighting, power sources, gimbals, and cages, all in a streamlined, cable-free solution.

The Professional Go Portable SSD is also boasts IP65 dust and water resistance, along with the ability to operate across a wide temperature range.

The Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD with Hub is available to buy now, priced at $199.99/£139.99 for the 1TB capacity and $299.99/£269.99 for the top 2TB model.

Check out my guide to the best portable SSDs

The Lexar Silver Plus is positioned as a fast, versatile UHS-I microSDXC card, capable of handling most demands. It costs less than most premium UHS-II microSD cards, yet with read speeds of up to 205MB/s and a maximum write speed of 150MB/s, it will handle 4K video recording or high-res RAW burst shooting with ease. An A2 app loading speed rating makes this card ideal for use in an Android phone, and you can choose from capacities ranging from 64GB right up to 1TB.

Read more: the best microSD cards

Performance

As is often the case, we were sent the smallest capacity version of the Silver Plus card to test. This 64GB model has a slightly slower write speed rating than other capacities in the Silver Plus range (100MB/s, vs 150MB/s for the 128GB-1TB cards), but it is very common for the lowest capacity card in any manufacturer's memory card range to have a slower speed rating. To see whether the performance hit with the 64GB card is as large as Lexar claims, I used the CrystalDiskMark storage benchmarking app which should extract the maximum possible speed from any memory card. I then plugged the microSD card into a fast USB4 Windows laptop via a ProGrade Digital PGM0.5 SD card reader. This USB 3.2 reader has a maximum bus speed of 625MB/s, so there's no chance of it or the test laptop bottlenecking the Lexar Silver Plus during testing.

And the speeds I recorded turned out to be pretty good. 168.39MB/s read speed is a bit short of Lexar's 205MB/s claim, but it's far from sluggish. Write speed matters more when the card is used in a camera, and here a 143.64MB/s maximum is very rapid. In fact, it's much closer to the 150MB/s rated speed of the 128GB-1TB Silver Plus cards than the 100MB/s advertised write speed of our 64GB test card, so there doesn't actually seem to be a penalty for choosing the lowest capacity.

All well and good, but what sort of transfer speeds can you expect in real world use? To assess this, I timed how long it too to read one large video file and a folder full of images from the card, and how long it took to write them back to the card (one big file will always transfer faster than a folder of small files totalling the same size).

In this test the Silver Plus clocked an impressive 131MB/s average write speed when transferring a video file, and this speed didn't drop much when writing multiple small images. Read speed was also very consistent regardless of file type, though as with the CrystalDiskMark test, it's a pity read speeds weren't closer to the advertised 205MB/s.

Verdict

I was impressed by the Lexar Silver Plus microSDXC card. While there are faster microSD cards out there, a real-world write speed of almost 150MB/s means there really aren't many situations where you'd actually need a faster, pricier card. It's a pity I couldn't get closed to the claimed 205MB/s read speed, but write speed is more important when the card is in a camera, and I've got no complaints there. Factor the excellent range of capacities and quick A2 app loading speed and you've got a microSD card that will excel in pretty much any compatible device. Currently the 256GB capacity is the one to go for, as it offers the lowest price per gigabyte of storage, although the 512GB and 1TB cards are almost as good value.

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the Lexar brand. From its beginnings in defining the speed standard for the first CompactFlash cards, to its latest innovations like the stunning metal-cased Armor SD card, Lexar has continually been at the forefront of the flash memory market. At this year's CES consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas it's showcasing its latest and greatest products.

These include the world's first 2 terabyte microSD card, capable of up to 255MB/s read and 180MB/s write speeds, the Lexar Silver Plus 2TB microSDXC.

Another intriguing new storage solution is the TouchLock Portable SSD; a NFC dual-encryption portable SSD that features NFC authentication and 128-bit AES hardware encryption. Using a smartphone as the key, users can tap to unlock secure storage zones, all in a slim, magnetic drive that offers automatic photo backup.

If you'd prefer an ultra-light and compact portable SSD, there's the Lexar Air Portable SSD that weighs just 0.6 oz and features automatic backup via the Lexar App.

For its latest development, Lexar is introducing AI Storage Core: a range of storage products designed to be compatible with the latest generation of PCs that feature built-in expansion interfaces. These products include the AI-Grade SSD; a PCIe M.2 NVME internal SSD designed specifically for AI PCs and high-performance compute workloads.

There's also the AI-Grade Storage Stick; an expansion card that "will allow users to expand storage instantly by simply plugging in a device to increase capacity". Lastly, there's the AI-Grade Card, which Lexar states is "for 8K AI imaging, sensor fusion and real-time edge analytics". We look forward to receiving more details about these AI-compatible products, including pricing and availability information.

Pexar is the digital photo frame arm of Lexar, the company better known for its memory cards and USB sticks. It entered the photo frame market in 2024 with an 11-inch frame that had a super-high-resolution 2K display. And it has now produced the Starlight, which has a much larger 15.6-inch widescreen display, albeit at a lower resolution.

What sets this new frame apart from the competition is that it's billed as the world's first photo frame with a rear backlight; a gentle light projects from the rear of the frame, which helps lift it from its surroundings and draw attention to the photos displayed on it. This novelty aside, let's see what else this frame has to offer.

Lexar Pexar Starlight 15.6in digital photo frame: Specifications

Lexar Pexar Starlight 15.6in digital photo frame: Price

The list price for the Starlight is $349.99 / £349.99 (it was unavailable at the time of writing in Australia, but websites including Amazon have a holding page for it, so it's coming). That's a premium price, and a little more than other large frames from respected brands, such as the Aura Walden.

However, digital photo frames are often discounted, and even shortly after its initial release the Starlight was available at around $50 / £50 less than the RRP, which certainly makes it a more tempting buy, so it pays to shop around to see whether you might be able to pick it up for a more attractive price.

Lexar Pexar Starlight 15.6in digital photo frame: Design & Handling

The Starlight is based on a 15.6-inch, 16x9 ratio, 1920 x 1080-pixel panel – the same dimensions as your widescreen television (and the same resolution, if it's a 'Full-HD' model). This is inset within a textured off-white beveled inset that's about an inch and a half deep, and it's all set within a wood-effect frame. It's certainly a nice change from the usual minimalist black bezel that many digital frames have as standard.

Its USP, which gives it the Starlight name, is a subtle light at the rear that envelops the entire frame with a golden glow that lifts it from its surroundings. There's a sturdy metal stand that props it up in both portrait and landscape orientations, with the display auto-rotating to display images.

The only physical button is a power on/off switch, with all the functionality being controlled via the touch-sensitive screen. Tapping anywhere on the screen brings up a menu that enables you to easily grant access to 'friends' via an on-screen QR code that links directly to the frame, access the frame's library to decide which photos are displayed, hide photos you'd prefer weren't on display, recrop images, or jump into a more involved settings menu that controls every aspect of the frame.

Lexar Pexar Starlight 15.6in digital photo frame: Performance

This may be physically larger than the same company's 11in 2K frame, but it's lower resolution, with a 1920 x 1080 display as opposed to the other frame's 2000 x 1200 pixels. It therefore has a much lower pixel density of 141ppi compared to 212 ppi. It doesn't boast its sibling's 100% sRGB color gamut either. On the surface, then, this bigger screen isn't as highly specced as the 2K frame, but does this really matter? When viewed side by side, perhaps you'll see a difference. In reality, when viewed from a sensible distance, there isn't a whole lot in it, and it's a clear and bright display that will do your photos justice.

The parent company behind Pexar is Lexar, the memory storage specialists better known for memory cards, SSD drives, and USB sticks. It's perhaps no surprise, then, that the Starlight boasts a huge 64GB of internal storage, which is enough for 80,000 images. There are also USB-A, USB-C, and SD card slots, which can be used to store additional images, should 80,000 not be enough, or to copy images to the internal memory.

It's powered by the popular Frameo app, which allows you to browse through your phone's library, select, and upload images in batches of up to 10 at a time. If you want to upload more simultaneously or back up photographs to Frameo's servers, you'll need to take out a subscription at an additional cost, but for most of us, the app's basic free functionality will be absolutely fine.

Lexar Pexar Starlight 15.6in digital photo frame: Verdict

You may regard the gallery backlighting feature as a novelty to set this apart from the many other frames out there, but it really does help make this something of a statement frame. The warm and gentle light it emits behind the frame gives it a rather lovely golden glow.

It's a big frame too, although the 16x9 aspect ratio isn't perfect for either smartphone or camera photos, but if the automatic cropping doesn't get things quite right, it's easy enough to tap an image and reframe it to your liking. On the whole, this is an upmarket frame that shows off photographs admirably, but it's on the expensive side.

Alternatives

CFexpress Type A cards are still a relative rarity in the memory card world. Since they were first utilized by the Sony a7S III in 2020, the format has been used in several full-frame Sony bodies, but other camera manufacturers have stuck with the physically larger, and (generally) faster Type B variant.

We say "generally", as not all Type A cards are inferior to their Type B siblings, and this Lexar card is a good case in point. It uses the next-gen CFexpress 4.0 standard, which makes it twice as fast as the first generation of Type A cards (confusingly called CFexpress 2.0). This makes CFexpress 4.0 Type A cards just as fast as version 2.0 Type B cards (CFexpress 4.0 Type B cards are twice as fast again, but precious few people actually need that much speed).

The Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress 4.0 Type A card is available in five capacity options, from 256GB up to the 2 terabyte capacity we're testing here. All capacities boast read speeds of up to 1800MB/s and an impressive 1650MB/s max write speed. The larger capacity cards are also capable of a 1400MB/s sustained write rate, and though the 256GB and 512GB versions can 'only' manage a 1000MB/s sustained write speed, that's still more than fast enough to gain VPG400 certification. This means the card is guaranteed to sustain a minimum 400MB/s during video recording - ideal for capturing 6K or 8K footage.

Specifications

• Max read speed: 1800MB/s
• Max write speed: 1650MB/s
• Available capacities: 256GB, 512GB, 640GB, 1TB, 2TB

Build and handling

The Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress 4.0 Type A card is exactly like any other Type A card, at least on the surface. That is to say, it's remarkably small. If you took a Type B card and split it in half widthways, each half would be around the size of a Type A card, only the actual Type A card would be thinner. A Type A card is also smaller in terms of length and width than an SD card, and only around 50% thicker. Considering this Lexar Type A card is around 6x faster than even the fastest UHS-II SD cards, you get an awful lot of performance crammed into a tiny form factor.

Lexar claims the Professional GOLD CFexpress 4.0 Type A card is IP68-rated against dust and water ingress, while also being drop-proof from heights up to 5 meters. The card is built to be bend-resistant, shock- and vibration-resistant, and it's able to resist pressures of up to 150 newtons. Lexar even states that it's been tested to withstand up to 12,000 insertion and ejection cycles.

Performance

To determine exactly how fast the Lexar Type A card really is, I fired up my memory card benchmarking software of choice: CrystalDiskMark. This is capable of extracting the maximum possible performance from a memory card, but only if the supporting hardware is up to the job. So to ensure no testing bottlenecks, I used a fast Windows 11 laptop with USB4 connectivity. USB4 has a maximum 40Gbps bandwidth, equating to around 5000MB/s - more than enough to max out any Type A card. I also used Lexar's WF370 Workflow CFexpress 4.0 Type A card reader, which is based around a USB4 interface, so it too should enable any Type A card to work at full speed.

And the results are pretty respectable. Though a little way short of Lexar's claimed 1800MB/s read and 1650MB/s write speeds, the difference isn't enough to be concerning, or particularly noticeable.

Storage benchmarks are all well and good, but to determine the real-world performance you're likely to get when using the card to transfer images or video to a computer for editing, I took a single large video file, as well as a folder full of small images, and moved them to and from the card to see what sort of read and write speeds you can expect during typical use:

These real-world results are a bit disappointing when you consider that the card was nearing 1700MB/s read and 1550MB/s write speeds in benchmarking software. Even so, this level of performance is still comfortably quicker than a CFexpress 2.0 Type A card, and way faster than any UHS-II SD card.

Verdict

If you're lucky enough to own a camera such as a Sony a1 II, a9 III or a7R V, you're going to want the fastest, most reliable memory card to use with it. The Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress 4.0 Type A card fits the bill almost perfectly. It's easily fast enough for 8K Raw video recording, and it won't even break a sweat keeping up with the a9 III's 120fps burst shooting mode.

When it comes to transferring footage for editing, then that too will be blisteringly fast, assuming you've got a computer and card reader that are up to the job. It's a bit disappointing that we couldn't get closer to Lexar's speed claims when moving files between card and computer, though it's possible that's an issue confined to our particular test set-up.

But that's our only issue with this otherwise stellar Type A card. It also comes in a good range of capacities, is built to last, and is priced fairly for the performance on offer. If you need a fast, capacious, and reliable Type A card, the Lexar Professional GOLD CFexpress 4.0 Type A card should be high on your shortlist.

Lexar has managed to cram 2TB of storage into a camera-bound memory card. The Lexar Professional Gold and Silver variants of the CFExpress 4.0 Type A cards, used widely in Sony mirrorless cameras, now come in capacities up to 2TB, the company announced this week.

That puts a ton of digital storage into a card that’s 2.8mm / 0.11 inches thick. When I first read that the cards now come up to 2TB, I thought that sounded more like an external hard drive than a memory card.

That extends to the speed. The Gold CFExpress card has up to 1,800 MB/s read speeds and 1650MB/s write speeds, and sustained write speeds up to 1400MB/s. (The silver is a little slower at 1750MB/s read, 1650MB/s write, and 1300MB/s sustained write.)

That’s not going to beat the fastest SSDs, but the Lexar SL200 Portable SSD from our top picks for the best portable hard drives is rated for 550MB/s read and 400MB/s write speeds.

As a photographer still using a 26MP camera, I’m not exactly the type of creator who needs 2TB in a memory card. Lexar is directing the new cards towards videographers shooting 8K, with both cards supporting Sony Alpha and Sony FX cameras with CFexpress slots. At the highest bitrate, the Sony A1’s 8K files will eat up around 4.5GB per minute – the sort of camera that’s going to need memory cards measured in TB rather than GB.

Like earlier cards in the series, the CFexpress Gold and Silver cards are designed to withstand heat and vibration, with IP68 dust and water-resistant ratings and 150N of pressure durability rating. (I cannot imagine the heartache of losing 2TB on a memory card).

The cost of a memory card tends to climb with the storage, but in this case, the new 2TB cards are more affordable than buying two separate 1TB cards from the same series.

The 2TB gold comes in at about $700, and the Silver at $600 in the US. The cards are available to pre-order in the US at B&H and Amazon.

International pricing has not yet been announced, but that’s around £532 / AU$1069 / CA$981 for the Gold and £456 / AU$916 / CA$840 for the Silver.

The card joins Lexar’s lineup of memory cards, which also includes 2TB in the CFexpress 4.0 Type B format.

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The humble SD card has been with us since 1999, and in that time capacity and speed have grown dramatically. We've also had cards with built-in Wi-Fi, but externally the format has remained pretty-much unchanged: one or two rows of electrical contacts, set into a plastic shell.

But not any more. With its Armor Gold SDXC card, Lexar has swapped the plastic for a stainless steel construction that's claimed to be 37x stronger than a conventional, plastic SD card.

Features

I have to admit that when I first saw the pre-launch press release for the Armor Gold SD card, I was sceptical. Sure, metal is usually stronger than plastic, but it can still bend, especially when it's as thin as an SD card. Could the Armor Gold card really be usefully stronger than a normal, plastic SD card?

