Best CFexpress card brands/models?

[CapIt30]

Does anyone understand why Delkin Blacks are not on the Approved Nikon Z9, Z7ii, Z8, Z6ii ... list? It never seems to overheat in reports from the high frame rate tracking of BIF or from the Video guys. It has no lower read/write speeds to others and specifically tells you the continuous rates unlike others telling only max. to ProGrade Cobalt. And Delkin Blacks have an exceptional guarantee with 48 hour turn around not waiting for your's to be returned, far superior to all other manufacturers. All that said, Nikon has not listed them on their list.

 

[EricKlees]

Does anyone understand why Delkin Blacks are not on the Approved Nikon Z9, Z7ii, Z8, Z6ii ... list? It never seems to overheat in reports from the high frame rate tracking of BIF or from the Video guys. It has no lower read/write speeds to others and specifically tells you the continuous rates unlike others telling only max. to ProGrade Cobalt. And Delkin Blacks have an exceptional guarantee with 48 hour turn around not waiting for your's to be returned, far superior to all other manufacturers. All that said, Nikon has not listed them on their list.

The reason it's not on the approved card list is that Nikon just never tested it or they did and during testing the were hiccups so they kept it off the list.

Cobalt cards gives minimum sustained write speeds of 1300 or 1400MB/s on the earlier 2.0 cards I've not paid attention to the speeds of the newer Gen cards

 

[fulltimewanderer]

It does meet Nikon’s requirements under Nikon’s “Approved Memory Cards”. Reference page 918 of the Z9’s reference guide.

 

[John Navitsky]

Does anyone understand why Delkin Blacks are not on the Approved Nikon Z9, Z7ii, Z8, Z6ii ... list? It

what and how many cards are tested is a business decision and a bit of happenstance

it doesn’t mean any given card won’t pass. you’ll note the list of approved cards is rather small

 

[EricKlees]

what and how many cards are tested is a business decision and a bit of happenstance

it doesn’t mean any given card won’t pass. you’ll note the list of approved cards is rather small

In many cases like this, the card companies often pay for the testing so it can be on the approved compatibility list. This alone is a big boost for their brand awareness as well. Like another form for of advertising

 

[cr_wildlife]

I have been using the Delkin Black cards, so I can't comment on those from any other company. I did have one Delkin Black card fail on me (I dropped it after downloading the photos, so no images were lost). When I wrote to Delkin, they asked me to send them the card, and then they promptly send me a replacement at no cost. My points are: 1) don't drop the cards, and 2) Delkin really backs up their cards and has great customer service.

 

[Marsha Jane]

I have never regretted getting the best I could afford+. The d500 with firmware upgrade for CFExpress will serve you better for a Z upgrade than the XQD.

 

[ProperFrame]

Best performing card or best performing card for the size/money?

Sustained Write speed repeat
Sustained Write speed

The first number quoted (ie 1700mbs) sells cards, the sustained write speed number is what is important to keep the buffer satisfied.

 

[Ken Miracle]

I have switched to ProGrade CFexpress™ Type B 4.0 Memory Card (Gold) 512GB in both Z9's (was using Delkin Black 325GB CFe type B and Delkin card reader).

Keep in mind that no camera is available yet that can use the write speed of the new 4.0 cards. From Prograde :
"NOTE: Current CFexpress cameras will not be able to take advantage of the maximum speed of this card. Until CFexpress 4.0 cameras are introduced, the benefit of this card is tripling the speed of your workflow when downloading content with the ProGrade Digital PG05.6 USB 4.0 Reader."

ProGrade CFexpress Type B single-slot USB4.0 card reader. I use the card reader on a mac studio M1 max connected with the supplied thunderbolt cable. The non silicone macs do not support USB 4.0 so you have to have the right card, reader, cable and computer to get the fastest download speed from t he type b 4.0 cards.

I got a great price on the card 2 pack direct from prograde. Got the reader on amazon (sold by prograde) on a sudden half off sale. Actually cheaper than the Delkin Blacks.

