The Sports Photo Guy

Current Recommendations (as of 11/20/2010):

If you have a UDMA-enabled camera, such as the Nikon D3-series or D300, the Canon 1-Ds Mk III, or Sony alpha 700, buy one of these cards:

Lexar Pro UDMA 400x Cards from Adorama: 8 GB, 16GB, 32GB

Lexar’s 400x cards, in my opinion, provide the best combination of leading-edge performance and reasonable price, from a company with great professional support.  If you don’t mind a slight performance drop (but still very good) at an even better price, try Transcend’s 400x line:

Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card
Transcend 32GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card
Transcend 64GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card

The 16GB Transcend 400x card, which scored well in testing, is less than half the price of the SanDisk Extreme Pro 90GB/sec card.  Another contender for the typical user looking for the best bang for the buck is SanDisk’s new Ultra 30 GB/sec card (be sure you’re getting the 30 GB/sec model and not the 15 GB/sec Ultra or Ultra II cards).

Buy SanDisk 16GB Ultra CompactFlash at B&H

If you’re looking for even better performance at a bit higher price, try Delkin’s new 625x “CombatFlash” cards.  They come with a nifty 2-card hard case and all claimed to be ruggedized to better resist sports photographer abuse:

Delkin 625x (4GB)
Delkin 625x (8GB)
Delkin 625x (16GB)
Delkin 625x (32GB)

If you have the Canon EOS 5D Mk II, this camera can take advantage of class-leading performance of the SanDisk Extreme Pro 90 MB/sec cards.

Buy Extreme Pro Cards from Adorama: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

If you don’t have one of these cameras, but still want to take advantage of fast UDMA downloads with a FireWire or USB reader, I recommend the Transcend 133x.  Their write speeds can keep up with such cameras, they have very fast UDMA read speeds, and best of all, they’re very cheap!

Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Transcend 8GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card
Transcend 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Latest News:

Lexar’s Speedy UDMA-7 Combo

Last modified on 2012-02-25 14:49:27 GMT. 5 comments. Top.

While not the first to release a UDMA-7 CompactFlash card – that honor belongs to SanDisk and their $800 (street) 128GB Extreme PRO card – Lexar was the first to bring an affordable UDMA-7 card to market in the form of their Professional 1000x cards.  With some caveats, I can say that UDMA-7 delivers on the promise of greater speeds – if you have the right gear.

The catch, as usual, is that you need UDMA-7 equipment to pair the card with, whether it is a camera for recording images or a reader to download them.

Currently, the only cameras with UDMA-7 support are the Canon EOS-1DX, Nikon D4, and Nikon D800.  Canon offers a firmware upgrade for some other cameras.  Cameras without UDMA-7 support can still expect good speed out of this card, but not appreciably better than current UDMA-6 (500x-600x) cards.

As for readers, the Lexar USB 3.0 Dual-Slot reader, with proper firmware, supports UDMA-7.  Read speeds with this card and my Lexar reader before the firmware upgrade were hellishly slow — we’re talking USB 2.0, non-UDMA speeds of less than 20 MB/sec.  But with the easy firmware upgrade, the card notched a blazing 102 MB/sec, a solid 50% increase in download speed over any other card I’ve tested in this reader.

Support this site and buy from our sponsors:
Lexar 16GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA (B&H – $155)
Lexar 16GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA – 2-Pack (B&H – $255)

Lexar 32GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA (B&H – $285)
Lexar 32GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA – 2-Pack (B&H – $470)

Lexar 64GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA (B&H – $485)
Lexar 128GB CompactFlash Memory Card Professional 1000x UDMA (B&H – $800)

Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader (Adorama – $35)
Lexar Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader (B&H – $35)

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USB 3.0 Readers: CF Benchmarks

Last modified on 2012-02-12 01:51:33 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

CompactFlash cards also benefit from USB 3.0 readers, assuming both card and reader support UDMA data transfers.  Although the speeds are similar to those obtainable by SDHC cards, the increase is not quite as dramatic since UDMA CompactFlash cards already outpaced earlier-generation, non-UHS SDHC/SDXC cards.

The Bottom Line

Rosewill RDCR-11002 All-in-one USB 3.0 Card Reader

At $20, this is the cheaper of the two readers that averaged 59 MB/sec with all tested cards.

Rosewill RDCR-11002 All-in-one USB 3.0 Card Reader

The Test

Each of the five readers was tested with 8 cards: Delkin 625x, Transcend 400x and 600x, Lexar 400x & 600x, and all three of SanDisk’s current UDMA lineup: Ultra, Extreme, and ExtremePro.  Each card was measured three times for download speeds for 200 D7000 files (100 NEF + 100 JPG) – a total of 1.83 GB of data.  Average download speeds in MB/sec under Windows 7 were as follows:

 

Top performers among cards and readers are highlighted in red.  A few general conclusions: the readers are generally close enough in performance to make most differences relatively meaningless.  Also noteworthy is the exceptional performance turned in by the Transcend 400x series, which beat the Transcend 600x across the board and rivaled the Lexar 600x for top speed in all of the readers.  The Transcend has been my “best bang for the buck” choice since I first tested it two years ago.

Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card
Transcend 32GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card
Transcend 64GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card

Also noteworthy: the SanDisk Extreme validated its Crap List membership by being outperformed by the Ultra.

For more detailed descriptions of these readers, see the SDHC Benchmarks article.

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Patriot 600x CF Tested

Last modified on 2010-11-20 16:18:13 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Patriot, known more for system memory, has joined the UDMA-6 fray with a 600x LX Series CompactFlash card.  See how it fares in my full tests.

Patriot’s new card comes in capacities of 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB, and include a 5-year warranty but no recovery software or other extras.  Patriot claims read spends of up to 90 MB/sec (600x), but nowhere can I find their claimed write speed.  Not surprisingly, this card did not fare as well as category-leading cards in the 600x speed range, although performance was not terrible, earning a B- in JPG testing and a tolerable 5 fps and 22 MB/sec in RAW shooting.  Still, there are better choices out there.

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Kingston 600x Ultimate: Good, Not Great

Last modified on 2010-10-16 15:39:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Kingston’s entry in the UDMA 6, SLC CompactFlash race is competent but not up to par with other 600x cards.  Read on for my test results.

Kingston does a generally nice job with their products, but in the case of their 600x Ultimate card, it falls a bit short.  While the card scored a B+ in the JPG test, it was disappointing with JPG Fine quality files.  In RAW shooting, it turned in a respectable 5 fps and 25 MB/sec throughput, but these are disappointing results for a 600x-class card.

Prices aren’t bad, all things considered – streeting around $100 for the 16GB card and just $140 for the 32GB.  But you can get nearly as good performance from the Sandisk Ultra at just $65 for a 16GB card.

 

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Lexar 400x CF: Wow!

Last modified on 2010-10-07 03:54:32 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Lexar was somewhat late to the 400x CompactFlash card race, but it was worth the wait.  This bargain-priced (less than $10 per GB) card rivals 600x cards costing substantially more.  See details below.

As the big card manufacturers (SanDisk, Lexar, Transcend, Ridata, plus smaller players) introduced cards with full UDMA 6 support, several have followed with 400x cards that are often cheaper than their corresponding 300x models.  The difference?  MLC (multi-level cell memory) in the cheaper, lower-rated cards.  Compared to SLC (single-level cell) memory, MLC is less expensive but sacrifices some speed, durability, and operating temperature range (among other factors).  For practical purposes in DSLR application, speed is the only major difference (though at extremes of operating conditions I’d go with SLC memory as well).

Lexar lagged a few months behind SanDisk and Transcend in producing its 400x card, which is just now hitting retailers – and it is a winner.  It joins the elite ranks of cards in the “A” (JPG test) and “Highly Recommended” (RAW test) categories of my benchmarks, easily distinguishing itself from other 400x cards.  This new Lexar card is currently my top recommendation for shooters looking for the best bang-for-the-buck in UDMA CF card performance.

