Memory cards might not be the most exciting purchase, but they’re indispensable - without one, even the best camera is useless. I always stock up on SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I cards, not for their size but for their reliability, great value, and the fact that they’re almost always discounted ahead of Amazon Prime’s big camera sales.

• See all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals
• See all memory deals across Amazon

Sure, 64GB might not seem like much in an era of 8K video and high-resolution sensors, but for everyday photography, it’s plenty - and at this price, they’re practically impossible to resist.

It’s become something of a ritual for me now. I ignore memory cards for most of the year and wait until Prime Day - or the days leading up to it - when prices start to tumble, and full-price suddenly looks ridiculous. SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra cards often drop into impulse-buy territory, and if you need more room, the 128GB and 256GB versions usually follow suit at prices that feel like a steal.

The real trick is having spares. I never head out without at least two or three extras in my bag. Cards fill up, fail, or simply vanish, and having backups means you’re never caught short - no deleting files on the fly or missing a shot while swapping cards. And when you’ve picked them up for less than the cost of a pub lunch, there’s no reason not to stock up.

SanDisk Ultra cards have always hit the sweet spot for me. They’re not overkill for everyday or even semi-professional use, yet they’re fast, reliable, and built for real-world shooting, whether that’s documenting family life, covering events, or spending an afternoon out with the camera. I’ve filled more of them than I can count, and not one has ever let me down.

So why pay full whack? Prime Day is basically a once-a-year restock event for me. I buy cards like people buy batteries at Christmas – just enough to get me through another season or two. It’s a small investment in peace of mind, and at Prime Day prices, it's hard to make a case against it.

If you shoot regularly and you’re not taking advantage of these sales, you’re missing a trick. The SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is always on offer, and if you need more storage, the 128GB and 256GB versions are rarely far behind. Just wait for the price to drop… and buy!

Shop the memory card

With fast transfer speeds, reliable performance and a price that’s hard to ignore, the SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is a smart addition to any camera bag – ideal for everyday shooting, and right now, it’s cheap enough to pick up without hesitation.

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Don't forget – the best memory cards need the best memory card readers to get the best out of them!

There has been some fun World Cup 2026 merch to accompany the soccer tournament, from the brilliant Lego World Cup Trophy to the Ilford film featuring analog photos from ExpiredFilmClub.

However, this might be the neatest World Cup gear I've seen so far: SanDisk has launched a range of FIFA-themed memory devices, including these USB flash drives that look like referee whistles.

They come in four regular flavors, one for each host nation of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a generic "Global" version. It has to be said that Mexico's looks the best, with its stunning logo design, with Canada's stylized maple leaf and the USA's swirling stars and stripes also looking the business.

However, the coolest is a special Gold Edition that comes in a shiny gold finish worthy of a World Cup champion.

All four "whistles" (which sadly do not function as such) also come with a stylized SanDisk / FIFA ribbon, so you can live out your dreams of handing out red cards to those who have wronged you… and, of course, know that you've always got some memory with you by hanging it around your neck.

The USA, Canada and Gold drives are only available in 128GB capacities, while the Mexico and Global editions are also available in 64GB options. Each drive is preloaded with the SanDisk Memory Zone mobile app (for Android phones and tablets) and desktop app (for MacOS and Windows).

The 64GB drives are priced at $25.99 / £26.99, with the 128GB versions at $34.99 / £37.99, and the Gold Edition available for $37.99 / £46.99 (availability on the Gold Edition seems to vary by region and retailer). Each drive also comes with a collectible World Cup 2026 sticker.

Note that the actual sale prices are pretty variable (the Gold Edition is just £41.99 at Argos in the UK) and the SRPs / RRPs are way higher – the Gold Edition is listed at $87.99 on the SanDisk US website!

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Check out the best cameras for sports photography and the best lenses for sports photography.

Memory cards might not be the most exciting thing to buy for your camera bag, but they are essential. Without one, even the best camera in the world is nothing more than an expensive paperweight.

That’s why I’ve developed a simple rule over the years: I only buy memory cards during the big sales events - such as the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale currently running.

For me, these sales have become a yearly restocking moment; I simply wait until the big online events arrive and stock up when the prices are good. It’s one of the easiest ways photographers can save money without compromising on the gear they rely on every day - and while memory might have seen a price hike thanks to AI, I still believe the ones selected below offer the best value for money - even though they were cheaper last year.

• The Sandisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is currently £21.39

My go-to cards are usually reliable everyday options like the SanDisk Ultra range or Lexar. They’re dependable, widely compatible, and more than fast enough for the kind of photography most of us shoot day to day. While they may not be the most extreme cards on the market, they strike the perfect balance between price, performance, and reliability.

A lot of people assume that 64GB isn’t much storage these days, especially with modern cameras shooting high-resolution stills and video. But for everyday photography, it’s actually a very practical size. It’s large enough for most shooting sessions, but small enough that you’re not risking huge numbers of images on a single card if something goes wrong.

The real secret is simply carrying spares. I never head out on a shoot with just one memory card in my bag. Cards fill up, they get misplaced, or occasionally they fail. Having two or three backups ready to go means you never have to delete files in a rush or miss a shot because your card suddenly ran out of space.

Think of it the same way people buy batteries in bulk – a small investment that keeps your gear running smoothly for months, if not years.

If you want higher capacities than 64GB, don’t worry – all the current offers or best value for larger cards are listed below.

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Don't forget – the best memory cards need the best memory card readers to get the best out of them!

You might have heard about solid state memory becoming a prized commodity, and its makers cashing in on the dramatically increased demand for flash memory. SanDisk in particular has been making headlines for its soaring stock price. But what's good news for shareholders doesn't leave the average photographer much cause for celebration. That increased demand for memory is pushing prices of memory cards and SSDs sky high, and the price jump is now clear to see.

We've selected some of the best-selling SD and microSD cards at Amazon.com, and tracked their prices over the last few months: the increase is staggering. For instance, the mid-range SanDisk Extreme 128GB microSDXC card was consistently selling for around $17 in October last year, but since November its price has risen considerably, and now you'll need to part with almost $40 to get your hands on one. It's a similar story with Samsung's EVO Select 512GB microSD card - around $35 late last year, but now it's closing in on $70. Fancy a full-size SanDisk Extreme Pro 128GB SD card? $30 at the start of this year; now around $50.

And it's not just Amazon that's been ramping up its memory prices. It's the same story across the retail sector: Independent photography store Gene's Camera in South Bend, Indiana is also reporting huge price increases:

"You know a card that was $2.99 is now $4.99, and that's a big chunk to swallow. You know, $9.95 to $19.95 is like okay, it's 20 bucks, yeah, but $300 to $500 is ouch," said Jon Gilchrist, co-owner of Gene's Camera.

So why is it so much more expensive to get hold of what seems like such a basic, commonplace piece of tech like an SD card? Well, it's all thanks to unstoppable rise of AI. AI data processing centers devour high-bandwidth memory and fast SSD storage, causing AI companies to buy up huge stocks of solid state memory. This in turn is having a knock-on effect in other sectors that require DRAM and NAND flash memory, such as the memory card industry. Manufacturers of memory cards and SSDs have to fight for the remaining memory stock after the AI tech giants like Google, Meta, Nvidia and Open AI have paid top dollar to fuel their data centers. And when the demand is high, prices go up, resulting in the hugely inflated memory card prices we're now seeing around the world.

Check out our guide to the best memory cards, and to the best CFexpress cards

SanDisk has refreshed its core range of portable SSDs. The new line-up is split into three tiers - Extreme Pro Portable, Extreme Portable and plain Portable…

SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD

The top-of-the-range, fastest drives are called SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD. They offer blisteringly fast transfer speeds of up to 4000MB/s read and 3800MB/s write, making it possible to move 10 minutes of 12K footage in under 60 seconds. This makes it not just faster than any previous SanDisk portable SSD, but also quicker than anything in the current SanDisk Professional range.

We assume this means the new Extreme PRO drives are using a USB4 interface, as anything less would bottleneck those advertised speeds, but as yet SanDisk has not revealed the USB version it's using here. Capacity options include 2TB, 4TB and 8TB variants. All are IP65-rated to resist water and dust ingress, and are claimed to withstand a 3-meter drop. Expect retail availability and pricing details in the second half of 2026.

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

SanDisk's mid-range portable SSD offering is the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (non Pro). This is still capable of a rapid 2000MB/s read speed, and it features the same IP65 ingress protection and 3-meter drop resistance as its Pro sibling. It should also fit into most pockets, thanks to its svelte 3.35" x 2" x 0.39" dimensions. 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacities are available to buy now, priced at $259.99/£220.99, $459.99/£387.99 and a whopping $919.99/£770.99, respectively. A 500GB option is also slated for release later this year.

SanDisk Portable SSD

The entry-level model in the new SSD line-up is called simply SanDisk Portable SSD. This is aimed more at casual users - students, office workers, etc - and is said to "provide reliable, portable storage for everyday digital content". Speeds are quoted at up to 1000MB/s, via a USB 3.2 Gen 2 connection. Though this more basic drive doesn't come with an IP rating, it is advertised as having drop protection from up to 2 meter heights. As with the range-topping Extreme Pro drives, availability is scheduled for the second half of 2026, with 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities expected.

Keen students of the SanDisk product portfolio may recognise these product names from past portable SSDs. Rather confusingly, SanDisk re-uses the same naming system for multiple generations of its portable SSDs. To differentiate the latest offerings, look out for a 'V3' suffix at the end of the product name. The most obvious visual differentiator is the switch to the new SanDisk logo design for the V3 SSDs, and their red keychain loop has also been subtly reshaped.

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.

SanDisk offers dozens of different microSD cards, from cheap and cheerful basic options to premium UHS-II cards boasting super-fast data transfer speeds. The Extreme A2 sits roughly in the middle of the SanDisk microSD range. It's capable of 190MB/s maximum read speed and up to 130MB/s write speed - not record-breaking speed, but quick enough for the vast majority of microSD use cases. What's more, it also has an A2 rating, meaning it's able to load apps faster if you want to use the card in an Android phone (most microSD cards are only have the slower A1 rating).

Capacities for this A2 card include 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. It's a pity higher-capacity options aren't available, and be aware that the 64GB card has slower read/write speeds than the larger capacities (170MB/s read, 80MB/s write).

Read more: the best microSD cards

Performance

To verify SanDisk's speed claims, I broke out my storage benchmark testing software of choice: CrystalDiskMark. This can be configured to replicate a best-case read and write speed scenario, which should reveal the maximum possible speed a memory card, SSD or hard drive is capable of.

A 167MB/s max read speed is pretty much up there with SanDisk's 170MB/s claim for the 64GB capacity card. 67.5MB/s is a little short of the advertised 80MB/s, but isn't too far off.

But benchmarking software isn't real-world usage, so I also ran a more representative tests transferring files to and from the drive. I used a folder of images totalling 25.7GB, as well as one large 36.2GB file, to test how fast the microSD card is when transferring multiple small files and a single large file (the latter will always result in faster read/write speeds).

In this real-world transfer speed test, the Extreme A2 was able to sustain 149MB/s when transferring a single large file from the card, with speeds peaking at 159MB/s - not far off the maximum read speed achieved in CrystalDiskMark. Write speeds were also almost the same as those recorded by the benchmarking software. As is always the case for any memory card, working with multiple image files of the same total data size results in slightly slower transfer speeds, but the speed hit isn't too noticeable.

Verdict

The SanDisk Extreme A2 microSDXC card strikes just the right balance of good-enough performance at a reasonable price. Unless you need to record high bit rate uncompressed 4K video, there shouldn't be many scenarios that this card couldn't handle. Whether you need a microSD card for your camera, action cam, dash cam or phone, this versatile offering is ideal and won't break the bank. Although we tested the 64GB card, I'd recommend going for the 256GB version. It's faster, costs less per gigabyte of storage than the lower capacities while still being affordable, and you'll soon use the extra capacity.

If you've got some cash ready to invest, right now storage companies seem like a tempting option. In the last 12 months the share prices of SanDisk, Western Digital and Seagate Technology have all soared, with SanDisk recording a huge 822.11% growth during this period. Even since the start of 2026 SanDisk's stock price has risen 44.21%, likely helped by increased tech exposure from this year's CES.

