Lexar SL500 Portable SSD Review

The Lexar SL500 Portable SSD is a high-capacity, ultra-slim storage SSD designed for professional and enthusiast photographers and videographers needing a large-capacity storage solution that’s small and portable. Its compact size makes it an ideal choice for those who want to travel light. The small form factor allows it to be easily attached to a laptop for expanded storage or directly used with cameras such as the Blackmagic 6K or iPhone 15 Pro. Additionally, it can store high-resolution mobile footage and, when connected to an iPhone 15 Pro, enables ProRes format capture.

This makes this SSD extremely versatile and perfect for photographers and videographers who require reliable and speedy storage solutions while out in the field. Its slim design and lightweight build allow it to slip into a pocket without adding noticeable weight or bulk.

This SSD connects via USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, helping to ensure the fastest connection speeds possible. While incredibly fast, it is also highly compatible with other connection types that use the USB Type-C connection, such as Thunderbolt 3 and 4 and the more common USB 3.2 Gen 2. This broad compatibility makes it suitable for various devices, including PCs, Macs, and the iPhone 15 Pro and Max. Available in multiple capacities, from 512GB to 4TB, the SL500 caters to diverse storage needs.

The Lexar SL500 features an ultra-slim aluminium unibody design, measuring 85mm x 54mm x 7.8mm, with the thinnest part at 4.8mm, making it one of the smallest SSDs of this capacity and speed on the market. Weighing in at just 43g, it is incredibly lightweight and portable, easily fitting into a pocket or bag without adding bulk. This makes it an excellent choice for professionals who need to travel light without compromising on storage capacity or speed.

The single USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C connector is a fantastic choice, ensuring rapid data transfer rates. However, to fully exploit these speeds, you need a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port. The good news is that even if your device doesn’t have this specific port, the SSD is still compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2, albeit at lower speeds. This broad compatibility makes the SL500 a versatile option for various devices, including older machines.

The drive’s design and build quality are top-notch, with a solid, minimalist aesthetic that is both stylish and durable. The slight curvature of the drive allows for a secure grip, while the rubberised design ensures it stays put on surfaces. This thoughtful design extends to its functionality; the lightweight build makes it easy to attach to the back of a monitor or camera rig with Velcro, providing plenty of versatility. Whether you’re working in the field or a studio, the Lexar SL500 is designed to withstand the rigours of professional use while maintaining a sleek and professional look.

The Lexar SL500’s ultra-slim, lightweight design ensures it is easy to carry and ideal for professionals and enthusiasts who are always on the move. The USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface offers high-speed data transfer, significantly cutting down the time needed for file transfers.

The SL500 features a metal casing that not only enhances the SSD’s durability, protecting the drive from physical damage but also helps with heat dissipation during extended use, such as when video editing. This choice of materials, coupled with the solid build, ensures that the drive remains cool and efficient, even during intensive tasks such as video editing.

The SSD includes Lexar DataShield software for password security, which adds an extra layer of protection for sensitive data. Another feature worth noting is its compatibility with the iPhone 15 Pro and Max, allowing for 4K 60FPS Apple ProRes recording.

The Lexar SL500 delivers impressive performance, with quoted read speeds up to 2000MB/s and write speeds up to 1800MB/s. This makes it an ideal choice for professionals who need fast, reliable storage for demanding tasks. In real-world use, transfer speeds typically hover around 1000MB/s with write caching enabled, which is more than sufficient for most professional tasks. This speed allows you to move large batches of files quickly and efficiently. For instance, transferring a 560GB batch of files takes about twelve minutes, all without the drive overheating.

However, after the initial test on a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 4, the drive was used on an Intel Ghost Canyon equipped with a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, and the results suddenly boosted to:

AJA Read: 1490MB/s Write: 1242MB/s
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test: 1482MB/s Write: 2271MB/s
Crystal Disk Mark: Read: 1678.83MB/s Write: 1459.59MB/s

These speeds are far closer to those quoted by Lexar and reflect that even though the Thunderbolt 4 port can handle far more data when used with the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 technology, it’s downgraded to the speeds of USB 3.2 Gen 2, so essentially from the dual lane 2000MB/s to 1000MB/s.

When it comes to video and photo editing, the SL500 excels. The small SSD maintains its high performance even under sustained loads, ensuring easy editing without dropped frames or any noticeable slowdown. This makes it reliable and a decent option as a working drive, especially for editing high-resolution videos and images when working out in the field.

A feature that is becoming increasingly common due to Apple’s acceptance of the USB Type-C universal connection is that the drive has full compatibility with the iPhone 15 Pro and Max, allowing for 4K 60FPS Apple ProRes recording. This provides high-quality video storage and editing capabilities wherever you are. However, it’s worth noting that you will need to secure the drive to the phone to ensure stable and reliable connections.

For photographers and videographers working in the field, the Lexar SL500 offers a reliable and high-capacity storage solution. Its lightweight and compact design makes it easy to carry in a camera bag or pocket, ensuring that you always have access to fast storage. Whether you are capturing high-resolution images or shooting 4K videos, the SSD provides the speed and capacity needed to handle large files. The drive’s robustness ensures that it can withstand the rigours of outdoor shoots, and its metal casing protects against physical damage.

When used as a backup solution on the move, the Lexar SL500 excels in providing fast and reliable data transfers. This is particularly useful if you need to offload files quickly to free up space on your camera.

The Lexar SL500 Portable SSD is a great choice for photographers and videographers who need a high-capacity, portable storage solution. Its slim design and lightweight build make it incredibly portable, while its performance is robust enough to handle demanding tasks. Its premium price is justified by its excellent performance, capacity options, and unique compatibility with the latest iPhone and, inevitably, future models for advanced video recording.

The Lexar SL500 is a high-performing, reliable, and versatile SSD that meets the needs of demanding photography and videography professionals and enthusiasts. Its combination of speed, capacity, and build quality makes it a great option if you’re looking for a compact, high-performance storage solution. Used for editing video and images in the field or as a fast backup solution for files, the Lexar SL500 delivers outstanding performance.