Sandisk

SanDisk has just broken a new record with the largest-capacity SD card ever unveiled.

Revealed on Thursday at the International Broadcasting Convention in Amsterdam, the new SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I memory card offers a hefty 512 gigabytes of storage space. This far surpasses the capacity of the current crop of cards on the market, which generally range from 8GB to 128GB, though there are some 256GB SD cards available. The new SanDisk card is also fast, offering write speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second.

That all sounds cool, but note that this card is not geared for the average buyer. Instead, it's aimed specifically at industry professionals who work in the fields of high-speed photography and ultra-high definition video.

As SanDisk phrases it: "The new offering is designed to meet the demands of industry professionals who require the most advanced gear available for shooting 4K Ultra High Definition (3,840x2,160p) video, Full HD video (1,920x1,080) and high-speed burst mode photography."

As such, the card can deliver a high enough recording speed, designated as UHS Speed Class 3, to ensure high resolution, real-world color reproduction, and stutter-free 4K ultra HD video. SanDisk also promises transfer speeds as high as 95 megabytes per second to quickly move the data off the card to the computer for post-production work.

SanDisk said it tested the new card to make sure it could survive harsh conditions, meaning it's temperature proof, water proof, shock proof and x-ray proof. Users can also download the RescuePRO Deluxe data recovery software to recover any images accidentally deleted.

At least one professional seems sold on the new card, according to a testimonial offered by SanDisk.

"The new 512GB SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I card offers incredible speed and capacity," Grant Petty, CEO of video post-production house Blackmagic Design, said in a statement. "Our Pocket Cinema Camera customers shoot in every type of circumstance and location, and get amazing wide dynamic range RAW images capturing the brightest highlights and darkest shadows at the same time. The additional capacity of the SanDisk Extreme PRO UHS-I card will extend the creative freedom for our customers shooting in RAW and open up the ability to use wide dynamic range RAW files with even more productions."

Okay, and what will you pay for 512GB of SD storage? The new card retails for a hefty $800.

Yes, that sounds quite pricey for the average person. But professional videographers and photographers may be less likely to balk at the price tag. Professionals as well as average consumers who don't need as much storage space and want to save money can instead opt for other SanDisk SD cards ranging in capacity from 8GB to 256GB.

A SanDisk spokeswoman told CNET that the card would start shipping in October. Eager buyers can preorder the card for $729 through Adorama , which listed an availability date of late September, or B&H Photo, which said the card would be available on October 15.