But what could be causing this stratospheric rise in fortune for the big memory manufacturers? Well, it's our old friend AI, of course. AI data processing centers devour high-bandwidth memory and fast SSD storage, causing AI companies to buy up huge stocks of solid state memory. This in turn is having a knock-on effect in other sectors that require DRAM and NAND flash memory.

We've already seen forecasts that camera phone prices could rise this year, as manufacturers of such consumer electronics have to fight for the remaining memory stock after the AI tech giants like Google, Meta, Nvidia and Open AI have paid top dollar to fuel their data centers. Prograde Digital has also reported that it's set to significantly hike prices of its memory cards in Japan, due to the same memory cost increases caused by AI infrastructure development. Prograde's memory cards expected to rise by anywhere between 3.2% and as much as 123%, depending on the particular card in question.

Story credit: Digital Camera Life (translated from Japansese)

Memory cards might not be the most exciting photography purchase, but they’re indispensable - without one, even the best camera is useless. I always stock up on SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I cards, not for their size but for their reliability, great value, and the fact that they’re almost always discounted ahead of Black Friday sales

• see all of today's Amazon Black Friday camera deals

Sure, 64GB might not seem like much in an era of 8K video and high-resolution sensors, but for everyday photography, it’s plenty - and at this price, they’re practically impossible to resist.

It’s become something of a ritual for me now. I ignore memory cards for most of the year and wait until Black Friday - or the days leading up to it - when prices start to tumble, and full-price suddenly looks ridiculous. SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra cards often drop into impulse-buy territory, and if you need more room, the 128GB and 256GB versions usually follow suit at prices that feel like a steal.

The real trick is having spares. I never head out without at least two or three extras in my bag. Cards fill up, fail, or simply vanish, and having backups means you’re never caught short - no deleting files on the fly or missing a shot while swapping cards. And when you’ve picked them up for less than the cost of a pub lunch, there’s no reason not to stock up.

SanDisk Ultra cards have always hit the sweet spot for me. They’re not overkill for everyday or even semi-professional use, yet they’re fast, reliable, and built for real-world shooting, whether that’s documenting family life, covering events, or spending an afternoon out with the camera. I’ve filled more of them than I can count, and not one has ever let me down.

So why pay full whack? Black Friday is basically a once-a-year restock event for me. I buy cards like people buy batteries at Christmas – just enough to get me through another season or two. It’s a small investment in peace of mind, and at Black Friday prices, it's hard to make a case against it.

If you shoot regularly and you’re not taking advantage of these sales, you’re missing a trick. The SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is always on offer, and if you need more storage, the 128GB and 256GB versions are rarely far behind. Just wait for the price to drop… and buy!

Shop the memory card

With fast transfer speeds, reliable performance and a price that’s hard to ignore, the SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is a smart addition to any camera bag – ideal for everyday shooting, and right now, it’s cheap enough to pick up without hesitation.

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Don't forget – the best memory cards need the best memory card readers to get the best out of them!

SanDisk’s newest thumb drive is so small that the brand is calling it a “plug-and-stay” rather than a plug-and-play. The SanDisk Extreme Fit USB-C, announced earlier this month, fits up to 1TB of data in a drive that’s barely larger than a standard six-sided die.

The SanDisk Extreme Fit measures 0.73" x 0.54" x 0.63" (about 1.85 x 1.37 x 1.6 cm), excluding the USB-C plug, and weighs just three grams. A standard SD card weighs around two grams, making the thumb drive only slightly heavier. That's similar to a standard-sized game die, which is .63 inches on each side.

The company says that makes it the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive.

The Extreme Fit Drive’s small size is designed for creators who want to leave the drive plugged into a laptop, as traditionally sized thumb drives tend to stick out too far to tuck the laptop into a bag. The design is also made to remain plugged in with the laptop’s lid shut.

The small drive uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 to deliver read speeds of up to 400MB/s.

The USB-C drive is available in capacities between 64 GB all the way up to 1TB. The drive retails for $15.99 in the US for the smallest size to $179.99 for the 1 TB version. International pricing and availability have not yet been announced, but that converts to around £12 / AU$24.50 / CA$22 for the 64GB and £137 / AU$276 / CA$252.

The new drive is available on SanDisk and at Amazon.

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If there's one bit of camera equipment that photographers can never get enough of, it's memory cards. A fast memory card with plenty of storage is worth its weight in gold – which is why we were so excited to see the SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB SDXC memory card on sale for just £65.19 – which is a staggering £100 off the recommended retail price!

With write speeds of up to 200MB/s and read speeds of up to 140MB/s, this memory card is well-suited to photographers who capture high-speed subjects and regularly use burst mode. 

Read more

Best memory card for your camera: SD, microSD, CFexpress & CF
Best CFexpress cards - Type B or Type A
Best microSD cards
Best memory card readers: transfer images and video to your computer fast

Memory cards might not be the most exciting purchase, but they’re indispensable - without one, even the best camera is useless. I always stock up on SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I cards, not for their size but for their reliability, great value, and the fact that they’re almost always discounted ahead of Amazon Prime’s big camera sales.

• see all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals

Sure, 64GB might not seem like much in an era of 8K video and high-resolution sensors, but for everyday photography, it’s plenty - and at this price, they’re practically impossible to resist.

It’s become something of a ritual for me now. I ignore memory cards for most of the year and wait until Prime Day - or the days leading up to it - when prices start to tumble and full-price suddenly looks ridiculous. SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra cards often drop into impulse-buy territory, and if you need more room, the 128GB and 256GB versions usually follow suit at prices that feel like a steal.

The real trick is having spares. I never head out without at least two or three extras in my bag. Cards fill up, fail, or simply vanish, and having backups means you’re never caught short - no deleting files on the fly or missing a shot while swapping cards. And when you’ve picked them up for less than the cost of a pub lunch, there’s no reason not to stock up.

SanDisk Ultra cards have always hit the sweet spot for me. They’re not overkill for everyday or even semi-professional use, yet they’re fast, reliable, and built for real-world shooting, whether that’s documenting family life, covering events, or spending an afternoon out with the camera. I’ve filled more of them than I can count, and not one has ever let me down.

So why pay full whack? Prime Day is basically a once-a-year restock event for me. I buy cards like people buy batteries at Christmas – just enough to get me through another season or two. It’s a small investment in peace of mind, and at Prime Day prices, it's hard to make a case against it.

If you shoot regularly and you’re not taking advantage of these sales, you’re missing a trick. The SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is always on offer, and if you need more storage, the 128GB and 256GB versions are rarely far behind. Just wait for the price to drop… and buy!

Shop the memory card

With fast transfer speeds, reliable performance and a price that’s hard to ignore, the SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is a smart addition to any camera bag – ideal for everyday shooting, and right now, it’s cheap enough to pick up without hesitation.

You might also like…

Don't forget – the best memory cards need the best memory card readers to get the best out of them!

In a world where SSDs (Solid State Drives) seem to dominate all forms of data storage, it's easy to forget that traditional mechanical hard drives can still be a valuable asset. SSDs are great for small to medium capacities, but if you need to storge large volumes of data, a high-capacity hard drive is far more cost-effective than a pricey SSD. Although slower in terms of read/write speeds, if you're using it primarily for back-ups and long-term storage, an external desktop hard disk drive will fulfil such duties just fine.

Features

External hard drives don't get much more capacious than the SanDisk Professional G-Drive. A range of capacities are available, starting at 4TB (which is where external SSDs tend to top out), and rising to a gargantuan 26TB top capacity. It's the 26TB range-topper that we're testing here. To put 26 terabytes into perspective, a Canon EOS R5 II recording 8K RAW video consumes 18.2GB of storage space per minute of footage. You'd therefore need to shoot continuously for a full 24 hours at this video quality to fill 26 terabytes.

[Side note: due to the confusing and arguably deceptive way that hard drive manufacturers measure a 'terabyte' as being equal to 1000 gigabytes, not the correct 1024 gigabytes, the actual usable capacity of the '26' terabyte G-Drive is more like 23.6 terabytes. At least, that's the case when the drive is used with a Windows PC, and I'm not getting into the gigabyte vs. gibibyte debate.]

There are plenty of high-capacity desktop hard drives on the market, but the G-Drive sets itself apart by being aimed at professional users who need to store "mission-critical" data. It therefore uses an enterprise-level Western Digital Ultrastar hard drive, which spins at 7200rpm, making it faster than the typical 5400rpm speed of most modern 3.5" hard drives that prioritise low power consumption.

SanDisk claims a maximum 260MB/s read rate and an even faster 270MB/s peak write speed for the 26TB drive (the 22TB and 24TB capacities have an advertised 280MB/s read and write speed). That's not bad when you consider my first internal SSD - a Samsung SSD 830 from around 2012 - topped out at 520MB/s read and 400MB/s write, but only had 128GB of storage space.

A fast 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connection ensures the drive is far from bottlenecked by its interface, and even the status LED has 'bright', 'normal' and 'off' modes - a nice touch.

Build & handling

G-Drive external hard drives have always had a premium feel to them, and this latest version is no exception. The gunmetal grey portion of the casing is thick anodized aluminium and feels exceptionally solid. On the sides are mounting holes that allow the drive to be mounted with others in a rack or cart when used in professional environments, and there are rubber feet on the base which, combined with the drive's hefty 1.36kg weight, keep it securely anchored to any desk surface.

But it's not all good news. For some reason the drive has large ridged plastic panels on the top and bottom which feel cheap and flexible in comparison to the aluminium section. Compared to older desktop G-Drives which had full aluminium enclosures, this latest incarnation, though likely just as tough, just doesn't look or feel as special.

Unlike a portable, pocket-sized external hard drive, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive requires a dedicated power supply. That's normal for a desktop drive though.

Performance

The G-Drive comes pre-formatted in the Mac-specific APFS file system. This means it's got out-of-the-box Mac and Time Machine compatibility, but PC users such as myself will see nothing appear when the drive is plugged into a Windows computer. To fix this, you'll need to search for the 'Disk Management' utility within Windows and use that to reformat the drive to NTFS.

To test the G-Drive's maximum possible transfer speed I broke out my preferred storage benchmark app: CrystalDiskMark. This recorded a peak read speed of 282MB/s and a 284MB/s max write speed - even quicker than SanDisk's claimed 260MB/s read and 270MB/s write rates.

Great, but a benchmarking app represents a best-case data transfer scenario. For a more real-world read/write speed test I took a single large 36.2GB video file, as well as a 25.9GB folder full of small images, and moved both to and from the drive several times 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 G-Drive managed almost identical read speeds with multiple small files as with a single large file. Write speeds were slower with small files, but not by much. It's also impressive just how close the drive gets in general use to its claimed maximum speed.

If I have one criticism, it's that it only takes a minute or two of idling before the G-Drive goes into a sleep state. I tested the drive using a fast laptop with USB4 to ensure no USB bottleneck, with the computer's power profile set to high performance, and with the laptop connected to mains power; there should have been no reason for the drive to go into a power-saving mode so readily. But when it does, you'll need to wait for almost 20 seconds for the drive to spin back up before it will respond. You simply don't get this delay with an SSD.

Verdict

Apart from its tendency to go into sleep mode too readily, my experience with the 26TB G-Drive was positive. I found its transfer speeds to be quicker than you might expect from a traditional mechanical hard drive. It also offers so much storage space you might not come close to filling it for years, while the solid casing (mostly) exudes quality. The default Mac-specific formatting is annoying if you'll be using the drive with Windows, but it's easy enough to change once you know how.

However, this is a premium drive aimed at professional users storing valuable work, and which will likely be used as a back-up drive. It therefore needs to be totally reliable, and though it proved to be just that during my relatively brief testing, there seem to be numerous customer reviews on multiple retail websites reporting drive failure.

Naturally, for every user leaving a negative review due to having just lost all their data, there'll likely be countless others who've had no problems with the drive and have therefore not been compelled to leave any review. However, the latter is true for any hard drive, yet the 26TB SanDisk Professional G-Drive currently has an average customer star rating of just 2.3 (based on over 50 reviews) on B&H, where comparable (and cheaper) drives score better.

Sure, this is anecdotal 'evidence', but it paints a concerning picture, and though the drive is backed by a 3-year warranty, that's of little comfort if you lose irreplaceable data. So although I was impressed by the SanDisk Professional G-Drive, I'm hesitant to recommend it as your sole means of data storage.

