Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress SE 512 GB + AV PRO CFexpress SX 160 GB

[@philippGM]

I watched so many videos about the question if the SE or SX is better for me and FINALLY I found one, which answers my question easily and clearly. Thank you!!!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Thanks for watching Philip. I always focus on the outcomes. However, I might suggest looking at the 1TB as it is now $479 and is faster at 1300MB/s. Make sure you get the MK2 though.

[@hectormpagan9296]

I bought 4 Angelbird ,3 CF Express cards and 1 SD V60 card. 2 - 512gb AV Pro SE and 1 SX 160 GB for my Nikon D5 & D500, they both work great The 512 GB CFExpress are for my D850 also the SD card for D850. Thanks to this video for the knowledge . Best CF Express cards for the $$$.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I use them every day and can say that they are reliable and I've never lost any data off the Cfexpress cards. They are driving down the price making them affordable even compared to V30 cards. Thanks for watching.

[@TheAmeris]

Av pro CFexpress se 512 GB It is. Glad to hear it is fast for shooting on the R5. Almost bought the Sandisk extreme pro 128gb which apparently isn't fast enough for all of the R5's video applications. AGAIN! awesome videos. Thanks for the information!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

SX for high speed stills; SE for 8K Raw video... ;)

[@fansofER]

I bought two of the 512 GB SE versions for my brand new GH6 and I’m very happy

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Oh, you're going to be set for a while.

[@larry.mathewson]

Most suppliers do not have the cards in stock and are only taking orders. I ordered direct from Angelbird. The price as you say is $179 but in US dollars. They charge $23 shipping US so the total after exchange in Canadian dollars is a little less than a million or about $267 Canadian. Thanks for your notice about the new CFexpress cards. This prompted my purchase today

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

The exchange rate is always annoying. If you order from B&H they have free shipping but you have to pay taxes.

[@mikevalencia1318]

THIS IS EXACTLY THE VIDEO I WAS LOOKING FOR!!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

How so Mike?

[@sottheaphoeurng9044]

I wonder why don’t just update firmware before send to customer purchase? I’ll get the R5 next week and I need a cfexpress card for shooting a music video at 4K 120fps at some clips.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

No idea, but if you use a specific card brand, I recommend sticking with that company for the card reader. There are multiple benefits: speed can be better, ability to update in firmware, full range of support for all capabilities. This goes for any company. I have three card readers, but am standardizing on Angelbird.

[@village_mayor]

That's a pretty good price for such technology and speed. The specs certainly looks really impressive.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Yeah. I was thinking of you when I was testing them.

[@userpassport]

I've tested AV PRO CFexpress SE 512 GB on my R5C and it often stopped recording displaying buffering problem.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

David, did you reach out to Angelbird? I'm curious. I saw someone else say this a few months back. I just reached out to the company but would like some more info.

[@userpassport]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker Yes I tried to contect to Angelbird but no answer yet .

[@thethreeislands]

Good video but I would have liked to have seen some testing on continuous photo performance for the 512GB card as I am a hybrid shooter video and sports photography

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I've continued to use both cards. The 512GB card isn't designed for high speed continuous shooting. The 160 GB SX card is. A good compromise is the 1TB CFexpress card. It has a minimum sustained write speed of 1300 MBps more than suitable for video and high speed continuous shooting.

[@plisskenetic]

What about the R5c's 8k RAW 60fps?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I can't speak to the camera as I don't have one. The Max speed is 800MB/s. 8K raw 30 fps on the R5 is 325 GB/s. I've had two people say they had issues with the 512GB SE card on the R5C, but I haven't gotten further information yet. My suggestion would be the 1TB AV PRO MK2. It's $479, but has a much faster write speed of 1.3GB/s sustained. 512 is a good amount of storage, but 1TB gives me a weekend worth of shooting.

[@jeffreyneville9769]

I had read on numerous sites that the Z9 required a minimum sustained write speed of 1400 MB/s many reviewers (Including Nikon) have recommended the ProGrade Digital Cobalt which meets the 1400MB/s minimum sustained requirement and Ricci from Nikon has also recommended the Delkin Black which depending on the card does 1400-1710 MB/s sustained write speed. The Prograde and Delkin Black were the only cards that were actually field tested on the Z9 from what I have read. I hope these work well, the price is right.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Cards with less than 1400 MBps will also work, just won't get full performance. The Angelbird is higher than the prograde at 1480 sustained minimum write. These guys run their own fabs and produce their own cards...