Buy Lexar Pro UDMA 400x Cards from Adorama: 8 GB, 16GB, 32GB

 

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A top performer from Ridata

Last modified on 2010-09-15 07:47:38 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ritek has recently launched their 600x card, and it joins the ranks of the elite with excellent performance.  I also document two also-rans from Patriot and Wintec that are best avoided.

The Ridata Lightning Series 600x card offers UDMA 6 transfer rates, and earned an “A” under JPG testing and a “Highly Recommended” rating for RAW shooting.  At just $90 shipped from Newegg for a 16GB card, it’s quite the bargain for a top-performing card.

Purchasing link (support this site):
RiTEK Lightning Series 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Meanwhile, the Patriot 266x CompactFlash and the Wintec Profesional are best left alone.  The Wintec is particularly slow, turning in one of the worst performances of any UDMA card.

 

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Who Let the Dogs Out?

Last modified on 2010-09-07 02:45:02 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and that is true when it comes to CompactFlash cards.  Two “bargain” cards prove this old adage in the forms of the FileMate UDMA 16GB card and the EP Memory 266x 4GB card.

I get a fair number of questions from readers asking about this or that obscure, bargain CompactFlash card.  Fortunately, these cards are cheap and when I find some time (like Labor Day!) I can test them out just for the record.

The FileMate is a no-name card with the front side label upside down and no label at all on the back side.  Not surprisingly, it turned in dismal results, scoring just 57 (F) on the JPG test and an effective shooting speed of 2.7 fps and 8 MB/sec throughput on the RAW test.  Even at $50 for a 16GB card, save your money.

EP Memory’s offering falls in with many UDMA also-rans in the 233-266x range.  It flunked the JPG test with a score of 58, and did slightly better in RAW testing at 3.3 effective fps and 10 MB/sec throughput.  Again, not worth it at $24 for a 4GB card.

 

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Ultra Beats Extreme

Last modified on 2010-06-06 15:35:12 GMT. 6 comments. Top.

SanDisk’s new three-tier lineup (Extreme Pro, Extreme, and Ultra) among CompactFlash cards produced some surprises, with the mid-level Extreme getting placed on The Crap List.  Now the new bottom-of-the-line Ultra, claiming 30 MB/sec (200x) speeds, turns in a very good performance.

The new SanDisk Ultra (no Roman numeral) turns in a performance comparable to the old Extreme III 30 MB/sec card; indeed, I see no reason to suspect the “new” card is anything but a re-badged version of the older one.  In JPG shooting, the Ultra turned in a very good ‘B’ rating (87), and in the RAW test came through with an effective 5 fps frame rate and 23 MB/sec effective throughput.

At prices of $24, $36, and $65 for 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB respectively, this card is quite a bargain as well.  Legendary SanDisk reliability, decent UDMA speed, and a good price.  With Transcend 400x cards often out of stock, I’d recommend this card equally well for the price-conscious user without the need for top-of-the-line speed.

Buy SanDisk 16GB Ultra CompactFlash at B&H

 

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Rock the Casbah

Last modified on 2010-04-12 23:33:11 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

Delkin’s “CombatFlash” UDMA card and Hoddman’s RAW UDMA 6 cards join the ranks of the elite, while Delkin’s “420x” disappoints as surely as its likely re-badged sibling from Calumet.

Three new CompactFlash card models – a pair from Delkin Devices and one from Hoodman – arrived recently, and I had  a chance to run them through my JPG and RAW shooting tests.

Two of the cards – Delkin’s CombatFlash 625x and Hoodman’s RAW 675x in 4GB size – fared extremely well in both measures.  Delkin’s 420x card, however, which bears close similarities in appearance and serial numbers to Calumet’s 420x card, performed about as poorly.

Delkin 625x (4GB)
Delkin 625x (8GB)
Delkin 625x (16GB)
Delkin 625x (32GB)

Buy the Hoodman 675x from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB

Both of the top performers rated an ‘A’ grade in the JPG test, the Delkin with a 96 and the Hoodman with a 98.  In RAW shooting, the two cards turned in an identical 5.5 fps effective shooting rate, putting them just outside the ‘highly recommended’ group but at the top of the ‘recommended’ cards with throughput of 31 MB/sec for the Delkin and 30 MB/sec for the Hoodman.

The Delkin 420x, 8GB card limped in with a D- (60) in JPG shooting and a paltry 2.9 effective fps and 13 MB/sec throughput.

At less than $60 for a 4GB card, the Delkin “CombatFlash” card compares very favorably in terms of price/performance.  (Through 4/30/2010, B&H has instant discounts of $5-$15 on these cards as well.)  In addition, the company claims the series are “ruggedized” with all sorts of gobbledy-gook technobabble (this should win an award).  I can’t verify those claims, but the card did come with a water-resistant looking, nifty plastic case that holds two cards.  For their part, Hoodman asserts a “100,000 cycle” card life, which I also cannot verify, and they continue to boast of “no failures in the field” (that they know of).  I have always attributed the latter claim to the fact that almost no one uses their pricey, slow cards, but perhaps with this new 675x model, that will begin to change – although at $90 for a 4GB card, perhaps not after all.

 

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The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Last modified on 2010-01-16 20:50:20 GMT. 19 comments. Top.

Five new cards were put through their paces, yielding two worthy contenders, two also-rans, and a Crap List awardee.  Read the scoop below.

Lexar’s new top-of-the-line Professional 600x card led this group and took its place among the elite cards, while Transcend’s new middle-ground 400x card turns in good performance as well.  Super*Talent has released a pair of barely distinguishable cards with grossly overstated 600x and 533x ratings, while Calumet’s 420x ProSpec card (which I strongly suspect is actually produced by Delkin) is a Crap List-worthy disaster.

Performance Summary: JPG Results

Lexar Professional 600x: A (98)
Transcend UDMA 400x: B (88)
Super*Talent 600x: D (66)
Super*Talent 533x: D (65)
Calumet ProSpec 420x: F (59)

Buy Lexar Pro 600x cards from Adorama: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Transcend 32GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card

Performance Summary: RAW Burst Test

Lexar Professional 600x: 6.7 fps – 31 MB/sec
Transcend UDMA 400x: 5.5 fps – 25 MB/sec
Super*Talent 600x: 4.5 fps – 16 MB/sec
Super*Talent 533x: 5 fps – 16 MB/sec
Calumet ProSpec 420x: 3 fps – 11 MB/sec

 

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Dog Days of December

Last modified on 2009-12-26 14:29:02 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

A double-data disaster from Taiwanese twins A-Data and RiData yields merely an also-ran and a Crap List awardee.  Read about the mediocrity below.

The RiData 300x is the latest offering from RiTek USA, the American subsidiary of Taiwan-based RiData.  It’s a modest improvement on the company’s earlier 233x and 266x cards, which were themselves dogs in terms of performance.  The 300x turns in middle-of-the-road performance, and at prices ranging from around $50 for the 4GB card to about $170 for the 16GB version, better choices exist.  JPG results: C (74); RAW results: √ Recommended (5 fps effective; 22 MB/sec).

A-Data’s 533x card is a step backward for this company.  Their 350x card earned the “gentleman’s C” in JPG testing and eked out a barely “Recommended” performance in RAW shooting.  This new “Speedy” series card, however, gets an “F” (59) in JPG testing and a dismal 3.3 fps (effective) and 12 MB/sec throughput in RAW performance.  Even at the bargain price of around $60 for a 16GB card, it earns a spot on our Crap List.

 

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Never Believe the Label

Last modified on 2009-11-05 00:26:52 GMT. 3 comments. Top.

Never believe the label when it comes to manufacturer speed claims – they are almost always based on unrealistic test conditions.  A reader wonders why his 533x card can’t achieve anywhere near 400x speeds.  See why below.