Memory cards aren’t glamorous, but they’re absolutely essential. Without one, your camera is just an expensive paperweight. I’ve always stocked up on SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I cards – not because they’re the biggest, but because they’re dependable, affordable, and always discounted in the lead-up to the Amazon Prime camera deals.

• see all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals

Now, 64GB might not sound like much in a world of 8K video and 45MP sensors. But for everyday shooting, they’re more than enough – and when they’re this cheap, they’re almost too good to pass up!

It’s become part of my routine now. I don’t even look at memory cards throughout the rest of the year. I wait until Prime Day or the week leading up to it, when prices start to tumble and you can swoop in on the kind of deals that make full-price look silly.

SanDisk’s 64GB Ultra cards regularly dip into impulse-buy territory, and if you need more space? The 128GB and 256GB versions are usually on sale, too, at prices that feel like a bit of a gift.

The real key is having spares. I never leave home without two or three extras in the bag. Cards get full. Cards fail. Cards get misplaced. Having backups means you’re always ready – no fiddling with file deletes mid-shoot, no awkward pauses when you should be firing frames.

And when you’ve picked them up for less than the price of a pub lunch, you’re not stressing about the cost!

SanDisk Ultra cards have always struck the right balance with me. They're not overkill for casual or even semi-serious shooting, but they’re fast and reliable enough for the kind of work most people do – documenting family life, capturing events, or just heading out for an afternoon of street photography. I’ve filled dozens over the years, and I can’t recall a single failure.

So why pay full whack? Prime Day is basically a once-a-year restock event for me. I buy cards like people buy batteries at Christmas – just enough to get me through another season or two. It’s a small investment in peace of mind, and at Prime Day prices it's hard to make a case against it.

If you shoot regularly and you’re not taking advantage of these sales, you’re missing a trick. The SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is always on offer, and if you need more storage, the 128GB and 256GB versions are rarely far behind. Just wait for the price to drop… and buy!

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With fast transfer speeds, reliable performance and a price that’s hard to ignore, the SanDisk 64GB Ultra SDXC UHS-I is a smart addition to any camera bag – ideal for everyday shooting, and right now, it’s cheap enough to pick up without hesitation.

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SanDisk has launched a new line of storage products: Creator. The range comprises the Creator PRO Portable SSD, Creator Desk Drive, Creator SDXC UHS-II Card, Creator microSD Card, and the Creator USB-C Flash Drive.

Creator PRO Portable SSD

The Creator PRO Portable SSD is available in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB capacity options and is ideal for transporting large amounts of images or video files in a portable device that can be powered by its USB-C connection. The drive should also be fast, with a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface enabling transfer speeds up to 2000 MB/s.

The SSD comes pre-formatted to work with Windows and Mac out of the box. It's also built to withstand drops of up to 9.8' and is IP65 rated for dust and water resistance. Expect to pay $163.99 for the base 1TB model, $278.99 for the 2TB capacity, and $406.99 for the 4TB drive.

Though we can't be absolutely certain, the Creator PRO Portable SSD appears to be functionally identical to SanDisk's existing Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2 portable SSD, albeit with a different exterior color scheme.

Pre-order the Creator PRO Portable SSD now from B&H

Creator Desk Drive

For even more storage capacity, there's the Creator Desk Drive. As the name suggests, this is designed to live on your desk as an alternative to a conventional desktop hard drive. With 4TB and 8TB capacities available, there's enough storage space for hours of 4K or 8K footage, and transfer speeds promise to be rapid thanks to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface capable of up to 1000MB/s.

Like the Creator PRO Portable SSD, the Creator Desk Drive includes a 1-month Adobe Creative Cloud subscription. Also like the Creator PRO Portable SSD, the Creator Desk Drive looks like another re-launch of an older product: specifically the SanDisk Desk Drive SSD, as both drives share the same specs and casing shape.

The SanDisk Creator Desk Drive is available to pre-order, priced at $349.99 for the 4TB capacity, while the 8TB version has an RRP of $729.99.

Pre-order the Creator Desk Drive now from B&H

Creator SDXC UHS-II Card

With up to 280MB/s read and 150 MB/s write speeds, the Creator SDXC UHS-II Card is comfortably quick enough for recording 4K video. SanDisk also claims it can handle 6K capture, and the card boasts a V60 speed rating. Capacities range from 128GB ($44.99), up to 1TB ($279.99).

Pre-order the Creator SDXC UHS-II Card now from B&H

Creator microSD Card

Available in capacities up to 1TB, the Creator microSD Card can handle serious amounts of images or video data. It's only UHS-I and V30 speed rated though, so don't expect record-breaking transfer speeds, but the claimed maximum 190MB/s read and 190MB/s write rates are still respectable. Prices start at $19.99 for the lowest 128GB capacity, rising to $109.99 for the top 1TB card.

Pre-order the Creator microSD Card now from B&H

Creator USB-C Flash Drive

This USB-C flash drive uses a USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface to enable transfer speeds of up to 400MB/s, making it ideal for simple, every-day data transfer in a small, easily portable form factor. The Creator USB-C Flash Drive is available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities, costing $29.99, $59.99 and $109.99, respectively.

Pre-order the Creator USB-C Flash Drive now from B&H

Running out of internal storage is an issue I face regularly with my iPhone, but a new drive from SanDisk can free up data while staying attached to the smartphone using MagSafe. Introduced during CES 2025, the SanDisk Creator Phone SSD is a portable drive that works with smartphones as well as laptops.

Besides freeing up internal storage space, the SanDisk Creator SSD can also record 4K 60fps Apple ProRes video directly to the drive. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro can’t record that high quality footage to its internal storage, requiring portable drives that meet high speed specifications. By meeting those speed requirements and attaching to the back of the phone using MagSafe, the drive could help creators use ProRes without figuring how or where to stick the drive while recording.

The SSD drive will be available in capacities of up to 2TB, with read speeds of up to 1000MB/s and write speeds of up to 950MB/s. While the unique feature is the MagSafe attachment, the USB-C drive is also compatible with laptops and computers as well as the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone16 Pro Max.

Carrying data around increases the risk of loss due to drops and damage, but the SanDisk Creator SSD is built with that in mind. The company says the drive can withstand drops of up to three meters (about 9.8 feet). The drive also has an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance and comes wrapped in a silicon shell.

The drive is part of SanDisk’s Creator Series, a line of products that are geared for content creation. During CES 2025, the company also announced a USB-C flash drive, a drive with both USB-C and Lightning connections, and both a microSD and standard-size UHS-II SD that are part of the Creator series. Those memory cards and the USB-C drive can fit up to 1 TB of data, while the lightning-USB-C drive is available for up to 256GB of storage.

The MagSafe SSD is expected to begin shipping this spring, with a list price of $109.99 for the 1 TB version (which converts to about £89 / AU$178). The new memory cards are available now, while the thumb drives are expected out in February.

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Pairing one of three different versions of the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II memory cards with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II may leave photographers with corrupted images, Canon warns. SanDisk directs users to contact it for a replacement card under warranty.

The 64GB, 128GB, 256GB versions of the SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC UHS-II V60 are not compatible with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, the Canon Support page says. The still images “may be recorded as corrupted / abnormal due to incompatibility,” the support team warns.

SanDisk first published the warning in December, with the warning recently drawing attention. SanDisk, which is owned by Western Digital, directs customers to contact it for a warranty replacement. The company hasn’t flagged any other camera affected by the compatibility issue so far.

Photographers need to buy a memory card that matches the slot on the camera, a process that typically involves identifying the right card type and minimum required speed. Taking other factors into consideration, like whether the card slot is UHS-II compatible or not, will also help prevent overpaying for fast speeds that the camera doesn’t actually support in the first place.

But, the warning is a good reminder that not all memory cards are created equal. The SanDisk cards should have been supported by the R5 II, which lists specifications for UHS-II card slots and has a list of recommended card speeds in the specifications that those SD cards met. A list of SanDisk SD cards compatible with the R5 Mark II lists those three cards as incompatible.

Before buying any memory card, it’s a good idea to look up the list of recommended cards that the camera maker suggests. A Google search for “[camera name] recommended memory cards” will typically turn up a list of recommendations directly from the manufacturer. Some manufacturers even test different cards with the cameras; for example, GoPro has a list of recommended microSD cards that it has tested and recommends.

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SanDisk has produced the first-ever 8 terabyte SD card and the world's first 4TB MicroSD card. SanDisk's parent company, Western Digital, hasn't released much detail about the two cards in its press release –only that the 8TB SD offering will be a UHS-I card, so it won't be breaking any speed records. There's no indication about pricing or availability.

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The card will however receive an SDUC designation. This is a new SD class exclusively for cards over 2TB in capacity. Sounds impressive, but the reality could be more inconvenient. SDUC cards can only be used in devices that specifically support SDUC memory cards, so you won't be able to stick an SDUC card into any old camera with an SD slot.

But that's assuming you'll be able to get your hands on an SDUC card in the first place. It's currently almost impossible to find even 2TB SDXC cards, and it was only in April this year that SanDisk announced it was working on 4TB SD cards, which it suggested may hit shelves some time in 2025. Considering this, an 8TB SD card could well be several years from being widely available.

Then there's the issue of whether anyone actually needs such a high data capacity on a single SD card. SD is no longer the format of choice for high-performance cameras, as CFexpress has now far surpassed it for read and write speed. SanDisk's 8TB SD card being UHS-I further impedes its real-world utility, rendering it only practical for mid-range cameras topping out at high bit rate 1080p video, which itself doesn't demand a card as big as 8 terabytes.

SanDisk's 4TB microSD card would be a more compelling proposition, as high-capacity microSD cards are still unrivalled in many use cases - the best camera phones, action cameras, gaming devices and drones. 

Again, SanDisk's 4TB offering is a UHS-I card, which isn't ideal for speed-intensive applications, but it's less of a deal-breaker than in the full-size SD segment.

SanDisk has launched a new desktop storage solution: SanDisk Desk Drive. Designed to replace a conventional desktop external hard drive, the Desk Drive's standout feature is it uses solid state storage rather than being based around a mechanical hard drive. Consequently, the SanDisk Desk Drive is capable of read speeds up to 1000MB/s and write speeds up to 900MB/s, making it around 4x faster than normal desktop storage. Two capacity options are available: 4TB and 8TB, though SanDisk has suggested a 16TB version is on the way.

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Not only does the Desk Drive offer superior transfer speeds to a normal desktop hard drive, it's also smaller, measuring just 99.2mm square and 40.2mm high. Connection is via USB 3.2 Gen 2 and a Type-C connector, though unlike a portable SSD, the Desk Drive does also require a separate power supply in order to operate. The drive comes formatted in exFAT for out-of-the-box compatibility with Windows and Mac computers, plus it's compatible with Apple Time Machine for easy back-ups. Windows users can create back-ups using the downloadable Acronis True Image software for Western Digital.

The SanDisk Desk Drive is available now, priced at $379.99/£359.99 for the 4TB version, while the 8TB capacity costs $699.99/£663.99.

Western Digital has used the NAB 2024 show in Las Vegas to announce new, faster SandDisk SD and microSD cards with speeds “approaching SSDs”. The new memory cards are aimed at the growing demands of the media and entertainment (M&E) market for higher speeds and less time spent storing and transferring data.

New SanDisk Express SD and microSD Express 128GB/256GB UHS-I cards will offer up to 4.4x the speed of previous versions but with backwards hardware compatibility. The new cards feature SanDisk ThermAdapt enclosures and adaptive thermal management to keep them well within a safe temperature range.

Western Digital is also addressing the need for higher capacities, with the announcement of three new “groundbreaking” high capacity cards. 

2TB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card – the world’s first 2TB UHS-I SDXC memory card.

2TB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I card – the world's fastest 2TB UHS-I microSD card. These two cards are expected to become available in the summer of 2024.

4TB SanDisk Extreme PRO SDUC UHS-I memory card – the world's first-ever 4TB UHS-I SD card. This uses the SDUC standard (Secure Digital Ultra Capacity), which enables storage capacities up to 128TB, though while this card is being showcased at NAB 2024, it’s not expected to be released until 2025.

