Buyers’ guide: The first rule of byte club
Posted on Jan 20, 2026 by Pro Moviemaker
Ignore that! It’s time to talk about storage – because choosing the right drives and cards means you’ll always win the fight
Words Adam Duckworth
Filmmaking isn’t just about capturing images and audio, it’s also about protecting them. As resolutions climb and codecs evolve, storage has become even more critical to a speedy and safe workflow. From high-speed CFexpress cards to rugged SSDs and dependable desktop drives, choosing the right storage can be the difference between a smooth movie and a catastrophic data loss. But with so many formats, read/write speeds and durability claims to wade through, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
This buyers’ guide cuts through the confusion to help you make smart, reliable decisions about storage. Whether you’re backing up a feature in the field, wrangling cards on a commercial or building a long-term archive, we explain what matters – speed, endurance, redundancy and real-world reliability.
Angelbird AV Pro SE CFexpress card
£369/$350 1TB
The Angelbird AV Pro CFexpress Type B SE 1TB MK2 delivers the next level of CFexpress v4 Type B performance. With sustained write speeds up to 2100MB/s and read speeds up to 3500MB/s, it’s built to handle 12K+ Raw recording, high-speed bursts and data-intensive codecs without any dropped frames or slowdown. Angelbird’s Stable Stream technology guarantees consistent throughput across the entire card, while advanced thermal management prevents overheating during extended takes – an essential feature for modern cinema workflows.
Host Power Loss Protection guards footage during unexpected shutdowns, and a low power draw helps maximise camera battery life on long shooting days. The card is engineered for demanding environments, resisting temperature extremes, moisture, dust, shock, X-rays and magnetic fields, making it a dependable companion.
Lexar Go SL400 SSD with hub
£259/$230 2TB
More than $1 million was raised to fund Lexar Professional’s Go Portable SL400 SSD, with its matching hub providing extra storage for a smartphone, tablet or computer. It also enables video capture directly from a mobile phone, including Apple ProRes video at 4K/60p with an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or later.
The thumb-sized SSD is available in up to 2TB and offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 performance of 1050MB/s read, 1000MB/s write and has an IP65 rating for dust- and water-resistance.
The matching Lexar SSD hub has four USB Type C ports to connect lights, a microphone, a power supply and more. The Lexar Professional Go Portable Hub supports transfer speeds up to 10Gbps for maximum efficiency.
Lexar CFexpress 4.0 cards
£TBD/$620 2TB Gold Type A
Lexar has gone speed crazy with new CFexpress 4.0 cards that come in Type A to suit Sony and the more universal Type B fit. They offer twice the speed of CFexpress 2.0. The flagship Diamond series has read speeds of up to 3700MB/s and write speeds of up to 3400MB/s so is ideal for 8K Raw video. Sustained write speeds are up to 3200MB/s.
The Type B Gold cards can read at 3600MB/s and write at 3300MB/s respectively, with capacities of up to 4TB. The Silver series provides support for 8K Raw video recording and manages sustained write speeds of 2600MB/s.
All cards offer protection against extreme temperatures, dust and drops. Prices vary by type, speed and capacity.
Lexar’s Professional Workflow six-bay docking station accepts portable SSDs that allow simultaneous backup to multiple drives, and a range of card readers to offload footage.
Delkin Devices Black CFexpress Type A card
£399/$410 for 960GB
Delkin Devices’ Black CFexpress Type A cards are built for high-end workflows and are ideal for the fastest Sony Alpha and Cinema Line cameras. They offer PCIe 3.0 performance with speeds up to 1830MB/s read and 1740MB/s write. With a VPG200 rating, they deliver stable, drop-free recording for 8, 6 and 4K Raw at high frame rates and bit rates. Each card is tested for compatibility with Sony’s latest cameras, including the original A1 and FX series. Serialised data protection and Delkin’s 48-Hour Replacement Guarantee make it one the most dependable Type A media options.
Lacie Rugged SSD Pro5
£799/$549 for 4TB
If you want a superfast, rugged drive then meet the Lacie Rugged SSD Pro5. With Thunderbolt 5 speeds hitting 6700 MB/s, this palm-sized powerhouse can chew through 8K video edits or store thousands of Raw files. It’s also IP68 rated so it shrugs off dust, drops and downpours. It comes in sizes up to 4TB and has Rescue Data Recovery Services Toolkit software as well as a month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud.
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PNY microSD Express cards
£86/$120 for 512GB
PNY’s microSD Express cards are capable of performance up to 4.4x faster than standard UHS-I media. Thanks to next-generation PCIe Gen3x1 microSD technology, the cards achieve read speeds of up to 890MB/s and write speeds up to 810MB/s. They are ideal for action cameras or mini gimbal cams.
