­Lexar’s Tough And Fast New Armor Gold Memory Cards Are Encased In Stainless Steel

The new Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II memory cards from Lexar are housed in tough stainless steel and offer super-fast read and write speeds up to 280/205MB/s.

LEXAR

Memory cards and data storage aren’t the kind of things that many people give much thought to. Let’s face it, they either work or they don’t. Surely, it’s a good idea to buy a reasonably priced card and simply use it until it fails.

Well, that’s one approach, but imagine you have a couple of hours’ worth of unique video captured over many weeks and then your memory card fails or is physically damaged. The cost could be incalculable. If something like that as ever happened to you, then you’ll know that playing fast and loose with storage is a game of Russian Roulette that you will ultimately lose.

Clad In Stainless Steel

Lexar recently addressed the problem of data integrity by announcing the launch of a range of high-speed and premium SD memory cards that are made with a stainless-steel casing to stand up to the punishment and rigors of shooting on location. The Lexar Armor Gold is part of the brand’s high-performance range of cards and slots neatly between the Lexar 2000x and 1800x.

The Lexar Armor Gold UHS-II U3 SDXC memory cards have read and write speeds of up to 280MB/s and 205MB/s, they are available in capacities ranging from 256GB to 1TB. The cards are suitable for V60, 4K and 6K video, although if you’re thinking of shooting in 8K, you may need to consider Lexar’s 2000x UHS-II U3 SD cards, which have read/write speeds up to 300/260MB/s and come in capacities of 64GB, 128GB and 256GB.

Fast Enough For Hi-Res Video

With write speeds up to 205MB/s, the Armor Gold cards are fast enough to capture hi-res 4K video without dropping a frame. The cards’ robust stainless-steel construction can withstand extreme handling like drops, foul weather and almost any other element that happens to come along.

Lexar has designed its new Amor Gold range at professional photographers and videographers who operate in high-speed and high mobility shooting scenarios such as sports, nature and commercial photography as well as event shooting and on outdoor locations. The main USP of the cards is their high performance, data security and physical reliability.

Lexar claims the Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II are the world’s first memory cards to be clad in stainless steel for a high level of physical protection. With a pressure resistance of up to 370 Newtons—which is around 37 times higher than standard memory cards—the cards should survive heavy impacts while also better dissipating thermal buildup during extended shooting sessions.

With an IP68 rating, the Lexar Armor Gold SDXC cards are also resistant to dust, debris and water damage. Each cards is certified to be able to withstand drops of up to five meters and because the cards don’t have a fragile write-protect switch and feature a ribless design, they are likely to withstand plenty of physical punishment. Instead of printed information about the card’s capacity etc., Lexar has used laser engraving, which should ensure information never wears off.

Classified with a V60 video recording speed, the Armor Gold cards can record up to 4K at 60P and 6K at 30P with a write speed of 205MB/s for less lag and without frame drops. Meanwhile, a read speed up to 280MB/s ensures quick and reliable transfer of photos and videos making for faster offloading into the editing workflow.

The price of the new cards also includes lifetime access to Lexar’s Recovery Tool software, which can help restore files that are accidentally deleted or if a card is formatted while it still has data on it. The cards also have a limited lifetime warranty.

Pricing and Availability:

The Lexar Armor Gold UHS-II U3 SDXC memory cards are available in 128GB and 256GB capacities, with 512GB with a 1TB versions available in late September. The cards can be bought from Amazon and other specialist retailers with priced starting at $79 / £74.99 for 128GB card and $121.52 / £109 for the 256GB version. Pricing for the 512GB and 1TB cards to be confirmed.

Tech Specs:

• Material: Stainless steel.
• Capacity: 128GB to 1TB.
• Performance: 128GB: up to 280MB/s read, 210MB/s write, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB: up to 280MB/s read, up to 205MB/s write.
• Form factor: UHS-II.
• Video speed class: V60.
• Operating temperature: -25°C to 85°C (-13°F to 185°F).
• Storage temperature: -40°C to 85°C (-40°F to 185°F).
• Dimensions (W x L x H): 32 x 24 x 2.1mm.
• Weight 5.6g.
• Warranty: Limited lifetime.