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Lexar, a leader in advanced digital media and accessories, today introduced professional UDMA (Ultra Direct Memory Access) memory cards, the latest addition to the company's award-winning Professional line of high-performance cards.

When paired with a UDMA-enabled device, such as Lexar's new professional FireWire 800 Reader, UDMA cards improve the professional photographer's digital imaging experience by reducing the time needed to download captured images to a destination computer. In addition, the benefits of of Lexar Professional UDMA memory cards extend well beyond card-to-computer transfer rates, to improved in-camera performance in several UDMA-enabled digital camera backs and digital SLR cameras expected to be announced later this year, Speed-rated at 300x or capable of a minimum sustained write speed of 45MB per second, and available in capacities of 2GB, 4GB and 8GB, new Lexar Professional UDMA cards deliver a 125% performance improvement over Lexar's previous generation 133x CompactFlash product line when the card is used with a UDMA-enabled device.

“Professional photographers today capture large volumes of high-resolution images,” said Steve Marriott, Head of Marketing, Lexar Europe “Our new Professional UDMA 300x speed-rated cards dramatically improve the photographer's workflow by reducing the time needed to download images after a shoot. Working in conjunction with one of our new UDMA-enabled CompactFlash card readers, a photographer instantly benefits by having more time to capture, manage and share his or her images."

"The positive impact I experienced was dramatic," said professional photographer Reed Hoffmann. "Shooting in RAW mode, I filled six Lexar Professional UDMA flash cards during a two-day shoot in Yosemite. The improvement in my working process was exceptional as I was able to spend half the usual time moving data from the cards to the computer. For me, this is particularly important when I am out in the field working from battery-powered laptops. That time saving helps conserve battery strength and enhances my ability to focus on other client projects," he added.

"UDMA technology can greatly assist professional photographers who have a serious interest in reducing administrative time and improving their digital imaging workflow," said Chris Chute, manager with IDC's digital imaging practice. "At the start of the process, improved in-camera performance will help professionals capture sought-after images much more quickly, while the faster download performance should improve the time needed to manage captured content."

Like all products in the Lexar Professional line, the new 300x speed-rated cards come with limited lifetime warranty, free dedicated technical support, and a comprehensive suite of software that includes a full version of Corel Paint Shop Pro X, Lexar Image Rescue 3 and Lexar Backup n Sync.

Lexar Professional 300x speed-rated flash memory cards will be available in April.