Available in capacities up to 512GB, the range maintains full backwards compatibility with UHS-I and UHS-II host devices, operating at their respective speeds when used in older hardware.
To guarantee reliability, PNY has engineered advanced thermal management into the cards’ design. Enhanced heat-dissipation structures, onboard thermal monitoring and adaptive performance control all work in tandem to maintain safe operating temperatures and consistent speed during demanding shoots.
PNY Duo Link V3 Type-C
£180/$175 for 2TB
Do you struggle to get your photos and videos onto your computer? Try PNY’s latest dual-interface flash drive as it’s fast and cross-device compatible.
The all-metal Duo Link V3 Type-C OTG USB 3.2 Gen 2 Flash Drive has transfer speeds of up to 1000MB/s read and 800MB/s write. It features dual USB-C and USB-A connectors for transfers between mobile devices and laptops or desktops.
Available in 256GB for £38 up to £180 for 2TB, it’s compatible with Windows, MacOS, Android and Linux systems. We tried it on an iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18.7.1 which recognised it as ‘DuoLink32’ in the Files folder. Just access your photo library on the phone, select what you want to transfer and export them to the Duo Link.
Sandisk Extreme Pro USB-C flash drive
£198/$190 for 2TB
Designed for those who rely on USB-C across their devices, the Sandisk Extreme Pro plug-in flash drive offers high-speed, high-capacity storage in an ultra-portable form. With compatibility across USB-C laptops, tablets, smartphones and compatible cameras, this makes sharing, offloading and collaborating far easier on fast-moving productions.
Capacity options reach up to 2TB, giving plenty of room for large files, high-resolution stills and heavy video assets. Performance is equally good, with read speeds up to 1000MB/s and write speeds up to 900MB/s, ensuring rapid transfers whether you’re backing up on location or moving media between devices. It’s a powerful tool for filmmakers who need reliable, on-the-go storage.
Sony CFexpress Type A cards
£1019/$950 for 1920GB
Sony has added to its professional media range with CFexpress Type A cards designed for the demands of modern Cinema Line and Alpha shooters. The 1920GB and 960GB models are built to keep pace with increasingly data-hungry workflows.
Supporting the latest CFexpress 4.0 specification, the cards offer read speeds of up to 1800MB/s, more than double those of the previous generation, enabling faster offloads and efficient turnarounds in post. Both capacities carry VPG400 certification, ensuring a sustained minimum write speed of 400MB/s. That means uninterrupted capture of long-form 4K footage, high-resolution Raw stills and continuous high-speed bursts, without the risk of dropped frames.
Samsung Portable SSD T9
£360/$330 for 4TB
Samsung’s 4TB Portable SSD T9 delivers sequential read and write speeds of up to 2000MB/s. Thanks to an expanded Turbowrite buffer, the drive also maintains sustained write speeds up to 1000MB/s, making it ideal for high-resolution workflows and large, continuous transfers. The addition of a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface provides up to 20Gbps throughput when paired with a certified host device.
The T9 has curved diagonal lines and carbon-style textures, giving the rubber exterior a soft, fabric-like grip. Samsung has engineered the drive for real-world reliability, verifying durability through drop, load and tumbler testing. It avoids thermal throttling, ensuring consistent performance.
Sandisk Pro-Cinema CFexpress Type B cards
£307/$150 for 320GB
When you’re shooting serious cinema in 8K Raw or high-bit-rate 4K, your memory card is mission-critical. Sandisk’s Pro-Cinema CFexpress Type B range is built specifically for that pressure, which is why working filmmakers voted the 320GB model memory card of the year in the 2025 Gear of the Year Awards.
Delivering sustained write speeds of 1400MB/s and bursts up to 1500MB/s, the card handles demanding codecs, long takes and high-frame-rate stills without choking or dropping frames.
The 320GB capacity hits the sweet spot for workflows, while its rugged construction – drop resistance, pressure resistance and an operating range from -10°C to +70°C – means it handles tough environments. They are certified for leading cinema and stills cameras.
Western Digital G-RAID Mirror 48TB
£2140/$1999 for 48TB
Western Digital’s G-RAID Mirror drive is made in the same stylish, stackable design with a hardcore aluminium chassis as the G-Drive. But instead of having a single 24TB 7200rpm Ultrastar Enterprise Class HDD inside, it has a pair. These come pre-formatted in RAID 1.
The connection has not only been upgraded to 40Gbps Thunderbolt, but there are two of them so you can daisy chain.
There’s a slot in the front that accepts one of the Sandisk Pro-Blade SSD Mags, which can add up to 4TB of superfast space, although the connection speed is only 10Gbps. But it’s ideal for moving big files around or even leaving it in the G-RAID for extra storage that’s independent of the HDDs inside. You could even use it as a fast drive to edit 4K or 8K video from.
This article was first published in the January/February 2026 issue of Pro Moviemaker