[@wcsdiaries]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker I just bought the canon r5c so I can do 8k raw with the new vr lens. Which card do I need? I am confused bc it seems there's 3 angelbird cf express type Bs: te av pro, the av pro SE, av pro SX. You ruled out the SX since that's more for stills. But between the av pro and the av pro SE which is ideal/more economical for the r5c? I currently have 1 av pro 512gb but idk if I should get the SE version instead of more regular av pros.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

For video, go with the SE card. Both will work, but you'll get more storage with the SE.

[@jeffreyneville9769]

FYI, Nikon USA's web page claims the Z9 shoots continuously for more than 1,000 frames at 20fps as full resolution High efficiency Raw or Jpeg (L) files when using the recommended ProGrade Digital CF Express Type B 2.0 Cobalt 1700R cards. They also state the firmware update for next year will allow 8K/60P 12-Bit Raw in camera using N-Raw, Pro Res Raw HQ.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

This camera will get better and better with each firmware update!

[@NikCan66]

Get a mix of both for different jobs.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Yep. I have both in my case with the 2TB... I also have a v90 and a micro for the drone... I'm covered ;)

[@NikCan66]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker great selection tonight 👌

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Thanks!

[@RylisPro]

Hopefully the SE 512gb fixes the slow down issue I have while filming 8k with the R5. Not sure if its the camera or my Angelbird 2tb card but when waiting for the red light while filming 8k clips gets quite annoying

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I never had any issues with 8K All-I on the 2TB... What were you shooting RAW? I could replicate if you like.

[@RandallMeredith]

New R 5 auto focus software released and it is great!😎

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Yeah, it does work nicely!

[@pinakiray2005]

superb video ... as usual ... any take on card readers ?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Always use the card reader made by the card manufacturer for maximum performance and to support firmware updates.

[@Simon-SBL]

Interesting, I've been using integral Ultima ProX, 64GB, 1700MB/s read and 1600MB/s write, and to be fair 64GB is enough for me, but it's not enough for 8K, or the camera won't even allow it, not that I'm really interested in 8K per se, but I might like to have a play with it, you know, just because I can, or could, in theory! The Anglebird CFe cards don't seem to be available at any retailers [that I have seen] here, just direct from them for €215.99, so just north of £180 inc VAT and another €10 shipping, still, maybe Amazon or other retailers will pick them up eventually!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I had the same issue in 2020. Could not order them from retailers. I ended up getting them directly from Angelbird.

[@Simon-SBL]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker I'm in no hurry, travel doesn't look likely anytime soon and I can get about 1200 images on a 64 GB card, more than enough for my mostly sedentary style of shooting, but just in case you ever thought that Big Brother isn't paying attention, since I replied to this, I've had a number of Anglebird news stories in my notifications and to be fair, pretty informative... Anyway, my current dilemma is what lens do I want for wide-angle coverage, then more card storage!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Yeah, travel... looks like a long ways away... I'm interested in the 16mm, but find it a little pricey. A L series 16mm would be nice ;)

[@Simon-SBL]

There are a couple of UK retailers that have picked up the two new Anglebird cards, now, I guess Amazon will when they feel like it, they've just banned [or are about to] UK Visa credit cards which is a bit annoying... The 16mm is a no go for me, I think, I just don't fancy it, it's £319 here, so I guess it's pretty cheap in the scheme of things. Going from APS-C to FF has been a bit of a curveball for me on the wide issue, I was using the excellent Sigma 18-35 f1.8 Art, while only a short zoon, it was great for Astrolandscape, 18mm, so about 28mm FoV crop equivalent, was by far my most common focal length, so maybe I don't need anything wider than 24mm. I had the 10-22, but barely used it at all. According to Lr, just 27 shots with that lens!

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

They should become more widely available showing people that CFexpress isn't more expensive than good SD cards. You'll get about 10 years out of the Angelbird cards and they can handle high heat.

[@candyartstv]

I've ordered the Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress SE 512 GB for the GH6. What's been you experience with them so far?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

That once they are in the camera, you don't give them a second thought. Been using Angelbird since 2020. Very solid.

