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The best all-around card is arguably the ProGrade Cobalt, which doesn’t win outright in any category, but ties for first in several of them. If you want the most number of shots in 30 seconds, you’ll have the Angelbird 660GB XT. But it’s best by only 1 picture out of 337, and it has an odd behavior of causing camera startup to take 4 more seconds than any other card. This will be a deal-breaker for some. Below, is a table of the claimed maximum write and read speeds of the cards. As discussed earlier, dynamic heat reactions prevent there being a real minimum write speed figure, but even so, these maximum speeds show the manufacturers being pretty generous with themselves. These numbers are an industry convention that doesn’t have a great deal to do with actual card performance. To round out the table, we added a couple of additional rows with information just slightly more useful than the marketing claims. It should be said that each of these cards has a different shooting rhythm style. The Sony 512 has a pleasing, consistent rhythm to the shots, shooting roughly equal amounts on and off after filling the buffer. The Lexar is a big more syncopated, perhaps less predictable. The Angelbird and ProGrade cards create more tension, with a spattery non-pattern. You never really know in which tenth of a second the shutter will start up again, or for how long.
The good news is that there are very few people who will use their cards more intensively than we did for these tests, and the cards very rarely got hot enough to affect performance. After shooting about 3,500 stills in a row, formatting the card after about every 300, we saw some performance degradation that may have been heat-related. This is likely an area that video shooters will be more concerned about. USB 3.1 Gen 2 is twice as fast than Gen 1, but few readers use it, and even fewer memory cards are fast enough to exploit Gen 2. Some readers use a USB cable that’s hard-wired to the reader body, which can be problematic if the cable ever gets damaged. The card that clears the buffer the fastest is the SanDisk Extreme Pro 512GB, clearing it more than half a second faster than the other cards of its capacity. [Note the late entry of the Lexar Professional 512 GB card after this article was written upset this record, but both are fantastic at clearing cache.]
Finally, we include a “too long; didn’t read” section below to show all of the tests across all of the original 10 cards. This may save you some reading, but it’ll certainly cause some squinting. We’ve titled this cityscape of a chart “Downtown CFexpressville.” The ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader is an affordable and high-speed memory card reader that is designed to work with both CFexpress Type A and UHS-II SDXC memory cards. With a maximum data transfer rate of up to 1.25 GB/s or 1250 MB/s, this card reader takes advantage of the 10 Gb/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 bus, which is even faster than the maximum speed of CFexpress Type A memory cards.
But this may well be no fault of the card, or indeed Sandisk's marketing department. While the physical hardware of CFexpress is doubtless capable of such stunning performance, other limiting factors inevitably come into play. A computer's operating system, the type, size and quantity of files being transferred, the connection between card and computer, and finally the computer's internal mass storage device (SSD or HDD) will all play a part in determining the maximum file transfer speed you can achieve. The Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress Type A/SD Memory Card Reader is a professional-grade memory card reader that offers exceptional speed and versatility. Designed specifically for CFexpress Type A memory cards as well as SD/SDHC/SDXC card types, this card reader is built to handle the demands of high-resolution image files, 4K/8K videos, and other high-volume data. The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A & SD Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C Card Reader is a highly portable and compact device designed for creative professionals who need to transfer high-res photos and videos while on the go. The reader is optimized for Lexar CFexpress Type A memory cards and SD media cards, making it easy to establish an efficient workflow when transferring high-res photo and video content. In conducting the tests for the cards hooked up to a computer, we saw some very strange results, eventually figuring out that major differences would be introduced not only by using different card readers, but also even which port we chose to hook it up to on the computer, and also what sort of cord was used. These results retested, standardized on a Sonnet dual CFexpress card reader using a Thunderbolt 3 port and cord.