What’s interesting is that storage specialists like Western Digital are still finding extra speed from the UHS-I format, and some of the best hybrid cameras and even the best cameras for vlogging still use UHS-I card slots rather than the faster UHS-II variant.

New WD G-Drive and G-RAID storage options

Western Digital has also announced new products in its desktop storage range, with new Sandisk 24TB G-Drive and 24TB G-Drive Project units – the Project version incorporates a PRO-BLADE SSD Mag slot for easier data sharing across devices. 

The 24TB G-Drive will cost $699.99 (about £562 / AUS1,083) while the Project version will be $929.99 (about £746 / AU$1,439). Both feature 7200 RPM Ultrastar drives and Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C 10Gbps data transfer.

WD has also expanded its range of RAID drives, to include:

Sandisk Professional 48TB G-RAID MIRROR ($1,599.99 – about £1,284 / AU$2,476) – Ships in RAID 1 (Mirroring) format to automatically create a duplicate (mirror)  of your working files for data redundancy. It connects via Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C and incorporates a PRO-BLADE™ SSD Mag slot.

Sandisk Professional 96TB G-RAID SHUTTLE 4 ($4,499.99 – about £3,611 / AU$6965) – A transportable 4-bay hardware RAID fast data access and video editing. This device ships in RAID 5 format, but supports RAID 0, 1 and 10 configurations.

Sandisk Professional 192TB G-RAID SHUTTLE 8 ($7,499.99 – about £6,019 / AU$11,608) – Transportable 8-bay hardware RAID solution with massive storage for consolidated backup. It supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, and 60 configurations, and provides transfer rates up to 1690MB/s read and 1490MB/s write in the default RAID 5.5 setup.

The best RAID drives offer photographers and videographers much higher data transfer rates than regular hard drives or 'data redundancy' as a protection against hard drive failure, together with much higher capacities than SSDs and without the often prohibitive cost.

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SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD V2 is a beautiful piece of kit. The design and build are top quality and even boast up to three-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance so you can be sure it'll stand the test of time. The inclusion of a 5-year warranty also gives extra peace of mind. 

Files can be password protected with 256‐bit AES hardware encryption so files can be kept absolutely private. These files can be transferred at read speeds of 1050MB/sec and write speeds of 1000MB/sec.

The main selling points of the Extreme Portable SSD V2 center around its reliability and durability. Up to 3-meter drop protection and an IP65 water and dust-resistance rating means you're not having to bubble wrap this device. It is what every portable SSD should be like, something that can be thrown around without having to care about damaging it. 

There's no lack of features when it comes to core functionality either though. The 1050 MB/sec read speed and 1000 MB/sec write speed might not win any awards but it is more than capable for most day-to-day requirements.

In terms of security, there's AES 256-bit hardware encrypted protection for those who want to make sure their data isn't misused.

Editor's note: There have been credible reports that SanDisk SSDs have reliability issues. At Digital Camera World when testing SanDisk SSDs we have not experienced any of these issues, although none of our staff use SanDisk SDDs long-term. This review is an account of our reviewer's experience testing the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2, but please consider reading the reports linked above before making any buying decisions. Lastly, all drives can fail, so remember to back up your data!

SanDisk Extreme V2: Design & Handling

The design and build of the Extreme Portable SSD V2 is a dream for anyone who wants a truly portable SSD. The tough casing is made up of a plastic front with pin-sized indents and a rubber backing. These, in combination, give the device an incredibly nice feeling in the hand and make it easy to hold securely. 

Personally, I would prefer for the rubber to have continued around onto the front as well to give a 100% soft touch rugged feel but that's just my opinion.

At 52 grams it's not the lightest SSD but the additional weight is required to keep it robust. Take Western Digital's My Passport SSD as an example. This is nearly 7 grams lighter but the compromise is that the case feels incredibly flimsy and prone to damage. You won't have any such concerns with the Extreme Portable SSD V2.

The supplied cable is annoyingly short, measuring only 6 inches, meaning there is no choice but to locate the SSD right next to your machine. I would also have liked to have seen a power light indicator on it for that extra reassurance that it's actually working.

SanDisk Extreme V2: Performance

The Extreme Portable SSD V2 performs well in almost all meaningful tests. The read/write speeds of 1050 MB/sec and 1000 MB/sec respectively are quick enough for almost all day-to-day tasks. I didn't find myself waiting around for files to transfer very often at all. That being said, if you're working a lot with 4K or even 8K footage then you might find you'd be better off with Sandisk's Extreme Pro SSD V2 instead.

We've already covered the build quality but it bears repeating that this SSD performs incredibly well in terms of keeping your data safe. A drop rating of up to 3m is more than enough for almost all users. The rubber and plastic case is solid enough to be able to withstand knocks from moving the device around from place to place. The rubber extends around all four sides of the SSD meaning that if you drop it on the edge then it'll be absolutely fine.

This device is probably let down only by its operating and non-operating temperatures. For operating it has a range of 0°C to 45°C and for the non-operating temperature its -20°C to 85°C. These performance ranges will be fine in most circumstances but not all. I was impressed by Samsung's T5 Evo which goes right up to 60°C even while in operation.  

SanDisk Extreme V2: Final Verdict

SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD V2 is an excellent portable SSD in almost all regards. If a read speed of 1050 MB/sec and write speed of 1000 MB/sec is fast enough for you then there's nothing that really lets this device down. The device itself is beautifully designed and engineered to ensure it'll take those knocks without any damage to the data. It's small and light enough to be completely portable with a nice notch in the design for those who want to clip it onto a bag. 

Alternatives

Samsung, Western Digital, and Lexar, amongst others, provide a wide range of alternatives. For comparable specs, there is the Samsung T7, or Western Digital's My Passport SSD. If you want faster transfer speeds then something like the Samsung T9 or the SanDisk Extreme Pro V2.

Western Digital has revealed several new SanDisk and SanDisk professional products at IBC2023.

SanDisk Professional G-RAID MIRROR

Headlining the showcase is the SanDisk Professional G-RAID MIRROR, a 2-bay external hard disk containing two 7200RPM WD Ultrastar enterprise-class hard drives arranged in a RAID array for data redundancy. Capacities range from 12TB up to 44TB, though you can expect half the quoted maximum capacity when using a RAID 1 configuration, as your data is duplicated to each of the individual drives in the enclosure. The G-RAID MIRROR ships with the drives already configured in RAID 1, though the device can be switched to JBOD or RAID 0 mode at the flick of a switch, so you can chose between data duplication for peace of mind, maximum storage capacity, or the extra drive speed that RAID 0 brings.

Another neat feature is the drive's front-loading PRO-BLADE slot that allows you to easily plug in an optional SanDisk PRO-BLADE SSD Mag to offload content at super-fast speeds for portable use.

The SanDisk Professional G-RAID MIRROR is available to pre-order now from B&H, with pricing starting at $659.99 for the base 12TB model, rising to $1,499.99 for the top-capacity 44TB version.

SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE PROJECT

If you'd rather a slightly smaller, lower-cost desktop hard drive, there's the new SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE PROJECT. This 1-bay G-DRIVE contains a single WD Ultrastar enterprise-class 7200RPM hard drive, enabling transfer speeds of up to 260MB/s. The G-DRIVE® PROJECT is available in capacities up to 22TB and connects to your computer via Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.2 Gen 2. Expect to pay $369.99 for the entry-level 6TB option, while the 22GB capacity is $849.99. All capacities can be pre-ordered from B&H.

SanDisk PRO-CINEMA CFexpress Type B cards

Lastly, we get two new capacities added to SanDisk's PRO-CINEMA CFexpress Type B memory card line-up. The new 320GB and 640GB cards boast read/write speeds of up to 1700MB/s and 1500MB/s, respectively. But the more important statistic for videographers is the 1400MB/s minimum sustained write speed, which makes the new cards suitable for recording high bit rate 8K video. It also means the cards comfortably gain VPG400 (Video Performance Guarantee 400MB/s) certification. The card's enclosure is even said to withstand drops from up to 3.3' and up to 50N of pressure. Expect to pay $399.99 for the 320 GB card, and $699.99 for the 640GB capacity, both of which are available to pre-order now.

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The SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD is a versatile portable storage solution for digital files. It comes in three capacities – 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, and is compatibility with both Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) connections. When used with the supplied USB-C style (Thunderbolt 3) cable its NVMe technology is claimed to deliver data transfer read speeds of up to 3000MB/s and write speeds of up to 2500MB/s.

While the Pro-G40 SSD is supplied formatted for use with Apple Mac computers, it can be reformatted to work with Windows machines.

SanDisk Pro-G40: Specifications

Max read speed: 3000MB/s
Max write speed: 2500MB/s
Available capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

SanDisk Pro-G40: Key Features

On Western Digital's website, the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD is listed as having read speeds of up to 3000MB/s and write speeds of up to 2500MB/s via a Thunderbolt 3 connection. This performance diminishes to a maximum of 1050MB/s (read) and 1000MB/s (write) when a USB-C connection is used. Interestingly, our review unit's packaging suggests slightly slower speeds than the manufacturer’s website; there’s a read speed maximum of 2700MB/s and write speeds of up to 1900MB/s.

Boasting an aluminum core designed for efficient heat dissipation, the Pro-G40 SSD is engineered to deliver consistently fast data transfer speeds. This construction also equips it to cope with drops from heights of up to 3m and resist crushing forces of up to 400 lbs. Furthermore, it has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, enabling it to withstand submersion at depths of 1.5m for up to 30 minutes. This robust engineering is backed by a 5-year warranty.

SanDisk Pro-G40: Build & Handling

The SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD has a premium quality feel and its sturdy outer shell withstands flexing during heavy-handling. It also emerges unscathed after multiple drops onto a concrete surface.

While its upper surface feels like hard plastic, the edges and underside of the Pro-G40 SSD feature a soft-touch coating that enhances grip and provides a pleasing tactile sensation. However, that coating comes at the expense of collecting fluff.

One minor issue is the length of the supplied Thunderbolt 3 cable. At approximately 15cm (excluding the connectors) it can prove inconvenient when a computer's ports are on its rear. It can also be problematic when using a laptop on your lap. It means the drive may need to rest on the keyboard to prevent slipping and accidental disconnections. However, the cable fits snugly into the drive's port, reducing the likelihood of inadvertent disconnects. Nonetheless, it’s not advisable to hang the drive by its cable.

SanDisk Pro-G40: Performance

Crucially, the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 mounts promptly, and image thumbnails render very quickly in applications like Adobe Bridge. Impressively, the thumbnails for 200 images (100 JPEGs and 100 raw files) from a 45.7MP Nikon Z7 II were rendered almost instantaneously in Bridge and could be opened in Adobe Camera Raw without delay.

Similarly, the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD is a very capable working drive for 4K video editing. Its swift data transfer capabilities, coupled with a fast computer, deliver fluid editing with no stuttering or dropped frames. Although the drive warms up during extended usage, it’s not excessive. 

When the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD was connected via Thunderbolt 3 to a 2022 MacBook Air with an M2 chip, the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test measured read speeds of approximately 2800MB/s and write speeds of around 2604MB/s. Those values surpass those listed on the packaging.

In addition, I found that the 200 files from the Nikon Z7 II, which take up 9.74GB, transferred from the MacBook Air's desktop to the drive in approximately 5 seconds. Reversing the transfer direction took a similar amount of time. It means you’re not kept waiting around for your images to shift from one place to another.

To test SanDisk’s water resistance claims for the Pro-G40 SSD, I submerged it in a glass of water with the USB/Thunderbolt port facing upwards. After 30 minutes underwater, the drive was retrieved, dried, and allowed to rest for an additional hour to ensure no lingering water within the port. Post-drying, the drive reconnected seamlessly to a computer and functioned without issue.

SanDisk Pro-G40: Verdict

SanDisk is one of the most widely recognized and respected brands in digital storage, and its Professional line of devices is aimed at professional photographers, videographers, and content creators. Putting the relatively minor inconvenience of the cable length to one side, the SanDisk Professional Pro-G40 SSD matches the expectations of that audience. It has excellent durability, can withstand submersion, and is capable of very fast data transfer.

While its cost might lean towards the higher end of the spectrum, its 5-year warranty and solid performance where it matters make it a worthwhile investment.

