Pro Moviemaker Winter 2019

GEAR

MINI TESTS

SPECIFICATIONS Capacity: 1TB

In the box: SD, SB-C cable, SB-A cable, DataVault Lite software Interface: USB 3.1 Type C Speed: 950MB/s read, 900MB/s write Systemcompatibilty: Mac OS X 10.6+, Windows 7/8/10 Operating temperature: 0°C to 70°C Dimensions (WxHxD):

55x73.4x10.8mm/ 2.17x2.89x0.43in Weight: 70g/0.15lb

LEXAR PROFESSIONAL SL100 PRO PORTABLE 1TB SSD £336/$313 swains.co.uk

PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 It’s very small, very fast, rugged and ideal for editing Pros: Fast USB-C and Thunderbolt connection, portability Cons: More expensive than conventional HDDs

The only connection is a USB-C 3.1 interface, ideal for the latest PC laptops or MacBook computers with a Thunderbolt port. The claimed read speed is 950MB/s and write speed 900MB/s, which is hugely impressive even compared to rival SSDs. We tested the claims by moving 40GB of files using the supplied cable and a 3.1GHz Macbook Pro with 16GB RAM and Thunderbolt 3 ports. This offers data transfer rates of up to 40GBps, which is four times that possible with USB3.1. We also tested the drive on a Mac mini with USB2.0. Using a test app, read speed was 849MB/s and write speed 619MB/s, which are enviable results, borne out by the practical test. Writing the 40GB data from the Lexar SSD to the computer took just 46 seconds, which is an awesome 869MB/s; the return

If you want the fastest, smallest, most reliable portable hard drive for editing on the go or for downloading files to, there is nothing better than an SSD (solid state drive). Unlike a conventional HDD (hard disc drive), there are no mechanical hard drive parts spinning inside to fail, and this means that they are generally far more reliable. Affordable SSD drives haven’t been available in huge capacities until recently but this situation is changing, and the 1TB SSD from re-born brand Lexar is right at the cutting edge of this technology. It’s very compact – smaller than an average business card and only 10.8mm/0.43in wide. It comes in a robust aluminium shell with a brushed finish, and is designed to perform in harsh temperatures and to resist vibration and knocks. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to SD cards but Lexar’s latest additions, the Pro 667x SDXC UHS-I and Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II, are high performing, competitively priced, very capable SD cards and well worth adding to the shopping list. The Pro 667x SDXC is UHS-I class and Pro 1667x SDXC is UHS-II. The Pro 667x offers a read speed of up to 100MB/s and a write speed of 90MB/s, and a Video Speed Class of 30MB/s. It comes in 64GB, 128GB and 250GB capacities and these

journey took 85 seconds, which works out at a write time of 444MB/s. With the older USB 2.0 Mac we got a read time of 127 seconds, which is 314MB/s and a write time of 588 seconds – this is 68MB/s. We also tested editing 4K and 6K Raw files on a Macbook Pro, with no waiting time. The drive comes with DataVault Lite 256-bit AES encryption to protect your content from corruption, deletion or loss; it also comes in a 500GB version. AD

IMAGES These Lexar products make light work of both storage and transfer

LEXAR PRO 667X AND 1667X 128GB SDXC CARDS £39/$26 swains.co.uk

are competitively priced – the 128GB version sells for £39/$26. This card is fine for most still photographers, and with its V30 rating it’s good for 4K video shooting, too. But more suitable for 4K and higher video shooting is the £69/$45 Pro 1667x SDXC UHS-II card with its faster read performance of 250MB/s. We had no problems shooting 4K video in a Sony FS5, A9 and A7R III with either card. If you switch between high-speed stills shooting and video, go for the

faster card, as the stills buffer clears more quickly. Data of 11GB took 120 seconds to write across with the 667X card and just 48 seconds with the 1667x card, giving read speeds of 93MB/s and 229MB/s respectively, close to their quoted specification.

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WINTER 2019 PRO MOVIEMAKER

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