Sony Debuts 8GB Compact Vault Drive

Adding to its removable hard disk drive lineup for the digital photography market, Sony Electronics today unveiled the Compact Vault(TM) 8GB drive. The new drive is compatible with Compact Flash type II slots, and provides a significant increase in data storage over the current 5GB version.

An ideal companion to high-end digital cameras, the new drive’s 8GB capacity holds up to 2,560 JPEG images (at 3MB each) or 320 minutes of MPEG4 video, and has transfer speeds of up to 12MB per second.

Measuring just over 1 1/2 inches wide and less than 1 1/2 inches high, the hard disk drive is designed for photo enthusiasts and so-called prosumers.

“The 8GB Compact Vault adds to our growing lineup of professional-based digital media for photographers on all experience levels,” said Michael Lucas, director of marketing for Sony Electronics’ Media and Application Solutions Division. “The drive is very competitive in today’s price-conscious, quality-driven market.”

The 8GB Compact Vault will be available in June with a suggested retail price of $259.99.