Digital storage media such as CF cards, SSDs, or hard drives used to record camera data — determines recording quality and duration.
Technical Details
Modern film productions primarily use CFast 2.0 and CFexpress Type B cards with write speeds of 150-1700 MB/s. RAW recordings in 6K require at least 400 MB/s sustained write speed, while 4K ProRes 422 can manage with 220 MB/s. SSD-based recorders like the Atomos Ninja V work with 2.5" SATA III SSDs and achieve 550 MB/s. P2 cards (64-128 GB) use MLC NAND flash memory with AVC-Intra codecs. Analog 35mm film rolls hold 300-400 meters of material, corresponding to 11-15 minutes of runtime at 24fps.
History & Development
In 1888, Eastman Kodak introduced the first flexible celluloid film. In 2003, Panasonic developed P2 technology as the first professional solid-state recorder. In 2007, RED revolutionized digital cinematography with proprietary RED MAG SSDs. Sony established SxS cards for XDCAM cameras in 2009. In 2016, the CFexpress specification brought PCIe 3.0-based speeds to consumer cameras. Today, NVMe-based modules dominate with up to 4000 MB/s read speed.
Practical Use in Film
"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) used over 480 hours of footage on RED MAG media, recorded in 6K RAW. Netflix productions rely on 256GB CFexpress Type B for 4K ProRes 4444 recordings. Documentary filmmakers prefer SD cards for cost-effectiveness – 128GB Class 10 UHS-I is sufficient for Full HD footage. Live TV productions utilize P2 workflows with direct transmission via Ethernet. The backup standard requires dual recording to separate media.
Comparison & Alternatives
Film still offers the highest resolution (estimated 12K equivalent) but requires chemical processing. Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) replace physical film prints with hard drive delivery. Cloud recording via 5G eliminates local storage limits but requires 50+ Mbps upload. CFexpress Type A (Sony) competes with CFexpress Type B (Canon) for market share. SSD recorders excel for longer takes, while memory cards are advantageous for quick media changes and multicam setups.