I photograph birds all situations at 20fps plain old raw not HE* (although that works well also ) I have not had the new cards buffer out /slow down yet but seldom had that with the Delkin Black either.

I download using drag and drop to my desk top from the card in the reader. The prograde card and reader combo is noticeably faster than my Delkin Blacks were and not finicky as the Delkins were in either type of Delkin reader where if I forgot to eject the card immediately after download finished it would frequently refuse to eject and I had to go through some extra steps when I pulled it without ejecting first mostly for my own comfort.

So far very happy with the ProGrade CFexpress™ Type B 4.0 Memory Card (Gold) 512GB

I do not do video so no experience there.

 

[gKhan]

I personally am a fan of Delkin. Price depends a lot on what and how you want to shoot. If you are interested in just stills, then the Delkin Power card is a more economical option. But if you want to shoot high resolution video, then you’ll need the Delkin Black which can be pricey if you don’t find them on sale.

I have not used the other brands you mentioned, but I’ve heard the ProGrade Cobalt is on par with the Delkin Black. I have not heard great things about the ProGrade Gold, or Lexar cards. This would apply for something like the Z8. Any of these would probably be overkill for a D500.

If you do get a Z8, not only do you need to consider the speed of the card, to prevent hitting the buffer, but also the heat generated. I use a Z9 which has a much larger heat sink when compared to the Z8. So you would need a card that not only does the job for speed, but also runs cool enough to prevent hot card issues in the Z8. Good luck.

I appreciate your comments. thanks

 

[Replytoken]

Reviving this thread as it is not that old and my question is related. I am looking to pick up a card or two for an upcoming trip and expect to be shooting 95+% stills with my Z6. I was ready to migrate to Delkin cards from Sandisk, which I have used extensively without issue in past cameras, as Delkin seems quite well thought of these days. But, I went to look at my options and it seems that Sandisk is running a sale on their 512 GB Extreme Pro cards ($149.99 USD). That is quite a deep discount, and I am wondering if there is are any fatal issues related to these cards that I am not aware of (like what happened with many of their 4TB SSD's)? I have a 32GB card and more Sandisk cards than I care to count and they have all behaved as expected. Any reason not to take advantage of this sale? The write speed is more than sufficient as this is not a wildlife or BIF trip so most shots will be single or a very short burst.

--Ken

 

[CapIt30]

I’m planning ahead for when I eventually upgrade to a Nikon Z8 (or a D500 in the interim), and I’ve been looking for good CFexpress cards. Out of Delkin, ProGrade, and Lexar, which brand has the best performing cards? I’ve found several Lexar cards with >1000 MB/s sustained write speeds that cost under $200, and the Lexar reader is only $55-$75 depending on where I get it from. I’ve heard Delkin is good, but those are a little more expensive, and I’m trying to save as much as possible.

Delkin Black CFExpress Type B without a second thought ... and remember their fantastic warrantee returns a replacement immediately without delay for returning your card. Otherwise CFEx B ProGrade Cobalt (check out their warrantee ... it doesn't compare. Unles your planning in future for a lot of extended video at high frame rates, I suspect Gen 4 is overkill. Bottom line for me, Delkin CFEx B's ids the value choice.

 

[EricKlees]

You can't go wrong with Delkin Black or ProGrade Cobalt cards. The 2 fastest and coolest running cards

 

[John Navitsky]

yah, the reason to avoid the sandisk is they get hot when pushed. for a low(ish) cost alternative, look at the delkin power g4

 

[fcotterill]

Does anyone understand why Delkin Blacks are not on the Approved Nikon Z9, Z7ii, Z8, Z6ii ... list? It never seems to overheat in reports from the high frame rate tracking of BIF or from the Video guys. It has no lower read/write speeds to others and specifically tells you the continuous rates unlike others telling only max. to ProGrade Cobalt. And Delkin Blacks have an exceptional guarantee with 48 hour turn around not waiting for your's to be returned, far superior to all other manufacturers. All that said, Nikon has not listed them on their list.

