Sony's proprietary memory card system for 4K/8K RAW recording in professional cameras like the F55 and F65.
Technical Details
AXS cards are based on SSD technology with a proprietary 68-pin connector. The cards measure 129 × 106 × 17 mm and weigh approximately 250 grams. Sony produced three main variants: AXS-A512S24 (512 GB), AXS-A1TS24 (1 TB), and the later introduced AXS-A2TS24 (2 TB). The AXS-R7 External Recorder can write to two cards in parallel, achieving combined data rates of up to 4.8 GB/s. The cards operate within a temperature range of -10°C to +65°C and can withstand drops from a height of 1.5 meters.
History & Development
Sony introduced the AXS system in February 2013 along with the F65 CineAlta to handle the enormous data stream of uncompressed 4K RAW footage. In 2014, the external AXS-R5 recorder followed, and in 2016, the more compact AXS-R7. Starting in 2017, Sony expanded compatibility to the FX9 and other professional cameras. The system reached its peak around 2018 but was increasingly replaced by CFexpress Type B and internal NVMe storage from 2020 onwards.
Practical Use in Film
Productions such as "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" used Sony F65 cameras with AXS storage for 4K RAW recording. The typical workflow involves recording to AXS cards, transferring via the AXS-CR1 Card Reader (Thunderbolt 3, up to 10 Gb/s), and archiving to LTO tapes. For 4K RAW 16-bit, approximately 7.5 GB of footage is generated per minute. Advantage: Lossless recording without compression. Disadvantage: High acquisition costs of over 3,000 Euros per 1TB card and a proprietary format without third-party support.
Comparison & Alternatives
AXS primarily competed with RED Mini-Mags and Codex memory cards. While RED focused on compression, Sony offered true RAW without quality loss. Modern CFexpress Type B cards achieve similar speeds (up to 1.7 GB/s) at significantly lower costs and with open standards. Sony itself migrated newer cameras like the FX6 and FX3 to CFexpress. AXS remains relevant for existing F65/F55 installations and archive projects but is considered a phasing-out technology.