Lexar, to its credit, does back up its toughness claims with some statistics. That "37x stronger" figure refers to the card being able to withstand 370 newtons of bending, compared to just 10 newtons that Lexar says a plastic SD card can survive (we'll be testing this claim later). Furthermore, the Armor Gold card is also IP68 dust- and water-resistant, it's built to survive drops from up to 5 meters, and it's said to be magnet-, static-, X-Ray-, UV- and temperature-resistant. That's a lot of resistance.

Then there are the subtle, yet commendable details: the write protect switch has been ditched, presumably to increase the rigidity of the metal body, and to help with water resistance (and let's face it, who actually uses the write-protect switch, anyway?).

I also appreciate that Lexar has deleted the thin plastic 'ribs' that sit between the contact pads on most SD cards, as these are always a vulnerable point of weakness. Finally, where most SD cards have a printed label to provide brand, speed and capacity information, the Armor Gold's graphics are laser-etched, so they're much less likely to wear away.

Despite all this extra toughness, Lexar maintains that an Armor Gold card is no thicker than a plastic SD card, so it should still fit in any compatible host device. What's more, with a metal rather than plastic shell, heat dissipation from the memory chips within should - theoretically - be improved.

The 1TB Armor Gold card we're testing here is rated at a maximum 280MB/s read speed and has a 205MB/s peak write speed. This is made possible by its UHS-II interface, which also helps it achieve a V60 video speed rating, meaning it should be capable of sustaining at least 60MB/s when recording video. While there are faster UHS-II SDXC cards on the market, the Armor Gold's performance specs are still respectable, and chances are if you've got a camera that needs even faster memory, you'd be using a CFexpress card anyway.

Armor Gold cards are available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. The top three capacities have the 205MB/s max write speed, but strangely the 64GB and 128GB versions are a touch faster, at 210MB/s (usually smaller capacities tend to have slower speed ratings when it comes to memory cards and SSDs).

Performance

I ran my go-to speed test benchmarking software for memory cards - CrystalDiskMark - to test Lexar's speed claims for the Armor Gold card. I use a modern Windows laptop for my performance tests, as its USB4 connection is more than fast enough to max out the speed of any SDXC card, ensuring no hardware bottlenecks. My card reader of choice is a ProGrade Digital PGM0.5 SDXC/microSDXC UHS-II Dual-Slot Mobile Card Reader. This is a USB 3.2 Gen 2 reader which, like the laptop, is capable of maximum transfer speeds far higher than the Armor Gold card can reach.

But try as I did, I couldn't quite match Lexar's advertised speeds, being 30MB/s short of the claimed peak read speed, and around 15MB/s down on the specified write rate. Even so, my results are far from disappointing, as this is still a fast SD card.

To see how the Armor Gold card performs in real-world file transfers, I took a single large video file, as well as a folder full of small images, and moved both to and from the SD card, to see what sort of read and write speeds you can expect during typical use:

Moving multiple small files will always take a little longer than a single file of the same total size, so reduced transfer speeds are usually inevitable. However, the Armor Gold card achieved speeds impressively close to those recorded by CrystalDiskMark.

Toughness testing

At this point with most SD cards I'd go straight to my verdict. But the Armor Gold card is more about toughness than speed, so it'd be irresponsible not to test its ruggedness.

Firstly, bend resistance. Lexar states that the Armor Gold features "a bending resistance of up to 370 Newtons", and it has produced a seemingly rendered graphic to illustrate this. Consequently, it's not clear how Lexar actually conducted this test, as pressure is relative to the physical area across which it is being applied, and that crucial test detail isn't revealed.

So with insufficient information about Lexar's testing methodology to exactly replicate its bend test myself, I had to invent my own method. I positioned the SD card so it formed a bridge between two raised, stout surfaces, which would allow the center portion of the card to bend into the void when downward pressure was applied. I then partially slotted a strip of metal into a block of wood, so the exposed edge of the metal would contact straight across the width of the SD card.

Now all I needed was plenty of weight to stack on the card, via the metal pressure point and its wooden holder. For this I used the industry-standard tool for testing SD card bend resistance: house bricks. I bribed my 7 year old son to stack the bricks on top of the Armor Gold card one by one, while I steadied the wooden 'carrier' so all the pressure was exerted onto the SD card via the metal strip. Watch the video below to see whether the Armor Gold card survived:

I genuinely wasn't expecting the card to perform anywhere near as well as it did in this test. To hardly bend at all with that amount of weight concentrated across such a narrow sliver of card is incredible. The total weight of the four bricks plus the wooden carrier is 10kg. Now consider that that weight is focussed into a strip of metal just 1mm in thickness, resting on its edge across the middle of the SD card. An SD card is 24mm wide, so that's 24 square millimetres of contact patch. Convert 10kg and 24mm into freedom units and you get 22.05lb of force, multiplied by 0.0372 square inches of contact patch. Then scale the weight in line with the contact patch and you end up with a bending pressure of 593PSI.

All well and good, but for comparison we also need to know how much bending pressure a conventional, plastic SD card can withstand. So I performed the exact same test with just such a card, and the difference was profound:

Under the weight of just one brick, the card was visibly bending. By three bricks it was bent so badly that the internals had probably already been destroyed. Add the fourth brick and the plastic didn't split in two, but the electrical contacts did part company with the rest of the card, and the card won't be sliding into a camera any time soon.

The Armor Gold card worked just fine after my bend test, and it was also unscathed by a drop from over the rated 5-meter height. A dunking into a sink-full of water was of no issue either. I was fast running out of ways to kill the Armor Gold card, so I decided to give it the ultimate test: could it survive being run over by a car? To be clear, Lexar in no way suggests the card could survive this - I just wanted to try it for your (and my) morbid curiosity. And as this is a review sample card, my own money wasn't on the line!

I was assuming the card would emerge somewhat squashed, dented or bent, but it survived almost entirely unscathed - just one light scratch. I therefore had high hopes that I could plug the card right back into my computer and it would work perfectly, but alas, it was not to be. While the computer did detect the card upon insertion, it couldn't be accessed. I tried to reformat it using specialist software, but again, nothing. I suspect that although the metal casing evidently 'bounced back' from being squashed, the memory chips within were crushed to oblivion. Still, unless you're a complete klutz and leave your Armor Gold card directly in the path of a passing car, you can be confident that it'll survive all but the most gratuitous abuse.

Verdict

Innovation is hard to find in the SD card sector: you can make a card faster, and give it more capacity, and that's normally about it. But what Lexar has done here is quite remarkable. The toughness is certainly no gimmick: the Armor Gold card is way, way stronger than a regular SD card. It's so tough that, based on my testing, I'd trust it to survive any reasonable abuse without so much as a scratch.

In terms of file transfer speed, I couldn't quite match Lexar's read/write speed claims, but many other SD cards also come up a bit short in this respect, and the card is still comfortably fast enough for high-res continuous shooting or recording 4K video.

Naturally, you pay a premium for the Armor Gold's toughness: a (plastic) 256GB Lexar Professional Gold series UHS-II card with the same 280MB/s read and 205MB/s write speeds currently costs around $70, whereas a 256GB Armor Gold card will set you back $120. But there are also plenty of regular plastic SD cards that cost more than an equivalent capacity Armor Gold card - Lexar's pricing isn't unreasonable.

So if your data is precious, or if you regularly shoot in adverse conditions where there's a real possibility of card damage, paying a little extra for an Armor Gold card is well worth it for peace of mind.

I’ve been shooting more and more video content on my phone lately – behind-the-scenes footage, short-form Reels, even full talking head segments – and storage has quickly become one of the biggest bottlenecks.

Between high-bitrate 4K clips and the growing file sizes of ProRes footage, running out of space mid-shoot is a nightmare. That’s why Lexar’s latest release instantly caught my attention.

The Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD is a new MagSafe-compatible external SSD that attaches directly to your iPhone, offering transfer speeds up to 2000MB/s read and write. In other words, it’s fast enough to handle everything from 4K 120fps ProRes on the iPhone 17 to Samsung’s 8K 30fps Pro Video mode without breaking a sweat.

Above: A YouTube video showcasing the Lexar ES5

Available in capacities up to 4TB, the ES5 is designed to magnetically snap onto MagSafe-compatible iPhones, and Lexar even includes a ring accessory to make non-MagSafe phones compatible too. The design is slim and grippy thanks to a liquid silicone coating, and it’s surprisingly rugged; IP65 dust and water resistant, and drop-tested to three metres. For anyone filming outdoors or vlogging on the move, that’s a huge plus.

What really stands out to me, however, is how well Lexar seems to understand the realities of mobile content creation. The brand states the ES5 can sustain high-bitrate recording while keeping temperatures under control thanks to its built-in Thermal Control Design, something often overlooked in smaller drives. For me, this means being able to film longer sessions without worrying about overheating or write errors.

Lexar’s Director of Brand Marketing, Joey Lopez, says, "The Lexar ES5 portable SSD supports both Apple ProRes and Samsung Video recording to make sure iOS and Android users everywhere have the storage they need to film, store, and organize 4K and 8K video without losing their creative momentum. By giving creators up to 4TB of additional storage, they have the space they need to capture, edit, and export an entire day’s shoot from a single device."

The Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD is available now in 1TB $119.99 / £99.99 / AU$235 and 2TB $199.99 / £199.99 / AU$339 versions, with a 4TB model coming in early 2026.

For someone like me who’s increasingly shooting, editing, and sharing straight from a phone / iPad, this might just be the neatest workflow upgrade I’ve seen all year.

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If this Lexar release piques your interest, you might want to check out our guides to the best external SSDs and the best SSD for video editing.

Lexar has unveiled a 1TB version of its Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II card, positioned in the brand’s top-tier high-performance category and designed for professional photographers and videographers who demand reliability, speed, and resilience in challenging shooting conditions.

The card’s standout feature is its gold stainless-steel construction, making it 37 times stronger than standard SD memory cards. Rated IP68 for dust- and water-resistance and certified to withstand drops of up to five meters, the Armor Gold card is built to endure heavy impacts, extreme weather, and the rigours of high-speed, high-mobility shooting scenarios. Ideal for those capturing sporting events and outdoor adventures, as operating temperatures range from -25°C to 85°C, ensuring performance even in extreme environments.

Lexar has simplified the design for durability: there’s no write-protection switch, and the ribless body reduces points of weakness, while laser engravings replace traditional labels to ensure surface information never wears off. The card’s steel body also helps dissipate heat, supporting long-lasting performance even in demanding conditions.

Performance is equally impressive. The Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II card delivers up to 205MB/s write speeds and V60 video speed class support, making it capable of recording high-resolution 4K 60P and 6K 30P footage with minimal lag or dropped frames. When paired with a USB 3.2 card reader, read speeds reach up to 280MB/s, enabling photographers and videographers to offload large files quickly.

The card is available in capacities ranging from 128GB to 1TB and comes with lifetime access to Lexar’s Recovery Tool to restore accidentally deleted files or formatted drives, plus a limited lifetime warranty.

The Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II 1TB card is available now in the UK for £474.99 and is available to preorder in the US for $369.99.

Lexar promises that photographers and videographers will get a storage solution that combines rugged durability with professional-grade performance, making it a dependable choice for high-speed shooting, post-production work, and peace of mind in the field.

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This week, I was fortunate enough to attend the Wales & West Photography Show, where the latest and greatest in photo and video gear was on display.

You’d expect something like the new Fujifilm X-E5 or Sony FX2 to steal the show. Don’t get me wrong, they’re impressive, but what actually caught my attention was something far less flashy and new – the Lexar Armor 700 Portable SSD.

Portable SSDs have become a vital part of my workflow in recent years. Whether I’m traveling, working on location, or transferring large amounts of footage, fast and reliable storage is non-negotiable. I’ve relied on the usual suspects, rugged Lacie drives and the ever-reliable Samsung T series, but the Armor 700 seems to blend the two, and it’s now firmly on my radar.

Above: A video showing the Lexar Armor 700 Portable SSD

What drew me in wasn’t just the speed, though with up to 2000MB/s read/write, it’s hard to ignore, but the fact that Lexar appears to have built this thing for real-world creative use. It’s rated IP66 for both water and dust resistance, and it’s drop-tested up to three meters, so it’s clearly made to survive life on the road or in unpredictable environments.

It’s also compact and lightweight enough to throw in a camera bag without even thinking about it. The drive supports both USB-C and USB-A out of the box, which means no faffing with extra adapters or cables. It plays nicely with Mac, PC, Android, iPhone, and even cameras, something that would make my life a whole lot easier when I’m jumping between devices during shoots or edits.

Another feature that stands out is the built-in 256-bit AES encryption via Lexar’s DataShield, which adds an extra layer of security for client work and sensitive files.

What I saw at the show was enough to make me seriously rethink the portable drives I’ve been using. I haven’t bought the Armor 700 yet, but I’m already planning to. It looks like the kind of gear that could streamline my workflow and take a few worries off my plate, less time waiting on transfers, less fear of losing files to a rogue coffee spill or sudden drop, and more confidence that my data is safe wherever I go.

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Lexar has announced the Armor Gold series of memory cards, a virtually indestructible SD card with a stainless-steel construction that is 37 times stronger than typical SD cards and can withstand a crushing force of 370 Newtons. In contrast, regular plastic cards tend to break at around 10 Newtons of pressure. In addition to being physically strong, the stainless steel build bestows the card with superb heat dissipation performance, able to operate in a temperature range of -25ºC to 85ºC (-13ºF to 185ºF).

The card is IPX8 water-resistance rated, IPX6 dust-resistance rated, and can withstand a 5m drop, so it should operate flawlessly in the harshest environments. It features an anti-magnetic and anti-static build with X-ray protection and is UV-proof. Laser-engraving ensures that important information does not wear off, as can be the case with printed cards. A ribless design ensures that there are no flimsy elements to break off and there's no fragile write-protect switch either – a largely redundant feature of SD cards that have a nasty habit of failing and which no one ever uses anyway.

The cards are not only super-strong but offer high performance too, with 280MB/s read and 205MB/s write speeds earning them a Video Speed Class 60 (V60) rating, recording up to 6K 30P video with no lag or frame drops.

There is also a Lexar Armor Silver card, which offers the same rugged construction as the Gold cards and the same read speed, but has a reduced write speed of 160MB/s, which will still be plenty fast enough for most circumstances.

Both the Lexar Armor Gold and Silver cards are sure to be among the best SD cards on the market when they are released soon, as long as they live up to their claims (we hope they prove to be more reliable than the Sony Tough range of CFexpress Type A cards, which have been known to fail under extreme conditions and which forced Sony to issue a recall).

We'll bring you the release and pricing details as soon as we have them.

Pexar is the photo frame offshoot of memory manufacturing giant Lexar, who you will no doubt be familiar with as the maker of some of the best memory cards, as well as top-rated USB sticks. It has two debut frames in its initial line-up: an 11-inch 2.4Mp model, which I'm reviewing here, and a frame that's physically not much smaller at 10.1 inches but has a much lower-res 1.02Mp display.

True to form for a company that made its name in memory, there's plenty of storage built in, with its internal 32GB being enough for 40,000 or so images. But if that's not enough for you then it has an SD card slot, as well as USB-A and USB-C interfaces, enabling up to a whopping 1TB of external storage.

