Shedding some light on CFexpress firmware and camera compatibility

Canon Rumors Guy

Canon EOS 40D
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www.canonrumors.com
Yesterday I reported on compatibility issues with the Canon EOS R5 running firmware v1.4.0 and Exascend CFexpress memory cards.
After talking to a few people, I have come to somewhat of a conclusion that there will likely be some bumps along the way when it comes to CFexpress firmware and camera firmware. Exascend is not the first company that has had some compatibility issues with the Canon EOS R5 and CFexpress cards.
I spoke with “Tig” from Camnostic this morning about the issues that have come up with CFexpress and compatibility. Be sure to check that site out for great information on CFexpress cards and more.
What it appears to boil down to is that CFexpress is a relatively new standard, and there are going...

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Del Paso

M3 Singlestroke
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Oh Lady help my Lord! No Firmware-Update available for my Bezzera Magica !
If you want to get rid of this obsolete espresso machine, I'd be happy to scrap it and send you as a replacement a fully firmwareable Crappuccino GTS X200 proudly made of aromatic plastics in a highly qualified Asian sweatshop.
And I wouldn't charge one dime.
If interested, don't wait, contact me quickly!
 
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For those holding off on upgrading to 1.4.0 on the R5. I can confirm no issues with Sony Tough 128GB CFe and ProGrade Gold 128GB CFe cards after multiple formats in camera.

This is likely a knock on bug from - "Adds support for the VPG 400 (Video Performance Guarantee Profile), a standard based on the CFexpress 2.0 specification." in 1.4.0.

I would not be surprised if Exascend missed something in the CFexpress 2.0 protocol that was not an issue until VPG 400 was enabled on the R5. I see this all the time with the Onvif protocol and manufacturers cutting corners.
Yeah I can confirm I don't have issues with the Sony Tough either (256Gb).

However note that multiple formats in camera don't prove anything, continuous shooting or video recording do.
 
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Great post, Craig. Upgradeable firmware was one of the reasons I went with Angelbird. But I love the way Exascend is handling the issue. Very impressive.
That's impressive, but may imply they acknowledged their fault, that is, it's them who broke the protocol/compatibility, not Canon.
 
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That's impressive, but may imply they acknowledged their fault, that is, it's them who broke the protocol/compatibility, not Canon.
No, you need to read the statement carefully: "different interpretation of the standard". All standards leave some leeway for interpretation. That's why you have Bluetooth UnPlugFests for testing (real world) compatibility, UNH testing of Ethernet hubs, nics and switches, and so forth.

I've had products where Apple iOS was broken, but the users were screaming at us for "having a bad product". Said problems went away when Apple released their next major iOS release (iOS 8 as I recall; all the 7.x'es were broken).
 
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Yeah I can confirm I don't have issues with the Sony Tough either (256Gb).

However note that multiple formats in camera don't prove anything, continuous shooting or video recording do.
I think being able complete multiple formats in Camera using the cards I noted in my previous message proves LOADS of things first and foremost it shows that the issue reported on the Exascend cards does not occur on MY two cards. "Shooters with a Canon EOS R5 and firmware v1.4.0 are getting camera lockups when attempting to format the memory card in the Canon EOS R5."

It also proves the following: Please note this is not an exhaustive list :D
  • I am capable of powering on my R5
    • The power switch works on MY R5
    • The battery is providing power to MY R5
  • I was able to successfully insert the Battery into MY R5
  • I was able to close the battery door on MY R5
  • The battery door switch is working on MY R5
    • The MB on MY R5 recognizes that the power door is closed allowing MY R5 to power on.
  • The card door is functional on MY R5
    • I am capable of operating the card door on MY R5
    • The MB on the R5 recognizes that the card door is closed allowing MY R5 to power on.
  • I was able to successfully insert the media that I wanted to test into MY R5
    • I was successfully able to eject one card in order to insert another on MY R5
  • I was able to navigate the menus on MY R5
    • The menu button is working on MY R5
  • I was able to interact with the Format button on MY R5
    • The touch screen works on MY R5
  • I was able to read the original post on Canon Rumors that showed issues formatting an R5 using certain cards
  • I am gifted with sight
  • Two in the hand is worth one in the bush
  • Coke is better than Pepsi
  • My hands work
  • I can Read
  • I can Write(debatable)
  • I can hit the reply button on Canon Rumors
  • I can post detailed smart ass responses to unfalsifiable statements
A couple of these might be a stretch but I think it is safe to say this proves I had some time on my hands!!!!

Cheers
 
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AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
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Yes a reputational Minus turned into a definite Plus. Thats the sort of company I will buy from.
Not the best sort for me - I prefer companies that are competent enough to get it right before I buy. But, better than washing their hands of it, which would be suicidal in such cases.
 
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I recently used the Canon R6 firmware 1.4.0 and the fast Kingston Canvas React plus 300MB / s v90 II U3 SD cards and there was a problem. The camera did not react for about 5 seconds during recording and switching off. Only then did some of the information displayed in the viewfinder appear. Only after that was it possible to continue recording. In a situation where you need to take quick shots and you can't wait and it irritates you. It is a pity that in Canon there is no red frame next to the image as it is recorded. Here, under stress, I couldn't even see when the recording started and when it didn't.
 
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Sony Cfexpress Tough or Lexar, leave the rest alone, is $30 bucks that important?​

Lexar is a lower-end brand nowadays. It's owned by Longsys, which is on a Commerce Department watch list. This means that there is a hassle if you need a card replaced, as they are not allowed to directly send a card for replacement. I know that seems to make no sense: that you can purchase a card through a third party, but they can't service it. I actually contacted Commerce to ask some questions a year ago, and never heard back under the old administration. Might try asking the same questions under the new administration. Not holding my breath on a response.

Anyway, I am out ~$500 because I had to send a card back to a retailer and it was then reportedly lost. I'm just out the entire amount. This may be an unusual example, but Lexar isn't the old Lexar. The brand name was simply purchased. The old Lexar guys are now called ProGrade.

The Sony cards that are =>512 GB are great (lower capacity cards use less capable hardware, which means they're slower). I've used 4 of them. I prefer Delkin and Angelbird for reliable speed across sizes and unusually good service and firmware support. I definitely appreciate the lower prices on both of these brands, but that isn't the controlling factor for the choice.
 
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@[email protected] are you referring to this article - https://petapixel.com/2020/09/22/cfexpress-a-real-world-performance-comparison/ ? This is a great read IMO.
(lower capacity cards use less capable hardware, which means they're slower)
As someone that has always preferred to carry more smaller capacity cards than one big card Sony's claims of equal performance was why I went with 3 of this 128GB cards after experiencing issues with the ProGrade Gold 128GB (I should have read the specs more carefully as this card could not record 8K Raw).

When I read the PetaPixel testing I was disappointed that the lower capacity Sony cards were not performing as well as their 512GB offering but in real world use this has never been an issue for me so I got over it.

Delkin and Angelbird were outliers for me as the brands were less know² and not nearly as available locally in Canada so I did not research them as much as the other brands. SanDisk feels like a crap shoot due to how often they are counterfeited and I agree Lexar has lost its luster so I went with Sony.

Think I am going to pick up a Angelbird 256GB card and card reader soon for another option.

Cheers

² = to me
 
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