[@robgerety]

I have an R5. I do 75% photography (wildlife is a lot of it) and 25% video mostly at 4K. I am an amateur. Which of these two cards makes the most sense for me?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Depends, for stills, how fast do you shoot? 800MBps works for stills, but if you're shooting 12+ fps, you're going to hit the wall sooner than if you have the SX. I'd go AV PRO SE, and if it works, great, if not get the 160 card and keep both with you. If yo've got a larger budget, get the Angelbird AV PRO 1TB for $479 with a minimum sustained write speed of 1300MBps...

[@robgerety]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker Thanks. I think the AV PRO SE will be fast enough for my purposes. But, yes, at this pricing I may just buy both. Another question is what to use in the SD slot of the R5. I'm beginning to think that the SD card is just going to be used to record stills and short video clips when the CRexpress fills up, which will probably be never. I don't need to use it for back up. I fear it will slow down the camera if I use it for back up.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Robert, sorry for the late reply, but I use the Angelbrd V60 and V90 cards. The V60 1TB can sustain 140 MB/s for the entire card and will last you the life of your camera. The V90 will sustain 260MB/s. The V60 1TB is only $299, but the V90 512 will cost $599. The cost fall rapidly as you go down in size.

[@mikechapman1280]

Would the 512 SE be the best all rounder for R5/R3 if you did mostly still shooting and occasional video? Cost is attractive for high capacity.

[@jpdj2715]

If you never saturate neither camera's nor memory card's cache, then these cards are tempting. A modern digital photographer may come home from a full day shoot with maybe 3,000 raw shots and hope 2 or 3 are usable, when and old school person might come home with 150 and have 75 usable shots. Now with extreme speed mirrorless it becomes more tempting to let the camera go in longer spurts than two manual shutter clicks, and end up with 10,000 or more. Somewhere in this scale, you need a card that writes faster. And then be happy about its read speed when your workflow is to copy from the card to your computer's storage and import into LrC from there.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Depends. If you shoot video, it is more than fast enough. If you shoot a lot of stills, then the 800MB/s write speed will get in the way. You won't be able to shoot 20 fps for long and it will take longer to clear the buffer. That's why I did the video and stills test ;) Shot stills but don't shoot high burst for long and yeah, its a good all rounder.

[@NikosRentas]

Awesome video. Wish there were more videos on info like this. I have to do more research. I picked up the R5 and I just purchased the 2 of 1tb Angelbird Pro's at $750 each. Then I saw the XT version and regretted my decision because of the minimum sustained speed but at $950 each. Now looking at the price for the SE I am regretting it even more that I did minimal research. My workflow is based on 4k 24p and 4k 120p along with stills. My thoughts were syncing backup to 2 of 256 UHS II for the stills and 4k 24p and the rest would fill in 4k 120p as you can't mirror that file format. I would then be able to switch out cards when the back up cards filled up. Should I be returning the Pro's for the SE? Seems that at the price point I would just get 4 SE cards for the price of 1TB. Is there any benefit for a workflow like mine and the R5? Am I missing something with the sustained speeds and the R5? Or do you keep the 1Tb cards with anticipation of the R5C?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

It's about dressing up the R5 for what you're shooting. Most of the time I have the Angelbird 2TB or 512GB CFexpress card in along with a 1TB V30 SD card. I only access the SD card if I forget to turn on dual recording, or to act as a back up. I like the 2TB for travel. It depends on what you shoot on any given day. If you don 't shoot a lot of high speed stills, then 512GB or 1 TB will be sufficient, but if you're going out shooting and you need high speed, you'll want the 160 GB. You might want to get the Profezzion 48 card holder on amazon. Keep both cards with you if on the one and switch out if you need to ;)

[@NikosRentas]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker thanks for the reply, I am just testing a sandisk 512Gb and it is slower than expected. The buffer is filling up at 60 or so photos. I guess my thoughts are on comparing 800MB/s vs 1000MB/s and if there is a significant difference for the camera capabilities and if it will be noticeable with the high speed photos like this Sandisk. Having multiple cards isn't a big problem at that price point. I just don't want to switch and have it choking like this Sandisk bro. lol If my calculations are correct it shouldn't with the buffer sizes but if you can run a test that would be really appreciated.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