Lexar Pexar 11in photo frame: Specifications

Lexar Pexar 11in photo frame: Price

This 11-inch Pexar digital picture frame sells for $159.99 / £149.99. There is also the aforementioned slightly smaller 10.1-inch version that costs $149.99 / £TBA, but while there's not a lot in it when it comes to the physical dimensions, the resolution of the smaller frame is only 1280x800 pixels, compared to 2000x1200 pixels on offer here. Considering the minimal difference in selling price, the 11-inch frame is the much better buy.

It's an attractively priced frame, considering the spec sheet, comparing well to other frames on the market from well-known brands. The 11-inch screen is bigger than most, the resolution puts it among the most generously proportioned frames, and the 32GB storage is way ahead of what most other frames offer.

Also, keep an eye out for frequent discounts. At the time of writing, there was a 20% Black Friday saving available on the Pexar Amazon US store until December 2, 2024, with those prepared to wait for the actual Black Friday weekend (November 29 to December 2) also receiving a 64GB Lexar USB storage drive, limited to the first 500 buyers.

Lexar Pexar 11in photo frame: Design & Handling

The 11-inch screen sits within a classic white surround inset into a thin black bezel. The display is bright and clear, and while the brightness can be toned down from its maximum 400nits so that it doesn't look overly bright in dark environments, it's not automatic but needs delving into a menu. An anti-glare coating makes it easy to view in bright conditions, while an antistatic coating prevents it from becoming a dust magnet.

A magnetic stand fixes firmly in place yet is easily removed and props up the frame in either portrait or landscape orientations, with images auto-rotating to suit. There are also insets for hanging the frame on a wall, should you wish to do so. Around the back are USB-A, USB-C, and SD card slots.

The only physical control on the device is a discrete power button. The display is touch-sensitive, and a swipe to the right moves onto the next photo in the sequence, while swiping left brings up the previous image. Tapping the screen brings up a set of options, and double-tapping allows a variety of 'like' emojis to be added. By default, the time and weather are overlaid onto the image, along with info on who uploaded it, but can be switched off – which was my preferred option for a more natural photo-viewing experience.

Lexar Pexar 11in photo frame: Performance

The Pexar boasts a 100% sRGB color gamut, so your images look true to life as they were intended, and it packs 2000 x 1200 pixels into its 11-inch diagonal screen, giving a very nice high-resolution display for its size. The resultant 2.4Mp images really do look gorgeous – beautifully clear and crisp, and full of color and pop.

Most of the frame's functionality is controlled by a companion Frameo app. This isn't custom-developed software from Pexar but a licensed app that's used by a variety of electronic picture frame makers and has the advantage that if you have other non-Pexar frames then the app can easily share shots to multiple different frames.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of Frameo is that many users can connect to a single frame, making it ideal for sharing images within the family or wider friendship groups. You do have to trust who you share the code with though, lest an unsuitable shot pop up when you're least prepared for it.

It's easy to upload images from your smartphone's library via the Frameo app. You can select up to 10 images at a time, add captions, and then choose the most important area of the photo. This is so the frame knows where best to crop into the image, both in portrait and landscape orientations.

You can also upload short videos – the maximum length being 15 seconds. These are best only uploaded to frames using the same native orientation, as otherwise the video is hemmed with borders. It's also wise to mute the volume for video uploads if you don't want it to disturb the peace when you're not expecting it.

The basic Frameo app is free, but there's also a paid-for option that enables up to 100 images to be uploaded at once, as well as longer videos. This service also enables you to see which photos have been uploaded to the frame and provides cloud storage. It's not overly expensive at $1.99/£0.99 per month or $16.99/£7.99 per year, but it's perfectly possible to get by without it.

If you're primarily a DSLR or mirrorless – rather than phone – photographer, then uploading images is a bit more of a faff. You'll have to first copy the images to an SD card or a USB drive, and plug it in manually. Images can be transferred directly from a PC via USB, but not Macs. There's no way to transfer images over Wi-Fi from a computer.

Lexar Pexar 11in photo frame: Verdict

There's a lot to like about the Lexar Pexar 11in digital photo frame. Perhaps the most important aspect of such a device is the quality of its screen, and this is an absolute cracker; packing 2.4 megapixels into 11 inches of real estate displays your images in beautifully crisp detail, while the full 100% sRGB color gamut ensures they are wonderfully vibrant too. It has enough storage space for even the most trigger-happy photographer, it's a breeze for family members to share their shots, and it's competitively priced. There's a choice of two models, but I'd go for the 11-in version every day of the week.

Alternatives

Lexar may be better known as one of the top manufacturers of camera memory cards, USB sticks and computer memory, but the flash RAM chip-maker has announced that it's branched out into digital photo frames with its new Pexar brand.

Its debut frame is an 11-inch 2K model, with a 2000x1200-pixel display giving an overall resolution of 2.4 megapixels, with an impressive full 100% sRGB color gamut, ensuring that every detail of the image is crisply and colorfully displayed.

As you might expect from a brand that's a market leader in memory, the frame has a generous 32GB of built-in storage, which is enough for more than 40,000 pictures. If your photo library really is ginourmous, however, then this can be expanded to up to 1TB with an SD card or USB flash drive.

The frame is also Wi-Fi compatible, so that familes can easily share their favorite photos with one another via their smartphones. And for those with really, really big extended families – or lots of trusted friends – up to 512 users can connect to the device, to upload their own photos and videos.

The frame features a smart, slim black bezel and white inset surround. An anti-glare coating and high brightness ensure details remain visible, no matter how brightly lit the room. A magnetic stand can orient the frame for either a portrait or landscape display, with the images automatically adjusting to be the right-way-up.

“Lexar is a trusted memory technology leader and the Pexar brand is an extension of its goal to preserve life’s precious moments,” said Wilson Chen, Lexar VP of Product. “Starting with Pexar digital picture frames, we’re proud to introduce innovations that not only store, but also display life’s most wonderful moments in their full brilliance.”

The frames can be set up in just a few easy steps, via the free smartphone app or using its intuitive touchscreen. A swipe on the touchscreen moves to the next image, useful if a particularly embarrassing photo is served up.

The 11-inch Pexar digital picture frame sells for $159.99 /￡149.99. A smaller 10.1-inch version with a 1280x800 resolution costs $149.99 / £TBA.

Both are available with a 20% Black Friday discount on the Pexar Amazon US store until December 2, 2024 – although my spies tell me that if you can wait for the Black Friday weekend proper (November 29 to December 2), the first 500 buyers will also receive a 64GB Lexar USB storage drive at no extra cost to sweeten the deal.

Don't miss our guide to the best digital photo frames

Lexar recently launched a Kickstarter for a brand-new portable SSD system targeted toward smartphone content creators, and within a couple of hours it had surpassed its $10,000 target goal (approximately £7,600 / AU$15,000) and hit $700,000 (£532,000 / AU$1.03 million).

While Lexar is probably best known for making some of the best memory cards for cameras, the new launch focuses on the new wave of content creation – and offers a memory solution for those shooting on camera phones.

Photography and particularly filmmaking on phones has become increasingly popular, and a fantastic option given the continued advancement of mobile technology. But content creation on a phone faces hurdles – perhaps the main one being a shortage of internal storage.

Creators using phones will be all too familiar with the lack of memory on mobile device, particularly as things like ProRes become more widely adopted, but the Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD provides up to a whopping 2TB of extra storage.

"We've had a great response from our backers already," says Lexar's director of marketing, Joey Lopez.

"We're gaining valuable insights on the demand of mobile filmmaking storage, and we love the opportunity to engage with our customers as we strive to deliver more cutting-edge products that enable them to create more freely."

Using SSDs with your phone is not a new idea, but there are many features of the new Lexar device that make it more phone-friendly than your standard SSD.

Although compatible with Android, the Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD is targeted towards iPhone users – in particular those using the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro Max. It is designed for recording 4K 60fps videos in Apple ProRes, and via its USB-C interface provides "lightning fast" read (1,050 mb/s) and write (1,000 mb/s) speeds.

It is super compact and can attach directly via USB-C or can be clipped to the back of the phone or iPhone rig with little footprint, offering versatility and convenience.

For its size the SSD is also surprisingly durable and robust, and is ready to tackle most shooting scenarios that can be thrown at it. It features an IP65 rating for dust- and water resistance, and can withstand drops from up to 3.28ft / 1m. It also has a silicone case to further enhance this protection.

For those who want a more advanced setup (or, as Lexar states, to go from "amateur to pro") the SSD comes with a Hub system, complete with additional USB-C interfaces and improved power.

This creates a central hub for your iPhone rig and enables further expansion, with options for adding microphone receivers and lights without trailing wires and cables feeding to the same hub.

At the time of writing the Lexar Professional Go Portable SSD Kickstarter campaign has a two days left, and although it has soared past its target it is still offering exclusive discounts for backers.

Editor's note: As with all crowdfunding projects, there is no guarantee that the final product will match the early depictions in the campaign – or that the final product will be completed or delivered at all. DCW does not endorse this or any other crowdfunding campaign. 

You may also be interested in our guides to the best memory cards, the best portable SSD, and the best phones for video.

Lexar produces a wide range of SD cards, and this can easily get confusing. The Silver card we have here represents a lower-mid-range offering. It sits just above the company's entry-level Blue-series SD cards, and directly below Lexar's Silver Plus and Silver Pro cards. At the top of the Lexar SD card hierarchy is the Gold series.

While the Blue, Silver and Gold ranges are distinctly different, the same can't be said when comparing Silver to Silver Plus. Both are UHS-I cards, and both have an advertised 205MB/s read speed. The only performance difference is Silver Plus boasts a claimed 150MB/s max write speed, whereas Silver cards are slightly slower at 140MB/s - that's it.

Read more:
Lexar Professional Silver Pro SDXC memory card review
Lexar Professional Silver Plus SDXC memory card review

Lexar Professional Silver: Key features

Lexar Professional Silver cards are available in 1TB, 512GB, 256GB, 128GB and 64GB capacities. All but the 64GB variant have the claimed 205MB/s read and 140MB/s write speed, however the 64GB card has a significantly lower max write speed of 90MB/s. All capacities are rated to the V30 speed standard, meaning they're able to sustain a minimum 30MB/s write speed when shooting video. This is fairly typical for a UHS-I SD card, and Lexar claims it's fast enough for shooting 4K video at 60fps.

According to Lexar, Silver-series cards are "built for durability" and are wear proof (define that?), temperature-proof (they're rated to operate between -25℃ and 85℃), x-ray-proof, vibration-resistant, magnetic-proof and shock-proof.

Lexar Professional Silver: Performance

To determine the very best performance the Silver card is capable of, we turned to the industry-standard memory and storage benchmarking software, Crystal Disk Mark. The card was plugged into a USB4 port on a fast laptop, via a high quality UHS-II SD card reader from ProGrade Digital, to ensure no testing bottlenecks.

The maximum 167.09MB/s read and 156.52MB/s write speeds we recorded are almost identical to the performance of Lexar's Silver Plus SD card. That write rate is particularly impressive here though, as the Silver card is 'only' advertised at 140MB/s. It's a pity we couldn't get closer to the claimed 205MB/s read speed, however.

For a real-world file transfer test, we took a single large video file, and a folder full of small images, and moved them to and from the memory card to see what sort of read and write speeds you can expect during typical use.

Moving multiple small files will always take a little longer than a single file of the same total size, but the Silver card managed remarkably consistent speeds accross these tests. Interestingly, despite its Crystal Disk Mark scores being almost the same as those from the Silver Plus SDXC card, most of our real-world transfer speeds from the Silver card were noticeably slower. Its 142MB/s read speed of multiple image files is a match for the Silver Plus, but in the other three tests the Silver card was 7-11MB/s slower. These read speed results are also well down on the card's claimed 205MB/s maximum.

To see how the card performs when it's used in a camera, we took our Sony a7R III and shot a continuous burst of 31 uncompressed RAW stills in the camera's Hi+ burst mode (the maximum number of stills before hitting the internal buffer limit). This creates a burst of images totalling 2.47GB, which took approximately 30 seconds to move from the camera's internal buffer over to the memory card. Doing the sums then reveals the images were written to the card at 84.31MB/s - exactly the same speed as the Silver Plus card achieved, but significantly slower than the claimed 140MB/s max write rate. This is the camera we always use for in-camera SD card testing, and it's produced faster write speeds with other UHS-I SD cards, so it's unlikely the camera is to blame for this disappointing result.

Even so, when we shot a 4K video clip at the camera's maximum 100Mbps bitrate, there were no perceivable glitches or dropped frames.

Lexar Professional Silver: Verdict

We came away mostly impressed by the Lexar Professional Silver-series SDXC card. While the in-camera write speeds we achieved may have been somewhat disappointing, and we couldn't get near to the advertised 205MB/s read speed, the card was still able to record high-bit-rate 4K video with no issues. Its read/write transfer speeds when moving data to and from a computer were also plenty fast enough to ensure we were never left waiting impatiently.

The only real issue here is the why this particular SD card exists in the first place. Its performance is only marginally slower than the next card up in Lexar's SD card hierarchy - Silver Plus - and both Silver and Silver Plus ranges are priced very closely for equivalent capacities. It therefore makes little sense to opt for a Silver card when a Silver Plus model will likely only cost a few bucks more and is slightly faster.

Read more: for more choices check out our top picks for the best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF, and XQD, and for getting the best speeds on your laptop the best memory card readers

Lexar's range of SDXC cards can be confusing at first glance, so to try and clarify things: at the top of the tree are Gold-series cards, while Blue-series cards represent the entry-level offerings. Silver-series cards occupy the mid-range, and within this series are Silver Pro, Silver Plus, and Silver.

Silver Pro is the upper mid-range choice, being a faster UHS-II card. Silver Plus and Silver are both UHS-I cards and are almost identically specified: both have an advertised 205MB/s read speed, but while Silver Plus boasts a claimed 150MB/s max write speed, Silver cards are slightly slower at 140MB/s.

Read more: Lexar Professional Silver Pro SDXC memory card review

Lexar Silver Plus: Key features

Silver Plus cards are available in 1TB, 512GB, 256GB, 128GB and 64GB capacities. All but the 64GB varient have the claimed 205MB/s read and 150MB/s write speed, however the 64GB card has a reduced max write speed of 100MB/s. All capacities carry a V30 speed rating, so they should be capable of sustaining a minimum 30MB/s write speed when shooting video. For reference, the top Silver-series offering - Silver Pro - has a V60 rating, though Lexar still claims the V30 Silver Plus is capable of recording 4K video at 60fps.

According to Lexar, Silver Plus cards are "built for durability" and are wear proof (define that?), temperature-proof (they're rated to operate between -25℃ and 85℃), x-ray-proof, vibration-resistant, magnetic-proof and shock-proof.

Lexar Silver Plus: Performance

We test memory cards in real world use cases, but to get the best indication of a card's maximum possible transfer speeds, you need to use memory/storage benchmarking software like Crystal Disk Mark. This revealed a maximum 167.28MB/s read speed - some way short of the claimed 205MB/s, though our best write speed result of 156.06MB/s was slightly above Lexar's advertised 150MB/s.

These speeds were attained using a UHS-II SD card reader from ProGrade Digital, plugged into a USB4 port on a fast laptop, so none of our testing hardware should have been anywhere close to bottlenecking the memory card.

