Nikon D500 CFExpress Card Size Limit?

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I can't answer your question fully, but I just tried mine. My biggest CFe card is a 325Gb Delkin Black. It works in my D500, showing about 6.8k image capacity. I didn't;t try to fill it, but it seems to work normally. I would be interested to know if the really big cards, like the 2Tb will work too.
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I'd be careful about buying a larger card than the 325GB Iain tested. At the time the D5 and D500 were released, 64 GB was the largest card available. There may have been an update when they added CFExpress capability - but I'd look for confirmation.
 
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Also, I have not tested it fully. The camera estimated 6.8k images, but I didn’t check that it could do it.
I have posted the question on another website with lots of traffic. Eric will know which one! If I get an answer I will pass it on, but it may not be entirely reliable.
 
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Short answer, likely more depends on firmware support of the embedded flash controller inside the cfexpress card than camera‘s firmware size limitation. Most of logic and processing sits in card in the card controller firmware. My guess would be 1TB and under should work fine if card firmware has been updated to be compatible. Which card makers bother to update new products for 5-7 year old camera’s will vary wildly. Nikon might not have thought someone would try to use a $2000 4tb card on such an old camera.

If interest in more technical detail, proceed with my likely bit over technical detail below And rant on why other main cfexpress card manufacturers do not foolow Angelbirds example to allow firmware inside card to be updated.

D500 appeared to work fine when I tested buffer with Angelbird 512GB SE card, but had no apparent increase as d500 buffer is allready insane with good xqd card…

edit- just remembered, There was however a version 2.11 or 2.12 card firmware update for the card that made it compatible, as card was released few months before the D500 firmware. My card came shipped with it and I only ordered card 2 or 3 months after d500/d850 update eventually came out, as was a few years in the making.

An Angelbird card reader is needed to update Angelbird card firmware And I did not have one yet at the time, so was a way of checking firmware version of my card. I recently updated to 2.14 in anticipation of my Z9 after some internet user reports that make the budget SE card performance close to that of their premium Mk2 cards. I could not verify, as no speed increase on my z6 ii and updated whilst waiting for a Z8 that allready had both recall issues fixed.

Firmware updates is A big part of the reason I highly recommend Angelbird cards as are the only cards where controller firmware embedded in card can be updated afaik. cfexpress is a implementation of pc nvme bases ssd and you can even buy adapters to fit small form factor pc nvme drives in cfexpress express adapter to have homemade cfexpress card… Available for our good friends B&H
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1685487-REG
I would not recommend doing it, as pc firmware likely not optimised for camera firmware and heat limitations

On my samsung nvme pc drives there have been several updates For various models owned over the years. Just google samsung 980 pro failure debacle that was fixed with firmware update. That is for a 2 year old Gen 4 card with 7000MB/sec transfer rates… Pc is now starting to use Gen5. Cfexpress is currenly on Gen3 and only use 2 vs pc’s 4 pci express lanes, so half the speed of best pc Gen 3 cards.

XQD was based on precursor to Gen1 nvme, so firmware update is to run cfexpress mode in Gen1 compatibility mode and therefore no noticible speed increases. Per specs, Gen 3 card is suppose to be compatible at slower speed with all previous gen’s.

Real answer then likely more complicated, as likely depends on age of card and whether card manufacturer bothered to make their card d500/d850 compatible via card firmware for the on card nand flash memory controller on 5-7 year old camera’s that only received the functionality in Feb 2022…

revised several times to hopefully make more clear. Read again please if was unclear before my last edit time & date
 
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dabhand16 said:
I would not bother then. I thought I'd seen reference to Nikon manual updates/addendums somewhere but maybe that was a one-off.
Click to expand...
Typically Nikon does not update the manual on any cameras. As new cards are released, firmware updates are implemented, etc. - the manual is as released. It's extremely expensive and time consuming to update a manual as the entire manual needs to go back through the entire process for proofing and approval by legal and others. Some cameras have a more recent Reference Guide that is updated for firmware updates, but the card compatibility list is not included. In the case of the D500, CFExpress did not exist at the release and approval of the manual. Don't read too much into anything being missing from a list of cards that are approved. Lexar is not even the same company - it was closed down, the name was sold, and a completely new company is selling cards Nikon never reviewed or approved.
 
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Yeah. I'm just gonna stand pat with my pair of 128GB Delkin Power cards and pair of 64GB Sony XQD's for now. I'll likely be going Z full time next year (as opposed to renting) and will get new cards then. Thanks for the help.
 
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