PhotoFast 533x Plus
I was recently contacted by the nice folks at PhotoFast and asked to try out some of their new 533x UDMA CompactFlash cards. Given so many also-rans in the CF field, could this relative newcomer really be a contender? You might be surprised.
PhotoFast’s “GMonster” series cards are divided into two speed classes: a standard 533x with claimed read/write speeds of 80/40 MB/sec, and a 533x Plus at 80/80 MB/sec.
In practice, these cards performed very well in the D300. In fact, the 533x Plus topped the 30 MB/sec barrier (31+ MB/sec, in fact) in the RAW test, and kept up the pace at an effective 6.7 fps. It also scored an “A” grade in the JPG test with a score of 96. The standard 533x card was no slouch either, earning a B+ in the JPG test with a score of 89, and a very respectable 5.5 effective fps and 24 MB/sec throughput in the RAW test.
The tested cards were most impressive in the D300
With an MSRP of just $129 for the 16GB 533x Plus card I tested, PhotoFast has priced these cards aggressively, offering the potential for savings over SanDisk’s Extreme IV cards ($145 or so after rebate).
For those into ridiculously-large cards (and admittedly, I’m not), these cards go all the way up to 64GB in the standard 533x and 32GB in the 533x Plus. They also offer a Class 10 SDHC card – joining Panasonic’s mostly vaporware card as the only current entrants in this new speed rating.
10 responses so far ↓
1 Steve // Sep 5, 2009 at 5:34 pm
Very interesting! We are approaching nirvana. These then exceed tha base frame rate of the D300 without a grip.
2 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 6, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Yes – but still no better than the original king, Sandisk Extreme IV!
3 David // Sep 14, 2009 at 3:24 pm
I am curious how you picked up my name? I have been thinking of sourcing for CF cards just recently. Did you read my mind.
Prices for 4 and 8 gm UDMA cards? Shipping cost?
4 peter // Sep 14, 2009 at 6:14 pm
“Yes – but still no better than the original king, Sandisk Extreme IV”
in what?
my tests show these much superior to the Sandisk IV in most every modern pro camera. In the 5D2 the Sandisk writes at 30mb/s these write at 45mb/s thats 50% faster!
RobGalbraith.com finds the exact same in their recent excellent test of the new UDMA cards.
these cards are top dog for speed and cost half the price of Sandisk. whats not good about that!
5 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 15, 2009 at 6:51 am
The 8GB 533x Plus card sells for $85; there is no 4GB version.
6 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 15, 2009 at 7:01 am
I make it pretty clear that I only test cards in the Nikon D300. I also measure an effective speed designed to simulate real-world shooting, rather than attempt to document a card’s maximum speed under ideal conditions. For all the value of Galbraith’s tests – and you’ll note I link to his site prominently – I have one problem with his D300 tests, and that is the fact he only tests up to the buffer capacity. I think it’s important to see how a card handles buffer overflow situations.
As for price…SanDisk’s 8GB card is $49 after rebate; the 16GB card is $144.
7 Steve // Sep 22, 2009 at 7:42 pm
You have set a high standard now. This is the first site I came to looking for a review of the new SanDisk Extreme Pro. Sounds like there may finally be a high frame rate card for RAW shooting. Can’t wait until you get a hold of one.
8 The Sports Photo Guy // Sep 25, 2009 at 11:08 am
I’ve got one of the new Extreme cards on the way, and hopefully will test the Extreme Pro soon after. I suspect we won’t see any better performance, though; I think the D300′s limitations make 30-32 MB/sec the effective maximum. These faster cards are apparently better utilized in the new Canon 5D Mk II, where Galbraith shows them reaching 45 MB/sec or so.
9 Bob Jensen // Nov 4, 2009 at 7:44 pm
I have a Canon 5D MK2 and was told that I need 40mb/s write speed (about 300X) to get smooth HD video with the camera. My agent has a 300X card and it works great. Anything less than that produces a “choppy” movie. Per various recommendations, I bought the new 32gb CF Photoflash card (533x). I just shot video with it in my 5D MK2 and the movies are extremely choppy. The movie is worse than using a Kingston 133x card! Either this card does not write at the speed advertised or something else is going on? Any ideas? Thanks.
10 The Sports Photo Guy // Nov 4, 2009 at 8:28 pm
Bob – This is such an important topic I decided to answer the question in a separate article.
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