Moving to real-world file transfer testing, we copied a single large video file to and from the Silver Plus card to get an idea of the best possible read/write speed you're likely to see when offloading footage from the card. We also run the same tests using a folder containing hundreds of small image files - a scenario likely to produce slightly slower transfer speeds. In both the video and the multiple image transfer tests, our maximum sustained read and write rates were around 10-15% slower than the speeds recorded in Crystal Disk Mark:

To test real-world in-camera performance, we broke out our Sony a7R III and shot a continuous burst of 31 uncompressed RAW stills in the camera's Hi+ burst mode (the maximum number of stills before hitting the internal buffer limit). This 2.47GB burst of shots then took approximately 30 seconds to transfer from the camera's internal buffer to the Silver Plus card, equating to a write speed of 84.31MB/s - some way short of Lexar's claimed 150MB/s max write speed. We've used the same camera to test other SD cards and it's definitely capable of unloading its buffer more quickly than we experienced with the Silver Plus, implying the issue isn't related to the camera.

We also shot some 4K video at the camera's maximum 100Mbps bitrate - we encountered no perceivable glitches or dropped frames.

Lexar Silver Plus: Verdict

At the time of writing (August 2024) a 256GB Silver Plus card can be had for around $35 USD, while the regular Silver (non-Plus) card is barely cheaper at $34. This compares pretty well to other UHS-I cards from major brands with similar advertised read/write speeds.

It's a pity we weren't able to get close to the advertised 205MB/s read speed, and our tested in-camera write speed was way less than the quoted 150MB/s. However, the Silver Plus card easily handled recording high bit-rate 4K video, and it performed well when transferring images and video to and from a computer.

Overall, the Lexar Professional Silver Plus SDXC card offers respectable performance at an accessible price: it's a good-value SD card.

Read more: for more choices check out our top picks for the best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF, and XQD, and for getting the best speeds on your laptop the best memory card readers

Compact Flash, or CF cards for short, have been on quite the journey over the years, with the original CF card format coming out in 1994 and quickly becoming popular with camera manufacturers as they transitioned from film to digital. CFast cards then came out in 2008 and once the limitations of the CF form factor were outgrown in the 2010’s we transitioned to faster XQD cards in 2011. These were superseded in 2017 by the modern CFexpress cards we see today and take the same form factor as the older XQD cards.

It’s worth noting that CFexpress cards come in Type A versions, with read and write speeds of around 800MB/s or 700MB/s respectively, whereas on Type B cards it's much faster at up to 1800MB/s (read) or 950MB/s (write). They're also physically different sizes and incompatible with each other's system, so it's crucial you pick the correct one for your camera if it has a CFexpress slot.

SanDisk was an early adopter of the CFexpress Type B card variety so it's no surprise that its ExtremePRO range has been a popular choice for many working professionals. But there's a new kid on the block and in this review we take a closer look at Lexar’s Professional SILVER series which is over half the price, yet boasts both faster read and write speeds. Let’s put it through its paces to find out if it really is all it’s cracked up to be, or if it’s too good to be true...

Specifications

Supported cards: CFexpress Type B (with XQD compatibility)
Interface: PCIe Gen3x2
Max write speed: 1300MB/s
Max read speed: 1750MB/s
Capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Operating temperature: -10ºC - 70ºC
Warranty: 10 year limited warranty
Size (LxWxH): 29.60 x 38.50 x 3.80 mm / 1.16” x 1.51” x 0.14”
Weight: 7.65g / 0.016 lbs

Key Features

Flagship cameras such as the Canon EOS R1 will be the choice of many pros at this year's Paris Olympics and there's a good reason that flagship cameras only use CFexpress Type B cards - they’re superior in speed and durability compared to your humble SD card.

CFexpress cards have a larger, chunkier design compared to traditional SD cards which makes it possible to squeeze in faster and higher capacity silicone, but it also means they feel more sturdy and robust when compared to SD cards.

One of the drawbacks of SD cards is that I’ve had multiple breaks over the years, so the larger, sturdier design of CFexpress cards inherently makes them stronger and more reliable. That’s no different with Lexar’s SILVER range either, the CFexpress Type B card we got hold of has more metal around the back and sides compared to the SanDisk ExtremePRO. This extra metal might even help with heat dissipation too, acting a bit like a heatsink. We’ll come on to the performance and explore its read and write times later on in the review.

The 128GB Silver card is also manufactured in Taiwan, whereas the SanDisk Extreme PRO cards are produced in China. In the box is a plastic hard case to keep it safe and secure in your kit bag too when not in use or you’ve filled it up and need to switch cards.

Lexar states that all of its products “undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with thousands of different cameras and digital devices to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability”. They also come with a 10-year limited warranty, it doesn't match SanDisk's whopping 30-year guarantee, but it's impressive nonetheless.

While we have been critical of SanDisk’s high price point in this review when compared to our Lexar review sample, one noteworthy difference is that SanDisk Extreme PRO cards come with 1-year of the company’s handy RescuePro Deluxe software which can help users recover images even if the data was deleted or the drive was formatted. There’s no such recovery software included with the Lexar SILVER series, but at such a considerable price difference it’s a sacrifice some users will be happy to make.

Performance

Lexar claims its SILVER series delivers next-generation performance and seamless 8K video capture.

While all four of the capacities in the SILVER series have read speeds of up to 1750MB/s and write speeds as high as 1300MB/s, the minimum sustained write speeds seem to vary wildly between them. For the base 128GB and 256GB versions, it’s just 480MB, for the 512GB card it’s 850MB/s and for the top 1TB model, it’s a blisteringly fast 1200MB/s - almost three times as quick as the base 128GB iteration.

For comparison Lexar’s professional GOLD series have read and write speeds of 1750/MBs and 1500MB/s for its base 128GB model, reaching up to 1900MB/s and 1500MB/s read and write times respectively for its largest 2TB and 1TB models. 

Perhaps the more noteworthy stats are that the GOLD series boasts a sustained write speed of a gigantic 1000MB/s for its 128-512GB capacity cards, or 1300MB/s for its 1TB and 2TB cards. The GOLD series also boasts better IP5X dust protection, claims to be temperature-proof, has 5m drop resistance, and withstands 70N compression resistance. 

Lexar's SILVER series has a very impressive build quality, but the GOLD series takes it to another level and also provides better minimum sustained write speeds and higher capacities, so is definitely one to consider if you need those extra features.

For testing, we had the 128GB versions from Lexar's SILVER and SanDisk's ExtremePRO ranges.

To test our CFexpress Type B cards we transferred our data to and from a Samsung T7 Portable SSD via USB-C - this should in theory allow the CFExpress cards to operate as fast as they possibly can.

First up we did a test of write speeds. The Lexar Silver claims to have a read speed of 1750MB/s against SanDisk’s 1700MB/s so there’s only a 3% difference between the two here. Unsurprisingly both managed to copy over a folder of 25GB RAW files from cards to our SSD drive both in a blistering 38 secs, so both impressed us here with identical times.

When it came to write speeds there was however a much more notable difference. While Lexar claims a write speed of 1300MB/s and SanDisk claims 1200 MB/s, the Lexar card should be 8.3% faster, but these figures give a 'best case scenario', the minimum sustained write speed of 480MB/s for the Lexar is likely to be a much more accurate measure.

Copying a 50GB folder from our SSD to the cards we saw a big difference between the two. The SanDisk Extreme PRO 128GB took 123 seconds to write 50GB and had an average write speed of around 450MB. The Lexar Silver 128GB however was finished in just 101 seconds and had an average write speed of 510MB, so our testing found it to be approximately 17% faster!

Verdict

Lexar’s Professional CFexpress Type B card SILVER series is a no-brainer. While it might look conspicuous with every other Type B CFexpress card on the market, Lexar’s SILVER card is clearly built differently on the inside.

In our tests, the Lexar Silver 128GB had read speeds that matched that of the SanDisk ExtremePRO, though it was considerably quicker when it came to write speeds: a feat made even more impressive when you consider it's half the price! It also regularly appears in our Amazon Day and Black Friday Deals which makes it even better value. It might be silver by name, but it's a gold standard card in our eyes.

The only reason we'd consider not buying the Lexar SILVER is if you need those enhanced features from its GOLD series, or you like the idea of having SanDisk's Rescue Pro Deluxe software - though buying a SanDisk card only grants you one year of the software for free.

Alternatives

These are the final hours of Amazon Prime Day! We're excited to showcase excellent deals on both memory cards and storage live at Amazon, and they are too good to ignore!

A Prime subscription (which costs just $14.99 a month / £8.99 a month not only gives you access to free expedited shipping but also additional Prime perks like exclusive discount codes and coupons. You can sign up using the buttons below to get a 30-day free trial if you haven't been a member before.

Editor's top picks

US:

🇺🇸 1. Lexar 1TB microSDXC card | save $62.11 | now $67.88
🇺🇸 2. SanDisk 512GB Ultra SDXC card | save $10 | now $39.99
🇺🇸 3. Crucial X9 1TB portable SSD | save $35 | now $64.99

UK:

🇬🇧 1. SanDisk Ultra 512GB SD card | save £26.28 | now £44.99
🇬🇧 2. Nextorage 512GB CFexpress Type B card | save £46.20 | now £128.99
🇬🇧 3. Samsung T7 Shield 2TB portable SSD | save £36.70 | now £125.79

🇺🇸 Top US retailers

🇺🇸 Amazon: Cheap prices on imaging gear

There are plenty of great offers outside of the Prime Day event: check out these popular retailers for the the latest deals!

🇺🇸 Adorama: Big discounts on cameras and tech
🇺🇸 B&H Photo Video: Deals on top imaging brands
🇺🇸 Best Buy: Save on TVs, laptops, appliances
🇺🇸 Canon USA: Buy direct to save money
🇺🇸 Dell:  Discounts on laptops and PCs
🇺🇸 Walmart: DSLR, mirrorless & action cameras

🇺🇸 US memory card & storage deals

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🇬🇧 Top UK retailers

🇬🇧 Amazon: We expect big savings on cameras, binoculars, monoculars and more

There are plenty of great offers outside of the Prime Day event: check out these popular retailers for the the latest deals!

🇬🇧 Canon UK: Buy direct from the source and tap into Summer Savings
🇬🇧 John Lewis: The latest deals on binoculars and electrical equipment
🇬🇧 Clifton Cameras: Digiscoping and binocular specialists
🇬🇧 Park Cameras: £50 off selected Nikon binoculars
🇬🇧 Wex Photo Video: Save up to £750 on Zeiss optics

🇬🇧 UK memory cards & storage deals

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Amazon Prime Day 2024: Key information

Amazon Prime Day 2024 dates

The official start date of this year's Prime Day sale is scheduled for July 16-17 2024. However, some deals are already live!

This 48-hour extravaganza will feature significant discounts on a wide range of photographic equipment, including cameras, lenses, tripods, and filters. Additionally, you’ll find some of the top laptops, camera phones, and tablets on sale too.

How to make the most of Amazon Prime Day

Despite the name, most of the deals offered during Amazon Prime Day are open to everyone, but if you really want to make the most of it and maximise your savings, it's best to be a Prime member. There are several offers that are only available to subscribers, so signing up means you won't miss out on the really juicy bargains.

However, you don't need to shell out for a monthly membership in order to make the most of the sales festivities. Instead, why not sign up for a 30-day free trial closer to the sale in order to take advantage of the discounts – and then simply cancel the membership when Prime Day is over.

If you do sign up now, you'll also be able to take advantage of the other free perks that come with a Prime subscription, namely full access to Prime Video, Prime Reading (a 'lite' version of Kindle Unlimited) and Prime Gaming (another version of Twitch). Plus, of course, the free-and-fast shipping promise is there for all eligible products.

How to find the best binocular deals during Prime Day

If you're shopping for a new kit – whether it's your first pair of binoculars, a gift for someone or an upgrade – it helps to keep a few things in mind when shopping during Prime Day.

1. Sign up for a free Amazon Prime subscription

This should give you full access to the sale, including Prime-exclusive offers. You can cancel at any time during the trial period.

2. Figure out what you want to buy beforehand

Shopping fany major sale can be overwhelming. So knowing exactly what you're after can save you both time and money. Take the time to do some research on price histories of the items you would like to buy. While camera prices don't necessarily fluctuate too much, it's still good to know whether a deal is worth your hard-earned money – after all, we don't upgrade our cameras as often as we do our phones, so the investment is best made with some thought.

3. Be flexible on what you want

Sometimes the specific model you want may not be discounted, but if you aren't faithful to a specific brand, you might get a better offer on binocualrs from a different brand – one with similar specs.  We also admit that this is easier for people looking for their first pair of binos and not already tied down with a specific system. 

4. Create a wish list

Once you've narrowed down what you're after, you can save them in a wish list on Amazon. This will also show you price fluctuations (if any) in the lead up to the sale and makes it really super quick and easy to then move the item to your shopping cart directly from there.

5. Check back through the event

We've noticed in the past that Amazon's prices change through the duration of the sale. Sometimes binoculars will be cheaper on day two of the sale. So while it might be worthwhile picking something up as soon as the offer has gone live on the shopping site (particularly if stock is limited), it could pay to wait too. If the stock hasn't run out, then you could save yourself a few more dollars.

6. Stick with us

Not to toot our own horn, but if you're willing to get some help, we'll be on hand to scour Amazon for the best deals on photography gear. We won't list them all, but we will hand-pick what might be the best options across the different categories of gear. This could make it quick and easy for you to find a specific deal rather than spend hours going through the shopping site to find a particular option.

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Lexar has launched three new memory cards to expand its Silver series. They join the existing flagship card in the Silver range: the SILVER PRO SDXC card, which we've reviewed.

Lexar SILVER PLUS SDXC UHS-I Card

Headlining the new trio is the SILVER PLUS SDXC™ UHS-I Card. Though not a full-fat UHS-II card like the existing SILVER PRO, it's still capable of a very respectable 205MB/s maximum read speed and a 150MB/s peak write rate. Capacities range from 64GB to 1TB, though pricing and availability has yet to be revealed.

Lexar SILVER SDXC UHS-I Card

Slightly further down the Silver-series hierarchy is the standard 'Silver' SDXC UHS-I card. Like the Silver Plus, it too is designed for shooting 4K video at up to 60fps, and boasts similar read/write speeds of 205MB/s and 140MB/s, respectively. Silver SDXC cards are available now in 64GB (£12.79), 128GB (£19.99) and 256GB (£34.99) capacities, with 512GB and 1TB versions coming soon. US pricing has yet to be announced.

Lexar SILVER PLUS microSDXC UHS-I Card

Lastly comes the new SILVER PLUS microSDXC™ UHS-I Card. It matches its full-size SD namesake by offering 205MB/s read ad 150MB/s maximum transfer speeds, while also being V30-rated, meaning it's capable of a minimum 30MB/s sustained write rate. An A2 Application Performance rating ensures snappy app loading speeds should the card be used in an Android phone or tablet. 64GB, 128GB and 256GB capacities are available to buy now at Amazon, priced at £9.99, £15.99 and £24.99, respectively. 512GB and 1TB capacities are said to be available soon.

All the new Silver-series cards have a durable construction built to withstand drops, shocks, vibrations, temperature extremes, X-rays and magnetic fields. They're backed by a limited lifetime warranty and include Lexar's Recovery Tool software which enables accidentally deleted files to be recovered.

Check out the best memory card readers

Getting photos and video from an SD card can be tricky. If your computer has an SD card reader, great, but is that reader UHS-I and UHS-II compatible, and will it get the maximum speeds? But what if your computer doesn’t have an SD reader built in? Then you have the added complications of how fast is its best USB port, how fast and compatible is your external card reader, and whether will they work in harmony for the best speeds. And all this isn’t even taking into account the maximum read and write speeds of the card itself.