I received the following comment on the site today:

I have a Canon 5D MK2 and was told that I need 40mb/s write speed (about 300X) to get smooth HD video with the camera. My agent has a 300X card and it works great. Anything less than that produces a “choppy” movie. Per various recommendations, I bought the new 32gb CF Photoflash card (533x). I just shot video with it in my 5D MK2 and the movies are extremely choppy. The movie is worse than using a Kingston 133x card! Either this card does not write at the speed advertised or something else is going on? Any ideas? Thanks.  - Bob Jensen

Well, Bob, let’s see…533x equals almost 80 MB/sec, which PhotoFast claims as read/write speed for the 533x Plus card and read speed only for the standard 533x card.  So if you got “only” the standard 533x card, you have a claimed write speed of 40 MB/sec.  But according to your experience, you’re not getting that minimum 40 MB/sec write speed.

I don’t shoot or test Canon, but from what I’ve read, the 5D Mk II can record files faster than any camera that Nikon currently produces.  According to Rob Galbraith, the 533x Plus reaches 45 MB/sec in that camera, while the standard 533x only manages 30 MB/sec.  That may indeed explain the choppiness you are seeing.  (Note that 30 MB/sec is only about 200x – a far cry from the 533x on the label!)

If you got the standard 533x, you might see if PhotoFast will let you exchange it for a 533x Plus card.  Otherwise, I’d seek a refund and look for one of  SanDisk’s new 90 MB/sec Extreme Pro cards.

 

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Extreme Disparity

Last modified on 2009-10-29 01:04:27 GMT. 7 comments. Top.

SanDisk’s new Extreme Pro and Extreme lines of CompactFlash cards promise transfer rates of 90 MB/sec and 60 MB/sec respectively, compared to the 45 MB/sec claimed for their Extreme Ducati cards.  Talk about night and day…one of the new cards turns in blistering performance, especially in RAW shooting, while the other makes it on the Crap List.

Get the scoop on these two very different cards below.

Let’s start with the good news: the SanDisk Extreme Pro card will be a boon to RAW shooters.  It smashed all previous records with an effective 6.7 fps, 34 MB/sec throughput in my D300 RAW test.  This portends well for future cameras that can take advantage of its high speed; the D300 itself really seems to be the limiting factor here, as the JPG score of 106 puts it right in the pack with other top cards.  Other sites have reported eye-popping results with some of Canon’s new DSLRs, while the D300 is getting pretty long in the tooth as digital cameras go.

Buy Extreme Pro Cards from Adorama: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

The Extreme card was pretty unimpressive.  Its JPG score of 70 and RAW results of 4.3 effective fps and 18 MB/sec throughput are considerably slower than the Extreme III 30 MB/sec edition which it supposedly replaces (and is supposedly twice as fast as).  And it’s not the camera; other sites show equally lackluster performance with those new Canons.  SanDisk, you’ve really come up with a lemon here, and I have no choice but to put this card on the Crap List.

One interesting note: I tested several cards with my new D300s, hoping perhaps Nikon had tweaked the internals.  Not so.  If anything, the D300s records files a little slower than the D300 with identical settings.

 

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Transcend 600x CF Cards: The Real Deal?

Last modified on 2009-08-29 01:35:11 GMT. 8 comments. Top.

Now that they’re back in stock, I thought I’d highlight the Transcend 600x CompactFlash cards that quietly slipped into the RAW and JPG shooting tests a few weeks ago.

The 8GB card I tested did quite nicely, with its scores of “A” (98) in the JPG test and 6.7 fps and 29 MB/sec in the RAW test putting it in the elite company of Sandisk’s Extreme IV/Ducati cards.  I’d say you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference in practical situations, and indeed, on my D300 at 8 fps I never missed a beat at a recent soccer match.

Admittedly, it took them 4 tries to come out with a card that truly equals the SanDisk Extreme IV series, but Transcend is finally there.

Transcend 600x 8GB Compact Flash (CF)Flash Card

Transcend 600x 16GB Compact Flash (CF)Flash Card

 

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Pretec 667x CF RAW and JPG Speed Tests

Last modified on 2009-08-03 11:28:55 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I put the Pretec 667x 8GB through the D300 RAW & JPG shooting tests.  Is this the world’s fastest CF card, or just another disappointment?

Mostly a disappointment, sad to say.

While an improvement over the 433x card, and a decent performer overall, the 667x doesn’t set any records.  A solid B+ in the JPG test and a 5.5 fps and 25 MB/sec rate in the RAW test make it a solid backup card, it still doesn’t approach the Extreme IV / Ducati series cards.

Unfortunately, my FireWire 800 workstation is being overhauled, so I won’t have card-to-computer numbers for a few weeks.  I’m hopeful that the speed of this card will be more impressive in that benchmark.

Buy Extreme Ducati Edition Cards from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB
Buy Extreme IV Cards from Adorama: 2 GB, 4GB, 8GB

 

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Transcend develops 600x-rated CF Card

Last modified on 2009-07-12 01:02:04 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Transcend has announced a new UDMA-enabled CompactFlash card rated at 600x speed, available in 8GB and 16GB sizes.  No word yet on pricing or availability (the cards are not in stock on Transcend’s site or anywhere else I can find, though I did encounter one person who Sweden who claims to have one).

Meanwhile, Pretec is finally shipping their previously-announced 666x-rated cards, now labeled as 667x.  I have a 8GB card ($179) on the way and will report results when it arrives.

 

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Pretec 433x & Hoodman RAW 300x

Last modified on 2009-05-06 11:19:02 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Pretec’s recently announced 433x cards are now shipping, while Hoodman has upgraded their RAW 280X cards to 300X.  See how they both fared in my real-world tests in the D300.

Nothing earth-shattering here, unfortunately.  In the RAW shooting test, both cards clocked near-identical specs of 5.5 effective fps and 23 MB/sec, putting them firmly among our recommended cards but far from the elite group.  In JPG shooting, the 433x Pretec scored a solid (but by no means remarkable) 84 while the Hoodman only scored a middle-of-the-road 78.

 

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Pretec Unveils 666x and 433x CF Cards

Last modified on 2009-03-08 19:23:40 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Pretec, masters of the ridiculous in CF card size and outlandish speed claims, have unveiled first 433x and most recently 666x rated CompactFlash cards.

Introduced primarily for users of medium-format digital systems, the 433x card has published specs of 65 MB/sec read speed and 50 MB/sec write speed.  The 666x card claims a 100 MB/sec speed.

Of course, it remains to be see how these cards perform in DSLRs and card readers, as opposed to industrial measuring devices on which manufacturers base their speed claims.  For example, Pretec’s 333x card, which was previously claimed to be the fastest in the world, turned in only middle-of-the-pack results in my real-world tests of RAW and JPG write speeds in the D300.

 

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So-So Sony

Last modified on 2009-03-08 19:24:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Sony couldn’t have wanted to make a CompactFlash card, so that must be why they didn’t put much effort into it.

One could hear Sony’s execs wailing all the way across the Pacific when they realized that they would have to adapt CompactFlash cards when they took over Minolta’s DSLR product line; after all, no other memory card standard is fast enough for top-of-the-line DSLRs and they didn’t have time to develop an entirely new proprietary format.

That’s because Sony has long used its dominance in consumer electronics to push its own proprietary formats and force you to buy Sony-branded accessories for your Sony-branded gizmos – even if those Sony standards are woefully inadequate (look at the ridiculous proliferation of “Memory Stick” sub formats for the weakness of some of Sony’s design specs).

So when it comes to their DSLRs, Sony only has brand snobbery to rely on for ensuring sales of its CompactFlash card line, and while Sony is to be commended for making their newest camera models UDMA-capable, their UDMA flash cards are only mediocre at best.  The 4GB 300x UDMA card I tested turned in only a score of 84 in the JPG test (lower than SanDisk’s 30 GB/sec Extreme III line), though it did manage a 5.5 fps, 24 MB/sec throughput on the RAW shooting test (putting it, barely, in the highly recommended range).

