ProGrade Digital Super-Fast CFexpress Memory Cards

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The state of memory cards is evolving almost as quickly as digital cameras themselves, but I think we’ve finally hit a new standard that has some staying power. CFexpress is the fast and robust memory format that’s being employed by some of the hottest new cameras, including Canon’s EOS R5 and C300/500, Nikon’s D6, Z 6 and Z 7, and Panasonic’s S1 and S1R, among others, and is a card format that’s sure to be seen in future cameras as well. At the forefront of this new memory card format is ProGrade Digital, who has recently released an improved second generation of cards while approaching this format with a tiered response that caters to different styles of image makers.

Why CFexpress?

Before we get into ProGrade’s offerings, it’s worth having a quick refresher on why CFexpress is such an important update in the world of memory cards. The main incentive is speed. And lots of it. CFexpress cards use the PCIe NVMe, Gen 3 interface and incorporates up to two lanes of data with up to 1 GB/s theoretical transfer speeds per lane – for a maximum speed capability of 2GB/sec. This is notably faster than cards using a SATA interface, like CFast cards, and has more room to improve over the existing XQD format that already tops out at 500 MB/s transfer speeds.

In practical terms, CFexpress is catering to the contemporary crop of image makers, including those working with 4K, 6K, and even 8K video output, along with raw video recording and high bit rate recording, and even benefitting stills photographers who work with fast continuous shooting speeds and high resolutions. This card format is helping to ensure that camera performance and development aren’t hindered by just a memory card.

One other thing to be aware of with CFexpress is that it’s a new standard for memory cards, but it comprises (as of now) a couple of different form factors, with a planned third format to eventually be available. Type A is the smallest physical format, with one lane of PCIe, and most closely resembles the SD memory card you’re familiar with, and it will certainly be a well-used format in the future. Type B, with two lanes of PCIe, is currently the most popular form factor—it’s physically identical to the existing XQD cards—and is the current format ProGrade Digital is working with. Finally, there is an even larger Type C format, with four lanes of PCIe, in the works, but there are currently no cameras to support this card type.

If you want to read more about the intricacies of CFexpress in general, take a look at Shawn Steiner’s article on why this is the next serious media format.

ProGrade Digital CFexpress Memory Cards

Completely embracing this new standard, ProGrade Digital has already released a couple of distinct lines of CFexpress Type B cards to address different user types. These two grades are Gold and Cobalt. Gold cards are better suited for a wide range of general use needs, ranging from all photo applications to a majority of video recording needs. For more serious video capture, Cobalt cards have been designed with much higher sustained write speeds most applicable for emerging 4K, 6K, and 8K raw recording.

 

Card Series

Write Speed

Minimum Sustained Write Speed

Read Speed

Recommended Application

325GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Cobalt Cobalt 1500MB/s 1400MB/s 1700MB/s Up to raw 6K & 8K video, high bit-rate raw 4K video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
650GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Cobalt Cobalt 1500MB/s 1400MB/s 1700MB/s Up to raw 6K & 8K video, high bit-rate raw 4K video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
128GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold Gold 1400MB/s 140MB/s 1700MB/s Compressed 4K & Full HD Video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
256GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold Gold 1400MB/s 300MB/s 1700MB/s Compressed 4K & Full HD Video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
512GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold Gold 1500MB/s 400MB/s 1700MB/s Up to raw 4K & 6K video, compressed 4K & Full HD video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
1TB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold Gold 1500MB/s 400MB/s 1700MB/s Up to raw 4K & 6K video, compressed 4K & Full HD video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
120GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold (Gen 1) Gold (Gen 1) 600MB/s 145MB/s 1600MB/s Compressed 4K & Full HD Video, high-resolution stills burst shooting
256GB CFexpress Type B 2.0 Gold (Gen 1) Gold (Gen 1) 1000MB/s 350MB/s 1600MB/s Compressed 4K & Full HD Video, high-resolution stills burst shooting

ProGrade’s Gold line of cards are available in four capacities—128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB—and offer burst write speeds of up to 1400 MB/s for the two lower-capacity cards or 1500 MB/s for the higher-capacity cards, along with minimum sustained write speeds of up to 400 MB/s depending on capacity. All of the cards in this series have sequential read speeds of up to 1700 MB/s, which enables notably fast off-loading times for moving your photo and video files from the card to your computer.



ProGrade Digital CFexpress 2.0 Gold Memory Cards

For more data-intensive applications, namely 6K and higher video needs, there is the Cobalt series, which is available in 325GB and 650GB capacities. These cards offer a truly impressive 1400 MB/s sustained minimum write speed, which is perfect for raw 6K or 8K recording, and have the same 1700 MB/s sequential read speed of the Gold cards for quick offloading.


ProGrade Digital 325GB CFexpress 2.0 Cobalt Memory Card

It’s also worth noting that there are “1600 Gen 1” CFexpress Type B Gold cards available, too, which feature a slightly slower maximum read speed of 1600 MB/s. The 120GB card has a maximum write speed of 600 MB/s and the 256GB card can write at up to 1000 MB/s. Despite being slower than the newer “1700”-series Gold cards, these are still excellent choices for photo and 4K recording needs and are still reaping the speed benefits of CFexpress compared to previous XQD and CFast memory types.


ProGrade Digital 120GB CFexpress 2.0 Gold Memory Card

Regardless of Gold or Cobalt, ProGrade Digital’s CFexpress cards are all compliant with the CompactFlash Association 2.0 specification and have a durable metal enclosure that also helps to dissipate heat for continued high-speed operation. Thermal throttling is also a component of the card designs and helps to protect your data when working in hotter climates or recording at maximum speeds. In addition, the cards are X-ray-proof and shockproof and have an operating temperature range from 14 to 158°F.

Beyond the cards themselves, ProGrade Digital offers a pair of card readers for the CFexpress Type B format. The CFexpress Type B & UHS-II SDXC Dual Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader is, as its name would suggest, a dual-format reader featuring a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C interface that supports transfer speeds of 10 Gb/s, or 1250 MB/s. For even faster transfers, there is the CFexpress Type B & XQD Single-Slot Thunderbolt™ 3 Card Reader, which loses the dual-slot versatility but does gain backward compatibility with XQD cards. More importantly, though, this reader has a Thunderbolt™ 3 interface, which can yield up to 40 Gb/s transfer speeds, or 5000 MB/s.


ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader

What are your thoughts on CFexpress? Is it a format you’ve already adopted? Is it something you’re looking forward to using with your next camera? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section, below.

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