So you can see how this might be a headache for photographers who just want to quickly transfer and get editing. There are two common solutions, docking stations with multiple ports, and dedicated SD card readers. Anker, a company that is perhaps better known for its charging solutions, offers a range of both, but here I am taking a look at the latter, an SD (and Micro SD) card reader that promises simplicity, compatibility, and super fast speeds, but with so many options on the market, is this better than the rest?

Anker PowerExpand+ SD Card Reader: Specifications

Anker PowerExpand+ SD Card Reader: Price

For $30, this places the Anker PowerExpand SD card reader around the same price as similar readers from SanDisk and Lexar. Although much cheaper than the more professional aimed readers from ProGrade or SanDisk Professional. However the combined speed limits of your SD cards and computer are going to significantly affect if pricier readers are even worth considering, and for most people this reader from Anker is fast enough. 

Anker PowerExpand+ SD Card Reader: Design & Handling

The design is very nice, with a minimalist gunmetal grey body that is smooth and slightly curved, and around one and a half times the length of an SD card. The cable is braided and measures 15cm (6in) with a good flex to it, but it can be a little stiff, and it wants to bounce back to being straight, which can make positioning it a little tricky.

The SD card disappears around halfway into the reader, the slot is tight enough to hold the SD card in with no danger of it dropping out unexpectedly, but there is no push lock or anything fancy like on many a camera SD slot.

One slightly strange design choice is the card goes into the reader upside down. By this, I mean the Anker logo, which is in my mind on top of the reader, but then the card’s label faces down. This is obviously done to fit the internal components in better, but I do keep trying to put the card in the wrong way up.

Anker PowerExpand+ SD Card Reader: Performance

The top speed of the reader is theoretically 312Mb/s according to its marketing, however, this proves pretty tough to test, as currently the fastest widely available SD cards have a read speed of only 300Mb/s. I am using the PNY EliteX-Pro90 with a read speed of 300Mb/s and write speed of 280Mb/s as my UHS-II test card, and a SanDisk Extreme Pro with a read speed of 200Mb/s to test the UHS-I compatibility, which are both highly rated cards, although not all cards consistently perform to their advertised speeds. 

Testing was performed on an M2-equipped MacBook Pro using AmorphousDiskMark (CrystalDiskMark) and Blackmagic Disk Speed Test. I found that the Anker SD reader could achieve speeds near to the top of each card's performance. I tested the cards on a Sandisk reader as well, and got the same speeds, so this might be limited by the card performance, not the reader. However, the conclusion is that the Anker SD card reader performed admirably, and I am confident I am getting fast and consistent speeds.

Anker PowerExpand+ SD Card Reader: Verdict

Despite CFExpress being touted as the new thing, it's important to note that SD cards are still a widely used storage medium and are unlikely to be phased out anytime soon, and the overwhelming majority of cameras feature an SD slot. This makes it all the stranger that many laptop manufacturers seem in a hurry to get rid of the slot to make their devices sleeker, to the detriment of creatives.

With this in mind, Anker offers an affordable solution for those who need to add an SD card reader back to their laptops. The Anker SD card reader not only provides quick and reliable data transfer speeds but also comes in a conveniently small size that can easily slip into a laptop sleeve or bag. For anyone who has experienced the frustration of not having an SD card reader readily available, this reader serves as an excellent go-everywhere solution to SD reader-related inconveniences.

The Lexar SL500 is a portable SSD marketed as being compact, fast and tough. Like other portable SSDs, it uses a single USB connection for both data transfer and device power, so no separate power supply is required. The drive is available in four capacity options: 512 megabytes, 1 terabyte, 2TB and 4TB.

But what really sets it apart from more average portable SSDs are its advertised maximum transfers speeds. Lexar claims the SL500 can achieve a peak read speed of 2000MB/s, and a maximum write rate of 1800MB/s. These speeds are only possible thanks to the drive's fast USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connection, which has twice the bandwidth of the more widespread USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard. 

Lexar SL500: Specifications

Lexar Professional SL600: Price & Availability

At the time of writing, the Lexar SL500 costs $170 for the 2TB version of the drive. This compares favorably with competing USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 portable SSDs like the Samsung T9 or SanDisk Extreme Pro, which for the same capacity cost around $228 and $233, respectively.

Lexar SL500: Design & Handling

The SL500 uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connection. This enables transfer speeds of up to 2500MB/s, which should be fast enough to let the 2000MB/s SL500 run to its full potential. There is a catch, however. The USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard is not widely used by desktop or laptop computers, most of which will still have plain USB 3.2 ports. These will operate at a maximum 1250MB/s, and in practice more like 800-900MB/s, thereby bottlenecking the SL500's transfer speeds. Thankfully, if you're rocking a newer laptop with USB 4.0, these 5000MB/s ports are backward compatible with Gen 2x2 and will let the SL500 run at its full speed.

The SL500 measures an easily pocketable 85mm x 54mm, and Lexar markets it as being ultra-thin, at just 4.8mm. This is partly true, as the SL500 is indeed 4.8mm thick, but only at its edges. As the case is a tapered shape, the central section expands to 7.8mm thick, but the tapering design combined with the matte finish do make the SSD feel like a svelte product. The aluminium exterior feels solid and of a high quality, while also helping to dissipate heat from the NAND flash memory chips within.

The SL500 is supplied with a short USB Type C to Type C cable, however a Type C to Type A adapter isn't included, so you'll need to source your own if you plan on using the drive with an older computer.

Lexar SL500: Performance

In order to use the SL500 at its full potential, you'll realistically need a laptop with USB 4.0, as computers with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 are almost non-existent. So we broke out a high-end, USB 4-capable HP Z-Book Studio laptop to test the SL500. Our storage benchmarking software of choice is CrystalDiskMark, however after multiple attempts we could only get the SL500 to record a maximum 1067MB/s read speed and 1058 MB/s write rate. These do slightly exceed the speed a USB 3.2 Gen 2 SSD could achieve, so the drive is utilising the extra Gen 2x2 bandwidth, but only barely.

Switching to real-world file transfers, we recorded a sustained 861MB/s read speed when copying a single large file from the drive, and a sustained 634MB/s when writing the same video file back to the SL500. These are fast speeds, but nonetheless disappointing given the SL500's advertised speeds. Sadly we don't have a stack of other USB 4-capable computers with which to verify these results, but we have seen transfer speeds in excess of 2000MB/s when testing a USB 4.0 CFexpress card reader, so our test laptop is certainly capable of higher transfer speeds than the SL500 delivered.

Lexar SL500: Verdict

The Lexar SL500 is a well made, conveniently compact portable SSD. We found it connected seamlessly with our test computers, and delivered very fast file transfer speeds. It's disappointing that we couldn't get close to Lexar's advertised speeds, despite using a test computer which should let the SL500 perform at its best. However, this isn't the first time we've seen portable storage devices and memory cards fall short of their claimed speeds.

The SL500 is not without strong competition, however. It goes up against the SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSD, and Samsung's T9 portable SSD. Both these rivals also use a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connection, and both advertise max speeds of up to 2000MB/s. However at the time of writing (May 2024) the SL500 undercuts both these drives on price, and is equally compact. It's a great value option if you want faster than average storage that's effortlessly portable.

Lexar has announced at the NAB 2024 show in Las Vegas a new Rugged Series of SD cards. Available in two speed classes, both the ARMOR GOLD SD UHS-II V60 card and ARMOR SILVER PRO SD UHS-II V60 card are unusual in the SD sector as they boast an IP68 ingress protection rating. This means the cards are sealed against dust, and protected against continuous immersion in water. Given an SD card still has to conform to strict external dimensions, Lexar must have got quite creative when designing the necessary seals to protect the card's internals.

Read more: the best memory cards

Both cards use a UHS-II interface, so can achieve faster transfer speeds than traditional UHS-I cards. The ARMOR GOLD SD UHS-II V60 is capable of a rapid 280MB/s max read speed, and a peak write rate of 210MB/s. The ARMOR SILVER PRO SD UHS-II V60 can manage the same 280MB/s read speed, and though write speed is reduced to 160MB/s, Lexar still states that this should be fast enough to support 6K video capture. Pricing has yet to be revealed, likely due to both cards not being available until Q3 2024.

Lexar also revealed a new docking station targeted at professional users. The Lexar Professional PRO WORKFLOW is a 6-bay dock designed to take various different modules, including modules for CFexpress 4.0 Type B and Type A cards, SD and microSD UHS-II cards, and portable SSDs. With the potential for simultaneous file transfer from multiple fast memory cards and portable storage devices, it's vital that the dock should have a fast interface in order to prevent any transfer bottlenecks. Thankfully Lexar has equipped the PRO WORKFLOW with a super-fast Thunderbolt 4 connection, enabling transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps.

A fully mobile, battery powered version is also available: the Lexar Professional PRO WORKFLOW GO is a 2-bay dock that allows users to back up on location without a laptop, and is capable of transfer speeds up to 10Gbps.

At the same announcement Lexar also showcased two new CFexpress 4.0 cards: the Lexar Professional CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card DIAMOND Series, and the Professional CFexpress 4.0 Type A Card GOLD Series, though these aren't entirely new as they were first revealed at CES earlier this year.

Lexar has launched two new portable SSDs aimed at demanding photographers and videographers. The SL500 portable SSD is a sleek, compact device featuring an aluminium unibody construction that assists with heat dissipation. As with most portable SSDs, the device is powered by its single USB-C connection, and it uses a single-chip controller to lower power consumption while also minimising heat generation.

Thanks to a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 data connection, read speeds are said to be up to 2000MB/s, and write speeds up to 1800MB/s - both highly respectable figures. 256-bit data encryption is available via Lexar DataShield, so your files will be secure should the SSD fall into the wrong hands. The SL500 also supports Apple Log video recording in 4K 60FPS ProRes format on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Read more: the best portable SSDs

To make the SL500 work even more seamlessly with an iPhone, it's also available as a Magnetic Set. This bundles the SL500 with accessories like a magnetic ring, lanyard and data cable for easier carrying. Simply slip the SSD into its magnetic set and it'll attach securely to an iPhone, or other devices like laptops, cameras or games consoles.

Lexar has also announced the ARMOR 700 portable SSD. This features IP66 ingress protection to guard against water and dust, plus the SSD can withstand a drop from up to 3 meters. Designed for adventurous photographers, videographers and content creators, the ARMOR 700 SSD can be used with PC, Mac, Android devices and the iPhone 15 series, as well as cameras and games consoles. Like the SL500 SSD, read/write speeds are up to 2000MB/s and 1800MB/s, respectively, again via a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 USB-C connection. The supplied USB cable also contains a Type-A plug for backward compatibility with older devices.

The Lexar SL500 portable SSD will be available soon, in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB. Expect to pay $229.99/£189.99 for the 2TB version, while the 1TB capacity is priced at £109.99. The Magnetic set bundle and ARMOR 700 SSD are due to arrive in April, with a £20 price premium over the standard SL500.

Buy the 2TB SL500 portable SSD at Amazon.com

Just when you thought the best CFexpress cards were plenty fast enough, we're now about to get cards around TWICE as fast as current offerings. We've already seen manufacturers such as ProGrade Digital release next-gen CFexpress 4.0 cards, boasting read speeds as high as 3400MB/s, but that already ludicrous speed will soon be beaten.

Lexar has just announced at this year's CES trade show that its upcoming Professional CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card DIAMOND Series cards will top out at a frankly unnecessary 3600MB/s read speed, and can achieve up to 3300MB/s write speed. This will make the new Lexar cards the fastest-writing Type B cards on the market, though they're narrowly beaten on read speed by the 3650MB/s Atlas Ultra CFexpress 4.0 Type B card from OWC.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

We call these speeds unnecessary because, as far as we're aware, no current consumer CFexpress camera is actually able to write images or video at anything like these speeds. Likewise, no memory card reader on the market can even get close to ingesting data at 3500+ MB/s.

Details about capacity options, pricing and availability of Lexar Professional CFexpress 4.0 Type B Card DIAMOND cards have yet to be revealed.

Arguably more interesting than Lexar's CFexpress Type B announcement is that the company is also launching a new line of Type A cards: the Lexar Professional CFexpress 4.0 Type A Card GOLD Series. What makes these cards special is they are the first Type A cards built to the CFexpress 4.0 specification, meaning they utilize PCIe Gen 4 technology.

The end result is these new cards perform at approximately double the speed of any Type A card that has come before. With maximum read/write speeds of 1800MB/s and 1650MB/s, respectively, Lexar's latest type A cards actually match the speed of the vast majority of Type B cards, and they easily trounce the previous Type A speed king: the 950MB/s Nextorage NX-A1PRO series. If you own a Sony camera like the a1, a7 IV and a7S III, then these new Lexar Type A cards are for you. Like their new Type B counterparts, Lexar hasn't released any info on pricing or retail availability.

At the same CES announcement Lexar revealed new additions to its portable SSD range. The toughened Armor 700 Portable SSD combines IP66 water and dust resistance with a rugged design capable of withstanding a 3-meter drop. It will be available in capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB. The more mainstream SL500 portable SSD is clad in a sleek aluminium enclosure and is capable of up to 2000MB/s read and 1800MB/s write speeds.

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

Despite their pedigree in manufacturing other types of storage, Lexar is probably not a name that crops up a lot when talking about the best portable hard drives, with the middling Lexar SL200 being a big disappointment and big players like SanDisk, Western Digital, and Samsung since grabbing all the limelight with superior models.

Lexar however is back with a more serious entry, recently adding a twin set of much more competent seeming portable SSDs to its lineup – the Lexar SL660 Blaze and the Lexar Professional SL600. 

Fundamentally the same drive, but offering a slightly different design to court two different kinds of users. The SL600 Blaze adds a ring of colored LED lights to the carabiner handle to sit nicely next to any neon-lit gaming rig, while the SL600 Professional keeps things more demure by forgoing the lights altogether. But which one calls to you very much depends on your setup.

The drive I am reviewing here is the Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD, which in my opinion is likely the drive that fits photographers and videographers best, especially if using the drive to record directly to from a camera.

Lexar Professional SL600: Specifications

Lexar Professional SL600: Price & Availability

At the time of writing, the Lexar Professional SL600 costs $129.99 for the 1TB version of the drive, and $174.99 for the 2TB capacity, which is just a meager $45 increase to jump up a whole terabyte in capacity. This price is very consistent with rival drives, just slightly undercutting the price of rival drives like the Samsung T9 or SanDisk Extreme Pro, which offer similar Gen 3.2 2x2 speeds, although rival drives both offer more robust drop protection. The RRP is also the same as the Lexar SL600 Blaze, so you won’t need to pay extra if you want those LED colors.

Lexar Professional SL600: Design & Handling

Portable SSDs generally fall into two categories, there are those that aim to be as sleek and miniature as possible, or there are rugged portable SSDs that offer water resistance, drop protection, and ways to attach to bags for carrying. However, the latest SSD from Lexar kind of sits in between these categories.

It doesn’t have the rubberized outdoorsy feel of a rugged drive, instead being made of sleek sandblasted aluminum, and the drive doesn’t have an official drop rating. The drive does have a carabiner handle for attaching the drive for carrying around, although there is also no weather resistance rating quoted. There is no rule saying you have to be one or the other, but its mixed messages make it harder for me to place the drive when recommending it for different purposes. 

