Lexar 16GB drive sales must be up

GuyB

GuyB

Well-known member
I had one in my shopping cart at B&H for future purchase when I get 1.11 (or decide to install it myself) but today when I logged on I was informed it is now out of stock.

To me it is pretty clear that it is the EX1 1.11 firmware (possibly EX3 as well) that has started a bit of a buy up of these cards.

You can only hope and prey that Lexar get the message and update their SSD with enough performance to write reliably in HQ mode (and give them the performance they claim they have to start with). If they do that the only thing they can't do is cranking. We all have some real SxS for that when needed. Lexar will sell lots of media with 1.11, but with HQ support they would sell much more. I'll buy one for now but I prefer to shoot in HQ. I'd would buy at least 3-4 if it was able to sustain HQ..
 
Guy B, Are you saying that the lexar express memory will work in the Ex-1 with the 1.11 upgrade? Let me know! Carl
 
Yes Carl, it does now work with a number of provisions:

1: Only works with SP mode.

2: Recording in any HQ mode will result in a media error at any time (I had one after 1 min, then after 20min in a test)

3: You are going to have to handle a number of restore media issues.

4: It can auto switch slows but see 3 above.

The cards are recognised as a valid recording media. I left my EX1 recording in SP for a whole 16GB card. No apparent problems. It then switched to another Lexar 16GB card without any apparent problems.

But when I put the first card in the laptop, Clip Browser said there was a problem and to put the card back in the camera to recover. I put it in, it automatically offered to recover and a few seconds later all was ok. I put the card in the laptop again and it worked just like SxS...

I have a feeling that I probably lost a few frames at the switch point which is not great. I havn't confirmed this but what probably happened was the file wasn't closed off properly for some reason and the recovery goes back to the last valid frame it can find (maybe a I frame) and closes the file there. So at the moment without further testing I would not trust it for seemless switching.

I have had a one time trying to format the card it wouldn't (again, card needed to be restored). Ejecting and re-inserting got over this.

So while things are not perfect, as an emergency media, or working in a situation where you can handel such events I think the Lexar will be just fine.

Cheers

Guy

PS: I tried a 16GB SDHC card in a SanDisk Express Card media reader. no good, like other brands have reported, you just get a 'bad media' or 'unrecognised media' or something.
 
Thanks for the come-back, GuyB: great to have threads like this! Anyway, I have some information for you and for those media vultures listing in! I have been testing express card media since I received my EX-1. The Lexar express media is lighning fast but is no match for the Sony SxS. I have also tried some cheap 16gig express cards ($100.00) and find thay are 1/4th the speed of Lexar memory. Actually they have taken class ll memory and shuved them into a express card case; these are the ones that have the extra side connection for a USB cable to be attached. To go back to the Sony SxS cards, they are the top technology available in memory allocation, but I now think that they may be slightly overpriced. A 16Gig. (even with the inconvent problems) is 1/4 the price of SxS, and for those people that still use HDV, this is the way to go (sorry, Basspig!) Now for the supprise (I hope); It's a very long long shot, but you may not have had a fast enough SD card in that adaptor to have the camera recognize it! Patriot has a 8Gig class 6 memory chip that rivels the lexar express card speed. Fry's electronics had them on sale last month for only $29.99 (normally $39.99 or in a twin pack, 16Gig for $64.99.) Since I still have not completed my korean speed reading course, I have not been able to up-grade my EX-1 to ver. 1.11 as to date adn can't try it. I may be a long shot, but wouldn't it be nice to have 16Gig that works for under $70.00? If not, the patriot HDSC class 6 works fast enough to run about 1/2 hr HQ video in my Sony laptop on playback, and is 1/4 the price of the Lexar. Fry's also has a liberal return policy. This memory is also great for passing around for demonstration, but you must use the express slot with the adaptor. So, if you have the time to try this memory in your adaptor card, in your camera, let me know how it works. Best regards, Carl Marxx......
 
Last edited:
Hi Carl,
I don't think it was the speed of the SD card that was the problem. In my benchmark of the 4 cards I have I got:

Sequential Read
SxS 29.8
Lexar 15.6
CF UDMA 300x 14.1
SDHC 9.4

Sequential Write
SxS 4.55
Lexar 3.05
CF UDMA 300x 12.3
SDHC 7.1

The SxS & Lexar were connected via Express Card port, CF via a Lexar UDMA USB reader) and the Sandisk Ultra II (claimed class 4 15MBps) via the laptop SD card reader built in.