The 512GB is built for video needs and won't give you near the same speed as the 160GB SX. The SX has twice the write speed as it really built for non stop continues raw as you saw in my video. I only need high speed continuous raw when shooting with the 100 f2.8 so that's when I would put in the 160 SX. The rest fo the time I would shoot with the SE or the 2TB ;)

[@NikosRentas]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker Thanks for the clarification. I took some time after picking up the 1tb cards to reach out to Angelbird for more clarification. I struggle to see how the use case for 160 GB will be beneficial based on the marketing but makes sense from business perspective. I can fill that card in no time on high continuous mode. But being able to buy a few of those at that price point makes sense for entering the cfexpress arena or moving from hobbyist to more professional. I'm going to make a video on this and some other thoughts like bottlenecks based on the card selection.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Photographers complain of the high cost for fast cards because of the high storage that they don't need. The 160 allows for over 3000 raw files on a single 160 GB card, but at a reasonable price. You're getting super car performance at home depot prices ;)

[@hopeforthefuturesg]

how bout the AV Pro MK2?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

What's your point?

[@hopeforthefuturesg]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker well I picked up the 1TB card with the card reader and it seems pretty solid. I’m using it for video with the Z9 in second card slot with a delkin black in slot 1 for photos. The new firmware update give me NRAW 8k 60FPS on the 1Tb card about 27 mins. It was pretty hot out the camera with recording only 2 mins straight on that setting. I’m hoping it won’t overheat the card if I ever went the full 27 mins. But that seems unlikely

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Don't worry about the heat. Angelbird has a high operating temperature range. If it gets too hot it will automatically shut itself off to protect it. I've filled both the 1TB and 2TB cards without issue. However, when recording with firmware 1,6 in high heat on the R5, the card was painfully hot to the touch after removing it. I recommend letting the camera sit for 20 seconds before removing the card ;)

[@derekcox6531]

Are these cards compatible with the z7II ? I see a lot of ppl talking about the canon cameras,but I’m a bit foggy on the Nikon compatibility

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

They work in any camera that has CFexpress Type B card slots. However, not all cameras support the 4TB card. If your camera supports GPT, you can use the 4TB card. If you camera only supports FAT, then 2TB or lower works.

[@Tomoldchannel]

Thanks for the test The 512 g.o card is interesting in terms of storage and price. With a 'merely' 800 mb/s, does it allow to enjoy fully top cameras(like xh2s) with 6k30, 4k120, apple pro res hq, 40 ips in el shutter? or would we be super limited?,

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

For video, your covered up to 8K60 RAW. It would not work for 8K120 RAW, but could likely do 8K120 All-i if a camera had that option. For stills, it would not be super fact for high speed continuous cameras, but great for every video resolution on a stills hybrid camera.

[@Tomoldchannel]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker Thanks a lot. Do you have an opinion on the Wise Cfexpress B?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I've got first hand experience with Prograde, Angelbird and Purger. I can't speak to Wise. I use Angelbird most fo the time. Good customer service and innovative products. I see them as a market leader. First to market with 1TB, 2TB and now 4TB as well as the affordable 512GB...

[@QbekR]

Is it possible to do firmware update in non angelbird cf reader?

[@jeffreyneville9769]

So if your a Z9 future user would you recommend putting still image files on a Pro SX card in one card slot and sending video to the 2nd card slot using the Pro SE card?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Depends - that is one scenario, but you'd lose redundancy if you did that. Sounds like you might need to equip your camera to the event you're shooting.

[@nelsphoto]

I bought 3 of the 512gb from B&H in anticipation of getting my R5C in March or April. I bought a ProGrade reader. I can't format the cards in a camera since I don't have it yet but wanted to test it. The cards do not show up on my PC like a normal CF or SD card. I see it under devices, not drives. Any idea if that is normal? Maybe the cards are shipped with no formatting and are just raw data until formatted in a camera? Hope that they will show up like a normal drive after in camera formatting?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I use MacOS and have no trouble having the cards show up using an Angelbird reader or other CFexpress card readers. I'm not familiar with Windows past XP so won't be any help. Reach out to Angelbird. I'm sure they'll have the answer.

[@iamthejtm]

Did you get your R5C yet? Can you confirm the SE cards work in 4K 120?