Buy Sony UDMA 300x CF cards from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB

 

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Form Over Function

Last modified on 2008-12-21 13:43:54 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SanDisk’s new ImageMate All-in-One reader has great looks, but does this UDMA USB 2.0 upgrade we’ve been waiting for deliver the performance we expect?  I also look at Delkin’s new Reader-38 UDMA USB reader.

SanDisk’s flashy new ImageMate reader with its low-profile magnetic stand looks cool, but it turned in a mediocre 23 MB/sec average transfer rate with my standard test group of a dozen UDMA-enabled cards from various manufacturers.  At $30, unless you’re looking for a fashion accessory, there are much better choices out there.

Delkin’s Reader-38 edged out the SanDisk with a 24 MB/sec average transfer rate, keeping it in the pack of competent USB readers.  At $20, though, it is on the expensive side of this group.

Our reigning USB speed champ, the Lexar Professional Dual-Slot reader, is now just $20 after a mail-in rebate and averaged 26 MB/sec in our tests.  Here’s how all of the tested readers stack up, with the two discussed in this article in bold:

Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader ($20) – 26 MB/sec
Hama Card Reader Writer 35-in-1 ($15) – 24 MB/sec
Omniflash Uno! USB 2.0 CF Reader ($17) – 24 MB/sec
Delkin Reader-38 ($20) – 24 MB/sec
Kingston USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 19-in-1 Reader ($15) – 23 MB/sec
SanDisk ImageMate All-in-One ($30) – 23 MB/sec
Hoodman RAW USB 2.0 UDMA Reader ($40) – 22 MB/sec
ATP Pro Max Card Reader USB 2.0 ($12) – 21 MB/sec
Delkin ImageRouter ($100) – 20 MB/sec

 

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Lexar 233x Pro CompactFlash Card

Last modified on 2008-12-20 16:23:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Lexar has introduced a 233x card, ostensibly to compete with SanDisk’s new Extreme III UDMA cards, into its lineup.  See how the new card stacks up in our RAW and JPG tests.

 

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Delkin Strikes Back

Last modified on 2008-12-14 17:42:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Delkin has upgraded its USB-based ExpressCard 54 UDMA CompactFlash adapter to utilize the PCI-Express bus.  Does this upgrade allow Delkin to recapture its title as king of the laptop card readers?  See my update to Card Trek:The Next Generation.

 

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New Cards from A-Data, Calumet

Last modified on 2008-11-08 01:17:29 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I tested CompactFlash cards from A-Data (Turbo 350x) and Calumet (ProSpec 305x).  Could either of them pass muster?

In results posted in our JPG and RAW shooting results with the D300, the A-Data Turbo 350x is a significant improvement over their earlier 266x version, but still only mediocre compared to the elite cards in the 300x range.  The Calumet card, which I’m guessing is simply a rebranded card from another manufacturer, matched the generally dismal results of also-rans in the 266x range.

 

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SanDisk Extreme III UDMA & Apacer Steno IV CF Cards Tested

Last modified on 2008-09-12 14:29:45 GMT. 6 comments. Top.

Two new entries in our RAW and JPG write tests in the D300:  does either make the grade?

The newly UDMA-capable Extreme III series exceeds expectations, with a solid “B” grade in JPG testing and the coveted “highly recommended” rating in RAW testing.  With the latest rebates, this card is a good bargain – just $29 for a 4GB card.  (Be sure to order the 30 MB/sec version, which is clearly labeled as such, and not the earlier 20 MB/sec version.)  SanDisk has also recently announced a ridiculous 32GB version of this card ($350 with no rebate).

Apacer’s card clocks in with speeds similar to off-brand cards in the 266-300x range, earning a “recommended” rating in RAW testing and a barely passing “D” in JPG shooting.

 

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Card Trek: The Next Generation

Last modified on 2009-01-04 20:55:00 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

With the PCMCIA CardBus interface fading fast, three new ExpressCard contenders are vying for fastest CompactFlash reader bragging rights. One of these three is the fastest CF reader I’ve ever tested; do you know which one to buy?

Updated 12/14/2008: Delkin has released a PCI-Express version of its ExpressCard 54 UDMA adapter.  In my battery of tests with 15 different UDMA CompactFlash cards, the PCI-Express model reached an average throughput of 33 MB/sec under Windows Vista, significantly better than its predecessor and nearly as fast as our “champ.”  It would appear that this adapter has replaced the USB-based ExpressCard 54 UDMA adapter, as the adapters are visually identical (as is their packaging).  Unfortunately, this effectively makes it impossible to know which version you are buying, and as such, I can’t recommend this adapter at this time.

For the past few years, Delkin’s CardBus 32 adapters have ruled the roost when it came to downloading photos on to your laptop.  The UDMA version of the adapter, which I tested back in April, rivaled FireWire 800 readers under Windows Vista SP1.  As this adapter was phased out, Delkin introduced two replacements for it: a UDMA-enabled ExpressCard 54 adapter, and a “high speed” ExpressCard 34 adapter.  Both priced at $50, I was interested to see which of these two successors would take the crown for fastest laptop card reader.  Joining the mix is Verbatim’s $40 CameraMate ExpressCard 34.  Who comes out on top?

Surprisingly, Delkin’s two entries lag far behind not only the Verbatim reader, but the earlier, discontinued CardBus 32 UDMA reader.  While the new ExpressCard specification allows for cards to use either USB 2.0 or PCI-Express bus speeds, Delkin inexplicably opted for the slower USB 2.0 specification, limiting these card readers to–you guessed it–the ~25 MB/sec speed of UDMA CompactFlash readers.  In my battery of tests with 15 different UDMA CompactFlash cards, both of the Delkin adapters averaged 25 MB/sec, compared to the 32 MB/sec average speed of the CardBus 32 UDMA adapter.

The new champ is Verbatim, whose unassuming little card averaged nearly 35 MB/sec–the fastest of any reader I’ve yet tested under Windows Vista.  That’s because Verbatim’s designers wisely opted for the PCI-Express bus for transferring files.

Some additional notes: a few months ago, I bought an ExpressCard 34 adapter on eBay that was advertised as UDMA-capable and looked a lot like the Verbatim.  But it didn’t work (my computer would recognize it but the supplied drivers would not, rendering the adapter useless).  Caveat emptor.  In addition, while Delkin advertises markedly different transfer rates for their two cards (“up to” 33 MB/sec for the ExpressCard 54 and 20 MB/sec for the ExpressCard 34), both achieved nearly identical results that were clearly in UDMA territory.  I’m not sure if their engineers failed to tell their marketing department that the ExpressCard 34 was also UDMA-capable or if this was product evolution upgrade.

 

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BiWin Bargain?

Last modified on 2008-08-23 11:52:57 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

The BiWin 16GB UDMA CF card sells for a mere $50.  Is it a real bargain, or a candidate for The Crap List?  Click thru for the verdict.

Might be a bit of a bargain.  It doesn’t set any speed records, and at least BiWin is honest about the claimed 150x write speed, as it scores a barely passing grade of 60 (D-) in the JPG burst test and an agonizing 2.9 fps and 9.4 MB/sec effective throughput in our RAW test.  But these are better scores than many of the slower UDMA cards.

Read scores are decent, reaching 31 MB/sec in the Delkin FireWire 800 reader under Windows Vista, and 24 MB/sec in the Lexar UDMA Dual-Slot USB reader under Windows XP.  These results put the card firmly in the middle of the pack.

At $50, this is indeed a bargain for a huge card that will download fast.  BiWin’s reliability is a big question mark, however.

 

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Three New USB Card Readers

Last modified on 2008-12-21 13:35:32 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

 

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Ridata Releases 266x “Supreme” CF Card

Last modified on 2008-06-19 11:52:49 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Ridata has released a new series of “Supreme” CompactFlash cards, upping their claimed speed to 266x. Does it perform better than the disappointing 233x “Lightning” series? Click through to see my test results.

Ridata’s “Supreme” Series actually consists of two types of card: a UDMA-enabled 266x card, and a 150x card that has a write-protection feature.  I’ve only tested the former.