As a less adventurous photographer, my SSDs spend most of the time inside my house or office and are transferred inside a bag, so the handle adds little value for me personally. The handle however does make the drive larger than drives a little larger than other “inside drives” but is about on par with the size of other rugged SSDs.

I do however really like the look of the Lexar SL600, the design is sophisticated and professional looking, and the exposed screws and venting along the sides break up what might have otherwise been a very boring chassis. I think it is a design that would impress clients attached to my camera or laptop. 

Lexar Professional SL600: Performance

The Lexar SL600 features a Gen 3.2 2x2 interface to speed up data transfer and can offer top read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s in perfect conditions. The big downside – a lot of off-the-shelf PCs and all current Macs do not support Gen 3.2 2x2, meaning that most people won’t see any benefit to this drive speeds over a regular Gen 3.2 port. This is also true for most cameras, to my knowledge the majority of which also do not recognize a Gen 3.2 2x2 connection for direct recording.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the Lexar SL600 is still fast with a Gen 3.2 connection, and leaves older drives in its wake, offering speeds of up to 16x that of an external HDD.

In my Blackmagic Disk Speed Test the SL600 achieved a 783MB/s write speed and an 885.3MB/s read speed when paired with my Apple MacBook Pro and formatted in ExFAT. These ratings put the SL600 neck and neck with the PNY EliteX-PRO and just ever so slightly behind the Samsung T9. 

However, when the drive was reformatted to MacOS Journaled, the SL600 write speeds were upped to 876.8MB/s write and 907.8MB/s read speed, which is a significant write speed bump, although does severely limit the drive's compatibility with cameras and non-Apple devices.

In more practical testing – I copied my usual testing folder made up of RAW and JPEG files to and from the drive, the folder makes up around 35GB of data and around 500 files in total.

The files were transferred from my internal MacBook SSD to the Lexar SL600 (exFAT) in 47 seconds, for a speed of around 744MB/s, this was improved to 40 seconds in MacOS Journaled, or approximately 853MB/s. For comparison, the same files took a whopping 10 minutes and 24 seconds (~55MB/s) to transfer on a Western Digital Essentials portable HDD, which was almost 17 times slower than, so anyone still using an old portable hard disk drive, it is certainly time to upgrade.

Lexar Professional SL600: Verdict

The Lexar Professional SL600 Portable SSD is a great option for a wide array of photographers and videographers and offers commendable speed for most recording and editing tasks that don’t demand the utmost in extreme high-speed performance. The drive is another Gen 3.2 2x2 SSD, although compatibility for this connection is not widespread, so you might struggle to reach the drive's top speeds if you use any off-the-shelf PC or Mac. Thankfully the drive can still reach decent speeds on regular USB-C 3.2 connections that are lightyears ahead of older HDDs.

When it comes to design, the inclusion of a carabiner handle seems somewhat superfluous for a drive not explicitly geared toward rugged use. Personally, I'd have favored a sleeker, more compact design over the rugged aesthetic, but I am sure some creators will find this useful.

Alternatives

CFexpress Type A has a new speed champion: Nextorage. Boasting 950MB/s maximum read and 950MB/s max write speeds, the new NX-A1PRO series are now the fastest Type A cards you can buy for Sony cameras like the a1, a7 IV and a7S III. Until now, the quickest offerings were either Lexar Gold Series or Exascend Essential Series cards, both of which could deliver maximum 900MB/s read and 800MB/s write speeds.

This makes the new Nextorage cards comfortably faster in the write speed stakes, especially as NX-A1PRO cards are also rated for a minimum continuous write speed of 850 MB/s; 150MB/s faster than any other Type A card on the market. It also means the new cards easily qualify for VPG400 certification (400 MB/s minimum guaranteed sustained write speed).

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

Available capacities include 40GB, 80GB, 160GB, 320GB and 640GB. But if you need more space, Nextorage has also launched its NX-A1SE series of Type A cards. These feature the same 950MB/s read/write speeds, but in larger capacities of either 960GB or 1920GB. The downside is minimum sustained write speed is slower, meaning NX-A1SE cards only gain VPG200 certification.

As yet only Japanese pricing has been revealed. NX-A1PRO cards will range between 11,900 yen ($84) for the 40GB card, up to 79,800 yen ($561) for the range-topping 640GB capacity. 960GB and 1920GB NX-A1SE cards will cost 64,990 yen and 99,800 yen ($457 and $701), respectively.

This latest news is all well and good, but we've got a hunch that much faster Type A cards could be just around the corner. Next-generation CFexpress 4.0 Type B cards are already on the market, which are twice as fast as the preceding generation. As the current crop of Type A cards have a maximum theoretical performance of 1000MB/s, these new Nextorage cards are about as fast as the existing Type A technology can ever get. If Type A cards are also due to graduate to the CFexpress 4.0 standard, then this would raise the Type A theoretical speed limit to 2000MB/s, meaning we'd likely see Type A cards capable of 1700-1800MB/s right off the bat.

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

The SD card market is flooded with a multitude of capacity, speed, brand, and even bus speed options, so picking the right card for you can easily get confusing. You can split the market into two main sectors though – UHS-I SD cards are the older, slower variety, while UHS-II SD cards are roughly twice as fast, providing your camera can utilize that extra speed. If not, the card will still work, but at the slower USH-I rate.

Lexar's latest Silver Pro SD cards are in the UHS-II camp, with an advertised maximum read rate of 280MB/s and a peak write speed of 160MB/s. By comparison, Lexar's flagship 2000x Gold SDXC cards max out at 300MB/s read and 260MB/s write. However, the Silver Pro series isn't designed to break speed records - its aim is to offer quick UHS-II transfer speeds but at an affordable price.

Lexar Silver Pro: Key features

Lexar Silver Pro cards are available in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities, all of which carry a V60 Video Speed Class rating, meaning they're guaranteed to sustain a minimum 60MB/s write rate when shooting video. This isn't quite the top-most V90 (90MB/s) certification, but it should still be enough to shoot 4K video and high-bit-rate 1080p footage without slowdowns or dropped frames.

Headline peak read/write speeds are 280MB/s / 160MB/s, respectively, but it's worth noting that these only apply to the 256GB and 512GB Silver Pro cards. Go for the 128GB variant and you'll get speeds of 280MB/s read and 120MB/s write, or 130MB/s write for the 64GB card, though the smaller capacities do still come with V60 certification.

Unlike some brands, Lexar doesn't make any bold claims that Silver Pro cards are built to survive extreme abuse, but it does list a wide operating temperature range of 0 °C to 70 °C (32 °F to 158 °F). It also states that "All Lexar products undergo extensive testing in the Lexar Quality Labs, facilities with thousands of different cameras and digital devices to ensure performance, quality, compatibility, and reliability."

Lexar Silver Pro: Performance

To get a reliable indication of the maximum speed our 256GB Silver Pro sample card was capable of, we used the industry-standard Crystal Disk Mark memory speed benchmark. This revealed a maximum read rate of 259.17MB/s - a little short of Lexar's claimed 280MB/s maximum, but still impressive. Our best peak write speed was 164.98MB/s, which slightly exceeds the advertised 160MB/s maximum.

Real-world sustained transfer speeds between our Silver Pro card and a laptop containing a fast NVMe SSD confirmed these benchmark results. Transferring multiple small files will always be slower than one single large file, but even in this test the Silver Pro card maintained respectable read/write speeds.

Switching to in-camera speed testing using a Sony a7R III as our test camera, we were able to record 4K video at a 100Mbps bit rate with no slowdowns or perceivable frame drops in playback. We also captured a continuous burst of 31 RAW stills in the camera's fastest Hi+ burst mode - the maximum number before hitting the internal buffer limit. These then took around 18 seconds to transfer from the buffer over to the memory card. With the 31-shot sequence totaling 2.47 gigabytes, this equates to a write speed of 140.5MB/s.

Lexar Silver Pro: Verdict

We came away very impressed by the excellent value offered by Lexar's Silver Pro SD card. Our 256GB test card balances speed and affordability very well, although the smaller 128GB and 64GB cards are slightly slower, so bear this in mind when making comparisons. It's a pity we couldn't quite achieve the advertised 280MB/s maximum read rate during our testing, but this didn't impact on the card's real-world capability.

At the time of writing a 256GB Silver Pro card can be picked up for around USD $78. We were able to find a few alternative 256GB UHS-II cards with comparable read/write speeds for slightly less money, but these were from less high-profile brands, and the cost difference wasn't too significant.

Ultimately, if you're looking for an SD card that offers a decent turn of speed, but which won't cost a small fortune to buy, the Lexar Silver Pro range should be high on your shortlist.

Read more: for more choices check out our top picks for the best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF, and XQD, and for getting the best speeds on your laptop the best memory card readers

CFexpress may be stealing the memory card limelight, but Lexar hasn’t forgotten about good old SD cards, as it has just added a new range to its SDXC portfolio: Silver Pro.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

This new UHS-II SD card line-up slots in beneath the brand's top-end Gold-series cards, offering maximum read/write speeds of 280MB/s and 160MB/s, respectively. By comparison, Lexar's flagship 2000x Gold SDXC cards max out at 300MB/s read and 260MB/s write. Consequently, the Silver Pro isn't quite fast enough to warrant V90 Video Performance Guarantee status, instead gaining V60 certification, meaning the cards are capable of a minimum sustained 60MB/s write speed. Even so, this is still fast enough for the cards to be suitable for recording 4K video and high bit rate 1080p footage.

Capacities range from 64GB up to 512GB, but it's worth noting that the aforementioned 300MB/s read and 160MB/s write speeds only apply to the 256GB and 512GB Silver Pro cards. Go for the 64GB or 128GB variants and you'll get speeds of 280MB/s read and 120MB/s write, though still with V60 certification.

Expect to pay $49.99/£49.29 for the 128GB capacity, and $87.88/£92.59 for the 256GB card. The 512GB capacity is priced at $179.99/£168.99. At these prices, Silver Pro cards are less than half the cost of an equivalent capacity 2000x Gold-series Lexar card, making them compelling value for money.

Lexar Silver Pro SD cards are available to buy now in the US and UK:

Lexar Silver Pro cards at Amazon US

Lexar Silver Pro cards at Amazon UK

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best CFast cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

Lexar is updating its CFexpress Type B memory card range to include more capacity options, and increased transfer speeds. The changes affect all three tiers in Lexar's Type B range: Diamond, Gold, and Silver.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

Headlining the revised line-up is a new 512GB entry in the top-end Diamond series. This supplements the existing 128GB and 256GB capacities, all of which are capable of blazing-fast speeds of up to 1900MB/s read and 1700MB/s write. Diamond-series cards also boast a minimum sustained write speed of 1600 MB/s, as well VPG 400 (Video Performance Guarantee) certification, ensuring you can reliably record high resolution RAW, ProRes, and even 8K footage.

Next up are two new capacities added to the mid-tier Gold series. 1TB and 2TB options are now available, with the rest of the range consisting of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB cards. The two new high-capacity cards are also faster than the rest of the Gold range, with up to 1900MB/s read speed and up to 1500MB/s write. Compare this with the lower capacities which top out at 1750MB/s read.

Lastly there's the slightly more budget-conscious Silver series. Where previously these cards were significantly slower than the Gold range, with up to 1000MB/s read and 600MB/s write speeds, the refreshed Silver series can now manage up to 1750MB/s read and 1300MB/s write, making them a far more compelling choice than before. Lexar is also adding a 512GB-capacity card to the range, boosting the current 128GB and 256GB line-up.

The new Lexar CFexpress Type B cards are available now, priced at:

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best CFast cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

The best memory card readers are an easy way to make sure you can always get your images off your camera. Sure, there's always the option to connect via USB, or wirelessly. But in practice, this can be fiddly, and sometimes simply whipping a memory card out is the easier option.

To help you find the right option for your needs, we've listed the best memory card readers on the market today in the list below. We've made sure to include memory card readers that run the gamut in terms of price but are all reliable, durable and good quality overall.

Different cameras use different card formats, but whether you use a standard SD card, microSD card, CFexpress Type A or B, there should be a memory card reader on this list for you.

The Quick List

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The best memory card readers

Best all-round memory card reader

It may be a fairly cheap card reader, but the ImageMate Pro feels like a quality product, as it’s well built and weighty enough to sit securely on a desk. And this is where it belongs, as at 122 x 58 x 17mm, it’s big by card reader standards.

A trio of card slots are spread neatly across the front, with CF, UHS-II SD, and MicroSD to choose from. A detachable USB Type-A cable is provided, so you will need an adapter if you intend to plug in to a USB-C port.

Testing with a UHS-II SD card yielded highly respectable video transfer speeds of 252MB/s read and 210MB/s write - not far off the much more expensive ProGrade Digital USB 3.1 Gen 2 Dual-Slot Card Reader. 202MB/s read and 107MB/s write figures in our testing when shifting images are also superb.

When it comes to UHS-I SD cards, maximum sustained transfer speeds of 96MB/s read and 83MB/s write aren't quite class-leading, but not to the extent that you’d really notice in real-world use.

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Best memory card reader for CFexpress Type B

CFexpress Type B cards seem to be breaking memory card transfer speed records on a monthly basis, yet few will ever experience anything close to these incredible read/write speeds. That's because the vast majority of Type B card readers use the USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection, which has a maximum bandwidth of around 900MB/s. That's simply not good enough when most Type B cards can reach in excess of 1500MB/s.

Thankfully ProGrade Digital has come to the rescue with its PG05.6 USB4 CFexpess Type B card reader. USB 4.0 has a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 5000MB/s, which should be enough to max out even the latest generation of CFexpress 4.0 cards that are capable of speeds approaching 4000MB/s.

In our testing we couldn't match the advertised 3400MB/s read and 3000MB/s write speeds of our CFexpress Type B 4.0 test card. However, the 2595MB/s read and 1613MB/s write speeds that we did record are still hugely impressive, and leagues ahead of what a conventional Type B reader could achieve.

Of course you're going to need a computer with a USB 4.0 connection for this card reader to work at its best. Plugging into a USB 3.x port will restrict transfer speeds to under 900MB/s.

Read our full ProGrade Digital PG05.6 USB4 card reader review

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Best modular memory card reader

One thing we're all crying out for in the age of digital devices is a bit more simplicity. Fewer cables, simpler devices, and more straightforward solutions for organizing and transferring our files. The Kingston Workflow Station Dock is a go at realizing that dream. It's a USB-C docking station equipped with a stack of SD card readers, allowing you to connect multiple USB-C or USB-A devices, and download from up to eight cards at the same time.

What's also hugely useful is the aforementioned modular aspect, which means you can buy specific readers to suit your needs. So if you have more microSD cards than SD cards, you can set up the station accordingly. Or you could plug in eight cameras via USB-C and download images from all of them simultaneously if that's the sort of thing you're in a position to do. Modules can also be used standalone, so you could take a single reader on a shoot and then reconnect it to the main dock later.

The whole thing does need power to run, as it's more complex than other SD readers. There's also the lack of CFexpress support currently, although, the modular design means it would be easy to add this functionality at a later date. All this does cost more than other readers on this list, and if you're a "one-card, one-camera" type of photographer, it's almost certainly more than you need.

Read our full Kingston Workflow review

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Most portable memory card reader

Despite being super-cheap, this little reader is a pleasingly capable device, able to achieve speedy data transfer rates thanks to its USB 3.0 connection.