Read more: Find your next storage device with our guides for the best portable SSD. And if you need a computer that can take advantage of this storage then check out our top pick for the best photo-editing laptops.

In recent weeks we've seen multiple accounts of high-profile tech websites experiencing problems with SanDisk portable SSDs. The issue was first widely raised by Ars Technica and The Verge in May, though there are reports of individual users experiencing drive failure earlier in the year. The Verge's supervising producer suddenly lost all data he had stored on a 4TB SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSD, but was assured by SanDisk's parent company, Western Digital (often branded WD on its consumer products), that a firmware fix would resolve the spontaneous data loss fault.

However, the turd really hit the proverbial fan earlier in August when the new, supposedly safe replacement SanDisk drive sent to the same Verge staffer also failed, again wiping a considerable amount of valuable work. What made the issue even more worrying is that the replacement SanDisk drive was a different capacity to the original failed unit, suggesting the problem might not be restricted to only one capacity variant of the Extreme Pro.

For two respected tech publications to both experience these drive failures is worrying, but now PetaPixel has also reported similar reliability issues with SanDisk's Pro-G40 SSD - a super-fast, premium portable SSD from Western Digital's SanDisk Professional sub brand.

What's really needed now is a full, frank and transparent statement from Western Digital addressing these issues head-on, admitting any faults if there indeed are any, and offering suitable resolutions should they be required. We have reached out to Western Digital's PR company about this issue, but have yet to receive a response, and it appears from other reports that WD is remaining silent on the issue worldwide. The only 'action' the company seems to have taken is to slash prices of its SanDisk SSDs: a badly timed price restructuring, or a more sinister attempt to offload stock while it still can? The jury's out on that one.

It's worth noting that no storage media is immune from failure and resultant data loss: naturally any make and model of portable SSD will have a small percentage of drives fail. But, if the recent negative media press is anything to go by, SanDisk drives at least appear to have a greater risk of failure than SSDs from competing brands. This perceived failure rate could in large part be due to SanDisk's huge market penetration, but conversely the simplicity of solid state storage (and its lack of moving parts, as you'd find in a mechanical hard disk drive) would suggest a lower risk of drive failure.

Digital Camera World has long recommended these very SanDisk Extreme Pro portable SSDs, as during our time reviewing them we encountered no reliability issues. However as none of our staff members use these drives long-term, we're not in a position to categorically say whether or not SanDisk SSDs are hiding a fundamental hardware flaw. Consequently, until Western Digital breaks its silence on the issue, we will treat the numerous accounts of drive failure from other credible tech journalists as being worthy of concern. Digital Camera World is therefore suspending its recommendations of SanDisk and WD-branded portable SSDs until the matter has been decisively resolved.

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SanDisk has released three new additions to their extensive range of SD cards. Two of the new cards are 512GB and 1TB versions of the popular Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC range. Being UHS-II cards, both are fast performers, capable of up to 280MB/s read and 150MB/s write speeds. Both also have V60 video speed class certification, signifying that they can write at a sustained minimum speed of 60MB/s. SanDisk claims this makes both cards suitable for recording video footage at up to 6K resolution.

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Best memory card readers

SanDisk produces several distinct ranges of SD cards, and confusingly there are even two separate UHS-II ranges, both called Extreme Pro. The two new V60 cards are positioned in the slower of the two Extreme Pro ranges, but SanDisk has also launched a new entry in the fastest, flagship Extreme Pro range.

Boasting speed ratings of up to 300MB/s read and 260MB/s write, as well as a V90 video speed class rating, the new SanDisk 512GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Card becomes the largest capacity option of SanDisk's fastest SD card. The card is claimed to be suitable for recording 8K video, though this is likely dependent on frame rate and bit depth, as generally the best CFexpress cards are preferred for recording very high resolution video without risk of dropped frames.

Fittingly, the new 512GB V90 card also becomes SanDisk's most expensive consumer SDXC card, with a price tag of $599.99. The two new V60 cards are a bit more accessibly priced, costing $449.99 for the 1TB card, and $229.99 for the 512GB version. All three cards are now listed at B&H, though are not yet available to pre-order or buy.

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

If you're traveling on the London Underground you look at your feet, your book, your phone or the map. That's it. It applies, even to the cavernous connected underground cathedrals that are the Elizabeth Line – opened by the new King's mother herself on May 17 2022.

So, on a recent commute, I found myself looking at the map above the doors even though I knew where I was going. It's good to have something to zone in on, though – the rails are still so new and quiet that it's easy to fall asleep! I looked at the stations in the central section. They seemed familiar. Oddly they made me want to reach for my camera (not always appropriate in the tube) or my favorite drone (absolutely not!), and yhat's when it hit me.

Beneath the line itself, the interchange stations have colored blocks to match their own lines – and they closely resembled the color scheme of SanDisk's range of microSD memory cards, which appear a lot on our list of best microSD cards. The more I looked, the more it seemed deliberate. Or strangely coincidental. 

Now, to be absolutely clear, no one at Digital Camera World is saying that SanDisk paid Transport for London for this particular color alignment. We know that many Londoners were irked when Ikea sponsored the paper tube map – and, more importantly, the colored block approach to interchange station design has existed long before the Elizabeth line.

Why SanDisk aficionados might be making this mental connection for the first time is the new line's route, which takes some of the load from the red Central Line. That provides the red stripe, which matches with other appropriate colors at the Northern Line (black, for Extreme Pro cards), Jubilee Line (grey, for Ultra cards), and Circle Line (yellow, similar to gold for Extreme cards).

Whether it has driven me to invest in extra memory cards – or spend more time using the ones I have – I cannot say. But I do find myself looking at Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road (the spiritual home of camera shops in the UK), and Liverpool Street that bit harder on the map.

If the Tube has got you jonesing to buy more memory, take a look at the best memory cards, along with the best memory card readers and the best external hard drives.

SanDisk and its parent company Western Digital are two of the biggest names in digital storage. SanDisk produces an extensive range of memory cards, flash drives, hard drives, and solid-state storage drives (SSD). 

Read more: Find out about the best hard disk drives for photographers or the best hard drives for video editing in our guides.

The Pro-Blade Station joins the Pro-Blade Transport and Pro-Blade SSD Mag to create a modular SSD system. The Station is an SSD enclosure that is capable of holding up to 4 Pro-Blade SSD Mags. It’s designed for desktop use while the Pro-Blade Transport can only hold one Mag at a time and is more portable.

The idea is that the Station is kept connected to a computer and the Mags are swapped in and out of it and the Transport as required. It’s designed to avoid having to copy files from one place to another when you’re on the go.

Specifications

Max read speed: 3000MB/s
Max write speed: 2600MB/s
Available capacity: 4 slots enabling up to 16TB total capacity

Key Features

Sandisk sells the Pro-Blade Station by itself (with the power and USB-C cables), and the Pro-Blade Mags, which are available with 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB capacity, are bought separately or with the Pro-Blade Transport.

Thanks to the NVMe technology in the Pro-Blade Mags and the Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) connectivity of the enclosure, the Pro-Blade Station has data read speeds of up to 3000MB/s and write speeds of up to 2600MB/s. 

Although there are four slots that can accommodate a Pro-Blade Mag in the Station, it can be used with just one, two, or three occupied as well as the full four. The Mags can be swapped in and out as required, and you can use more than four, just not all at the same time.

SanDisk supplies the Pro-Blade Station with a hefty power adapter (complete with plugs for several territories), a USB-C power cable, and a USB-C for connecting to a computer.

A flow-through active cooling system is built-in to keep the SSDs cool in use.

Build & Handling

At 180.4 x 133 x 77.6 mm and weighing 1.45 kg, the Pro-Blade Station is a chunky bit of kit, but it’s also very smart-looking. The weight of the Station, combined with the four rubber pads on its base means that it doesn’t move much if you pull out a Mag one-handed.

On the rear of the Station, there are three USB-C ports. One is clearly marked ‘Power In’ while the other two are labeled as USB ports with one for connecting to a computer and the other for connecting another drive or accessory.

In addition to the power and connection ports, the Pro-Blade Station has a Kensington Security Slot that supports a standard Kensington security cable.

The Pro-Blade Mags slide into each of the slots smoothly and meet with more resistance when there’s just about 1cm protruding from the Station. At that point, applying a little more pressure clicks the Mag into place. 

A ridge on the end of the Pro-Blade Mags provides some grip when they are removed from the Station.

Performance

The SanDisk Pro-Blade Station connects to a computer via the supplied USB-C cable. Once it’s connected and a Mag is inserted, the drive is quick to appear on the computer desktop. If more than one Mag is inserted, the Mags show as separate drives on the computer, so if you intend to eject all of the drives, you need to drag them all to the Bin on a Mac.

Each of the drives is listed as ‘PRO-BLADE’ on the computer, which means if you have multiple Mags, you can’t tell which one is inserted unless you change their names on the computer. If you have Mags of the same capacity, you may also want to physically mark them with the names they have on the computer so you know which is which.

The Pro-Blade Station and Mags perform very well when working with still images or editing 4K or 8K video. When it was connected to a 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chip, I was able to transfer 9.74GB of images comprising 100 Jpegs and 100 raw files from the 45.7Mp Nikon Z7 II from a Pro-Blade SSD Mag inserted in the Pro-Blade Station in less than 5 seconds - a blistering pace!

Transferring the same folder of images from the computer to a Mag in Station took a little under 7 seconds.

However, when I started up the Blackmagic Disk Speed test software to measure the data transfer rates I found I wasn’t quite able to achieve the claimed maximum speeds (read 3000MB/s and write 2600MB/s). At over 2700 MB/s read speed and 2200MB/s write speed, however, they aren’t too shabby!

Verdict

The SanDisk Pro-Blade Station is an interesting proposition that makes the most sense when paired with the SanDisk Pro-Blade Transport and a clutch of Pro-Blade SSD Mags. It enables speedy file transfers as well as trouble-free image processing and smooth video editing. 

Because it allows hot-swapping of the Mags, the Station is effectively a hub for SSD storage and you only have one cable connecting to your computer instead of four. The drives (Mags) are all seen independently on the computer and it would be helpful to have some means of distinguishing the Mags externally when they are in the Station. It’s a problem that is easily resolved with a few colored sticker dots, but it would be nice to have a more sophisticated solution. 

UPDATE, August 2023:

Numerous stories are emerging from credible tech websites and individual users that some SanDisk and WD-branded portable SSDs are experiencing sudden and unpredictable drive failure, resulting in data loss. We have contacted parent company Western Digital for a statement on the issue but have yet to receive a response. Consequently we cannot unreservedly recommend the purchase of a SanDisk or WD-branded portable SSD until the matter has been decisively resolved.

Not too long ago this storage drive would’ve been part of the G-Technoloy range but the parent company, Western Digital, has rebranded G-Technology as SanDisk Professional. It makes the intended market a little clearer as G-Technology gear was usually aimed at professional photographers.

The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is a portable drive that fits in the palm of your hand, and features NVMe technology and USB-C connectivity. It comes ready for use with Mac computers but can be reformatted to work with Windows machines. 

Specifications

Max read speed: 1050MB/s

Max write speed: 1000MB/s

Available capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Key features

The G-Drive SSD is available in four capacities, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB. That’s likely to be enough for most users, but intensive shooters on long trips may wish for a larger capacity or need to invest in a second drive. 

As I mentioned earlier, it has NVMe technology and this combined with the USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2) connectivity enables read speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s.

While it weighs just 90g, the SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is ruggedised to survive being crushed by up to 2000 lbs and dropped from 3m. It’s also vibration resistant and weather/dust resistant to IP67. 

Perhaps as a result of the introduction of devices like the  SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 which offer twice the transfer rate, Western Digital has dropped the price of the G-Drive SSD significantly, making it much more attractive.

The drive also comes with software onboard ready for download and installation on a computer to enable password-enabled 256-bit AES-XTS Hardware encryption. 

Build and handling

The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD is only 95 x 50 x 15mm in size, so it fits nicely in your hand and can be slipped easily into a camera or laptop bag. 

SanDisk supplies two USB-C cables with the G-Drive SSD, one USB-C to USB-C and the other USB-C to USB-A. Helpfully, these cables are around 49cm in length, which makes the drive easier to use than one with a short cable when it’s connected to the back of a desktop computer or to a laptop on your knee.