In the D300 JPG burst test, the Ridata 266x posted a barely passing score of 62 (D-), beating its slower 233x cousin which scored 55.  In the RAW burst test, the Ridata 266x achieved an effective fps rate of 4.0, with a throughput of 14 MB/sec, considerably faster than the 233x’s figures of 2.3 fps and 8 MB/sec but not fast enough to compete with true high-performance cards.

Read speeds were respectable, posting a 34 MB/sec rate in the Delkin Firewire 800 card reader, compared to the 233x’s 29 MB/sec rate.

 

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Fastest USB CompactFlash UDMA Reader Update

Last modified on 2008-08-15 11:32:26 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

With more UDMA-enabled CompactFlash readers out on the market, it’s time to update our test results.  Interesting new readers from Kingston, Delkin, ATP, and Hama get a look in this article.

 No record-setters in this group, but two competent multi-format readers and an interesting, if slower, contraption from Delkin round out our test results:

Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader ($40) – 26 MB/sec
Hama Card Reader Writer 35-in-1 ($15) – 24 MB/sec
Omniflash Uno! USB 2.0 CF Reader ($17) – 24 MB/sec
Kingston USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 19-in-1 Reader ($15) – 23 MB/sec
Hoodman RAW USB 2.0 UDMA Reader ($40) – 22 MB/sec
ATP Pro Max Card Reader USB 2.0 ($12) – 21 MB/sec
Delkin ImageRouter ($100) – 20 MB/sec

Products in bold above were tested for this report; other readers were tested previously.

The Hama Card Reader Writer 35-in-1 is a nice multi-card reader that supports UDMA CompactFlash cards.  It clocked in with the second fastest overall time, and the price is right.  Unfortunately for us Americans, it is only available in Europe.  I got mine via eBay for a very reasonable price (about $19 after currency conversion, with shipping) but it took about eight weeks to arrive.  The Hoodman RAW 2GB card hit 26 MB/sec in this reader.

A nice alternative in multi-format readers is the Kingston USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 19-in-1 Reader.  For just $15, you get a nice little reader with an interesting design and UDMA CF support.  Several cards hit 24 MB/sec in this reader.

Updated 7/19: The ATP Pro Max reader was a little disappointing, although the claimed speed of 22 MB/sec was in line with reality, unlike most manufacturers’ claims.  It’s a nice looking device and the little swing-out USB connector (a short extension plug is included) makes it a nice, compact package for laptop users.  The SanDisk Extreme IV 2GB card hit 24 MB/sec in this reader.

The pricey Delkin ImageRouter was introduced earlier this year, to much fanfare.  Its forte is really as a multi-card reader, and I’ll be testing this feature out soon.  As a single-card reader, however, its performance lags.  None of our test cards was able to top 22 MB/sec, and Delkin’s own CF card (not part of the official test group) registered a knuckle-dragging 16 MB/sec.

 

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Transcend 300x UDMA CF Speed Tests

Last modified on 2009-07-03 23:52:18 GMT. 4 comments. Top.

Transcend’s new 300x UDMA CF card finally delivers on the promise of UDMA write speeds.

The third time’s a charm for memory maker Transcend as their new, black-labeled 300x UDMA CompactFlash cards can at last compete with the big boys in the Nikon D300.

The new cards rate a respectable score of 89 in our JPG write tests and throughput of 24 MB/sec in our RAW burst test.  The card also averaged read speeds of 34-35 MB/sec under Vista SP1 with our trio of FireWire 800 readers from SanDisk, Lexar, and Delkin (actually a tad slower than the Transcend 266x card’s speeds of 35-36 MB/sec read speed).

Get yours from Newegg.com:
Transcend 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card
Transcend 8GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card
Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

 

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Transcend 300x UDMA Cards Shipping

Last modified on 2008-05-08 11:27:31 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Transcend is now shipping its 300x UDMA CompactFlash cards in sizes ranging from 4GB-16GB.  Let’s hope they perform better than the 266x series did.

Transcend’s literature touts the use of SLC (single-level cell) memory, a faster but more expensive type of flash memory cell, in their 300x line.  Several retailers, including site sponsor Newegg.com, are now shipping the cards.  I plan to post speed tests in the near future.

Transcend 4GB CF Card Model TS4GCF300

Transcend 8GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

 

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Deal Alert: PNY Optima Pro UDMA CF Cards

Last modified on 2008-04-25 23:02:36 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Circuit City is having a blowout sale on PNY Optima Pro UDMA CompactFlash cards — solid all-around performers in my speed measurements.

 PNY Optima Pro UDMA 4GB CompactFlash – Just $59.99 with free shipping from Circuit City

 PNY Optima Pro UDMA 2GB CompactFlash – Just $34.99 with free shipping from Circuit City

 

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New D300 JPG Write Tests

Last modified on 2008-04-26 19:52:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I’ve reformulated my JPG performance tests, and re-tested more than a dozen cards.  The recommendations remain the same, with cards from SanDisk, Lexar, and PNY remaining the top performers, but the new rating scale does a better job, I believe, of differentiating JPG burst performance.

Deal Alert:

PNY Optima Pro UDMA 4GB CompactFlash — Just $59.99 with free shipping from Circuit City

PNY Optima Pro UDMA 2GB CompactFlash — Just $34.99 with free shipping from Circuit City

 

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Delkin CardBus 32 UDMA: We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ FireWire

Last modified on 2008-08-26 22:59:11 GMT. 6 comments. Top.

Laptop users without a powered FireWire connector, fret not: Delkin’s UDMA PC card adapters to the rescue.

Updated 8/26: New tests reveal Verbatim’s $40 CameraMate ExpressCard 34adapter as the new CompactFlash reading champ.

Delkin Devices, the original maker of the CardBus CF Card adapter, has a crop of new PC card readers supporting UDMA transfer speeds, and testing shows they are the virtual equal of FireWire 800 readers.

I put the CardBus 32 UDMA adapter ($40) through its paces with 15 different UDMA-enabled CompactFlash cards, and it achieved average throughput of 32 MB/sec — just a shade slower than the 33 MB/sec of the three FireWire 800 readers I frecently tested.  Fastest was the Hoodman RAW 2GB card at 37 MB/sec, with the Pretec 233x 4GB card the slowest at 27 MB/sec.

Delkin also makes an ExpressCard 54 UDMA adapter ($50) for newer-style card slots.  While the ExpressCard specification provides support for both USB 2.0 and PCI-Express transfers, the Delkin ExpressCard 54 adapter utilizes the USB 2.0 bus and is thus limited to USB 2.0 speeds.  It is therefore roughly the equivalent of a USB UDMA reader in the 24-25 MB/sec range.

Delkin’s ExpressCard 34 adapter ($50) while not advertising UDMA capabilities, has a virtual identical 25 MB/sec speed.

Note: The CardBus 32 adapter requires drivers which must be downloaded from Delkin’s web site.

 

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Photo Finish: FireWire 800 Readers

Last modified on 2008-09-04 09:36:57 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

With Windows Vista SP1 finally providing respectable copy speeds, though still below the potential of the FireWire 800 & UDMA interface, it’s time to evaluate FireWire 800 CompactFlash card readers.  I put entrants from Lexar, SanDisk, and Delkin through their paces.

Interestingly, there’s little difference between the three in average speed; so little that I’m reluctant to declare a “winner” on the basis of speed.  The average throughput of the 15 different UDMA cards tested differs by less than 1% among the three.  (Important note: Tests were conducted under Windows Vista SP1.  Although a significant improvement in file transfer speed was made with SP1, Vista still lags noticeably behind Windows XP.  FireWire 800 transfer speeds below are probably 5-8 MB/sec lower than they would be under Windows XP.)

