CF express card reader

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sh1209

sh1209

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I’ve noticed since starting using CF express type A and type B cards that importing photos is super slow compared to using xqd. I’m using separate readers for the cards and using the Sony card reader for the type A. Also it doesn’t automatically go to import screen like Sd or xqd cards. I have to manually go to
Import. I’m using a 2021 27” iMac with 64GB of ram. I’ve looked at everything I can think of but this makes no sense.
 
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Hut2 said:
I haven't noticed any speed issues, it's possible though. I am now using "photo mechanic plus" to review/cull images. Seems to be alright but I keep meaning to download and test the other one that Mark Smith uses.
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It’s drastically slower than using a cheap reader on xqd cards. I also don’t understand why Lightroom don’t automatically recognize the cf express like other cards.
 
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what cards are you using? most cfe cards should be faster, but there are a few slow ones.

as long as it’s not one of the slow ones, something is wrong. maybe the card needs to be formatted fully or something.
 
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Is your reader a USB 3.2?

Is it in "Fixed" or "Removeable" mode?

If it comes from the factory in "Fixed" mode, Adobe family apps may not be able to access files on the cards directly. You need to copy them to the computer disk first and then Import them to Lightroom or whatever. This gives the fastest reading speed.

If you want to Import directly into Lightroom using such a reader, you need to download a utility to convert it to Removeable.

Hope this helps.
 
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John Woodworth said:
Is your reader a USB 3.2?

Is it in "Fixed" or "Removeable" mode?

If it comes from the factory in "Fixed" mode, Adobe family apps may not be able to access files on the cards directly. You need to copy them to the computer disk first and then Import them to Lightroom or whatever. This gives the fastest reading speed.

If you want to Import directly into Lightroom using such a reader, you need to download a utility to convert it to Removeable.

Hope this helps.
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I’m honestly not sure if it’s in fixed or removable mode but I’ll check. I am using usbc 3.2 readers. I’ll try copying to my desktop then import to see if that speeds things up. It’s just odd because any other cards or files are blistering fast.
 
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It is showing up as removable just like an external hard drive would, so I suppose that’s the reason I’m having to manually select import and eject. I suppose it’s not the end of the world, but it does seem really odd how slow they are.
 
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My Prograde CF express card reader is as fast if not faster than my XQD reader. CF express cards are considered external hard drives and not removable media, I read that this is due to the performance of the cards.
 
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JLT said:
My Prograde CF express card reader is as fast if not faster than my XQD reader. CF express cards are considered external hard drives and not removable media, I read that this is due to the performance of the cards.
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Forgot to mention that I’m using the Prograde Cobalt cards.
 
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I think this is an adobe issue. I noticed the photos with CFEB cards are slow to load previews in the import dialog window and the CPU is only using a single core to do it. When you actually start the import it runs just as fast as anything else. I tried saving to my internal drive before trying to import and its the same issue. Any other card type is fine. Lightroom will actually preview a larger RAW file faster... essentially instantly.... than the files from my Z9 which only load at a rate of about 2/second.
 
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My vague understanding Cfexpress is essentially seen by computers as an ssd type storage and not like typical card formats of the past. This most likely explains the LR differences.

Why you aren’t seeing fast downloads is a mystery to me. Could be the cable or the port on the computer.
 
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I really have no explanation for it. I am using the Sony card reader for the TYpe a and another good card reader for the type B both of which are USB-C 3.2 and both are extremely slow loading previews and transferring the files. Perhaps it is a Lightroom issue with her absolutely is a significant slow down over using XQD cards. With the XQD cards and The same size file out of the Nikon Z9 previews and importing the image are just about twice as fast. I am using top quality cards and readers so that is not the issue.
 
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sh1209 said:
I really have no explanation for it. I am using the Sony card reader for the TYpe a and another good card reader for the type B both of which are USB-C 3.2 and both are extremely slow loading previews and transferring the files. Perhaps it is a Lightroom issue with her absolutely is a significant slow down over using XQD cards. With the XQD cards and The same size file out of the Nikon Z9 previews and importing the image are just about twice as fast. I am using top quality cards and readers so that is not the issue.
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What specific model of card are you using?

Have you tried different cables? I have some older cables and found there was a big difference in speed - more than expected.

Try a test just making a straight file copy from card to computer. Bypass LR. That will confirm it is or is not a LR issue.
 
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I am experiencing the same issue importing to my 2017 iMac. I'm using a Prograde CFE B reader and Delkin Black cards. There is a stark performance difference between the iMac and my new MacBook Pro using a Delkin card reader- it is very fast. I will try swapping readers on the computers to see if I can isolate the problem.
 
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EricBowles said:
What specific model of card are you using?

Have you tried different cables? I have some older cables and found there was a big difference in speed - more than expected.

Try a test just making a straight file copy from card to computer. Bypass LR. That will confirm it is or is not a LR issue.
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I am using genuine Sony Type a and delkin black tape be cards and yes I have tried different cables and both card readers are brand new as well as the cards
 
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Just got back from shooting and this is my type B card in disk utility
00E19416-9C86-4DE4-B2C9-E2F90BA30D44.jpeg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
 
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