Thank you, Andy.
Is Lexar the only manufacturer to make fast XQD?
C* does use CFast in their 1DXMK2. How do these Technologies compare in Real Life?
Frank,
as written by others, SONY also makes XQD cards. The new series is supposed to be as fast wrt to read speed, if my memory serves me right, the SONY write speed for their new v2 cards was a bit lower than for the 2933x Lexar cards. Combined with the lower prices / GB, the Lexar cards seem to be the better value for now. I haven't had opportunity to gain first hand experience with either, so please keep this in mind, that is only a spec comparison for now.
The old CF standard evolved in 2 directions. While CFast kept the original SATA kind of protocol of CF and moved it up a bit, XQD is the current successor of CF consortia. Please keep in mind that XQD uses a data transfer protocol which is similar to the PCI express interface (faster, lower overhead, less energy, more room to grow).
In the digital world, standards are in itself a competitive market. The one with the best value, simplest implementation, largest mind/market share, best roadmap to grow, might enjoy a competitive advantage versus his peers.
It is too early to tell, how XQD will progress. imho, they need volume. While the D500 is a good addition, to be really successful at the level of SD and CF, XQD need to be adopted much broader in the market, not only 2 cameras.
rgds, Andy
