This used to be more important when memory cards were generally much slower, but these days while you’ll still come across it on some modern cards, it’s largely unhelpful. Especially if you are bracketing, shooting action or events, or creating panoramas, which all require a large number of image files.

CFExpress Type A vs B - Which is best? - Silent Peak Photo CFExpress Type A vs B - Which is best? - Silent Peak Photo

CompactFlash (or simply “CF”) is one of the oldest and most popularly used memory cards of all time. We’ve written at length about this in the past for those curious about why SD Express is never going to be a thing.

These are denoted by either the number 1 or the number 3 within the letter “U” — usually found somewhere near the Speed Class. The Angelbird AV PRO SX 160GB is a top-notch CFexpress Type B card for capturing remarkable 8K+ raw images without a hitch. Although the Sony A7S III has two SD-type card slots which are compatible with UHS-II media, the slots can also accept CFexpress Type A cards.

The Best CFexpress Memory Cards in 2023 | PetaPixel

The decision allowed Nikon to save some face by creating firmware that allowed their XQD cameras to work with much faster and cheaper CFexpress cards. Like the memory card version of the battle between VHS and Beta-Max, this is the format to focus on when thinking about the future. With the release of the Nikon D5 and D500 in 2016, Nikon pivoted to XQD (with later firmware updates for CFexpress compatibility), while Canon similarly adopted CFexpress Type B with its 1DX Mark III. It should also be noted that SD and CF cards are not actually what many would label as truly comparable to XQD. We then filled the cards at more than three-quarters of each of their capacities and tested the speed again to make sure that adding data to the cards does not affect performance.

Not to say that there won’t ever be an XQD card that will fail for one reason or another, but the risk of failure is very low. What's more, with capacities ranging from 128GB right up to a humongous 2TB, there's sure to be a Delkin Power CFexpress card to suit your storage needs and budget. Even if it remains solely Nikon professional cameras and Sony video using XQD, that still means that the format will survive and flourish. Yes, it may offer the lowest performance of the lot, but these cards can fit into a combi slot that will also take SD cards.

How-To Geek The Best CFexpress Cards of 2023 - How-To Geek

Prominent manufacturers of SD cards have also had twenty years to refine the efficiency of their production line and raw material acquisition.

Current cinema cameras like the RED Raptor can shoot 8k RAW video at up to 120fps onto CFexpress Type B cards, so it’s going to take a further leap in camera technology to create a future need for Type C cards. So don’t waste your money on CFexpress Type B cards that are too fast for your regular shooting needs! This large capacity also makes it a great option for longer shoots or when traveling to remote locations where access to additional memory cards may be limited. Maybe, but for now, things are looking quite thrilling for professional and other serious photographers.

A Complete Guide to Memory Cards | PetaPixel

Some will have hoped for yet more from Sony’s resolution specialist, but 61MP is arguably enough – especially with Sony’s improved 240MP Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode. Speed Class has been effectively replaced by either UHS Speed Class or Video Speed Class, and either is going to be better to determine the capability of a card. Integral CFexpress cards are among the cheapest around, but make no ruggedisation claims, and only appear to cite burst speed figures. VPG stands for Video Performance Guarantee and was first created in 2011 by the Compact Flash Association (CFA) with Profile 1. Especially when you might have noticed that a CFexpress card seems to cost a bit more than a regular SD memory card.It’s not taking top honors anywhere else, but its performance is good enough that photographers and filmmakers will unlikely notice when out in the field.