[@nelsphoto]

@@iamthejtm Just did a quick test at full DCi 4K intra frame, xfavc. I believe that would be the highest quality 4k settings. Recorded a clip , run time is slow-mo 120fps is around 8 minutes. 25 GB file, no issues. I have not done any real world work with it yet, but should be able to handle everything the R5C can record from my research.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Thanks Nels. I had a person say they had issues, but am trying to understand what they were doing. The R5c uses a different operating system, but as you say it has the same throughput: 325GB/s in 8K Raw 30 fps. I tested those frame rates and resolution not eh R5 without issues for the full card.

[@userpassport]

Sir, I experienced my angelbird 512GB se stopped while recording in my R5C today. It was 8k raw LT. Do you know what was the problem?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

How many times did you repeat the test. Does it happen at the same time passing. I just had a problem with my R5 stops recording to the Ninja after a minute. My problem was simple, I leftist on custom mode 3 which shuts the camera off after 1 minute ;) Let me know more and I'll see what I can find out. But the R5C in my understanding doesn't go past 325MB/s in 8K raw 30 fps so it should not be a card throughput issue.

[@userpassport]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker I repeated the test every week and finalla found it was affected by the temperature. It seems you do not know the card goes slower whenever getting hotter than usual.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

@@userpassport When firmware 1,6 came out for the R5, I contacted Angelbird as I found the temperature was so hot it singled my finger. Angelbird then tested and found that the R5 with firmware 1.6 was still operating in normal heat parameters, however, they did say that if the temperature gets too hot in the card will shut off to protect it from burning out. It might be that the R5c operates at a high temperature where the CFexpress card is. I just sent a text to the CEO, I should hear back by Monday. I sense as you do that it might be heat build up internally. What resolution and frame rate were you shooting and what was the external temperature where you were filming?

[@userpassport]

@@OrdinaryFilmmaker I experienced some failures last summer days. it happeded whatever I choose among several recording option, 4k 60p 422 10bit or 8k 30p 420 10bit.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

@@userpassport David, I'm speaking with the CEO now. He asked if you can provide me the serial number of the card and the firmware version of the R5C. I would not suggest pasting that here publicly. You could email to me at [e-mail].

[@rolandswales8753]

Interesting how we now say $179 or in the Uk probably more even in £s are affordable. Yes more affordable than the usual price of CF express cards, but think what SD cards and CF cards you were using in Dslrs, before you say it yes they weren't capable of such High write speeds. They were substantially cheaper and CF express seem disproportionately higher in price.

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

They were cheaper, but didn't seem so at the time, especially fast cards ;) Relative I guess. If I wasn't hooting 4K video, I'm sure Id be happy with SD cards still ;)

[@larry.mathewson]

I just ordered the 512Gb CFexpress SE card for my R5. Will the sustained write speed satisfy my 20fps photography for BIF? It all looks the same to me as the minimum speed far exceeds my burst type stills shooting. I normally don't shoot video at more than 4K 60fps. I also shoot sports at about a 2-3 second burst rate then wait for another circumstance to present itself. I hope I have not made a mistake in ordering the 512 Gb card as I need the space more than the speed for all day sports events. Your thoughts?

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

Watch the video. I showed you my experience with the R5. The 1dx3 is better at buffering so no slow down with writes.

[@OkwyUgonweze]

What is your findings? Am thinking about this card. There are reports that angelbird plastics are breaking.

[@rickygoodyear8836]

How did you go with this card? Would be great to see how the SE performs for stills.

[@larry.mathewson]

@@rickygoodyear8836 I now have 2 of the 512GB se CFexpress type B cards and have had no trouble with them since the beginning. I shoot 20fps sports as well as birds in flight and have never has a buffer slow down. Events usually see at least 2500-300 images over 2-3 hours duration. Not much video (like a minute or two for events) I use my Panasonic G9 for most 4K video at events as a second body. I shoot burst of up to 40 -50 images on R5 in CRAW. Good luck.

[@rickygoodyear8836]

@@larry.mathewson thanks Larry! That’s great news. Really appreciate your detailed reply. Looks like this card is the logical choice. Cheers

[@marcusrudd6675]

Sold and sold and sold

[@OrdinaryFilmmaker]

I am nicely stocked for whatever I need... except for 8K ;)