Two sets of data were taken at 250 ISO and at 3200 ISO to see if there were relative performance differences with the different sized files (there weren’t any observable). Some of the data averages are rounded to the nearest ten so we don’t mistakenly imply that our precision is better than it actually is. The Delkin Devices CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Memory Card Reader is a powerful and versatile option for professional photographers and videographers who require a compact and lightweight solution that can handle demanding workflows. The reader features one CFexpress Type A card slot and one UHS-II SDXC card slot, making it capable of handling a wide range of memory cards. Overall, the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Dual-Slot USB 3.2 Gen 2 Card Reader is an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable and high-speed memory card reader that can handle both CFexpress Type A and UHS-II SDXC memory cards. Its competitive price, sturdy build quality, and easy-to-use design make it a great option for professional photographers and videographers.
The Delkin Devices CFexpress Type A & UHS-II SDXC Memory Card Reader is also designed with ease of use in mind. It is plug-and-play, meaning that no additional drivers or power adapters are required for use. Additionally, it comes with USB Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables for easy system connectivity.In terms of build quality, the Sony MRW-G2 is built to an exceptional standard. It feels “pro” in every way, with a solid metal construction that exudes durability and reliability. This is further complemented by the inclusion of both USB Type-C to Type-C and USB Type-C to Type-A cables, ensuring maximum compatibility with your devices. The 90cm USB Type-A lead is hardwired to the reader, so while you won’t lose it, it can be slightly awkward for transportation, and you’ll need an adapter to connect this reader to a laptop like the current MacBook Pro. Many card readers now connect to your computer using a USB-C plug, but adapters are readily available to convert to normal USB. It has to be said that the CFexpress format is a leap forward. The cards are all so fast that the difference between the top performer in clearing a full buffer and the card that came in second from last is just 1.5 seconds. The buffer is that on-board, super-fast memory that fills up, and then you’re just left with the raw speed of your memory card, chewing through what the buffer can upload to it.
Ultimately, the choice of a CFexpress Type A card reader will depend on individual needs and preferences, but these three options are definitely worth considering. When looking at online forum discussions for Canon EOS R5 performance, we noticed that several people seemed to think that the R5 had a terribly long initial startup time, making it inconvenient for action and wildlife photographers. Many of us other R5 owners were puzzled by this, as the spooling-up time seemed to be impressively short. On the one hand these figures are hugely impressive results that eclipse any other memory card we've ever tested. However, aside from the 1678MB/s theoretical read speed score we achieved, which comes very close to the 1700MB/s claimed by Sandisk, in every other respect our CFexpress card didn't reach its claimed maximum speeds. This is a powerful G series cards that will ensure you get the fastest transfer speeds and also faster writing speeds. You will realize that his item is available in 4 capacities and you will be there to choose your favorite. They have been designed with the latest and developed controller that will enable 4k recording and avoid degradation. In summary, the Exascend CFexpress Type A / SD Express Card Reader is a versatile and high-performance card reader that is designed to meet the needs of professionals who require fast and efficient data transfer. The reader’s dual-slot design, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 interface, and rugged aluminum casing make it an essential tool for those working in demanding professional photography environments.Of interest here is the fact that Sandisk’s smaller card sizes – which sport very similar performance metrics on the label – perform terribly relative to the 512 GB card. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm. Sony’s smaller sizes also perform poorly in the other tests relative to the 512 GB, although they are keeping up with their bigger sibling in this test of initial speed capacity. Heat The reader is also designed with durability in mind, featuring an anodized aluminum housing that helps to protect it from damage during transport. The CFexpress Type A card slot is covered by a rubber cap to help protect it from dust and debris, and multiple heat sinks are included to help keep the reader cool during extended use. If you want the best price per GB, you’ll have the Delkin Power 512GB, which is also one of the top 5 in performance. The larger versions of these cards are even cheaper per GB; less than half the average price per GB of the other cards. Supports USB 3. 1 Gen2 speeds for smooth, efficient workflow from location to post production* | *USB 3. 1 Gen 2 permits interface speeds of up to 1250MB/s. Actual performance may vary based on memory card, host device, file attributes, usage conditions and other factors. The Exascend CFexpress Type A / SD Express Card Reader is a 2-in-1 card reader that is designed to meet the demands of professional photographers and videographers who require high-speed data transfers while on the go. This card reader features a dedicated CFexpress Type A card slot and a dedicated SDXC card slot with SD Express support, which eliminates the need for multiple card readers when working with different camera systems.
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