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PRICE: £249&£45
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With 4K and 8K UHD video, there’s a need for lightning-fast memory cards and readers. We test two superfast new arrivals from Lexar LexarProfessional CFexpress 128GB Type B card& CFexpress Type B USB 3.1 reader
You probably don’t give memory card formats much thought – and why should you? Ultimately, all that matters is that you have cards that work in your kit and update or replace them from time to time. Over the years, we’ve seen a variety of formats, including Microdrive, xD, SmartMedia, MMC, Sony Memory Stick, CFast, CompactFlash and XQD. Several have bitten the dust, others are soldiering on, despite performance limitations or limited support. The most popular format today is SD, which includes SDHC, SDXC and microSD via an adapter. The top-of-the-range cards are fast and have huge capacity. Lexar itself has 2000x SD UHS-II cards with a 260MB/s write speed. The new kid on the block is CFexpress 2.0, available in three sizes: Type A being the smallest and Type C being the largest for computers and external drives. Type B comes in between the two size-wise and has the same bodyform as XQD. It has potential performance of up to 2GB/s and, in this instance, Lexar
claims a 1000MB/s write speed for its card. Very much in its infancy, the 2.0 Type B format is used in a handful of cameras, including the Canon EOS R5 with its 8K video capability and the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with two slots, while the just-announced Sony A7S III is the first mirrorless with two CFexpress Type A slots, and takes SD too. The Nikon Z 6 and Z 7 have one XQD-type slot and firmware 3.0 means CFexpress cards will work, while the D850 is still waiting an update. Panasonic’s S1/S1R can be updated to take CFexpress Type B, too. Speaking of incompatibility, in this test I tried the Lexar CFexpress card in several XQD readers and none worked. Similarly, my Sony XQD cards could not be read with the Lexar CFexpress reader. So, the moral is that if you’re investing in a camera that uses CFexpress Type B cards, don’t assume backwards compatibility with XQD kit, and don’t assume your XQD cards will work with CFexpress cameras and accessories. Check first. Leaving these format issues aside, there’s no doubt that the
SPECS › Prices £249 128GB. £449 256GB. 64GB and 512GB sizes to be introduced at a later date. £54 Card reader. › Performance Card: write speed 1000MB/s. Card: read speed 1750MB/s. Reader: up to 1050MB/s › Operating temperature -10°C to 70°C › Dimensions 29.6x38.5x 3.8mm (card). 56.2x47.3x12.9mm (reader) › Weight 7.65g (card), 21g (reader) Contact: swains.co.uk
ABOVE CFexpress cards have super-fast read/write speeds, but another advantage is simply their physical robustness, with a rugged body and no contacts on show – quite unlike SD cards, which are delicate by comparison
Lexar CFexpress card and reader are blindingly rapid. Using the Blackmagic Disk Speed Test with a 3.1GHz 16GB RAMMacBook Pro running the latest OS, I got a write speed of 748.4MB/s and a read speed of 835.2MB/s. This was with the card reader connected using a USB-C to USB-C lead. Use the card and reader with the Lexar supplied USB-C to USB-A lead in a USB-A port and, of course, such speeds are not possible. Using a Mac Mini with this lead, I got a write speed of 408MB/s, which is still impressive. In a practical test, I wrote 3GB of data to the card and that took between seven and ten seconds while reading that same data took four to 12 seconds. Repeating the test several times with absolutely nothing changed gave the minor time variations, which I can’t explain, but to be honest I’m not bothered, because that’s an awesome performance. WC
PROS Incredible speed, robust CONS CFexpress cards are expensive the most from your kit and achieve a smooth, superfast workflow. Verdict If you’re lucky enough to own a CFexpress- compatible camera, you’ll need to feed it and certainly these Lexar products will help you get
RIGHT XQD and CFexpress Type B cards are physically the same on the outside and cameras that accept XQD cards will also work with CFexpress cards – assuming a firmware update is available
ABOVE Lexar’s CFexpress USB 3.1 Type B reader accepts CFexpress cards only – my XQD cards fit but didn’t work. It’s compact, so ideal for use on the move
24 Photography News | Issue 80
photographynews.co.uk
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