XQD

[James C.]

When I got my Nikon D500 last fall, I was still using the 64Gb, 300Mb/s SD cards that I used with my Nikon D5600 that I'd just gotten the year before. I was going to try using XQD. But I decided to wait awhile. I'm glad I waited because in December, Nikon came out with a firmware update for the D500 and now its XQD slot could accept CFE-b cards. When I looked at the 400 MB/s speed of XQD vs. the 1750 Mb/s of the Lexar CFE-b, I thought: "Why WOULDN'T I want a card that has 4 times the speed and is newer technology?" So I bought the SONY MRW-G1 card reader (which can read both XQD AND CFE-b cards) and a 64 GB Lexar CFE-b card. Since I was not invested in XQD, it was an easy choice for me to make.

Also, the price of a 64 Gb Lexar CFE-b card is $100 and that works for my budget.

 

[RichF]

When I got my Nikon D500 last fall, I was still using the 64Gb, 300Mb/s SD cards that I used with my Nikon D5600 that I'd just gotten the year before. I was going to try using XQD. But I decided to wait awhile. I'm glad I waited because in December, Nikon came out with a firmware update for the D500 and now its XQD slot could accept CFE-b cards. When I looked at the 400 MB/s speed of XQD vs. the 1750 Mb/s of the Lexar CFE-b, I thought: "Why WOULDN'T I want a card that has 4 times the speed and is newer technology?" So I bought the SONY MRW-G1 card reader (which can read both XQD AND CFE-b cards). Since I was not invested in XQD, it was an easy choice for me to make.

Also, the price of a 64 Gb Lexar CFE-b card is $100 and that works for my budget.

Glad you found a solution for you. How much faster is CFE vs your SD cards?

 

[EricBowles]

I think with that combination of cards, the SD card might actually be faster. I have not seen good testing for those cards in a D500 yet.

Try a 20 second burst and look at the frame rate you can shoot AFTER the buffer is filled and the camera slows from maximum frame rate. That is the real write speed. The D500 files are modest in size so with XQD you could shoot 200 frames without ever filling the buffer.

 

[James C.]

Glad you found a solution for you. How much faster is CFE vs your SD cards?

To be honest, since I always try to shoot in very short bursts ( i.e., 2 or 3 shots), I haven't noticed a difference in performance between the two cards. I think I have noticed the difference primarily when downloading photos from the camera to my Mac. Here, the CFE card seems faster than the SD card. I guess I could try holding down the shutter button for 20 seconds with one card in the camera and then try it with the other card and time it to the point when/if I noticed a slowdown. Perhaps this is something Steve Perry might try and demo in a short video for us?

 

[EricBowles]

To be honest, since I always try to shoot in very short bursts ( i.e., 2 or 3 shots), I haven't noticed a difference in performance between the two cards. I think I have noticed the difference primarily when downloading photos from the camera to my Mac. Here, the CFE card seems faster than the SD card. I guess I'll could try holding down the shutter button for 10 seconds with one card in the camera and then try it with the other card and time it to the point when/if I noticed a slowdown. Perhaps this is something Steve Perry might try and demo in a short video for us?

The D500 should produce over 100 images (200 actually with a fast card) in a single burst. Another way to test is to use 14 bit uncompressed files because the larger file is more likely to have a bottleneck. The challenge for most cards is clearing the buffer after a series of bursts. The D500 is great with a fast card, but it counts on having a fast card. If you have a slow card, performance will suffer.

 

[RichF]

To be honest, since I always try to shoot in very short bursts ( i.e., 2 or 3 shots), I haven't noticed a difference in performance between the two cards. I think I have noticed the difference primarily when downloading photos from the camera to my Mac. Here, the CFE card seems faster than the SD card. I guess I could try holding down the shutter button for 10 seconds with one card in the camera and then try it with the other card and time it to the point when/if I noticed a slowdown. Perhaps this is something Steve Perry might try and demo in a short video for us?

Buffering does not sound like a challenge for you. Probably not worth testing as that is not a bottleneck. You will not notice a difference until you fill the buffer which you don't do, so that is not an issue.

You have noticed that download speeds are faster with the CFE so if that is important go with the CFE cards.

 

[Ken Miracle]

Like @EricBowles I bought Delkin Power CFE's with a Delkin Card reader thrown in when Delkin had a sale, mine from Bedford Camera. I use them in my D850 and my D6 and use my old Sony XQD's, still great cards, in my D500. Irony is Sony developed and patented the XQD card but did not use it in it's still cameras when Nikon did.

As others have pointed out CFE's are the card of the future and less costly than XQD's and more makers out there. At this time any new cards I would buy, for D500, D850 or D6, would be Delkin Power or Delkin Black (black probably over kill for the price) CFE's.

 

[Steve W]

Starting from scratch again I’d likely go the CFE but I got into XQD cards with the D500 and it was logical to continue that into the D850. The CFE cards are still more expensive here plus I need a new card reader as well. Overall it doesn’t offer me enough to make my existing XQD’ redundant.

