XQD vs. CF
Apr 25, 2016 00:46:49 #
I recently purchased a new 2933x Lexar XQD card to use with my Nikon D4s. All I can say is "WOW", was I impressed. I shot a Little League baseball game on Saturday and really was able to see the speed advantage of this new format, fast card, especially when shooting a sequence/sequences in CH mode! Absolutely impressive and, now that the price for the 64GB card has dropped to $ 100, not a bad price either. When using Lr CC on a newer iMac in a Lexar Thunderbolt 2 reader, input was pretty much as fast as my system could go! Very impressed. It looks like I'll be moving from Compact Flash to XQD in the near future with the Nikon D5. Wanted to post this and get some opinions from others who have tried the new cards.
Apr 25, 2016 02:00:07 #
mas24
Loc: Southern CA
The 2933X Lexar XQD has been recommended on this forum for the Nikon D500. The D500 doesn't take the CF card. Just the D5. Or you can get a D5 body with XQD cards.Lexar XQD 2933X is suppose to be great for 4K video.
Apr 25, 2016 06:36:48 #
cjc2 wrote:
I recently purchased a new 2933x Lexar XQD card to... (show quote)
Wish both slots on my D4 were XQD!
Apr 26, 2016 06:53:07 #
The new G series XQD card readers that come with the 32gb cards do not read the older H series cards. You will need to either buy the newly announced backward compatible card reader or keep the older style for the H style cards. I do like the XQD cards.
Apr 26, 2016 07:21:46 #
If you do a lot of video and/or high frame rate bursts you will probably see the advantage of XQD cards. If you take single shots or short bursts the CF cards will be just fine.
I suspect XQD cards will get more popular and CF cards will decline but that's just an opinion.
I suspect XQD cards will get more popular and CF cards will decline but that's just an opinion.
Apr 26, 2016 11:47:47 #
amfoto1
Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA
The primary purpose of XQD (and CFast) is videography... especially more demanding 4K.
XQD is joint effort by Sony and Nikon, primarily.
Canon and Sandisk are going with CFast that has similar performance improvements and future potential. The 1DX II is the first Canon DSLR to use it, but they've used it in some video cameras previously.
XQD vs CFast shaping up to be another "Beta" vs "VHS" thing, or "Blu Ray" vs "HD DVD", "iPod" vs "Zune", "Play Station" vs "X Box", etc...
It's interesting that you have choice of ordering a D5 with two CF slots... or with one CF and one XQD slot... or with two XQD slots. Canon isn't offering any choices, AFAIK. The 1DXII is only offered with one XQD and one CF, I think.
Both XQD and CFast are very likely to gradually replace Compact Flash cards. They both have 3X or greater the speed potential of CF, as well as mult-terrabyte capacity potential.
In some cases they might also replace SD. But both XQD and CFast are similar to the physical dimensions of CF, so there is likely to still be need for the smaller SD and Mini SD formats.
AFAIK, presently only Lexar is licensed to make both XQD and CFast. Sony is also making XQD, of course.
Right now there are a few more manufacturers of CFast: Sandisk, Lexar, Transcend and a couple others.
XQD is joint effort by Sony and Nikon, primarily.
Canon and Sandisk are going with CFast that has similar performance improvements and future potential. The 1DX II is the first Canon DSLR to use it, but they've used it in some video cameras previously.
XQD vs CFast shaping up to be another "Beta" vs "VHS" thing, or "Blu Ray" vs "HD DVD", "iPod" vs "Zune", "Play Station" vs "X Box", etc...
It's interesting that you have choice of ordering a D5 with two CF slots... or with one CF and one XQD slot... or with two XQD slots. Canon isn't offering any choices, AFAIK. The 1DXII is only offered with one XQD and one CF, I think.
Both XQD and CFast are very likely to gradually replace Compact Flash cards. They both have 3X or greater the speed potential of CF, as well as mult-terrabyte capacity potential.
In some cases they might also replace SD. But both XQD and CFast are similar to the physical dimensions of CF, so there is likely to still be need for the smaller SD and Mini SD formats.
AFAIK, presently only Lexar is licensed to make both XQD and CFast. Sony is also making XQD, of course.
Right now there are a few more manufacturers of CFast: Sandisk, Lexar, Transcend and a couple others.
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