SanDisk announced a variety of new storage cards aimed at photographers ranging from novices to seasoned pros at the Photo Marketing Association’s trade show in Las Vegas.
New Extreme and Ultra II CompactFlash cards
The SanDisk Extreme and SanDisk Ultra II CompactFlash cards, which are targeted at professional and “prosumer” photographers using 4 megapixel or higher resolution digital cameras, now sport capacities ranging from 256MB to 2GB. They write and read at a minimum of 9MB per second and 10MB per second, respectively. The Extreme CompactFlash cards were designed to operate in temperatures ranging from -25 to 85 degrees Celsius; they come with RescuePRO software that helps you recover accidentally deleted or damaged images.
The new 2GB models will be on shelves at the end of February. Pricing for the Extreme CompactFlash cards ranges from US$109.99 for 256MB to $849.99 for 2GB. Pricing for the Ultra II CompactFlash cards ranges from $99.99 for 256MB to $799.99 for 2GB.
For photographers who need even more capacity, SanDisk also introduced a 4GB CompactFlash card that can hold more than 2,000 high-resolution images, over 1,000 songs, or 8 hours of MPEG-4 video. It’s a Type I card that fits in any CompactFlash slot and can operate in cameras that use either the FAT16 or FAT32 file formats. It comes with a switch that allows you to move between one 4GB FAT32 volume or two 2GB FAT16 volumes.
Pricing is $999.99 and you can expect the 4GB card to start shipping in April.
Memory Stick PRO and PRO Duo additions
SanDisk added to its Memory Stick PRO and PRO Duo lines with 128MB sticks that now anchor those product offerings, which are available in 128MB to 2GB (PRO) and 128MB to 512MB (PRO Duo) sizes. The Memory Stick PRO line was originally developed by Sony and SanDisk; the Duo sticks are half the physical size of their counterparts and were designed for use in smaller digital devices. All PRO Duo sticks come with adapters for use in PRO-enabled devices.
The new PRO sticks will be available later this month for $59.99 for the 128MB models; the price reaches $999.99 for 2GB sticks. SanDisk expects to ship the new PRO Duo sticks in the second quarter of 2004 for $64.99 for the 128MB version; the 512MB sticks are $224.99.
The company also added to the Memory Stick PRO line with new Extreme and Ultra II versions of those cards, which are aimed at advanced and professional photographers. They write and read at 9MB and 10MB per second, respectively, and, like the Extreme CompactFlash cards, the Extreme Memory Stick Pro cards come with RescuePRO software to help recover lost or damaged photos.
The Extreme Memory Stick PRO cards will ship at the end of this month in 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB capacities for $129.99, $329.99, and $679.99 each, respectively. The Ultra II Memory Stick PRO cards will ship at the same time and in the same capacities for $119.99, $299.99, and $599.99, respectively.
Shoot & Store
Finally, SanDisk rolled out the announcement of Shoot & Store, which the company says are the first “consumable” flash memory cards for digital cameras. Starting at $14.99 each, they’re aimed at people who want to store their photos on flash memory cards or who are concerned about leaving more expensive cards with retail photo finishers. SanDisk has been test-marketing the cards at retail outlets across the country since December and is making them widely available now.
The first card types in the line are CompactFlash, SD, and SmartMedia in 32MB sizes. By the middle of this year, SanDisk plans to introduce 64MB cards at $24.99 and add other formats, including Memory Stick Pro and xD. The Shoot & Store line also includes a Digital Photo Viewer that allows you to look at images on your TV, and SanDisk will also add a CD-sized plastic jewel case for storing and indexing multiple storage cards. Pricing for those items hasn’t been announced yet.