So you can see the write speed of the SDHC card was actually much faster than even the SxS media.

I think problem is that the Express Card SD adaptor presents the SD card to the interface rather than just appearing as a USB SSD like the Lexar does (even though both devices present two devices to the OS they are different).

The Lexar presents a
USB Mass Storage Device & Lexar ExpressCard USB Device

The Sandisk Express Card SD reader presents
USB Mass Storage Device & SanDisk SD ExpCard Adpt USB Device.

If someone made a reader than hid the fact the memory was SD from the interface and it just made the reader appear as the Lexar does then using the likes of SD cards could work in theory.

I have tried to start a dialogue with Lexar but they arn't exactly quick to respond, I am sure they get too many such enquiries to pay them much attention...
 
GuyB said:
PS: I tried a 16GB SDHC card in a SanDisk Express Card media reader. no good, like other brands have reported, you just get a 'bad media' or 'unrecognised media' or something.
Click to expand...

Maybe the reader was the problem?

Alister has been using an express card reader with 8GB Class 6 SD cards and reports no problems even using HQ modes.
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/931586-post13.html


Was your 16GB SD card you tried class 6?

Hmmm...
Things are getting interesting now.
 
Oh I am sure the reader was the problem. So far we have had 'failed' reports from the Lexar and the SanDisk readers but this is a first for the Kensington and it looks good. The card sticks out a bit from the SanDisk too so that is no different anyway.

I was really hoping for the SanDisk to work as it then would have given hope to the SanDisk FlashBack which appears to be the same thing but the card goes completely flush to the Express Card.

Given that can take a range of media, it will be interesting to see what media does and doesn't work with it (if Alister tries other media).
 
I just happened to decide to backup my mail pst files tonight (its like 2am here) so I am writing them to the SD card I used in the test. This card is meant to be only Class4 which according to wikipedia only supports 4MBps write. Class 6 claims 6MBps. This card has written on it and claims in specs to support writing/reading 15MBps, I am getting 11.6MBps (sustained over a few GB so far).

So I am not sure what the deal is with being Class 4 even with this performance level...

I have ordered one of the same Kengsinton card readers as Alister has but it said 1-2 weeks for delivery so it will be a while before I get it to test. If it works as well and reliably as SxS in camera, my next test would be possibly of one of SanDisks 32GB versions of this card (Ulltra II)...
 
I'll join in on the testing.
I have a AFT PROExpress-7 ExpressCard Reader arriving Friday:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16839176001

I will try a 8MB class 6 SD card for $25. If that works, I'll buy a 16GB class card for $50.

If all is well -- Just imagine for $80 (SD card and reader) 16GB !!!!!!!!!


If the AFT card does not work, I'll order the Kensington 7 in 1 Media Reader that we know works, well at least with 8GB class 6 cards. I imagine it will also work with 16GB class 6 cards.

If this works, Sony will have to drop their 16GB $900 cards to $200, before I'll even considering buying anymore. At this point, these cards will only be better since they can fit in the EX1 and have the sliding memory cover close.

Having said that, with the convience of SD cards (especially 32GB coming down), I like the thought of SD cards! I've already seen a class 6 32 GB card at $400!

I imagine it won't be long before someone offers a reader where the SD card does not stick out of it that will also work with the EX1/EX3.
 
Last edited:
GuyB,
I hear you regarding your data rates...
But, have you tried a cheap class 6 SD card in your current expresscard reader?
Maybe it was the SD card, not the reader...

Also, you probably already know this, but the class designation is a minimum sustained data rate.
If I get my reader and a class 6 card to work, I'm going to experiment with cheap 1GB class 4 cards and find out what works, and what does not.
 
Awesome. And from the reviews on that card it sounds like it might actually fit all the way into the camera and let the door slide shut. Now that would be a win-win.
 
Stevet said:
GuyB,
I hear you regarding your data rates...
But, have you tried a cheap class 6 SD card in your current expresscard reader?
Maybe it was the SD card, not the reader...

Also, you probably already know this, but the class designation is a minimum sustained data rate.
If I get my reader and a class 6 card to work, I'm going to experiment with cheap 1GB class 4 cards and find out what works, and what does not.
Click to expand...

I'll wait until my Kengsington arrives and test then. If the Ultra II doesn't work then I will get a Class 6 card and test it in both.

We'll work this out yet...
 
Yes..
This is the update. Just follow the procedure which has you install v1.10 first, then install 1.11

Also, bear in mind, you do this procedure at your own risk. Although, I've heard many say it went easy without and problems.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top