In 2016, CFexpress was announced, a new memory card format not to be confused with the older CF (Compact Flash) format. It's different and designed to offer higher performance and other advantages in demanding environments. It's now generating more buzz following recent releases from Canon and Sony. So, here's everything you need to know about CFexpress , from its features to its current prices.
CFExpress, high performance storage
Although it may seem like another excuse for manufacturers to continue extracting money from users, launching a new memory card standard responds to a clear need to improve work capabilities in highly demanding environments.
This is something that is now seen more clearly, with the new proposals that brands like Canon or Sony have recently presented. Although the birth and use is something that we have been seeing as something real for some years now.
The format was announced in 2016 , although it wasn't until a year later that they started to arrive on the market alongside cameras like the Canon EOS C500 Mark II, Nikon Z6 and Z7.
The main feature of these new memory cards is their high data transfer speed. One of these cards can reach up to 4 GB/s using four lanes connected via the PCI 3.0 interface. There are three types of CFexpress cards: Type A, Type B, and Type C. Each has a different size, so the manufacturer chooses one or the other based on their own criteria.
| CFexpress Type A | CFexpress Type B | CFexpress Type C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 20 x 28 x 2,8 mm | 38,5 x 29,6 x 3,8 mm | 54 x 74 x 4,8 mm |
| connection interface | PCIe Gen3 (1 lane) | PCIe Gen3 (2 lane) | PCIe Gen3 (4 lane) |
| Dance | NVMe 1.3 | NVMe 1.3 | NVMe 1.3 |
| theoretical speed | 1GB/s (8Gbps) | 2GB/s (16Gbps) | 4GB/s (32Gbps) |
However, the most important thing is that these cards should not be confused with CFast. These are cards also intended for high-performance uses and, for example, cameras like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K or 6K.
Regarding speeds, these memory cards are designed to be used in demanding environments, both at the photo and video level. Thanks to its high read and write speeds, workflows are improved in every way.
Initially, you have the ability to capture images and videos with much more information thanks to its high write speed. This is crucial for working with RAW material. For example, one minute of 8K video on the Canon EOS R5 takes up around 18 GB , so imagine how quickly the storage device needs to write data to avoid creating a bottleneck.
In this table you can see a comparison of the different card standards that exist today, their versions and the maximum speeds they can reach.
| Standard | Version | Product | Protocol (BUS) | Speed ​​(full duplex) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD | 3.0 | 2010 | UHS-I | 104 MB / s |
| SD | 4.0 | 2011 | UHS-II | 312 MB / s |
| SD | 6.0 | 2017 | UHS III | 624 MB / s |
| SD | 7.0 | 2018 | PCI-e 3.0 X1 | 985 MB / s |
| SD | 8.0 | 2020 | PCI-e4-0 x4 | 3900 MB / s |
| UFS Card | 1.0 | 2016 | UFS 2.0 | 600 MB / s |
| UFS Card | 2.0 | 2018 | UFS 3.0 | 1,2 GB / s |
| CFast | 1.0 | 2008 | SATA 300 | 300 MB / s |
| CFast | 2.0 | 2012 | SATA 600 | 600 MB / s |
| XQD | 1.0 | 2011 | PCIe 2.0 x1 | 500 MB / s |
| XQD | 2.0 | 2014 | PCIe 2.0 x2 | 1 GB / s |
| cfexpress | 1.0 | 2017 | PCIe 3.0 x2 | 2 GB / s |
| cfexpress | 2.0 | 2019 | PCIe 3.0 x4 | Up to 4 GB / s |
CFexpress, capacities and prices
Now that we know the format and we are clear about its advantages, let's talk about prices and capacities. As it happens with any proposal, from the beginning they are solutions whose cost is much higher than that of other more established ones already on the market.
For example, a 128GB CFexpress Type B card currently costs around €280. Meanwhile, the 80GB and 160GB CFexpress Type A cards are priced at around €250 and €500 respectively. Therefore, it's worth considering whether you'll get the most out of these storage devices.
Today, many users are still able to use high-performance SD cards when taking photos or recording video with high-quality cameras. And in the case of needing to record video in RAW format, Atomos type recorders can be much more recommended.