 

[Roy]

I’m currently using a Sony QXD 120 card in my Nikon D850. I’m curious if anyone has used a different card (maybe a better priced one) they have been happy with. I paid $169 at Best Buy, just thought there might be another brand worth looking into. Thanks in advance for your help.

When the D500 first came out I bought some Lexar 2933 and unlike my SD cards none have failed yet.
The brands I now have are Sony, Lexar and Nikon (although I doubt Nikon makes them themselves).
I'm no fan of Lexar, I've heard the Sony tough cards to have minor problems.
Its not worth buying cheap cards - they expire quicker and are less reliable.
Of my dozen or so XQD cards I mostly use either 32gb or 64gb. Each section of a job has its own card.
I haven't bought any CFexpress cards yet because I mainly shoot stills and I'm still happy with XQD...

 

[Chris B.]

When I replaced my D750 with the D850, 2 years ago, I also bought a Delkin XQD card (120 GB). No issue since, and I transfer my pictures via the Sony MRW-E90 XQD/SD Reader.

 

[dabhand16]

@Boisephotography

FWIW, I've got 2 Integral Ultima pro X 128GB CFe cards that cost around the 100 GBP mark and have had no issues at all. Using them on a D850. I also bought an Intergral CFe card reader for about 40GBP on Amazon which also works just fine. You need CFE type B cards/reader.

There is a thread on here from somone who could not get her camera to recognise this card, but after returning it for exchange, the 2nd one was fine.

 

[James C.]

Here's an article I found from circa August 16, 2021 that reviews and rates the speed of CFexpress cards type-B and type-A.

The best CFexpress cards: ultra-fast Type B and Type A cards compared

The best CFexpress cards are some of the fastest memory cards you can buy. Here are our top Type B and Type A picks

www.digitalcameraworld.com

 

[MYount]

When I bought my d400 last year they were running one of their bundle deals at Adorama and I got a crappy tripod and a 64g Nikon QXD card. I gave the tripod away. I'm still using the QXD card. Never had an issue in bottleneck or transfer. I'm sure someone else produces their cards but I have had zero issues with it.

 

[JANuser]

The Nikon card is just a rebranded Sony IIRC.

 

[EricBowles]

Here's an article I found from circa August 16, 2021 that reviews and rates the speed of CFexpress cards type-B and type-A.

The best CFexpress cards: ultra-fast Type B and Type A cards compared

The best CFexpress cards are some of the fastest memory cards you can buy. Here are our top Type B and Type A picks

www.digitalcameraworld.com

Sorry but that article is unreliable. It simply uses the reported card speed and has no testing in a camera. The ProGrade Gold card they recommend is one of the slow cards.

 

[Ado Wolf]

I just started using a Sony QXD card on my newly acquired Z6 (light kit for long hikes), and I was wondering if anyone can make recommendations on a card reader. I purchased the Sony cardreader from Amazon, but they delivered a no-name brand instead.. so I returened it.

QXD Card: Sony G 32 USB GB
PC type: Mac Book Pro 2019 Model (USB 3.0)

Thanks in advance.

PS I know CFE-Typ B is the future.. but the camera came with an XQD card and for everything else (D850 / D7500 / Z50) I still use SD cards.

 

[Patrick M]

I do use the Sony card reader….its fine, but generally I’ll just use the usb-c cable to upload to my Mac, and leaving the camera connected, also charges the battery

 

[Abinoone]

I’m currently using a Sony QXD 120 card in my Nikon D850. I’m curious if anyone has used a different card (maybe a better priced one) they have been happy with. I paid $169 at Best Buy, just thought there might be another brand worth looking into. Thanks in advance for your help.

I know how you feel about spending $169 for a tiny little card - seems like they should be $30 max. But, I agree with other commenters here that the Sony XQD cards are highly reliable and perform flawlessly, so I’m OK with spending the $169 to use with my $3,000 D850, and $3500 500mm lens. I watch the B&H website, where they go on sale periodically for $130.

 

[Roy]

I just started using a Sony QXD card on my newly acquired Z6 (light kit for long hikes), and I was wondering if anyone can make recommendations on a card reader. I purchased the Sony cardreader from Amazon, but they delivered a no-name brand instead.. so I returened it.

QXD Card: Sony G 32 USB GB
PC type: Mac Book Pro 2019 Model (USB 3.0)

Thanks in advance.

PS I know CFE-Typ B is the future.. but the camera came with an XQD card and for everything else (D850 / D7500 / Z50) I still use SD cards.

Make sure your Reader takes XQD and CFexpress cards - the early ones I bought only take one or the other.
The Sony MRW-G1 reads both.
I've had many failures with SD cards and find XQD/CFe much more reliable.
As long as you have updated the Z6 firmware https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/index.html you can use Both cards in your Z6
For Video and extended bursts CFexpress has advantages but for stills XQD is still perfectly fine...

 

[dabhand16]

In the UK, WEX are a big reputable dealer and they now sell third party XQD readers for under £19. I'm sure they would not stock them if they were no good.

DD XQD USB 3.0 Card Reader | Wex Photo Video

www.wexphotovideo.com

I've got an old original Sony one that only does XQD and IIRC I paid about £40 4/5 years ago.