The Lexar CompactFlash Reader (FireWire 800), model RW034-700, is unique in that it is stackable and can be “daisy chained” with other identical units.  (I use three of these readers myself stacked together at my primary work station.)  Priced at $80, it is the most expensive of the three.  In addition to a standard FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) cable, it comes with a second, smaller cable for connecting to another reader in daisy chain fashion (perfect for stacked units).  Average throughput among the 15 cards tested was 33.3 MB/sec.  Most cards averaged 34-35 MB/sec with the Pretec 4GB 233x card being the slowest at just 26 MB/sec.

The SanDisk Extreme FireWire Reader, model SDDRX4-CF, is a small metal-clad unit with a soft rubber base.  It includes both FireWire 400 and 800 cables (all FireWire 800 devices should be able to connect to a 4-pin FireWire 400 port with an adapter or appropriate cable) in the box.  It has a street price of $60, and an average throughput of 33.5 MB/sec.  The Hoodman RAW 2GB card hit 37 MB/sec while the Pretec 4GB 233x card again brought up the rear at 27 MB/sec.

The Delkin Devices FireWire 400/800 Reader, model DDREADER-39, is contained in a small plastic housing with molded FireWire 800 cable permanently attached. A 9-pin to 6-pin (800 to 400) adapter is included in the package.  The Delkin reader appears identical to the Hoodman UDMA FireWire and USB readers (except for color and markings) and I suspect both are manufactured by the same factory in Taiwan.  (If anyone can offer reasonable belief that they are substantially different, I’ll be happy to test a Hoodman-branded unit.)  With a street price of around $80, this unit also reaches speeds of 33.5 MB/sec.  Several cards hit 36 MB/sec average speed with the Pretec 4GB 233x card clocking 27 MB/sec at the low end of the scale once again.

It’s hard to declare a “winner” on specs like these.  For sheer price/performance ratio, the SanDisk is the best choice.  The stackability of the Lexar is a definite plus, however, especially for those of us who use tools like Photo Mechanic that can handle ingesting multiple cards simultaneously.  Units appearing identical to the Delkin/Hoodman FireWire readers can be had on eBay for around $60 as well (although I am not endorsing such units, not having tested them personally).  Compared to transfer rates (under Windows XP) of 22-26 MB/sec for UDMA-enabled USB 2.0 readers, though, the FireWire 800 trio provides ample performance improvement to justify their cost.

 

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D300 RAW Burst Test

Last modified on 2010-11-20 16:27:19 GMT. 16 comments. Top.

After testing the Best UDMA CF Cards for the Nikon D300, which analyzed JPG burst performance, I thought I would take a look at RAW write performance.  The results contained a few surprises.

For this test, I fired off 3 bursts of 20 12-bit, lossless compressed RAW files, otherwise using the same settings from the earlier test.  The D300′s buffer can absorb 17 files under these conditions, so this is just enough of a test to begin to see major differences in write speeds.

Latest Update (11/20/2010): Patriot LX Series 600x.

Highly Recommended √+

• SanDisk Extreme Pro. The new king of SanDisk’s line, this card reached 6.7 fps with an effective throughput of 34 MB/sec.
• PhotoFast 533x Plus. This little-known card hit 6.7 effective fps with an impressive 31 MB/sec throughput.
• Lexar Professional 600x. Lexar’s current top-of-the-line card reached 6.7 effective fps and 31 MB/sec.
• San Disk Extreme Ducati Edition. This card initially topped the performance list with an effective 6.7 fps and nearly 29 MB/sec throughput.
• Transcend 600x Extreme Plus. This card equaled the Ducati, achieving 6.7 fps and almost 29 MB/sec throughput.  A real contender.
• Ridata 600x Lightning Series. A nice entry from Ritek, equaling the Transcend 600x at 6.7 fps and 29 MB/sec but about $10 cheaper for a 16GB card.
• Lexar Professional 400x. A real performer from Lexar that trumps others in its class at 6.7 fps and 28 MB/sec throughput.
• San Disk Extreme IV Series. The two cards I tested – 8GB and 2GB – were just behind the Ducati and averaged an effective 6.3 fps and approximately 28 MB/sec.

Purchasing links (support this site):

Buy Extreme Pro Cards from Adorama: 16GB, 32GB, 64GB

PhotoFast 533x Cards on eBay

Buy Lexar Pro 600x cards from Adorama: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB

Transcend 8GB 600X CompactFlash Extreme Plus UDMA Card
Transcend 16GB 600X CompactFlash Extreme Plus UDMA Card
Transcend Compact Flash 600x 32GB Memory Card

RiTEK Lightning Series 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Buy Lexar Pro UDMA 400x Cards from Adorama: 8 GB, 16GB, 32GB

Recommended √

• Delkin 625x CombatFlash. 5.5 effective fps and a speedy 31 MB/sec throughput.
• Hoodman RAW 675x. 5.5 effective fps and 30 MB/sec transfer rate.
• Pretec 667x. Respectable 5.5 effective fps with a 25/MB sec transfer rate.
• Transcend 400x UDMA. Distinguishes itself from its 300x sibling with 5.5 effective fps and 25 MB/sec transfer rate.
• Sony UDMA 300x. This card fared somewhat better in RAW shooting than for JPG, coming in at 5.5 effective fps and 24 MB/sec.
• PhotoFast 533x. The standard version of the 533x performed well, with an effective fps rate of 5.5 and 24 MB/sec throughput.
• Kingston 600x Ultimate. Disappointing 5 fps and 28 MB/sec throughput for a 600x card.
• PNY Optima Pro. This card averaged an effective 5 fps and 24 MB/sec throughput.
• Transcend 300x UDMA. Transcend’s 300x UDMA card hit an effective 5 fps and 24 MB/sec.
• Lexar Pro UDMA. The Lexar edged into the recommended performance tier for RAW shooting, with an effective 6 fps and 23 MB/sec throughput.
• Pretec 433x. Despite its official claim, this card doesn’t approach its listed speeds of 65 MB/sec read and 50 MB/sec write in real world testing.  It clocked 5.5 effective fps and 23 MB/sec.
• Hoodman RAW 300X. While a marked improvement over its 280X predecessor, this card only managed 5.5 effective fps and 23 MB/sec throughput in the burst test.
• SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/sec. The upgraded, UDMA-capable Extreme III series clocked in at an effective 5 fps and 23 MB/sec throughput.
• SanDisk Ultra 30 MB/sec. New entry-level card gets good marks at 5 fps effective and 23 MB/sec throughput.
• ATP Pro Max II UDMA. A pleasant surprise, the ATP card — an also-ran in JPG burst shooting – joins the RAW shooting journeymen with an effective 5 fps and 22 MB/sec throughput.
• Pretec 333x. Another also-ran in JPG shooting, the faster of Pretec’s original two UDMA models consistently recorded 5 fps and 22MB/sec in our RAW burst test.
• RiData 300x. 5 fps effective and 22 MB/sec earns RiData its first “Recommended” accolade.
• Patriot LX Series 600x (8GB). Effective 5 fps and 22 MB/sec.  Not very impressive for a 600x card.
• Lexar Professional 233x. Lexar’s most affordable UDMA card achieved a consistent 5 fps with 21 MB/sec throughput.
• A-Data Turbo 350x. More proof than manufacturer specs means little, this card reached a merely respectable 5 fps and 20 MB/sec throughput.  It’s much better than their “266x” card but not as good as 300x cards from Lexar and Transcend, either.

