Pro Level Drives: TOP 5 CF Memory Cards

Unlike Transcend and SanDisk, Kingston, a popular memory manufacturer, is practically not represented on the CF card market. However, this is not a reason to lose sight of the Kingston Canvas Focus card, which has almost the most attractive ratio of price, volume and data exchange speed.

The 128 GB card according to the passport gives 150 and 130 MB / s when reading and writing, and in fact only slightly lags behind the raised bar. In synthetic tests, the drawdown in speed was less than 10%, which can be credited to her asset. Yes, there are drives that run even faster than the manufacturer promises, but in most cases the drawdown sometimes reaches all 20%.

Plus, the card complies with the VPG 65 standard, which is more familiar to see in more expensive drives. Thanks to this, Kingston Canvas Focus supports continuous video recording at speeds up to 65 Mbps, which is just enough for shooting in 4K resolution. The only thing is that its operating temperature range is between 0 and 60 °C, that is, it is not very suitable for working in extreme cold and in general extreme shooting.

Transcend CompactFlash 800x is one of the most affordable CompactFlash cards of large volume. The 800x multiplier in the name indicates the ability of the flash drive to exchange data at speeds up to 120 Mbps. This is not the fastest CF option of those that are still actively being sold, but the situation is brightened up by the fact that in fact the speed is higher than stated. So in tests simulating real operation, CompactFlash 800x reaches a maximum mark of 133 Mbps when reading. At the same time, the average speed does not fall below 120 Mbps, and when recording it stays at 70 Mbps.

The drive is well suited for recording videos in FullHD format. Support for the VPG-20 standard guarantees a stable recording speed at the level of 20 Mbps and eliminates possible frame drops during video shooting. And BCH ECC algorithms with support for repeated reading attempts to detect and correct errors insures against errors in the process of copying data to a USB flash drive.

All kinds of protection systems in service with the Transcend CompactFlash 800x allow you to maintain the performance of the data carrier even if the device with which the flash drive was equipped fails. She is not afraid of electromagnetic waves or strong temperature changes (from -25 to +85 degrees Celsius). A nice bonus for the owners of the memory card will be an annual subscription to the RecoveRx lost data recovery software and a 5-year warranty period.

Memory modules are the backbone of SanDisk's products and one of the brand's significant revenue items. The Extreme CompactFlash drive from SanDisk is an inexpensive and not too fast CompactFlash card, which is designed for owners of "adult" mirrors working in extreme conditions. The name Extreme obliges to this.

The card works stably in the temperature range from -25 to +85 Celsius. In fairness, there is nothing unusual in this and many other memory cards of this level can do such tricks. But we go further and see that the outer shell of the flash drive is also not easy — it does not bend under load, and also has resistance to shocks and vibrations. In order not to throw words to the wind, SanDisk gives a lifetime warranty on the cards of the Extreme series.

According to the characteristics of the drive, there are not enough stars from the sky, being a typical representative of the middle class. Nevertheless, the stated information exchange rates are observed with special care — when writing data, they are packed on a USB flash drive at a speed of 85 MB / s, and when reading, the speed is kept at a stable 120 Mbps. Such high-speed indicators allow continuous shooting in FullHD, and are also suitable for recording photos in RAW+JPEG format. But for shooting in UltraHD and, moreover, 4K, this is not enough.

The 1000x multiplier model is the fastest CompactFlash card in the Transcend product fleet. It is designed for lightning-fast processing of large data arrays, whether it is a series of photos in RAW format or 3D video.

Synthetic tests showed a slight discrepancy between the stated speeds of reading (160 Mbps) and writing data (120 Mbps) when exchanging large files (weighing more than 1 GB). Arrays of images in RAW format are written to the memory of the drive at a speed of about 110 Mbps. So, paired with a DSLR Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body Price from 71 651 up to 98 816 ₴ managed to achieve a result of 113 Mbps, and with a reportage "monster" Canon EOS 1D X Mark II body Price from 220 955 up to 239 314 ₴ — 118 Mbps. However, even despite the discrepancies with the passport characteristics, it is still one of the fastest cards of its kind.

The Transcend CompactFlash 1000x video recording in memory should not cause problems also because it supports the VPG-20 specification (a guarantee of stable video recording at a speed of at least 20 Mbps) and has a built-in error correction algorithm that effectively recognizes and corrects errors during data transmission. Plus, the flash drive feels great at sub-zero temperatures up to -25 °C and is provided with a lifetime warranty from the manufacturer. However, it is important to understand here that it still has a resource for production, which is 10K connection /disconnection cycles.

Extreme Pro is an ultimate option for photographers and cameramen who need a combination of maximum speed and reliability. This is one of the fastest and most voluminous options on the market among all available CompactFlash type cards.

The card belongs to the top class 1067x, providing a speed of 150 — 160 Mbps for writing and reading. At the same time, the average figures are slightly lower, but in general they do not impose any restrictions. Therefore, the maximum series of frames is limited only by the capabilities of the memory buffer of the camera itself. There is also support for an advanced version of the Video Performance Guarantee specification under the name VPG-65, which eliminates the loss of frames from the video sequence and guarantees a bitrate of at least 65 Mbps.

Now about the increased reliability. Firstly, we are talking about the use of MLC memory, for which the manufacturer gives a lifetime warranty. Secondly, the housing operating temperature range is from -25 to +85 degrees Celsius, and the recommended storage temperature is from -40 to +85 degrees. Thirdly, the case of the card itself is covered with high-temperature silicone for additional protection against shocks and vibrations.