The core of the drive is made from aluminum which acts as a heat sync and there are vents in the plastic shell, all designed to stop the most important area getting too hot.  

It’s easy to set up a password to protect the drive if you are storing sensitive information but it’s important to keep in mind that this cannot be recovered or reset by SanDisk if you forget the password. 

Performance

The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD works well in day-to-day use when storing stills and editing 4K video, but to test its data transfer speed I connected it to a 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chip. I then dragged a folder with 9.74GB of images comprising 100 Jpegs and 100 raw files from the 45.7Mp Nikon Z7 II from the desktop to the drive and it took just under 15 seconds for them to write to the SSD. It took around 12 seconds for the same batch of files to transfer from the G-Drive SSD to the computer. That’s an impressively short time to wait to move files around.

Next, I fired up Blackmagic Disk Speed Test to take a look at the measured transfer rates. While this didn’t show figures quite as high as the 1,050/1000MB/s read/write times claimed by Sandisk, they are still very respectable. I measured read speeds of around 720MB/s and write speed of around 840MB/s. Furthermore, the software confirms that the drive is suitable for use when working with 4K raw video at frame rates up to 60p and even 8K at up to 60p in Blackmagic Raw, but ProRes 422 HQ is a step too far at that resolution and frame rate. 

The drive also survived falling on a hard floor from my desk and its weather resistance ensures it copes with a splash or two of water - although it’s more likely to encounter tea. 

Verdict

The SanDisk Professional G-Drive SSD looks smart and feels tough. It also transfers files from a computer and back quickly, if not at the same speed as a 2000MB/s drive such as the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2. However, it’s also more affordable and if you’re not planning on using it as a working drive while you edit 6K or 8K 60p ProRes 422 HQ footage, it makes a great choice. It’s fine for most 4K applications and perfect for storing stills.

Read more
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SanDisk is one of the most widely-known names in digital storage. It offers a wide range of memory cards, flash drives, hard drives and solid state storage drives (SSD) with options to suit consumers, enthusiast photographers and professional content creators, photographers and videographers.

The Pro-Blade Transport and Pro-Blade SSD Mag were announced in May 2022, along with the Pro-Blade Station, as a modular SSD system. While the Pro-Blade Transport can hold a single Pro-Blade SSD Mag and is intended for use on the go, the Pro-Blade Station can hold up to four Mags and is designed for desktop use.

The Pro-Blade Transport and Pro-Blade Mag are now on sale and the Pro-Blade Station is set to join them soon.

Specifications

Max read speed: 2000MB/s

Max write speed: 2000MB/s

Available capacities: 0TB (Transport only), 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Key features

The SanDisk Professional Pro-Blade Transport is actually an enclosure that can house a Pro-Blade SSD Mag and while it is sold by itself, it can also be bought bundled with a Pro-Blade SSD Mag with a capacity of 1TB, 2TB or 4TB. The Pro-Blade SSD Mags can be swapped in and out of the Pro-Blade Transport, so you may only need one Transport for several Mags, but the mags are of no use by themselves.

There’s a USB-C port in the Pro-Blade Transport and this plus the NVMe technology in the Mag enables data transfer speeds of up to 2000MB/s in either direction. 

SanDisk supplies a USB-C to USB-C and a UBC-C to USB-A cable with the Pro-Blade Transport which means it can be connected to modern and older computers and laptops.

Build and handling

A quick glance at the Pro-Blade Transport might lead you to think that it’s regular SSD, but upon closer inspection you’ll spot that it’s fitted with a Pro-Blade SSD Mag. This is removed by pressing to release the catch and then withdrawing it from the enclosure. It slides back in smoothly and slots into place reassuringly.

At 130.4 x 71.5 x 16mm, the Pro-Blade Transport is larger than SSD’s like the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, but the Mags only measure 129 x 103.6 x 14.4mm and you can use several of them, one at a time, in a Transport.

The Pro-Blade Transport has an aluminum heat sink to keep the Pro-Blade SSD Mags cool during use, and it works well as the unit only gets a little warm.

While the Pro-Blade Transport isn’t weatherproof, the Mag is designed to survive a drop from 3m and has 4,000 lbs crush resistance. It should ensure that the unit survives being knocked off a desk or carried in a bag with a lot of heavy camera gear.

It’s good to see that SanDisk has included decent-length (44cm) USB-C cables with the Transport. It means that you can connect the drive to a laptop while it’s on your lap without fear of it slipping and disconnecting. 

Performance

When the drive was connected to a 2019 iMac via one of the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports I was able to transfer 9.74GB of images comprising 100 Jpegs and 100 raw files from the 45.7Mp Nikon Z7 II to it in a little under 19 seconds. Transferring the same folder of images back to the computer took almost a minute.

Performing the same tasks with a 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chip saw the transfer times drop to under 11 seconds in either direction.

After timing the file transfers, I started up the Blackmagic Disk Speed test software to measure the data transfer rates. When running the check on the iMac I recorded write speeds of around 948MB/s and read speed of about 945MB/s. Using the same software on the 2022 MacBook Air saw write speeds of just under 3000MB/s and read speeds a little over 3260MB/s, showing better performance than is claimed by SanDisk.

As well as storing still images, the SanDisk Pro-Blade Transport can accommodate video either as a store or as a working drive while editing 4K video. The fast data transfer speed of the drive ensures that the editing experience is smooth and without stutters.

Verdict

The SanDisk Pro-Blade Transport is a well-made, fast storage drive that is ideal for storing images or video on the go. It also offers something we don’t usually see in a portable drive, but that hikes up the price in comparison with a drive that has a fixed SSD. Also, the real strength of the interchangeable SanDisk Pro-Blade SSD Mags, only really becomes apparent when the Transport is paired with a SanDisk Pro-Blade Station as it allows up to four storage devices to be connected to a computer via a single USB-C cable.

Read more
Best portable hard drives
Best SSDs
Best hard drives for video editing

UPDATE, August 2023:

Numerous stories are emerging from credible tech websites and individual users that some SanDisk and WD-branded portable SSDs are experiencing sudden and unpredictable drive failure, resulting in data loss. We have contacted parent company Western Digital for a statement on the issue but have yet to receive a response. Consequently we cannot unreservedly recommend the purchase of a SanDisk or WD-branded portable SSD until the matter has been decisively resolved.

SanDisk and its parent company, Western Digital, are one of the best-known names in digital storage. It offers an extensive range of memory cards, flash drives, hard drives and solid-state storage drives. The Extreme Pro Portable SSD (solid state drive) has been around for quite a while but the most recent incarnation (V2) is capable of read and write speeds that are twice those of its predecessor, making it a contender for one of the best portable SSDs around..

Although SanDisk refers to V2 on its website, that isn’t included in the product name on the drive itself or its packaging. However, the data transfer markings on the packing make it clear which version of the drive you are looking at.

Specifications

Max read speed: 2000MB/s

Max write speed: 2000MB/s

Available capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Key features

SanDisk offers the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 in three capacities, 1TB, 2TB and 4TB. Whichever capacity you opt for, the drive uses NVMe technology to deliver sustained read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s. 

It has a USB-C port and comes supplied with a USB-C to USB-C and a UBC-C to USB-A cable so you can use the drive with old and new computers. It’s also compatible with a range of USB-C smartphones.

The drive is supplied with Security for Mac and Windows onboard and ready to download to a computer to enable it to be password protected.

Build and handling

The chassis of the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 is made from forged aluminium to make it very strong but lightweight. And at just 10.22x57.34x110.26mm, it’s small enough to slip into a camera bag unnoticed. 

SanDisk also covers the aluminium chassis in a silicon shell to make the drive nice and rugged, and it feels like a high-quality item but the coating seems to collect a bit of fluff. 

The Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 is claimed to be capable of surviving a drop from 2m and it’s IP55 water and dust resistant, which is great news if you spill a mug of tea on your desk or you’re working in a harsh environment. I found no reason to doubt the claims. Further reassurance comes from the 5-year warranty. 

Like the original drive, the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 has a hole through one corner which can be used to clip it onto your bag using a karabiner or something similar to keep it safe. 

As I mentioned, SanDisk supplies the drive with two USB cables, but they are only around 25cm long (not including the connectors). If you’re working with a laptop on a desk or table, that’s likely to be fine, but you have a desktop machine, or you work with your laptop on your lap, you’re likely to need to invest in longer cables. 

Performance

The data transfer speeds quoted by SanDisk give an indication of the potential of the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2, but the actual performance that you get depends upon your computer and the connection that you use. For example, when the drive was connected to a 2019 iMac via one of the USB-C/Thunderbolt ports I was able to transfer 9.74GB of images comprising 100 Jpegs and 100 raw files from the 45.7Mp Nikon Z7 II to it in around 1 minute 40 seconds. That same folder of images transferred from the drive to the desktop of the iMac in just over a minute. Switch to using a 2022 MacBook Air with the M2 chip and the transfer times drop to 11 seconds and 13 seconds respectively.

As well as offering a mobile store for images or video, the Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 can be used as a working drive while editing video and, with the right computer, you can expect stutter-free editing and viewing.

Checking the data transfer speeds using Blackmagic Disk Speed test software proves enlightening. When running the check on the iMac, I recorded write speeds of around 789MB/s and read speed of about 805MB/s. Using the same software on the 2022 MacBook Air saw write speeds of just under 3000MB/s and read speeds a little over 3000MB/s. I had to double-check the number of digits! That’s faster than SanDisk claims.

The drive heats up while it’s connected to a computer but it doesn’t get dangerously hot.

I’ve split tea on the drive, dunked it in water and knocked it off my desk on several occasions and it’s performed as expected afterward. 

Verdict

Minor niggles aside about the length of the supplied cables, the SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD V2 is an excellent portable drive. It can transfer files between it and computer with impressive speed so you’re not sat around waiting. It can also be used as a working drive when you’re editing video so that your computer doesn’t grind to a halt or get clogged up. In addition, it’s well-made and durable, which gives you confidence that your files will be kept safe.  

SanDisk only makes the drive in one color and short of putting a sticker on the back or using different colored karabiners or tags in the loop, there’s no way to distinguish one drive from another if you have several.

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• The best memory card readers

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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SanDisk and its parent company, Western Digital, is one of the biggest names in memory cards and digital storage. It also offers an extensive range of SD-type cards and when you’re browsing the Extreme PRO series, it’s important to keep an eye on the speed markings as there are several available including 95MB/s, 100MB/s, 170MB/s, 200MB/s and 300MB/s. Only the 300MB/s cards are UHS-II compliant. 

I’ve tested the 300MB/s version which is available with capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The 32GB card is an SDHC device, whereas the 64GB and 128GB cards are SDXC devices.

Write speed of up to 260MB/s enable the cards to cope with rapid-fire photography or 4K and 8K video recording. Meanwhile the read speed maxes out at 300MB/s which should enable fast file transfer to a computer. The cards also have a V90 rating which means they have minimum read and write speed of 90MB/s for reliable 4K video recording.

Specifications

Max read speed: 300MB/s

Max write speed: 260MB/s

Available capacities: 32GB, 64GB, 128GB

Build and handling

As usual, the SanDisk Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDHC/SDXC UHS-II cards measure 24 x 32 x 2.1mm, which means they slip neatly into a camera or card reader’s slot. After heavy use, the 64GB card that I have been using shows only slight signs of wear on the label.

A switch on the left side of the card allows the card to be locked if you want to protect its contents or prevent additional images from being written to it. Helpfully, and unlike the cards from Kingston, Lexar, Manfrotto and PNG, the SanDisk card has a lock symbol on its label that indicates the card is locked when the switch is in the down position.

According to SanDisk, the Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDHC/SDXC UHS-II cards are shock-proof, temperature proof, waterproof and X-ray-proof. 

Performance

For my first test of the 64GB SanDisk Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDXC UHS-II, I popped it into the 45.7MP Nikon Z 7II and set the camera to shoot at its fastest rate (10fps) with the focusing set to manual to rule out any focusing delays. When the camera was set to record 14-bit uncompressed raw files I was able to capture 38 images in a continuous sequence - putting it on par with the PNY X-Pro 90 SDXC UHS-II card and ahead of the Manfrotto Professional SDXC UHS-II card. 