Further to replies above, the SSD Testing Site details the important variables in card performance, especially real-world Write Speeds and Temperature. But they are also behind on tests, considering all the new CFexpress B cards being released....

In any case, high spec video is the primary market for top end, high capacity CFexpress B cards.
As I photograph mostly stills, admittedly 20 fps HE* RAW in the Z9, I find 128Gb and 256Gb Delkin cards are a sound investment

Also see these tests by @John Navitsky

CF express card

I wanted to get some thoughts on CF express cards and what brands you have the best luck with. I have continued to use the XQD cards and they have worked flawlessly with both of my generation 2 z bodies. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to purchase Z9 and not planning on doing video, would...

bcgforums.com

 

[fcotterill]

More threads wrt CFexpress in BCG

Best size for CFExpress & Z9

I am considering getting a Nikon Z9, Currently I use a D500 with a 64GB SD card, I so far take anywhere from 70- 900 images and shoot in the largest RAW file setting no JPG so far. I am trying to figure out the best sized CFExpress card I would need for a Z9 considering how many images it...

bcgforums.com

CF Express Confusion - Nikon Z8

just ordered a Z8 (been using D850 and D500) and am confused when I look at what many people recommend for cards (Delkin and ProGrade) vs the Nikon supported list ... if I get one not on the 'supported' list will there be an issue with Nikon service if I have a card related camera problem? (I...

bcgforums.com

CFExpress 4.0 Question

Has anyone tried a CFExpress 4.0 card in their Z8/9 yet? For example this one: https://shop.progradedigital.com/products/prograde-digital-cfexpress%E2%84%A2-type-b-4-0-memory-card-gold I recently upgraded my PC to support USB 4.0 and got a card reader that also supports USB 4.0. This allowed...

bcgforums.com

 

[wotan1]

I have switched to ProGrade CFexpress™ Type B 4.0 Memory Card (Gold) 512GB in both Z9's (was using Delkin Black 325GB CFe type B and Delkin card reader).

Keep in mind that no camera is available yet that can use the write speed of the new 4.0 cards. From Prograde :
"NOTE: Current CFexpress cameras will not be able to take advantage of the maximum speed of this card. Until CFexpress 4.0 cameras are introduced, the benefit of this card is tripling the speed of your workflow when downloading content with the ProGrade Digital PG05.6 USB 4.0 Reader."

ProGrade CFexpress Type B single-slot USB4.0 card reader. I use the card reader on a mac studio M1 max connected with the supplied thunderbolt cable. The non silicone macs do not support USB 4.0 so you have to have the right card, reader, cable and computer to get the fastest download speed from t he type b 4.0 cards.

I got a great price on the card 2 pack direct from prograde. Got the reader on amazon (sold by prograde) on a sudden half off sale. Actually cheaper than the Delkin Blacks.

I photograph birds all situations at 20fps plain old raw not HE* (although that works well also ) I have not had the new cards buffer out /slow down yet but seldom had that with the Delkin Black either.

I download using drag and drop to my desk top from the card in the reader. The prograde card and reader combo is noticeably faster than my Delkin Blacks were and not finicky as the Delkins were in either type of Delkin reader where if I forgot to eject the card immediately after download finished it would frequently refuse to eject and I had to go through some extra steps when I pulled it without ejecting first mostly for my own comfort.

So far very happy with the ProGrade CFexpress™ Type B 4.0 Memory Card (Gold) 512GB

I do not do video so no experience there.

To my understanding there are two issues with the cards, sustained write speed and temperature generated by the card. These two issues are crucial for use in the camera. The speed of transfer onto a computer is less important.

The effect of temperature is obvious, a camera has protective circuits if it gets too hot the camera will shut down.

The other key issue is sustained write speed. That is also not relevant to copying data to a computer because you are not writing to the card when you do that, you are reading from it.