Delkin 625x (4GB)
Delkin 625x (8GB)
Delkin 625x (16GB)
Delkin 625x (32GB)

Buy the Hoodman 675x from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB

Transcend CompactFlash 400x 8GB Memory Card
Transcend 16GB 400X CompactFlash UDMA Card
Transcend 400x CompactFlash 32GB Memory Card

Buy Lexar Pro UDMA 300x Cards from Adorama: 2 GB, 4GB, 8GB
Buy Sony UDMA 300x CF cards from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB
Buy Extreme III Cards from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB
Buy Lexar Pro 233x Cards from Adorama: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB

Marginal √-

• Super*Talent 600x & 533x. These cards turned in near-identical performance of around 4.5-5 fps and 16 MB/sec effective throughput.
• SanDisk Extreme. This so-called “60 MB/sec” card reached a measly 4 fps effective and 18 MB/sec throughput, earning this overpriced dog a spot on the Crap List.
• Kingston 266x Ultimate. The Kingston led a pack of cards whose performance was a bit disappointing, at just 4 fps effective and 14 MB/sec throughput.
• Ridata 266x Supreme. Ridata’s second effort reached 4 fps and 14 MB/sec throughput.
• Apacer Steno IV 300x. This entry hit 3.75 effective fps with 14 MB/sec throughput.
• Transcend 266x. Transcend’s faster UDMA card hit 3.75 effective fps and 13 MB/sec throughput.
• Delkin Pro UDMA 305x. Delkin’s card just topped 3.5 effective fps and nearly 12 MB/sec.
• A-Data Speedy 533x. A Crap List awardee due to its ridiculous label claims, this card reached just 3.3 fps effective and 12 MB/sec throughput.
• Hoodman RAW 280X. Hoodman’s card limped in at 3.3 effective fps and 11 MB/sec throughput.
• Calumet ProSpec 305x. This very likely re-badged card has mediocre specs of 3.3 effective fps and 11 MB/sec throughput.
• EP Memory 266x. Ho-hum performance of 3.3 effective fps and 10 MB/sec throughput.
• Calumet ProSpec 420x. Another re-badged “improvement,” it sucks even worse than its predecessor at 3.0 effective fps and 11 MB/sec, and made The Crap List.
• Delkin PRO UDMA 420x. Ugly 2.9 effective fps and 13 MB/sec throughput.  Belongs onThe Crap List with its twin the Calumet.
• BiWin 150-300x. This 16GB monster struggled to reach 2.9 effective fps and a 9 MB/sec throughput rate.
• Patriot 266x. 16GB card reached 2.9 fps and 9 MB/sec.
• A-Data Turbo 266x. A-Data was sucking wind at 2.7 fps and 11 MB/sec.
• FileMate UDMA. Drags across the finish at 2.7 effective fps and 8 MB/sec.

The ranks of the also-rans included the following sub-par performances: Pretec 233x (2.3 fps and 9 MB/sec), Ridata 233x Lightning (2.3 fps and 8 MB/sec), Wintec Professional (1.9 fps and 6 MB/sec), and Transcend 133x (1.7 fps and 6 MB/sec).  Two non-UDMA cards yielded the following results: Transcend’s 120x 2GB card hit 3.2 fps and 12 MB/sec, while the Kingston Elite Pro 133x 4GB card reached 2.2 fps and 8 MB/sec – quite respectable compared to some of the above UDMA cards.

Latest update 10/16/2010: Added Kingston 600x Ultimate.
Updated 10/6/2010: Added Lexar Professional 400x.
Updated 9/15/2010: Added Ridata 600x 16GB, Patriot 16GB 266x, Wintec Professional 8GB.
Updated 9/6/2010: Added EP Memory 266x and FileMate UDMA.
Updated 6/6/2010: Added results for the SanDisk Ultra (200x).
Updated 4/12/10: Added results for the Delkin 625x CombatFlash, Hoodman RAW 675x, and Delkin 420x.
Updated 1/16/10: Added results for the Lexar Professional 600x, Trascend UDMA 400x, Super*Talent 600x & 533x, and Calumet ProSpec 420x.
Updated 12/26/09: Added results for the RiData 300x and A-Data 533x cards.
Updated 10/28/09: Added results for the SanDisk Extreme Pro and Extreme cards.
Updated 8/27/09: Added results for PhotoFast 533x Plus and 533x.
Updated 8/3/09: Added rating for Pretec 667x, Transcend Extreme Plus 600x.
Updated 4/2/09: Due to the switchover from MLC to SLC memory by many of the smaller card makers, I’ve readjusted the recommendations to reflect the new, generally faster speeds of many of the middle-of-the-pack
cards.  The “Highly Recommended” class now truly stands out from the rest, and these are the first cards I personally put into my D300 and D300s.

 

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UDMA CF News from PMA

Last modified on 2008-02-17 12:45:46 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Several announcements of note were made regarding UDMA CompactFlash cards at the Photo Marketing Association show this past week.

Delkin had their ImageRouter 4-card USB CF reader on display.  With a planned April shipping date, this 4-card reader offers UDMA compatibility though only claims 19 MB/sec read speed.

PNY announced a 32GB addition (why?) to their Pro UDMA lineup.

Pretec showcased a 48GB (this is just ridiculous…) CF card from their new 333x line.

Sandisk did not announce any UDMA cards, but they jumped on the ridiculous card size bandwagon with 16GB and 32GB Ultra II cards, both rated at 15GB15MB/sec speeds or nearly as fast as their Extreme III line.

 

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Crowning a USB CompactFlash reader champ

Last modified on 2008-12-20 19:02:56 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

I’ve put three USB 2.0 CompactFlash readers with UDMA support through their paces with 10 different UDMA cards, and the results are in.

Crowning the USB 2.0 Champ

The Lexar Professional UDMA Dual-Slot USB Reader clocks in as the champ with an average UDMA card-to-computer speed of 26 MB/sec, with the Omniflash Uno! USB 2.0 CF Reader and the Hoodman RAW USB 2.0 UDMA Reader spaced evenly behind at 24 MB/sec and 22 MB/sec, respectively.  Note: Test results updated with six additional readers.

The Lexar reader is a slick-looking square with a pop-up, dual-slot interface that accepts both CompactFlash and SD/SDHC cards.  Not only did it have the highest overall performance with the 10 UDMA card types tested, it was consistent: speeds ranged from 23-26 MB/sec, and cards that performed poorly in the other readers fared better in the Lexar.  The fastest card in this reader was the Transcend 266x at 27 MB/sec, though several cards (including Lexar’s own 300x) averaged 26 MB/sec.  At $80 (street), ultimate USB performance will cost you, however.

The Omniflash Uno! was for many months the only option in UDMA readers using the USB interface, and it performs nicely.  At just $17 from The Sports Photo Guy Store, it is a real bargain.  It lacks support for SD cards, however.  Speeds among the 10 UDMA cards tested ranged from 20-26 MB/sec.  The fastest-performing card, interestingly, was the Hoodman RAW 280x, which clocked at an average speed of 26 MB/sec.  Alone among the three, it can attach directly to a USB port or utilize an (included) extension cable.

The Hoodman RAW reader is the only reader of the three that has a permanently attached USB cable, which can be an inconvenience.  Performance among the 10 cards tested ranged from 20-25 MB/sec.  Fastest was the San Disk Extreme IV.  Hoodman’s own 280x card only reached a disappointing 22 MB/sec – even though it downloaded at 26 MB/sec in both of the other two readers.  At $40 (street), this reader occupies the middle ground in price and, with support for both CF and SD cards, arguably in performance as well.  If flexibility is paramount, this may be the reader for you.

 

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Best CF Cards for Nikon D300

Last modified on 2012-02-18 13:53:33 GMT. 44 comments. Top.

Nikon’s D300 was the first production DSLR to offer support for the higher transfer rates of UDMA-enabled Compact Flash cards.  While these cards — beginning with the San Disk Extreme IV series introduced in 2006 — have offered exceptionally high card-to-computer transfer rates (in an appropriate reader), only now are photographers able to take advantage of the incredible write speeds these cards offer with the D300 (also with the Nikon D3 and the Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III).  The results of my informal tests of more than a dozen cards are in, and the winner is…

See also:
USB 3.0 Readers: CompactFlash Benchmarks
USB 2.0 Readers: CompactFlash Benchmarks
ExpressCard Readers: CompactFlash Benchmarks

Few laboratory measurements equate to real-world performance.  No photographer judges success by how many megabytes per second his CF card will read or write; success is getting the image on the card when you need it.  Consequently, I’ve developed a new testing regimen as well as a new ‘grading scale’ approach for JPG write speeds.  Simply speaking, I measure how many images a card can handle at 8 fps in a single burst before slowing down due to a full buffer.  I conducted measurements at both JPG-Fine and JPG-Normal, which give a camera-measured buffer of 26 and 37 frames, respectively.  Combining multiple measurements with a scale weighted toward JPG-Fine performance, I evaluate the tested cards as follows.  (Also see the RAW Burst Test article if you’re an NEF shooter.)

