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

CFexpress is now the memory card format of choice for professional cameras, as the best CFexpress cards are significantly faster than even UHS-II SD cards. Evolving from the XQD card format, CFexpress Type B cards share the same outer design as XQD cards, but pack faster memory inside, making them some of the fastest memory cards available today.

Almost all cameras that originally supported XQD cards have now been firmware-updated to also work with CFexpress Type B cards, so cameras like the original Nikon Z6 and Z7 are no longer restricted to XQD cards alone.

Sony has muddied the CFexpress waters by bring to market CFexpress Type A cards (yup, A comes before B, and yet we got Type B cards first - confusing, isn't it!). The Type A CFexpress card variant is physically smaller than the Type B standard, and therefore you can't use a Type A card in a camera designed for XQD/CFexpress Type B cards. You wouldn't really want to though, as the drawback of CFexpress Type A's compactness is a reduction in read/write speed, compared to Type B cards. At present, very few cameras use CFexpress Type A cards: most notably the Sony A7 IV, A1 II and A7S III.

Both Type A and Type B CFexpress formats are based around the same super-fast PCI express Gen3 interface and NVMe 1.3 technology, much like the best portable SSDs. However, they differ in the amount of PCIe data transfer lanes available, with Type A cards using one PCIe lane for a theoretical maximum 1000MB/s data bandwidth (2000MB/s in the latest CFexpress 4.0-generation cards), whereas Type B cards have 2 lanes allowing for up to 2000MB/s max speeds (4000MB/s for CFexpress 4.0 cards).

Here we're listing the best CFexpress Type B and Type A cards available right now. Don't expect to find any cheap bargain buys like you can with SD cards - CFexpress is still a premium card format, and therefore commands premium prices. But you can rest easy knowing all the cards on this list offer top-notch performance and will do justice to your camera.

Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or checking the performance of a memory card, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.

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The best CFexpress cards

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Best overall

Available in 64-512GB capacities, SanDisk's Extreme Pro CFexpress Type B card offers respectable performance and a fair price. Read speeds top out at an impressive 1700MB/s, and write rates a decent 1400MB/s - comfortably quick enough to record even 8K video.

These speeds only apply to the top 512GB card, but this is by far the best value capacity to buy anyway, costing little more than the 256GB version. Go for the 256GB or 128GB versions and peak write speeds drop to 1200MB/s, though this is still plenty fast enough for most scenarios. You'd be wise to avoid the base 64GB card, as it is only rated for 1500/800MB/s read/write speeds, and 64GB is simply not enough for shooting high-res video.

Read our full SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Card Type B review

Best ultimate

CFexpress 4.0 cards are the next generation of CFexpress cards, and they're twice as fast as the cards we've come to know and love. And 4.0 cards literally don't get any faster than this! The B2 Pro from Nextorage is capable of blistering 3700MB/s rear and 3600MB/s write speeds. Sustained write speed - important when shooting high resolution video for prolonged periods - is also class-leading at 3400MB/s. All this is way faster than any camera actually requires though, even for 8K raw recording, but team this card with a suitable reader plus a fast computer and you can slash data transfer times . There are four available capacity options, so you can balance storage space with cost.

Best budget

Recently we've seen a spread of accessibly-priced Type B cards hit the market, but Delkin's latest POWER 4.0 Type B card is the pick of the bunch. Unlike some budget cards, it conforms to the CFexpress 4.0 standard, making it twice as fast as first-gen Type B cards, with a blistering max write speed of 3240MB/s. While most people won't need that extra speed, you might as well have it here, as this card is no more expensive per gigabyte than budget CFexpress 2.0 cards.

Three capacity options are available: 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. All are competitively priced, though the 512GB capacity can 'only' manage a relatively slow 820MB sustained write speed. The 1TB and 2TB capacities are capable of over 1400MB/s sustained write rate. While that's not the fastest available, it is definitely quick enough for almost any shooting requirement.