The reason sustained write speed is particularly important with the Z8/9 is because these cameras are incredibly fast in gathering data from the sensors. The speed of data generation is highest when shooting RAW at the maximum frame rate of 20 fps. The camera has a buffer to hold the data until it can be copied on a card. To keep shooting 20 fps RAW you have to get the data off the buffer and into the card before you run out of room.


From what I recall of the reports, and it has been a while since I saw them, if you reduce the files to one of the more compressed RAW file formats, the fastest Delkin Black and Prograde Cobalt cards can actually keep up with the camera so the fast shooting can occur indefinitely. OF course you will eventually run out of card space. But at the highest RAW format the camera will

 

[fcotterill]

The Z9 and its Z8 sibling exemplify the advanced development of the high end Mirrorless FX ILC. The tables have turned in that still images have become samples of the near-continuous (high resolution) data stream generated by the stacked sensor (reading @120fps).
So it's not surprising the data processing demands of high end video have overtaken the specs for recording still images at lower frame rates, even if these are compressed RAW

Don’t Poo-Poo Video | Cameras and Photography Explained | Thom Hogan

Yes, your still camera needs to be doing video

bythom.com

 

[EricKlees]

Stills (1300MB/s or more) requires more minimum sustained write speed then video (850MB/s)

 

[wotan1]

(continued)
But at the highest RAW setting the camera will eventually overload all the cards and the camera frame rate will slow down. You can shoot longer with the better cards before that happens.

There is a significant difference in sustained write speed between the higher and lower Delkin and Prograde card levels. Only the Delkin Black and Prograde Cobalt cards can maintain the higher sustained speeds. If you buy the less expensive cards they will not do as well as the Black and Cobalt grades. You are handicapping your camera's performance when it comes to high frame rate still photography

As was reported elsewhere in here, video does not require as high a sustained write speed and many slower cards will work. The problem with video is it takes a lot of space and it runs much longer than you would ever run sustained photo bursts.

This is also where the difference between the Z8 and Z9 become more relevant. The Z8 does not have as robust heat dissipation as the Z9. It can't record long videos and it is not recommended for extensive video recording. By contrast the Z9 can handle the heat.

So the cards for video don't have to be super fast but they do need to be high capacity. Terabyte cards are ideal for video work. You also have to pay attention to the fact that some cards run cooler, the cooler cards will run longer.

Bottom line if you shoot photos you will do best with the Delkin Black and Prograde Cobalt cards. If you primarily shoot video you want to stick with the Z9 and look for super high capacity cards that run cool.

 

[Alan425]

Replytoken - for single shot stills on a Z 6, any CFexpress card should be fine, as you are unlikely to encounter buffering/overheating problems (even with SanDisk cards).

Alan

 

[jim0379]

Not a bad idea to get ready with CFExpress. I still have some XQD cards which work in my Z9, but CFe is the future, I think.
I have had trouble with Lexar XQD cards, but I have had excellent service from Delkin CFEx cards. I would just stick with Delkin too.

I have some small (64 GB) XQD cards from the D850 days, and use them as the archival storage cards for Z9 and Z8 menu, bank and button settings. A mix of Delkin Black and Power CFe cards is working fine thus far for me.

 

[John Navitsky]

Replytoken - for single shot stills on a Z 6, any CFexpress card should be fine, as you are unlikely to encounter buffering/overheating problems (even with SanDisk cards).

Alan

right, but why would you BUY them knowing they have an inherent flaw when you can get one without for only $25 more?

 

[Alan425]

True, and personally I would spend the extra $25. I was merely suggesting that, in Replytokens use case (Z 6, single shot) any inherent flaw would be a non-issue.

Alan

 

[foxysport]

I've purchased a ProGrade Cobalt 4.0 1.3 TB card wth a matching USB 4.0 reader enclosure. Absolutely superb and, I'm sure, future-proof as well. It has minimum write speed of 2800 MB/s.