Lexar 800x 512GB Professional CompactFlash Card Review

In storage tech, there exists a golden triangle that consists of performance, capacity and value; this is no different for camera storage.  In our last CompactFlash Card report, we awarded our Editor’s Choice to the Lexar Professional 1066x 128GB CF Card for its mind-boggling performance that blew away every storage card we have ever tested.  That card, as well, came at a great price. 

Today, we have in our hot little hands the highest capacity CF card in the industry, the Lexar 800x 512GB CF Card, a monster in its own right.  A little less performing than the 1066x and a tad more expensive but this CompactFlash card will ensure you never run short of shooting (or video) space. 

The Lexar 800x 512GB  CompactFlash Card is a UDMA7 (Ultra Direct Access Mode) card, which means that it’s performance lies somewhere between the previous UDMA 6 at 133MB/s and the max 167MB/s. A bit unusual is that the card is advertised at 120MB/s read and 75MB/s write so we we will have to keep an eye on just how fast it is to determine whether, it should in fact be UDMA 6. UDMA7 is a must have for 4K video.

This card is also listed at VPG-20 (Video Performance Guarantee) which means it is guaranteed to stream video at a minimum speed of 20MB/s.  It includes a paper with a serial number and download address for Image Rescue Software  and it includes Lexar’s exclusive lifetime guarantee.  The Lexar 800x 512GB CompactFlash Card can be found  at Amazon for $432 which might seem a bit pricey, but let’s face it, this card is for the camera and video professional who cannot afford to chance a full card and lost media.

For file transfer speeds from the CF Card to your PC, you will need the right equipment as well, the Lexar Professional Dual Slot USB 3.0 Card Reader in use today and it can also be found  for just over $30.  This reader accommodates CF and SD cards and is of an amazing build quality.

Let’s flip to the next page to see how the Lexar 800x 512GB Performs in both software and true field testing.