It doesn't cover all the card types, most notably missing out on CFexpress, CompactFlash and UHS-II SD (though it does UHS-I), however if this isn't a problem for you, the Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader will get the job done quickly and efficiently.

It's also so tiny that you can take it anywhere, measuring 5.3 x 2.7 x 1.1cm and weighing a tiny 16g, and there's also an 18-month warranty to give you peace of mind. Need something simple and straightforward? This little reader is a solid buy.

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Best alternative CFexpress Type B card reader

ProGrade Digital's USB 4.0 CFexpress Type B card reader (above) is the best Type B card reader you can buy, but unfortunately it's in short supply. This SanDisk reader isn't as fast, but it is much easier to find. Around the same size and shape as a computer mouse, it's a nicely designed piece of kit. The spring-loaded memory card slot has a pleasing action too, with a gentle push of the memory card ejecting it from the reader.

In our testing, this reader hit a mighty impressive 718MB/s sustained read speed when transferring one large 4K video file. Image read/write rates of 534/410MB/s are also good, easily eclipsing even the fastest UHS-II SD cards.

That said, CFexpress cards are capable of even higher transfer speeds. The bottleneck here is likely the reader's USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection, which though very fast, can't keep up with the blistering performance available from CFexpress cards. But if you can live with that, this SanDisk CFexpress reader gets the job done.

Read our full SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Card Reader review

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Best CFexpress Type A card reader

Sony's CFexpress Type A/SD Card Reader was launched at the same time as the Sony a7S III's release, as this was the first camera to utilize the CFexpress Type A memory card format (the physically larger Type B cards already being commonplace).

With such a new CFexpress variant, and very few manufacturers currently producing Type A cards or readers, it's little surprise that this reader is expensive.

At least it uses a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 1250MB/s - plenty fast enough to let a 800MB/s CFexpress Type A card transfer at its maximum speed. The MRW-G2 card reader also supports SDXC/SDHC UHS-I and UHS-II cards for added versatility, going some way to justify the high selling price.

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Best rugged card reader (SD)

This isn't just a card reader: it's also a card storage case, with enough room inside to carry 4 full-size SD cards, a further 4 microSD cards. The captive USB-C cable is neatly stowed around the perimeter of the device, which in turn slips neatly inside a silicone-clad metal outer surround that's both shock- and water-resistant.

The reader itself operates at USB 3.2 Gen 2 speed, ensuring no connectivity bottleneck. With the silicone skin in place, this reader measures 115 x 60 x 25mm, making it fairly chunky, but not unreasonably bulky.

During our testing we found transfer speeds to be on par with other UHS-II readers, meaning the CreateMate was able to max out even our fastest UHS-II V90 SDXC test card.

If you regularly shoot and edit stills or video on location and want the reassurance of a rugged card reader, this little gadget is a no-brainer.

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Best rugged card reader (CFexpress)

Take a CFexpress Type B + SD card reader, add storage space alongside for Type B, SD and microSD cards, then encase the whole thing in a waterproof, shock-resistant shell. That's exactly what you get with the CreateMate, and the result is a genuinely useful all-in-one device that's ideal for creatives who regularly shoot and edit on location. To access your cards and reveal the card reader, simply press on one end and out pops a plastic inner section containing everything you need.

Transfer speeds are good, maxing out at around 1050MB/s in our testing, but the latest generation of Type B cards are capable of over 3500MB/s. The limiting factor here is the Createmate's USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, which simply cannot handle speeds much above 1000MB/s. If you want to max out the speed potential of your Type B cards, you'll need to invest in a USB4 reader.

But considering USB4 CFexpress readers are still relatively rare, we can't be too harsh on the Createmate. It offers a heck of a lot for the money, and if you regularly travel with multiple memory cards so would value its storage capabilities, it's a smart buy.

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Best for iPhones

The Anker MagGo SD Card Reader is one of the tidiest card readers on the market that are made specifically for iPhones. It's small, well-built and will connect magnetically to MagSafe phones. It gives you a simple, fast, and reliable way to capture video footage using an iPhone and save it straight onto an SD or TF card. The device supports a maximum data transfer speed of 312 MB/s, making it quick enough to transfer up to 4K ProRes video at 60fps. During our testing we found Anker's speed claims to be spot on, though you will need a card that can support at least 220 MB/s sustained write speed to shoot 4K/60 ProRes video.

The reader is MagSafe compatible, which means it can be magnetically attached to any supported iPhone. With a strong magnet, you can rest assured that not only will it stay in place, but it'll also stay out of the way. A built-in USB-C cable attaches the unit to a phone, tablet, or laptop. This cable is long enough to work with the iPhone 16 and 15. There's even a USB-C passthrough socket so you can charge your phone and transfer data simultaneously.

Read our full Anker MagGo SD Card Reader review

How to choose the best memory card reader

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How we test memory card readers

When we test memory card readers, we pay close attention to two main factors: reliability and performance. Our speed tests gauge read and write rates, as these are crucial for photographers or videographers handling large files. We also conduct endurance trials evaluate sustained performance under prolonged usage, preventing overheating or slowdowns during intensive tasks. We also assess compatibility with different operating systems and devices to ensure seamless integration across platforms, and consider user experience factors such as ease of installation, intuitive interfaces, and portability.

Find out more about how we test and review at Digital Camera World.

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Sony Alpha Rumors has leaked details of a new and rather innovative attachment for Sony A7-series cameras. A joint collaboration by Chinese brands TILTA and Zhiyong Technology Co. Ltd, the device resembles a conventional L-bracket, albeit one with an ergonomic grip on the vertical section. But this isn't just a simple grip, as it houses a 512GB M.2 SSD. The idea is that the SSD connects to the camera via a cable that terminates in a plug that inserts into the camera's CFexpress Type A connector. The camera therefore thinks it's recording to a regular Type A card, yet the data gets sent to the SSD.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

It's an interesting concept, as while the host camera's CFexpres Type A PCIe 3.0 bus speed will limit data write rates to 700MB/s (meaning the SSD will be no faster than a Type A memory card), you get significantly greater storage capacity. Currently the highest capacity Type A card is Exascend's 240GB Essential card, while Sony, Delkin, Lexar and Prograde Digital's offerings all top out at 160GB.

Judging by the leaked product details, pricing of the TILTA bracket may be 4,500.00 Chinese Yuan, which equates to $638USD at the time of writing. Considering that the aforementioned 240GB Type A card will set you back $400, to get an SSD with over double that capacity, along with the benefit of having a grip and L-bracket for an additional $238 seems like good value.

According to the leaked details, the L-bracket incorporates an Arca-swiss style QR tripod mounting system and doesn't restrict access to the camera's battery. The grip section features an integrated USB Type-C socket, running at USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20 GBps) speed.

The function of this isn't clear from the marketing slides, but given that the two status LEDs, each labelled 'SSD' and 'USB', we could speculate that the USB connection might let you connect additional storage for the camera to record onto? Other details include a non-slip silicone covering for the grip, a pull-resistant cable connecting the Type-A plug to the SSD, and an attachment point for a wrist strap.

The device is said to be compatible with all Sony cameras with CFexpress Type-A slots, which means the a1, a7S III, a7 IV, and FX3. More information looks likely to drop on September 30th.

Story credit: Sony Alpha Rumors

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

Lexar is one of the most widely-recognised memory card brands and the Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II cards are part of the company’s flagship series. Starting with a SDHC card that has a capacity of 32GB, and going all the way up to SDXC cards with capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB, there are options for every type of photographer although they commend a higher price than the less well-known Kingston Canvas React Plus cards.

The Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II cards have a video speed class of V90 and offer a maximum read speed of up to 300MB/s while the write speed tops out at 260MB/s. This makes them suitable for recording 4K and some 8K video as well as capturing high-resolution stills at fast frame rates.

Specifications

Max read speed: 300MB/s

Max write speed: 260MB/s

Available capacities: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB

Build and handling

Measuring 32 x 24 x 2.1mm, the Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II cards are the same size as all other SD cards. They also have the same plastic construction with two rows of connections on the rear indicating their UHS-II status.

In keeping with the Gold series name, the Professional 2000x cards have a splash of gold on the label, making them instantly recognizable amongst a pile of other cards. 

The slips into a card or card reader slot with our issue and the lock on its left side slides with a satisfying pop from one end to the other. Crucially, the lock isn’t prone to being moved accidentally.

According to Lexar, the Professional 2000x cards are capable of operating in a temperature range of 0ºC to 70 ºC and will survive being at-25ºC to 85 ºC. It’s also said to be shockproof to 200G, vibration proof and X-ray-proof to ISO7816-1 guidelines. Interestingly, Lexar’s entry-level Blue series cards have the same rugged design.

Performance

I have been using a 128GB Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II card heavily for several months and it has performed perfectly in numerous cameras. In the 45.7MP Nikon Z 7II, I was able to shoot up to around 104 Fine quality Jpegs, 91 Fine* quality Jpegs or 39  uncompressed 14-bit raw files at 10fps, each in one continuous sequence. The card also enables long clips of 4K and 8K video to be recorded, however, as you’d expect, the most processor-intensive 8K options such as raw and ALL-I recording are not possible.

Another key factor for photographers is the length of time that it takes images to transfer from a memory card to a computer. When the Lexar card was inserted into the UHS-II SD card port of a ProGrade card reader, it took just under 1 minute 40 seconds to transfer 9.7GB of images (100 Fine* Jpegs and 100 14-bit uncompressed raw files) from the Nikon Z 7II.

Running the Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II card through Blackmagic Design’s Disk Speed Test revealed read speeds of around 171MB/s and write speeds of 255MB/s. It’s very common for cards to not match the claimed speeds in bench tests, but these figures are still very good. The software also indicates that if the camera permits it, the card is fast enough to record 8K raw video at up to 24p.

Verdict

The Lexar Professional 2000x SDXC UHS-II hasn’t skipped a beat during my testing, I’ve had no corrupted images and no unexpected interruptions in video recording. It’s also allowed me to shoot long sequences of images to capture sport and action. 

At around $190/£179 for the 128GB version, it’s not the cheapest on the market, but it’s a solid performer from a well-known and reliable brand. If you want the same performance at more affordable price, the 64GB card retails for a shade under $80/£85.

Read more
Best memory cards
Best memory card readers
Why do some SD cards have two rows of pins?
Best CFexpress cards
What is CFexpress Type A?
Best CFast cards

Lexar has announced the world's fastest CFexpress Type B card. The new Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card DIAMOND Series is capable of a blistering 1900MB/s max read speed and 1700MB/s peak write speed. To put that in context, most premium CFexpress Type B cards manage around 1700/1500MB/s read/write speed, with the previous speed king, Angelbird's AV Pro XT MK2 Type B card topping out at 1785/1600MB/s.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera
Best CFexpress cards
Best memory card readers

Not content with releasing a record-breaking CFexpress Type B card, Lexar is simultaneously launching the world's fastest CFexpress Type A card. Boasting max read/write speeds of 900MB/s and 800MB/s, the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A Card GOLD Series card narrowly beats the previous Type A record holder, Delkin Devices' 160GB Black-series card and its 880/790MB/s read/write performance.

Of course 'peak' speeds aren't much use unless a memory card can sustain high speeds during real world shooting, so Lexar's new Type B and Type A cards are also VPG400 (Video Performance Guarantee) certified to maintain a sustained 400MB/s write speed, ensuring even high frame rate or 8K video can be captured with no dropped frames.

The cards are also designed to be shock and vibration-proof, as well as resistant to extreme temperatures. They are also backed by a lifetime limited warranty. In addition to the new card launches, Lexar has also revealed that it will be offering a new CFexpress™ Type A  card reader, supporting 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connectivity.

Sadly no information has been given about capacity options or pricing for each card type, only that the cards are still in development and will go on sale in Q2 2022.

Read more:

• The best memory cards for your camera - SD, microSD, CF and XQD
• Best CFexpress cards
• Best memory card readers
• Best flash drives
• The best monitors for photographers
• Best SD card deals
• Best laptops for photo editing

The Lexar Gold Series CFexpress Type B cards feature a PCIe Gen3x2 interface which plays a part in enabling the fast data transfer speeds. Maximum read speed is a healthy 1900MB/s, and peak write speed is almost as impressive at 1500MB/s. Lexar also says its Gold Type B card can sustain a 1300MB/s write speed, which is great if you plan on using the card to record 4K, 6K or 8K video, where prolonged write speed matters more than peak speed bursts.

Lexar quotes an operating temperature range of -10°C to 70°C and a storage range of -25°C to 85°C for these cards, which should be more than enough for all but the chilliest conditions.

Specifications

Max read speed: 1900MB/s

Max write speed: 1500MB/s

Available capacities: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

Build and handling

With quoted dimensions of 29.60 x 38.50 x 3.80mm, Lexar’s CFexpress Type B Gold cards are inherently less losable than an SD or microSD card. They also feel a lot more robust. This is particularly true here as the rear metal casing extends around the edges.

I tested a 512GB Lexar Gold Series CFexpress Type B card in the Nikon Z9 and Nikon Z7 II. It pushed smoothly and easily into the card slots on every occasion, and pops up promptly after being pressed to release it. As with the other cards, a thin lip on the end of the card gives some purchase when it comes to removing the card from the camera.

Performance

Shooting with the Lexar Gold Series CFexpress Type B card in the Nikon Z7 II, I was able to capture 146 Fine-quality JPEGs at 10fps, and 46 14-bit compressed raw files in around 5 seconds. Nikon quotes a maximum of 113 Large Fine-quality JPEGs and 48 Uncompressed 14-bit raw files, so the card actually performs significantly better with JPEGs than is forecast.

The Gold Series CFexpress Type B card also proved capable of recording 4K 60p footage for 30 minutes without a problem. Also, as I had the Z 9 in for testing, I was able to verify that the Lexar card is up to the task of capturing 8K ProRes video at 30p.

I also connected the Gold Series CFexpress Type B card to a fast Windows 11 laptop with USB4, via a USB4 Type B card reader. This ensures no speed bottlenecks so the card should perform at its best. With this test set-up I was able to achieve a maximum read speed of 1691MB/s, and a 1388MB/s peak write speed - not quite a match for Lexar's claims, but not far off.

Verdict

At less than $100/£100, the 128GB Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Gold Series card offers great value for money. At the other end of the capacity scale, the 2TB version can be had for around $400, which is also highly competitive.

Some will argue that more modern CFexpress 4.0 cards (which are around twice as fast as this Lexar card) are a better buy. While this may be true if you exclusively shoot 8K Raw video and want to guarantee the highest possible write speeds, the reality is CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards like this are still more than fast enough for the vast majority of requirements, and are therefore better value for money for most people.

Lexar has released a new super-fast memory card reader exclusively for CFexpress Type B cards. Its big selling point is its USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, which enables transfer speeds up to twice as fast as a USB 3.2 Gen 2 card reader. That might just sound like marketing hyperbole, but in the case of the best CFexpress cards, you really do need that extra data bandwidth to exploit their maximum read/write speeds.

Thanks to its new super-fast USB connection, the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Reader boasts read speeds of up to 1700MB/s - enough to genuinely max out a CFexpress type B card in a way almost no other reader can. Included with the reader is a 30cm 2-in-1 USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable, as well as a USB Type-C to Type-C cable.

But hold up! There's just one, rather large, problem here. While this card reader may be USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 capable, chances are your computer is not. Currently there are only a handful of desktop PC motherboards which support this USB variant, and your only other option is to purchase a specialist - and uncommon - PCI Express add-in board in order to add a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports to your existing PC tower.