Latest Update (11/20/2010): Patriot LX Series 600x.

Grade: A (90+)

SanDisk Extreme IV (8GB):  108
SanDisk Extreme Pro (16GB): 106
SanDisk Extreme Ducati Edition (4GB):  104
SanDisk Extreme IV (2GB): 100
Lexar Pro 600x (8GB): 98
Transcend 600x Extreme Plus (8GB): 98
Hoodman RAW 675x (4GB): 98
PhotoFast 533x Plus (16GB): 96
Delkin 625x (4GB): 96
Lexar 400x (8GB): 96
Ridata 600x (16GB): 95

Purchasing links for top-rated cards (support this site):

SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro CF90 Compact Flash Memory Card
SanDisk 32GB Extreme Pro CF90 Compact Flash Memory Card
SanDisk 64GB Extreme Pro CF90 Compact Flash Memory Card

Lexar 8GB, Ultimate Professional-Level, High-Speed Performance UDMA 600x CompactFlash Memory Card
Lexar 16GB, Ultimate Professional-Level, High-Speed Performance UDMA 600x CompactFlash Memory Card
Lexar 32GB, Ultimate Professional-Level, High-Speed Performance UDMA 600x CompactFlash Memory Card

Transcend 8GB 600X CompactFlash Extreme Plus UDMA Card
Transcend 16GB 600X CompactFlash Extreme Plus UDMA Card
Transcend Compact Flash 600x 32GB Memory Card

Hoodman RAW 4GB, 675x High Speed Compact Flash Memory Card
Hoodman RAW 8GB, 675x High Speed Compact Flash Memory Card
Hoodman RAW 16GB, 675x High Speed Compact Flash Memory Card
Hoodman Raw 32GB, 675x UDMA High Speed Type II Compact Flash Memory Card

PhotoFast 533x Cards on eBay

Delkin 4GB Pro UDMA 6 Combat Flash Memory Card, 625x, 91MB/s
Delkin 8GB Pro UDMA 6 Combat Flash Memory Card, 625x, 91MB/s
Delkin 16GB Pro UDMA 6 Combat Flash Memory Card, 625x, 91MB/s
Delkin 32GB Pro UDMA 6 Combat Flash Memory Card, 625x, 91MB/s

RiTEK Lightning Series 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Lexar 400x 8GB
Lexar 400x 16GB
Lexar 400x 32GB

Grade: B (80-89)

Lexar Pro 300x UDMA (4GB): 89
Transcend 300x UDMA (4GB): 89
PhotoFast 533x (32GB): 89
Transcend 400x UDMA (8GB): 88
Kingston 600x Ultimate (16GB): 88
Pretec 667x (8GB): 87
SanDisk Ultra 30 MB/sec (8GB): 87
SanDisk Extreme III 30 MB/sec (4GB): 86
ATP Pro Max II UDMA (4GB): 84
Sony UDMA 300x (4GB): 84
Pretec 433x (8GB): 84
PNY Optima Pro UDMA (2GB): 82
PNY Optima Pro UDMA (4GB): 82
Patriot LX Series 600x (8GB): 82

Grade: C (70-79)

Hoodman RAW 300X (2GB): 78
Pretec 333x (2GB): 74
RiData 300x (4GB): 74
Lexar Professional 233x (2GB): 72
A-Data Turbo 350x: 71
SanDisk Extreme (8GB): 70

Grade: D (60-69)

Super*Talent 600x (8GB): 66
Super*Talent 533x (8GB): 65
Kingston 266x Ultimate (2GB): 64
Transcend 266x (2GB): 63
Ridata 266x Supreme (4GB): 62
Apacer Steno IV 300x (4GB): 62
BiWin 16GB 150-300x (16GB): 60
A-DATA Turbo 266x (4GB): 60
Delkin CF PRO UDMA (2GB): 60
Delkin CF Pro UDMA 420x (8GB): 60

Grade: F (below 60)

Hoodman RAW 280x (2GB): 59
A-Data Speedy 533x (16GB): 59
Calumet ProSpec 420x (8GB): 59
EP Memory 266x (4GB): 58
FileMate UDMA (16GB): 57
Calumet ProSpec 305x (2GB): 56
Ridata 233x Lightning (4GB): 55
Patriot 266x (16GB): 54
Pretec 233x (4GB): 52
Wintec Professional (8GB): 52
Transcend 133x (2GB): 51

For comparison, some non-UDMA cards tested included the Transcend 120x (2GB) with a score of 64, the Kingston Elite Pro 133x (4GB) which scored 53, and the A-DATA Speedy (2GB) which limped in with a score of 50.

Buy SanDisk 16GB Ultra CompactFlash at B&H

Buy Lexar Pro UDMA 300x Cards from Adorama: 2 GB, 4GB, 8GB
Buy Lexar Pro 233x Cards from Adorama: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB

Buy Sony UDMA 300x CF cards from Adorama: 4GB, 8GB, 16GB

Transcend 16GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card

Transcend 32GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card
Transcend 64GB Compact Flash (CF) 400X Flash Card

Transcend 300x 4GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card
Transcend 300x 8GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card
Transcend 300x 16GB Compact Flash (CF) Flash Card

Latest update 10/16/2010: Kingston 600x Ultimate.
Updated 10/6/2010: Added Lexar Professional 400x.
Updated 9/15/2010: Added Ridata 600x, Patriot 266x, and Wintec Professional.
Update 9/6/2010: Added results for EP Memory 266x and FileMate UDMA.
Updated 6/6/2010: Added results for the SanDisk Ultra (200x).
Updated 4/12/2010: Added results for the Delkin 625x CombatFlash, Hoodman RAW 675x, and Delkin 420x.
Updated 1/16/10: Added results for Lexar Professional 600x, Transcend UDMA 400x, Super*Talent 600x & 533x, and Calumet ProSpec 420x.
Updated 12/26/09: Added results for the RiData 300x and A-Data 533x cards.
Updated 10/28/09: Added ratings for SanDisk Extreme Pro and Extreme.
Updated 8/27/09: Added ratings for PhotoFast 533x Plus and 533x.
Updated 8/3/09: Added rating for Pretec 667x, Transcend Extreme Plus 600x.
Updated 7/14/09: Added recommendations to top of All About CF page.
Updated 4/2/09: Tested Pretec’s 433x and Hoodman’s 300x cards.
Updated 2/15/09: Tested Sony’s UDMA 300x card.
Updated 12/20/08: Tested Lexar’s Professional 233x card.
Updated 11/6: Tested A-Data’s Turbo 350x and Calumet’s ProSpec 305x cards.
Updated 9/12/2008: Apacer’s Steno IV 4GB card claims speeds of 300x while SanDisk’s upgraded Extreme III 4GB boasts 30 MB/sec (205x) read/write speeds.
Updated 8/23/2008: BiWin’s $50 16GB UDMA card has claimed speeds of 150x (write) and 300x (read).
Updated 6/18/2008: Ridata introduces their 266x Supreme CF card, which improves their standing to marginal performance.
Updated 5/11/2008: The Transcend 300x UDMA CF card performs well in all phases of testing.  Transcend’s third UDMA card finally delivers!
Updated 4/5/2008: A reader with ties to the CF card industry reminded me of some fundamental truths about non-real-world ‘tests’ that should probably be reiterated here.  (In fact, those of you who were familiar with my earlier discussion of CF cards on the ‘old’ site will remember I specifically avoided the word ‘test’ in talking about these observations.)