 

[Ado Wolf]

Make sure your Reader takes XQD and CFexpress cards - the early ones I bought only take one or the other.
The Sony MRW-G1 reads both.
I've had many failures with SD cards and find XQD/CFe much more reliable.
As long as you have updated the Z6 firmware https://downloadcenter.nikonimglib.com/en/index.html you can use Both cards in your Z6
For Video and extended bursts CFexpress has advantages but for stills XQD is still perfectly fine...

thanks for the Tip Roy.
I ended up buying the Sony CFE and QXD Reader. This way I have the flexibility of reading the existing XQD card as well as CFE cards I will acquire in the future.

@dabhand16 : thanks for the input. that is actually the no-name fake Amazon delivered instead of the Sony purchased XQD reader. I didn't even try it.. since I had to return it. Now that I have one that reads both, my problem is solved. The new Sony reader is however quite expensive!

 

[Ado Wolf]

I do use the Sony card reader….its fine, but generally I’ll just use the usb-c cable to upload to my Mac, and leaving the camera connected, also charges the battery

Thanks for the input. I generally try to avoid using the cable, as it introduces one more "weak spot" where dust can enter the camera.. and I assume the rubber cover will eventually stop closing well (overuse). I do see the advantage of downloading photos and charging at the same time.

 

[Patrick M]

Thanks for the input. I generally try to avoid using the cable, as it introduces one more "weak spot" where dust can enter the camera.. and I assume the rubber cover will eventually stop closing well (overuse). I do see the advantage of downloading photos and charging at the same time.

Pros nd cons I’m afraid. The rubber seals on my z6 are still pretty near perfect, though I’ve seen some in really poor condition. With my camera it’s actually quite hard to get the XQD card out. I suspect there’s potential there for damage or muck getting in. I’m always careful, and the area around my desk is always clean and as dust free as I can make it.

 

[fcotterill]

As far as I know, the following from Dec2021 still holds wrt XQD vs CFExpress:
There's been recurring discussion about which CFExpress B cards since 2020 - last year, and more recently wrt the Z9 and its more stringent constraints on getting sustained frame rates and for high spec video. The technology is still evolving, so the SSD site seems to be a useful site to watch...

Ricci Chera of Nikon UK tested cards of several brands to finalize on Delkin Black and Power, and last week he said Angelbird are also suitable for fast/high volume video etc. Based on internet reports and tests etc, I see the storage arena using XQD-CFExpress in Nikon cameras to present in 4 universes:

1. Landscape etc - no worries continuing with XQD expect the technology is already obsolescent - hard to buy new, and CFExpress are wider investmnt. Obvioulsy older XQD cards have a higher risk of failing;

2. Stills using CFExpress - short bursts at most. The "slower" brands and types of CFExpress work well apparently provided emptying the camera buffer does not hit bottlenecks, which also heats up some of these cards - to as high as 70+ C! Subject to one's own testing CFExp cards such as Lexar Pro 64Gb are probably fine at this level in the Z9. IME Lexar Pro 64Gb work v well in the D850 and D5: latter card does not overheat shooting the D5 @12fps to fill the buffer;

3. Sustained still shooting for action eg BIF will reguire cards in the league of Delkin Black and Power and at least 128Gb, larger storage size may be preferable especially if aiming to start video;

4. 4k and 8K Video recording high resolution RAW demands high end CFExp B ie 2Tbyte Delkin and Angelbird. Clearly, the Z9 is the first ILC designed to capture marketshare in this ecosystem. With none of its own high end cinema spec cameras to protect from Z9 cannibalism, Nikon is targeting what has previously been the more expensive high end universe of cinematography ie RED cameras etc.
There was also overheating issues with some cards worked hard in a Z9 ie video, serious buffer usage:

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]

Here's an earlier thread about CFExpress, including better data integrity : https://bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/deleting-files-in-camera.14310/post-157025

my local shop has been phasing out XQD and most of their options for the B type cards have become CFExpress. With image mgmt demands of the Z9, I first bought 2 Lexar 128gb Gold CFExpr B and the Lexar cardreader (with an integral USB cable), The Write speed is listed as 'only' 1000mb/sec and I've had no problems with file mgmt nor overheating since March. Later I added 2 Delkin 128gb (1540m/s write) with Delkin USB 3.2 reader (amazon UK deal in March).
Until I can afford the complete CFExpr upgrade, I still use one of my venerable XQD's in the D850 and D6.

SSDReview is one of the few websites, if any others(?) for reliable reviews of high end storage tech etc. This CFExpr card is yet another of the newer releases:

ProGrade Digital 165GB Cobalt CFExpress Type B Card Review - The SSD Review

I get asked quite often what I prefer with respect to storage cards in my camera equipment. I try t

www.thessdreview.com

As is often stated, besides the security of newer fault protection, the real benefits of CFExpress cards - being essential basically - are for high volume RAW video, and obviously for shooting sports, and wildlife subjects that max out the ILC buffer on a high end ILC (ie Z9).