You can of course connect this card reader to a much more commonplace USB 3.2 Gen 2 port, but then the reader will operate at Gen 2 speeds, so you loose any speed advantage.

The only other 'solution' is to connect to a USB 4 port, as featured on the latest Apple M1 Mac computers, or a few of the latest high-end PCs. This is because USB 4 is backward-compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (and all other versions of USB 3). But this begs the question: why didn't Lexar simply make a USB 4 card reader in the first place, instead of the soon-to-be-obsolete final revision of USB 3?

And in case you're now totally confused about the infuriatingly and needlessly complicated USB 3.x naming system, don't worry, so are we! So here's a handy table to help us all out:

The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Reader is available to buy now from B&H in the US, priced at $69.99.

Read more:

The best CFexpress cards

The best memory card for your camera

The best memory card readers

The best USB-C hubs

Lexar has announced that is developing memory cards using the new SD Express standard, that will offer significantly faster data transfer speeds. It is working on both SD format and microSD format cards, which are not only the same shape and size as the current SD and microSD cards, but which will also will be backwards compatible.

The new SD Express standard was officially unveiled by the SD Association just over a year ago in May 2020. SD Express makes use of the PCI Express® (PCIe) 4.0 specification delivering a maximum data transfer rate of nearly four gigabytes per second (GB/s). 

SD Express will be able to transfer data up three times faster than the fastest UHS-II SD card available today,  with a theoretical max read speed of up to 985MB/s. 

Lexar will be producing SD Express cards with a capacities of up to  512GB, and microSD Express with capacity options up to 256GB. According to Lexar's own benchmarking the cards will have a read speed of 824MB/s, and a write speed of up to 410MB/s.

“Many of the latest high-end cameras and mobile phones are capable of recording video in 8K and require a fast transfer rate. With the SM2708 controller now supporting the SD 8.0 specification which offers more than triple the throughput, applications such as 8K video capture, RAW photo capture, multi-channel IOT devices, multi-processing automotive storage and other applications requiring ultra-high data speeds are now possible,” says Nelson Duann, Silicon Motion’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and R&D.

The cards are expected to actually launched in 2022.

Read more: 

The best memory card for your camera in 2021
The best memory card readers
Best microSD cards
Best CF Express cards
Memory card symbols explained 

Lexar is launching a new range of bright red microSD memory cards that is targetted at gamers who need more storage for their Nintendo Switch consoles, or their Android smartphones. Called Lexar Play, the microSDXC cards will be available in four different memory capcities - from 128GB up to a whopping 1GB.

Using the UHS-1 class, the cards will all offer a maximum read speed of 150Mb/s. Interestingly the cards use different Application Operation Classes - the 128MB and 256MB versions are A1 rated, whilst the 512MB and 1GB cards are A2. 

Both are they are optimized for the need to read lots of chunks of data quickly – as you need when using an app or a game (as opposed to having to read or write one big file, as is necessary when recording video). The A2 class offers minimum random read of 4000 IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second), while A1 cards provide minimum random read of 1500 IOPS.

“The Lexar PLAY microSDXC Card is the perfect solution for gamers looking to take their game to the next level. It is compatible with the Nintendo Switch™ and other portable gaming devices including phones and tablets. With capacity options up to 1TB, you can continue to game without running out of storage space,” said Joel Boquiren, General Manager of Lexar.  

Lexar PLAY microSDXC UHS-I cards are available later this month for $21.99/£21.99 GBP (128GB), $45.99/£42.99 (256GB), $94.99/£89.99 (512GB), and $249.99/£249.99 (1TB). 

Read more:
Best microSD cards in 2020

Best memory card readers

The best recovery software for photos & SD cards

How to understand everything written on your memory card

What actually happens when you format a memory card?

Lexar has launched a new range of microSD cards designed for action cameras, drones and camera phones. The new Lexar Professional 1066x microSDHC/microSDXC Cards SILVER Series boasts the fastest possible speed ratings for a UHS-I microSD card, being U3, V30 and A2 certified. This means you get blistering fast 160MB/s read and 120MB/s write rates, making these cards an ideal choice for 4K or high bit-rate Full HD video capture, and possibly the best microSD cards for smartphones.

But it's the A2 certification that makes these cards particularly appealing for use in an Android camera phone with expandable storage. Android can utilize a microSD card for storing images and videos, but it can also use the card as a seamless extension of a phone's built-in memory, so you can install apps to, and load apps from, the microSD card. With a slow microSD card, this can cause sluggish app performance, but not with an A2-rated microSD card.

A2 - or Application Performance Class 2, to give it its full title - doesn't measure speed in terms of megabytes per second in a sustained data transfer - e.g. reading or writing one large video file. Instead, Application Speed Class measures IOPS (Input/Output operations Per Second), which is the number of small files that can be randomly read from and written to the card per second. A2 speed class means the card is rated for a minimum 4000 IOPS random read and 2000 IOPS random write. To put that in perspective, this kind of speed can equal or possibly even exceed the IOPS rating of a phone's built-in storage.

Lexar Professional 1066x microSDHC/microSDXC UHS-I SILVER Series cards will available in November and will come in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. 32GB and 512GB are expected at a later date.

Read more:

The best microSD cards

The best memory cards

The best camera phone

The best drones

The best action cameras

Lexar is on somewhat of a roll lately, releasing not one, or two, but three new memory card readers. The latest is the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.1 Reader, which as you may have guessed, is exclusively for CFexpress cards. At just 56.2 x 47.28 x 12.85mm, its neat design is little bigger than a CFexpress card itself, and thanks to a detachable USB-C cable, the reader will easily slip into a jeans pocket or stash in any kit bag.

USB 3.1 Gen 2 connectivity ensures a maximum 10Gbit/s transfer rate, with Lexar claiming read/write speeds of up to 1050MB/s - that's quick, though even this fast connection may not be enough to fully exploit the maximum 1750MB/s read speed of Lexar's Professional Type B CFexpress cards. However it's still plenty quick enough to transfer ultra-high res RAW files or 4K video faster than ever. The reader is backward compatible with USB 2.0 if required, and a USB-C to USB-A cable is included for use with older computers.

Also new in Lexar's card reader lineup is the Lexar Professional Multi-Card 3-in-1 Reader. This supports SD, microSD and CompactFash cards and is capable of simultaneous file transfer for offloading images from two or three cards at once. USB 3.1 connectivity ensures wide data bandwidth for super-fast read speeds of up to 312MB/s for UHS-II SD cards and 160MB/s with CompactFlash. Included is a USB-C to the standard, rectangular USB Type-A capable, ensuring maximum computer compatibility.

Finally, there's the recently released Compact Multi-Card 2-in-1 Reader. About the size of a USB thumb drive, this cute device plugs straight into your computer, with no cable required. Separate slots for SD and microSD cards allows simultaneous transfer from both, with up to 170MB/s read speed possible thanks to USB 3.1 bandwidth.

Read more: 

The best memory card for your camera

The best memory card readers

SD card deals

microSD card deals

SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B Card and CFexpress Card Reader review

Lexar and Delkin announced that they had high-speed Type B CFexpress memory cards ready to ship at PhotoPlus Expo 2019. The two card manufacturers join Sandisk and Angelbird that announced their ranges back at IBC 2019. The new type of memory card, specifically designed for professional DSLRS, mirrorless cameras, camcorders and cinema cameras.

The first camera to use the memory card will likely to be the Canon Cinema EOS 500 Mark II which goes on sale in December. Nikon and Panasonic will also issue firmware upgrades to allow cameras such as the D5, D850, Z7, and Lumix S1R to be able to use CFexpress cards in their cameras XQD memory card slots. Earlier this week, Canon confirmed that its next top of the range sports DSLR, the Canon EOS-1D Mark III will feature two CFexpress card slots.

Lexar Professional CFexpress

Lexar will offer four different capacities of CFexpress cards - 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. These will offer read speeds of up to 1750MB/s - nearly six times faster than the company's fastest SD cards.  The write speeds of up to 1000MB/s - a fourfold performance increase over SD.

The 128GB and 256GB cards will go on sale in December with an expected retail price of £199 and $299 respectively.

Lexar will also be producing a Professional CFexpress card reader with a USB 3.1 connection socket, which will be supplied with a USB-C cable. 

Delkin Devices CFexpress card

Delkin Devices will be producing its CFexpress cards in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities. The cards are set to ship as soon as the first cameras that use them become available. The pricing for the 1TB card has not been set. However the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB will retail for $189.99, $389.99, and $574.99 respectively.

Read more:
CFexpress cards are here!

Canon first to use SanDisk's superfast memory cards

The best memory card for your camera: top SD, microSD, XQD & CF cards

The best memory card readers

Sandisk showed its new monster one-terabyte SDXC card at IBC 2019 this weekend - the highest capacity SD-format card that the memory card specialist has launched to date. The card has twice the capacity of the existing largest 512GB card in its Extreme Pro range. 

The performance is the same as with the existing Sandisk Extreme Pro cards, with read speeds of up to 170MB/s, and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. But Sandisk tells us that this makes its new one terabyte version the fastest 1TB SD card currently available.  Lexar already sells a 1TB card, which was launched last year, but this offers a speed rating of 95MB card is available now and costs £478.99 in the UK, and $499.99 in the US.

Speed ratings are especially important for video. Maximum speed ratings are useful for stills photographers, but for video you need to know the maximum sustained speed, or 'class rating', as video is captured in real time and won't wait for your memory card to catch up!

Sandisk launched an Extreme 1TB microSD card earlier this year.

The new SD card was on show alongside the new format ultra-high-speed CFexpress cards that Sandisk has also just launched.

Read more:
The best memory cards for your camera

The best memory card readers

SD card deals

Built for speed, the Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD is built to be the perfect companion for the travelling photographer and filmmaker. Launched at NAB, the new portable drive promises the world's fastest one terabyte SSD – with read speeds of up to 950MB/s  and write speeds which are almost as fast at 900MB/s write. This certainly sounds like a contender in our guide to best portable hard drivesfor photographers.

Finished in brushed aluminum, the drive weighs just 70g (without cable) is just 10.8mm thin. The full dimensions are a pocket sized 55 x 73.4 x 10.8mm. It also features a USB-C port that enables the users to store and share quickly with USB 3.1 speeds.

It’s is designed for all-terrain use as it’s drop-, shock-, vibration-resistant and comes with DataVault Lite software – an advanced security solution with 256-bit AES encryption to help protect your essential files against corruption, loss, and deletion. The operating range of the unit is 0°C to 70°C – but can be stored safely between -40°C to 85°C.

“We are proud to announce the Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD, which is sleek, compact, and provides superior SSD-level performance at a competitive price. With professional photographers and videographers in mind, we created an SSD solution so they could travel at ease knowing their content is secure when compared with traditional hard drives,” said Joel Boquiren, Director of Global Marketing.

The Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD includes both USB Type-C to Type-C cable and USB Type-C to standard USB Type-A cable and is compatible with Mac OSX 10.6+, Windows 7/8/10, and standard USB ports.  It comes with a three-year limited warranty.

The Lexar Professional SL100 Pro Portable SSD is available from April 15 at the following prices:

250GB $87.99 / £83

500GB €134.99 / £126

1TB $269.99 / £223

They are available for pre-order now at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Read more:
The best portable hard drives for photographers in 2019

The best memory cards for your camera: the best SD, microSD, XQD & CF cards

The best laptops for photographers

SanDisk’s new microSDXC card is for users of 360 cameras, drones and action cameras who need to capture and store large quantities of still images and video footage in the field and then transfer it at high speed back at base.

The new SanDisk Extreme microSDXC 1TB is a UHS-I memory card offering read speeds up to 160MBs. That’s not as fast as the best memory cards on the market, which will still be a top choice for capturing high-quality 4K video and high frame/bit rates, but the new cards still meet the V30 standard for regular 4K capture, and their cost will make them very appealing for those who don’t need UHS-II speeds but do need massive memory card capacities. It also trumps the maximum 95MB/s read speed of the monster Lexar Professional 633x SDXC UHS-I card that went on sale earlier this year.

microSD cards are small-form versions of the SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards used in regular digital cameras and have become a standard format for drones, action cams and 360 cameras. They can also be used in regular memory card slots via simple adaptors, so transferring images and video from microSD cards to computers with SD card slots is straightforward.

• More news from Mobile World Congress 2019

Also available in 512GB

The new card is also available in a cheaper 512GB version, and both meet the new A2 Application Performance class for memory cards used as expandable storage for smart devices for accessing applications and files, not just storing stills and video.

The new SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC memory cards are available for pre-order from the SanDisk website and will be available from selected retailers from April 2019, costing $199.99 for the 512GB version and $449.99 for the 1TB card.

Read more:

• The best SD, microSD, XQD & CF cards in 2019
• The best memory card readers

Want to transport or backup your photographs and other media on a portable storage device, but worried about losing the drive and having your images stolen? Lexar may have just what you need. 

The recently announced JumpDrive® Fingerprint F35 is a USB 3.0 Flash Drive, featuring a built-in fingerprint scanner, for maximum access customisation. The main problem with storing images and sensitive documents on small portable devices is that, should these be lost and found by an unknown party, there is always the present danger that files will be copied and illegally distributed or sold, leading to loss of potential revenue for the rightful owner.  

Pitted as one of the most secure USB 3.0 Flash Drives on the market, the JumpDrive® Fingerprint F35 employs a rapid response fingerprint identification system, preventing unauthorised users from gaining access to stored data. Lexar claims a registered fingerprint will allow access in under one second, in an aim to minimise disruption to the photographer's workflow, when searching for and moving image files. 

The new device is capable of storing up to 10 fingerprint IDs and employs advanced 256-bit AES security, to ensure the contents of the drive are as safe as possible. Meanwhile the speed of the device itself is respectable, with transfers of up to 150MB per second. Usefully, no drivers are required for the JumpDrive to be set up, so it can be used straight out of the box.

Pricing

Available in 32GB, 64GB, 128GB and 256GB variants, the Fingerprint F35 works with both Windows and Mac operating systems and is priced at £26 ($35), £39 ($52), £70 ($92) and £132 ($173) respectively. 

Read more:
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Lexar is planning on launching 1TB SDXC and microSD cards in early next year, it was announced at Photokina 2018. The monster capacity cards, which will have more memory storage than most people's laptops, will both offer a speed rating of 633x, and a data transmission of 95MB/s to make them amongst the best memory cards on the market. The video speed rating will be V30.

Lexar has also announced that is ready to launch a CFExpress format card – as soon as there are cameras that use this new class of high-speed card. 

Lexar ready with CFExpress

Lexar is also ready and waiting to launch CFExpress memory cards – as soon as the super-fast standard is adopted by camera manufacturers. The cards will have a speed rating of 1600MB/s – which is four times faster than XQD. Lexar has no current plans to produce XQD cards – as CFExpress cards (which should be backwards compatible with XQD cameras) are four times faster, and do not require paying a licensing fee to Sony. 

Lexar is fast re-establishing itself in the market since its recent change in ownership. Former owner Micron took the decision to move out consumer flash memory, and sold the business to Chinese company Longsys a year ago. The Lexar operation is still being run from San José, California. 

The re-born company is keen to point out that it aiming to sell its cards to enthusiast and professional photographers. Every card is tested for compatibility with different cameras. An advantage of its new status, is that it is no longer tied to using just Micron memory in the construction of its cards – it can use flash memory from other suppliers (such as Sony or Toshiba).