Switching to record Fine* Jpegs boosted the burst depth significantly to 65 images, but that’s someway behind what was possible with the Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II, Kingston Canvas React Plus SDHC/SDXC UHS-II and PNY X-Pro 90 SDXC UHS-II cards. Shooting Fine-quality Jpegs increases the burst depth again, but at 78, it’s still behind the other cards I’ve tested recently, only beating the Manfrotto Professional SDXC UHS-II card.

Also, despite chalking up impressive read and write speeds of 252MB/s and 207MB/s respectively, the SanDisk Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDXC UHS-II proved to be one of the slower cards when it comes to moving files onto a computer. The shortest time I was able to transfer 100 Fine* Jpegs and 100 14-bit uncompressed raw files from the Nikon Z 7II (adding up to 9.7GB), was 2 minutes 37 seconds - that’s minute slower than the Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II.

When testing the card’s ability to record 8K video, like the other UHS-II SDXC cards I’ve tested, it could cope with the lower-quality options, not raw. However, the camera overheated after around 15 minutes, whereas the other cards managed to capture closer to 30minutes.

Verdict

While the SanDisk Extreme PRO 300MB/s SDXC UHS-II card performed well in our software-measured speed test and returned good transfer rates, the Jpeg burst depths that it enables lag behind those some of the competition. This is unlikely to be an issue for many photographers, but keen sports and action photographers who shoot Jpegs rather than raw files may want to be able to shoot longer sequences. 

Also, although still respectable, the time taken to transfer images to a computer is a little longer than with some other cards.

Lastly, it’s disappointing that although SanDisk offers a 32GB card, it is more expensive than some 64GB cards.

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Western Digital has launched a new storage system aimed at professional photographers and videographers with demanding workflows. The SanDisk Professional PRO-BLADE™ Modular SSD Ecosystem uses NVMe portable SSD ‘mags’ which can be connected to a camera or computer via a portable enclosure, or a multi-drive desktop enclosure. The resulting set-up is designed to give super-fast and ultra-reliable data transfer with the convenience of being able to easily swap between SSD mags.

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At the heart of the PRO-BLADE system is the aforementioned PRO-BLADE SSD Mag. At first glance this takes a similar form to a conventional NVMe-based portable SSD, though the PRO-BLADE mag isn’t designed to be used as a standalone storage device – it must be paired with one of the accompanying PRO-BLADE enclosures. Each SSD mag can withstand a 3-meter drop and has 4000lb crush resistance and is available in 1TB ($179.99), 2TB ($289.99) and 4TB ($599.99) capacity options. Expect availability in June 2022.

If you want to use your PRO-BLADE SSD Mags on the go, you’ll need to team them with a PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT portable SSD enclosure. This allows a single SSD mag to slot in and connect to a USB-C compatible camera or computer. The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT enables you to swap between SSD mags so multiple drives can be carried with the minimum of weight and bulk. The PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT can be purchased as a bare enclosure for $69.99. Alternatively, it can be had complete with a 1TB SSD mag for $239.99, 2TB for $359.99 or 4TB for $659.99. Shipping is due to commence in June.

But to really unleash the full power of the PRO-BLADE system, you’d need the PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure. Where the PRO-BLADE TRANSPORT makes do with a 20Gbps USB-C connection, the PRO-BLADE STATION gets a full-on 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 link. Combine that with the four SSD mag slots and there’s the potential to simultaneously transfer 4K, 8K or even 12K footage in real time and make super-fast copies. Of course, you’ll need to ensure you’ve got one seriously fast internal SSD in your computer to ensure the PRO-BLADE’s speed isn’t bottlenecked. Pricing of the PRO-BLADE STATION desktop SSD enclosure has yet to be revealed, with availability scheduled for late 2022.

In addition the launch of the PRO-BLADE system, Western Digital also announced the world’s fastest SD card, but don’t get too excited. This is the world’s fastest UHS-I SD card, meaning it’s still some way short of the speed you could get simply by buying a UHS-II card instead (UHS-I vs. UHS-II explained). But for cameras which only support UHS-I SD cards, the new 200MB/s SanDisk Extreme PRO cards are sure to be very appealing, offering an appreciable speed boost over the previous generation of 170MB/s Extreme PRO cards.

Availability is slated for June 2022, and the cards will come in capacities ranging from 64GB ($18.79) up to 1TB ($279.99).

All PRO-BLADE products will be available to buy soon from B&H

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Along with Lexar, SanDisk is one of the most widely-recognized memory brands. If offers a wide range of products including the Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B card in four capacities starting at 64GB and going up to 512GB. The smaller capacity cards are particularly attractive as they are the most affordable, but they have slower read and write speeds. The 64GB card, for example is the slowest with a maximum read speed of 1500MB/s and a maximum write speed of 800MB/s. With read/write speeds of 1700/1400MB/s, the 512GB is the fastest card in the range. It’s also well-priced for the card type and capacity but at around £500/$500 is still much more expensive than many photographers are prepared to stomach.

Provided that you register the card, SanDisk makes its RescuePRO Deluxe data recovery software available for free download just in case you accidentally delete a file.

Specifications

Max read speed: 1500-1700MB/s

Max write speed: 800-1400MB/s

Available capacities: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Build and handling

While it adopts the familiar form factor, the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B eschews the metal casing on the sides that’s seen on the CFexpress cards from Delkin Devices, Lexar, Manfrotto and ProGrade Digital, but retains a metal plate on the front and back. However, it still feels well-made and much more robust than an SD or microSD card. It also slides smoothly into a camera’s card slot.

Like other the CFexpress cards that I’ve tested, the SanDisk card cannot be inserted the wrong way around into a card slot, it simply doesn’t fit.

Performance

While we can measure the performance of a memory card in a number of ways, the most important to most photographers is the maximum continuous shooting rate and burst depth that it enables in-camera. The SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B does very well in this regard, consistently enabling up to 51 14-bit uncompressed raw files to be captured in one sequence at 10fps in the Nikon Z 7II. Switching to shoot fine-quality Jpegs, however, pushes the maximum burst depth to around 130. That means it enables the camera to go beyond its claimed buffer capacity (48 14-bit uncompressed raw files or 113 fine-quality Jpegs).

At 10fps, it takes 13 seconds to shoot 130 images which seems an incredibly long time when you’re standing on the touchline or kneeling as your dog lollops towards you. In practise, you’re likely to shoot in shorter bursts, but it’s great to know that the card can match the camera’s capability.

It also only took around 27 seconds to transfer 200 files from the Nikon Z7 II (100 raw and 100 Jpeg), taking up 10.33GB of space from the card to my iMac using a SanDisk  Extreme pro CFexpress card reader connected to a Thunderbolt 3 port.

Using Blackmagic Design Disk Speed Test when a 512GB SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B card was connected to my 2019 iMac via the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Card Reader (which supports USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds) via one of the Thunderbolt 3 ports, I measured a read speed of 907MB/s and a write speed of 789MB/s. As we’ve seen before these numbers are down on the claimed speeds, but its the real-world performance of the card that’s more important.

• SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B Card Reader review

Verdict

Like the other CFexpress cards that I’ve tested, the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B doesn’t match the claimed data transfer speeds in our bench tests, but it enables the Nikon Z 7II to capture more Jpegs and raw files than Nikon claims in a single burst. It also takes 4K 60P video in it’s stride, proving to be a great partner to a CFexpress-enabled camera.

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Western Digital, parent company of the SanDisk brand, has launched a new line called SanDisk Professional, delivering pro-grade performance to "professionals whose livelihood depends on mission-critical needs".

Debuting with the new line are three new products: the Pro-Cinema CFexpress VPG400 memory card, a Pro-Reader series of card readers and the Pro-Dock 4 docking station (which works in conjunction with the readers). 

• Read more: Best CFexpress cards

While the SanDisk brand had previously occupied the consumer and prosumer space, SanDisk Professional distinctly targets the independent pro, SMB and studio end users. This was an area previously fulfilled by Western Digital's G-Technology brand, which will gradually be phased out and folded into the SanDisk Professional product line-up. 

Pro-Cinema CFexpress VPG400
Launching with a 256GB capacity, This card comes with a "video performance guarantee" of keeping a sustained 400MB/s write speed for the entire capacity of the card, and will not drop the write speed below that from the first to the last gigabyte – making it ideal for the demands of 4K, 6K and 8K RAW. 

Pro-Reader series
These high performance card readers feature a USB-CTM interface for SuperSpeed USB support up to 10Gbs – and answer the longstanding criticism of the manufacturer not having better readers. They will be available for CFast, CFexpress, CF, SD, microSD and Red Mini-Mag. These stackable, modular readers are also able to be used with… 

Pro-Dock 4
A remarkable four-bay reader that scales according to your needs, using the modular Pro-Readers. It makes use of Thunderbolt 3 for remarkable connectivity and speed, enabling to read four bays simultaneously at around 2,800Mb/s!

In addition, a number of G-Technology drives that mostly feature cosmetic changes – including a 4TB G-Drive ArmorLock Encrypted NVMe SSD, enterprise-grade Ultrastar drives and G-RAID solutions – will roll out as part of the SanDisk Professional line.

Most SanDisk Professional products will start shipping in June, with others following in July, prices to be confirmed.

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SanDisk has announced two new SanDisk portable SSDs – the SanDisk Extreme and the SanDisk Extreme PRO. These two new SSDs offer nearly 2x the speed over previous generations, a powerful NVMe solid state performance, a forged aluminum chassis to help keep the drive cool, an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance and 256-bit AES hardware encryption.

With everyone from professional videographers to everyday smartphone users dealing with high-density and high resolution files, a hard drive that can keep up with your demands is a necessity. Luckily, the SanDisk Extreme and the SanDisk Extreme PRO are designed to keep up with today's high quality content demands.

• Read more: Best portable SSDs

The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD will have an impressive read speed of up to 2,000MB/s and a write speed of up to 2000MB/s. SanDisk is making the Extreme PRO available now in 2TB for a MSRP of $418.99 and is expecting to ship a 1TB version later this year (although there isn't a specific date as of yet). 

Meanwhile, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD will feature a read speed of up to 1,050MBs and a write speed of up to 1,000MB/s. The SanDisk Extreme is available now in a 500GB version for an MSRP of $133.99 and a 1TB version for an MSRP of $216.99.

Tyler Stableford, a SanDisk Extreme Team member, says, "When every second counts, I need fast and powerful solutions that work as quickly as I do. I rely on SanDisk SSDs to keep up with my creativity. As an artist, speed is one of my greatest strengths, and I know with the SanDisk Extreme line of SSDs, I can get the job done with greater efficiency and capacity, and I never have to worry about running out of memory wherever the job takes me."

Both SanDisk Extreme portable SSDs will be backed by a five-year limited warranty and are available at the Western Digital Store and selected retailers worldwide. Both new SanDisk Extreme SSDs will eventually replace the previous generations of the same name that are still currently being sold. 

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No matter whether you shoot weddings, portraits, landscapes or macro, robust and reliable file storage is essential for any photographer. Luckily, this SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable External SSD is almost half price in this fantastic B&H deal. This rugged SSD is perfect for photographers who need to take their files on the move and don't want to worry that an errant knock might render their hard drive unusable.

The SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable External SSD has 2TB of storage capacity and up to 550MB read speeds for speedy access to your images. It has a USB 3.1 Type-C interface and features resistance against water, dust and shock. It can withstand drops of up to 6.5' on a concrete floor and temperature extremes ranging from -4º to 158º when in storage.

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No matter whether you work on a Windows or a Mac computer, the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable External SSD is compatible with Windows 10, 8.1 and 7, as well as macOS High Sierra, Sierra and El Capitan. 

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CFexpress memory card compatibility with the Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 is nothing new - Nikon made this possible with firmware version 2.20 last year, though only for Sony-branded CFexpress cards. Then in February this year with firmware version 3.00, compatibility was expanded to ProGrade and Lexar Type B cards. However, bugs were present requiring workarounds like the reinsertion of the card, or switching the camera off and on again.

In the case of SanDisk-branded CFexpress cards in Nikon Z cameras, Nikon Rumors reported some users having issues with camera lockups and errors, though these may have been confined to 64GB cards. Whatever the cause or specific products affected, it was clear there were persistent compatibility glitches with some SanDisk CFexpress cards used in Z 6 and Z 7 cameras.

