Testing the next-generation media “Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB” with Nikon Z series 8.3K RAW video

Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB announced

At CES 2024, Lexar announced the Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB, a card compatible with the next-generation CFexpress 4.0 standard. In Japan, it will be available at major electronics retailers and e-commerce sites from late December.
This time, we will test this card with the Nikon Z9 and Z8, which are capable of recording 8K RAW video.

Lexar is a company founded in 1996 that manufactures and sells digital storage media. Anyone who has been involved in video or photography for a long time has probably used their products at least once. I also used them in the days of CFast cards, and I don’t remember any particular problems with them, so they are one of the most reliable manufacturers.

Of course, they also produce CFexpress cards, which are used in today’s high-spec cameras.

What is CFexpress 4.0?

This time we will be trying out the “Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB”, but what kind of standard is CFexpress 4.0 in the first place?

This standard is based on the PCIe 4.0 interface and NVMe 1.4 protocol, which is twice as fast as the previous CFexpress 2.0. With a theoretical transfer speed of up to 4GB/s, it enables high-speed writing of 8K videos and high-resolution RAW photos. It also ensures backward compatibility with the previous CFexpress 2.0.

How to Choose a CFexpress Card

When choosing a CFexpress card, it is a good idea to pay attention to three points: write speed, maintaining a continuous write speed, and low heat generation.

A small cache capacity can slow down the write speed and cause recording to stop. The Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB is certified to the VPG400 standard, which guarantees a minimum sustained write speed of 400MB/s, allowing for continuous high-speed writing to the card.

Personally, cards that guarantee a minimum sustained writing speed are reliable. Also, CFexpress cards generate a lot of heat, which can be one of the causes of camera thermal shutdowns. Early cards generated a lot of heat, but many of the latest cards are designed to reduce heat.

Testing continuous writing under harsh conditions

Now, let’s leave the background knowledge about CFexpress cards behind and finally move on to testing the Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB.

In fact, when I was asked to write this article, the camera I was supposed to use was the Nikon Z9. However, the Z9 has excellent heat dissipation, and the catchphrase at the time of its release was “UNSTOPPABLE,” so it is a camera that never stops.

On the other hand, the Z8, which is a smaller version of the Z9, is a bit more sensitive to heat dissipation and can sometimes shut down due to heat. Therefore, we also tested the Z8 in a more severe environment.

The Nikon Z9/Z8 can shoot 8.3K60P RAW video. You can choose between high and standard image quality, but this time we recorded in high quality to test the video under the most stringent conditions possible. Recording under these conditions results in a speed of approximately 5780Mbps (722.5MB/s), which places a heavy burden on the camera and card.

This 1TB card allows for approximately 22.5 minutes of recording time. This may seem short, but I usually shoot in 8.3K30P standard resolution, which allows for approximately 78 minutes of recording time.

The Z9/Z8 will stop recording after several warnings: first a “Hotcard” message when the card gets too hot, then three thermal warnings, and finally a countdown before stopping.

Test Results

The measurement results are as follows. Both the Z9 and Z8 were able to record without any problems until the cards were full. There still seemed to be plenty of room for improvement, so I formatted them without any delay and started recording again while the cards were still hot.

As a result, I was able to record continuously for 125 minutes on the Z9 and 89 minutes on the Z8. Since I was able to record for more than two hours on the Z9 without getting a single warning, I stopped recording.

Test results by camera

Actual on-site usage

Since I had a chance, I tried using it on location. I mainly shoot mountain footage outdoors. I happened to be shooting under the blazing sun at the end of summer, so I tried using it. I shot a full 1TB worth of footage, and was able to finish the shoot without any issues.

8K RAW recording is usually done at 8.3K30P standard image quality, with each cut lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes at most.

Naturally, this puts less strain on the card and camera than the indoor endurance test described in the previous section, but if no problems occur when actually using the product, it gives you an even greater sense of security and reliability.

Write speed verification when taking still images

One of the reasons to use Nikon cameras is that they can shoot both video and stills at a high level, and the writing speed to the card is extremely important when shooting stills continuously.

Because the Z9/Z8 have a card slot compatible with CFexpress 2.0, the performance of the Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB cannot be maximized, but we tested it anyway. With the highest image quality RAW+FINE★ setting and a maximum continuous shooting speed of 20 frames per second, both the Z9/Z8 were able to maintain a speed of about 45-50 frames.

Testing the speed of loading to a PC

I used Lexar’s CFexpress 4.0 compatible card reader “WF740” on my MacBook Pro M1 Max and measured it with Blackmagic Speed ​​Test. It was very fast and comfortable, with a write speed of 2435MB/s and a read speed of 2920MB/s.

I compared this with the 2.0 compatible reader I normally use, and the CFexpress 4.0 compatible card reader was overwhelmingly faster, with a writing speed about 2.5 times faster and a reading speed about 3.2 times faster.

When compared to a CFexpress 2.0 card, transfer speeds were approximately twice as fast as specified.

In fact, I also measured the transfer speed on Windows, but since my Windows machine does not support USB4 and is only equipped with USB3.2 Gen2 x2, the transfer speed was only about the same as that of a reader that supports CFexpress 2.0.

Blackmagic Speed ​​Test is a tool that measures the read and write speeds to the internal storage of a high-speed PC. However, in actual use, it is unrealistic to store 1TB of data on the internal storage, so the transfer speed of the backup media is also an important factor.

summary

Lexar CFexpress 4.0 Type B Diamond 1TB was tested from various angles as a high-performance card that supports the next-generation media standard. As a result, it showed excellent characteristics in many aspects, such as high-speed performance, reliability, compatibility, and heat management.

It worked without any issues on set, proving its high reliability. It also ensures compatibility with CFexpress 2.0-compatible devices, so it can be used with current equipment.

However, to get the full benefits of CFexpress 4.0, you need a card reader that supports CFexpress 4.0, a PC that supports USB4, and data storage with a transfer speed of 3000MB/s (SSD, RAID disk, etc.). When these conditions are met, it really shines in the video editing field.

Overall, this card is a reliable and future-proof choice for professionals doing high-quality filmmaking and photography, and should be considered for your current equipment setup and future upgrade plans.