Yeah, we know, it's kind of hard to get excited about memory cards. For one, despite all the PR talk about the incredibly fast read and write speeds of the latest cards, we know as well as you do that attaining those speeds is more contingent on your camera and your card reader than on the actual memory chip itself.

So while the headlines about SanDisk's new Extreme Pro line of CompactFlash cards tout their Read/Write speeds of up to 90 mb per second, you'll really only see a benefit if you're shooting big bursts of RAW + JPEG files in a UDMA 6 compatible camera. For instance, with the 37.5MP Leica S2— which is UDMA 6 friendly—it might make a difference of a half frame or so more per second, though for an older camera like the Canon 1Ds Mark III, it may not.

Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't take a particularly fast card to handle shooting HD video with your digital SLR, just one with a large enough capacity to provide room for those huge high def clips.

Another thing we look for when shopping for memory cards is durability and reliability. With the SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB CF card, you can just about have it all.

The high speed is a result of a new controller in the card—SanDisk calls it the Power Core Controller—which uses a dual-lane info pipeline and new software algorithms to ramp up speed. On a recent assignment, we shot bursts of RAW + JPEG images with a Canon 5D Mark II and never tripped up the card—nor maxed out the camera buffer, for that matter—while getting plenty of room for our HD video clips.

More importantly, at least for us, is the card's RTV silicone coating to protect it against moisture and humidity. The Extreme Pro can also be used in temperatures from minus 13 degrees F, or up to 185 degrees F. The new Power Core Controller also has a simplified design with an integrated circuit and less components which makes it more durable.

So along with helping you shoot a bit faster, the 64 gb Extreme Pro lets you shoot longer with less card errors and more capacity for all your photos and movies. Though the initial price for the 64 gb card is not cheap, expect it to come down.

Cost: $700 Further information: www.sandisk.com