But all seems to have been resolved, as Nikon Rumors has just announced that Z 6 and Z 7 cameras are now fully compatible with SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B cards. There is slight catch though - this only applies to newly manufactured cards with a specific model number. Fully compatible cards apparently carry the model number suffix "xxxNN", whereas older cards that are not reliably compatible will have a model number ending in "xxxIN". This model numbering applies to all four capacities of SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress cards - 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB. Maximum read/write speeds remain the same at 1700MB/s and 1400MB/s respectively.

All this is further good news for Z 6 and Z 7 owners who, until the implementation of CFexpress compatibly, had little choice but to drop big bucks on XQD cards - a memory card format owned exclusively by Sony - and with no market competition, pricing remained high. CFexpress, on the other hand, is an open-source card format and looks set to be more competitively priced and the card format of choice for high-end cameras.

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CFexpress is the hottest memory card format of the moment and looks set to become the format of choice for cameras for professionals requiring the fastest possible data transfer speeds to keep up with the demands of ultra-high resolution image sensors and high bitrate 4K and 8K video.

At present only a few stills cameras support CFexpress out of the box, most notably the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, but this could soon change. With CFexpress cards sharing the same physical form factor as the existing XQD card format, it's possible for older XQD cameras such as the Nikon D850, Z 6 and Z 7 to be firmware-updated to support CFexpress cards. This not only opens up possibilities for compatibility with newer, faster cards, it could also save you money. As any Z 6 or Z 7 owner will know, XQD cards are far from cheap, mainly because Sony has a stranglehold on the market. CFexpress on the other hand is an open-source standard and the usual big names in the memory card business are queuing up to offer CFexpress cards.

• SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B card review 

With this last point in mind, we welcome Sandisk to the CFexpress fray with its Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B Card. Here we're specifically reviewing the 128GB variant (64GB, 256GB and 512GB capacities are also available).

Sandisk was also kind enough to send us its new Extreme Pro CFexpress Card Reader for testing.

Compared to Sony's G series XQD cards that boast maximum read/write speeds of 440/400 MB/s, our Sandisk 128GB CFexpress card claims to be capable of stunning 1700/1200MB/s read/write speeds, making it by far the fastest consumer memory card we've ever encountered, even eclipsing the previous (and sadly failed) CFast 2.0 format.

Build and handling

On the outside there isn't much to get excited about with CFexpress, as CFexpress card closely resemble XQD cards, but it's this very compatibility that's a key CFexpress attraction. If you've not encountered an XQD - and by extension, CFexpress - card before, imagine a blend between a traditional CompactFlash card and an SD card and you won't be far off.

Sandisk's CFexpress card reader is discreetly styled, but has a pleasantly weighty feel, which combined with its grippy base keeps it anchored to your desk. This isn't a dual/multi format reader though, so if you also use other card formats, you'll need an additional card reader for these. Rather than simply pressing the CFexpress card into the reader like most SD or CompactFlash readers, the Sandisk Extreme Pro CFexpress reader uses a sprung click-in, click-out mechanism that gives a more positive docking feel.

The reader is supplied with a short USB Type-C to Type-C cable, and you'll need to use this rather than an older Type-A connection to ensure faster data transfer speeds. The reader utilises a USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection specification, meaning it can transfer at up to 10 gigabits per second. However, do the maths and even this isn't fast enough to achieve the claimed maximum transfer speeds of a CFexpress card. 10Gbps equates to 1250 Megabytes per second - some way short of the 1700MB/s claimed maximum read speed of the SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress card.

Performance

We connected our Extreme Pro CFexpress reader to a brand new Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581G laptop to put card and reader through their paces. The ZenBook Pro Duo is an ultra high-end laptop boasting the very best hardware specifications. We rate it as one of the best laptops for photographers, so it shouldn't introduce any bottlenecks in our CFexpress card speed testing.

Crucially, our Pro Duo was equipped with a blazing fast Intel Optane H10 storage drive utilising the latest PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 interface. This makes it capable of up to 2400MB/s read and 1800MB/s write speeds, therefore exceeding the maximum CFexpress card transfer rates. Combine this with the Pro Duo's Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C connection that can transfer at up to 40Gbps (5000 Megabytes per second) and it's safe to say our test computer would not be bottlenecking the CFexpress card or reader.

We tested using repeated real-world transfers of a large folder of image files (multiple small files will always take longer to copy/paste than a single video of the same total file size), as well as a single large 4K video file, to determine the maximum possible real-world sustained transfer speeds you're likely to achieve. Finally, to test theoretical maximum possible transfer speeds of the card, we used CrystalDiskMark's storage benchmarking software, specifically the sequential read/write setting.

After repeated test runs, we found the Extreme Pro CFexpress 128GB Type B card and Extreme Pro CFexpress reader delivered average speeds of:

On the one hand these figures are hugely impressive results that eclipse any other memory card we've ever tested. However, aside from the 1678MB/s theoretical read speed score we achieved, which comes very close to the 1700MB/s claimed by Sandisk, in every other respect our CFexpress card didn't reach its claimed maximum speeds.

But this may well be no fault of the card, or indeed Sandisk's marketing department. While the physical hardware of CFexpress is doubtless capable of such stunning performance, other limiting factors inevitably come into play. A computer's operating system, the type, size and quantity of files being transferred, the connection between card and computer, and finally the computer's internal mass storage device (SSD or HDD) will all play a part in determining the maximum file transfer speed you can achieve.

if we're to speculate on what may have limited our real-world image and video transfer speeds, the likely culprit could be the CFexpress reader. Its USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection, though unusually fast in the card reader market, still isn't enough to maximise the potential of CFexpress. However even with this accounted for, we'd have still expected slightly higher maximum video read rates than we actually got.

Verdict

CFexpess is undoubtedly the fastest card format you can buy into right now, and if you ignore its claimed maximum speeds, you'd be thrilled with the real-world performance it offers. If you want to try and realize the format's incredible speed claims for yourself, you'd better be rocking the very latest and greatest computer hardware, and even then, that still may not be enough to guarantee the best out of CF express.

The only other issue with CFexpress is cost. One of the main complaints with XQD is Sony's monopoly on pricing, yet at the time of writing a 128GB Sandisk Extreme Pro CFexpress card will set you back a whopping $200/£294, whereas a Sony G series 128GB XQD card costs around $192/£190. Sure, the CFexpress card is faster, but we'll have to wait for more manufactures to get on board with the CFexpress format for pricing to undercut XQD.

But theoretical max speed hyperbole and early adopter premium pricing aside, there's no doubt CFexpress performs admirably and looks set to be the format of the future.

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If you're in the market for a new hard drive, then you're in luck. The Digital Camera World forums are running a competition where you could win a 500GB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD hard drive and a branded protective case. 

The 500GB SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD hard drive features high-speed transfers with up to 550MB/s read speeds. It's both water- and dust-resistant and compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Mac OS 10.4+. It has a shock-resistant solid state core for greater durability and is compact and pocket-sized. It also comes with a fantastic case specifically designed for the hard drive's unique shape.

• Read more: Best portable hard drives for photography

To enter the competition, all you need to do is tick off three simple steps. First, head to this forum thread and leave a comment sharing your favorite image that you've taken. 

Next, click here for the contest widget (also linked on the forum thread). Then, your final step is adding your Digital Camera World forum username! Complete all three simple steps before 11:59 on March 27th 2020 and you could be in with a chance of winning the SanDisk hard drive!

Remember that you can only enter this competition once and that the giveaway is only open to users in the US and UK only. If you're a winner then we'll reach out to you via email for your shipping information. If you don't reply to our message with your shipping address within five business days then we'll move onto the next winner, so keep a keen eye on your inbox! You can find the full terms and conditions on the forum thread under the 'Spoiler' link. 

Make sure to head over to the forum thread to be in with a chance to win – good luck!

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Not so long ago portable SSDs topped out at 1TB, and such a capacity would cost you an arm, leg, and most of your internal organs. But at CES 2020 Western Digital's SanDisk brand has revealed a prototype of a portable SSD packing a barely believable 8TB (terabytes!) of storage capacity. To put this in context, it's enough space to save 280,000 30MB raw photos, or around 280 hours of 4K video at 500MB per minute of footage.

The SanDisk 8TB SSD prototype connects to your computer via a super-fast 20Gbps USB interface, so you can be sure even the largest files can be transferred as fast as possible.

No word has yet been given on retail availability or pricing, but it's safe to assume that being first to market with such a high-capacity SSD will result in an equally lofty price tag.

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SanDisk has also revealed a new 1TB Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type-C thumb drive, set to hit stores in a couple of months. This ultra-compact portable storage is designed to fit on a keychain, with its all-metal exterior built to look good and survive daily abuse. The 1TB capacity is enough to store roughly 100,000 10MB JPEG images, or about 80 hours of 1080p video.

The dual connector interface maximizes the drive's versatility. It gives you a traditional USB Type-A plug that enables the drive to be inserted into older computers. But when you need to connect to newer laptops, as well as phones and tablets, the connector can be flipped to reveal a modern USB Type-C plug.

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Is a new era in memory card speed about to begin? SanDisk has become the first manufacturer to place CFexpress cards on sale – a new class of memory cards that will promise blisteringly fast data transfer speeds of up to two gigabytes per second. And then following quickly after, Canon has launched a camera that can use these superfast memory cards.

The first SanDisk Extreme Pro CFexpress cards are now available for order on Amazon in Europe over the weekend in 64GB, 128GB, 256GB and 512GB – costing between £174.99 and £691.99 – although delivery is estimated as being from one to two months. The cards are now available to pre-order in the US for between $149.99 to $599.99 . 

This first generation of SanDisk's Type B CFExpress cards offer read speeds of up to 1700MB/s and 1400MB/s write speeds.

SanDisk is also releasing a bespoke CFexpress card reader, which will sell for $49.99. The reader is designed to support USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds, and has a USB-C connector.

Adoption of this new format has already begin. The new Canon EOS C500 Mark II cinema camera uses twin CFexpress card slots and we expect it to begin appearing in other cameras too, specifically high-end models which demand ultra-fast recording speeds

There are rumors that the Nikon D6, which has been announced as being in development, will use two CFexpress card slots. 

The transfer speed will not just for supporting the high-frame rate of professional stills cameras – it will be particularly welcome in future filmmaking cameras that will offer 6K and 8K video resolution.

XQD compatibility

But other, existing cameras, could be converted to use the new CFexpress cards almost immediately, via a firmware update. The Type B CFexpress cards have the same form factor as the XQD memory cards that are used in a number of existing Nikon, Sony, Panasonic and Phase One cameras or camcorders – and are therefore backward compatible

Nikon has already announced that it has developed firmware updates for its Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 full-frame mirrorless cameras (and its D850, D500 and D5 DSLRs too)  which will allow these cameras to be used with CFexpress memory, instead of XQD cards. Now that the cards are finally on sale, the free firmware updates may now be released. 

Sony, Lexar and others

Sandisk is not the only company that will be releasing CFexpress. As we have previously reported,  Sony, Lexar, Delkin and Prograde Digital have all exhibited their versions of the new cards at trade shows over the last year, although the on sale date for these has not yet been announced. The only other company to have announced the actual launch of its CFexpress cards is Angelbird.

Although this first generation of CFexpress looks even more expensive than XQD cards, the hope is that the format will be cheaper in the long run – not least as this standard does not require paying a manufacturing license to Sony (as is the case with XQD cards).

Read more:
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

If you've been thinking about picking up an extra memory card, now is the perfect time – this SanDisk 128GB microSDXC card with SD adaptor is now half price, and available for just £16.42!

With Up to 100MB/s transfer speeds, this UHS speed class 10 card is great for recording and playing back 1080p video. Rated A1 for mobile devices, it's ideal for fast loading of apps on Android-based camera phones and tablets. And with a £19.42 saving, it's an even better proposition!

SanDisk is among the market leaders in memory cards, and has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted manufacturers for photography storage – its products always rank highly in our best memory card guide. 

Getting a huge 128GB of memory for just £16.42 is a fantastic deal, and even better when it's from a reputable company like SanDisk. 

Read more:

The best memory card for your camera: top SD, microSD, XQD & CF cards
The best memory card readers
Sony launches “world’s fastest” card reader and USB hub

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