Best high capacity

Angelbird produces several distinct ranges of Type B cards, but we reckon the AV PRO Mk2 range offers the best combination of speed and high capacity. Available only in 2TB and 4TB capacities, you'll need to regularly be shooting high resolution footage to justify these high-capacity cards, but then you won't have to worry often about running out of storage space.

Both capacities boast very respectable 1785/1550MB/s maximum read/write speeds, putting them on par with some of the fastest Type B cards on the market. But most impressive - and likely most important - is the 1300MB/s sustained write speed, which makes these cards fast enough for 12K raw video recording.

Best for video

Though headline maximum read and write speeds may not be class leading, the Pro-Cinema card is all about reliably high performance, not occasional one-off bursts. Consequently this is a card that promises a minimum sustained write rate of 1400MB/s, making it ideal for recording 8K, high bit-rate video for long periods. Pro-Cinema cards are also built to last, with drop and crush resistance.

We were impressed to find our Pro-Cinema review sample card performed almost exactly as advertised when we tested it, turning in excellent read and write speeds in software benchmarks, and shrugging off anything we could throw at it in real-world testing.

This is far from the cheapest Type B card out there, but if you need a card you can depend on, it's a great buy.

SanDisk Pro-Cinema CFexpress Type B card full review

Boasting max read/write speeds of 1780/1700MB/s respectively, this Type B card is seriously rapid. Most importantly for videographers, the 650GB+ cards are capable of a 1490MB/s minimum write speed, ensuring smooth recording at even the highest resolutions (avoid the 512GB and smaller versions though, as these are much slower).

What's more, with capacities ranging from 128GB right up to a humongous 2TB, there's sure to be a Delkin Power CFexpress card to suit your storage needs and budget.

Delkin's CFexpress cards are backed by a lifetime warranty and a stunning 48-hour card replacement service in the US and Europe – impressive stuff, and valuable peace of mind for working pro shooters. It's also worth noting that Nikon specifically told us that this card produces the best speeds and results when shooting with the Nikon Z9.

Lexar Professional CFexpress GOLD Series cards can be had in capacities from 128GB all the way up to 2TB. The 128GB-512GB versions boast speed ratings of up to 1750MB/s read and 1500MB/s write, while the top 1TB and 2TB cards have a slightly higher max read speed of 1900MB/s. These two top-end cards also have a higher minimum sustained write speed of 1300MB/s, whereas the 512GB and lower capacities are only rated for 1000MB/s sustained write.

We've tested an earlier version of Lexar's Type B GOLD card, with slower speed ratings, so our test results are not necessarily representative of how new-generation cards will perform. Even so, here's our full Lexar Professional CFexpress Type-B Card review

Delkin Device’s Black CFexpress Type B cards are a bit more expensive than some of the competition, but the promise of a replacement within 48 hours without the company actually needing have received your faulty card is reassuring.

You need to pick the right capacity to get the performance you want - the entry-level 75GB card is a little slower than large capacity cards in the Black range.

Whilst Delkin's Power cards are designed for 6K and 4K raw video recording, the Black cards that are designed to meet the increased data speed needed for 8K raw video recording. This is backed up by an exceptionally fast 1530MB/s minimum sustained write speed (1240MB/s for the 75GB variant).

See our full Delkin Devices Black CFexpress Type B review for more details.

The best CFexpress Type A cards

Best Type A

CFexpress Type A cards are still only used by high-end Sony cameras, but the Type A memory card market is rapidly expanding, with new cards regularly being launched.

This Lexar offering is built to the latest CFexpress 4.0 standard, so it's twice as fast as the first generation of Type A cards. That means read speeds of up to 1800MB/s, and an impressive 1400MB/s sustained write speed - just the ticket for smooth 8K video recording.

This Type A card is also built to last, being temperature-proof, vibration-resistant, IP68 dust- and water-proof, 5m drop-proof, shock-resistant, bend-resistant, and 150N pressure-proof.

Two capacity options are available - 640GB, or 1TB - and both are fairly priced considering their no-compromise construction and incredible speed potential.

CFexpress Type A vs Type B

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