What is an XQD memory card, and what advantages does it have over CompactFlash?
Asked 1/6/2012
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I noticed the Nikon D4 uses an XQD memory card slot alongside CompactFlash. What is XQD, and what are its main differences or advantages compared with CompactFlash cards?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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XQD is an open format created and licensed by the CompactFlash Association. The interface is based on the PCI Express or PCIe specification, a standard for serial interfaces. The specification was announced on Dec 7th, 2011 in this press release.
The first camera to be announced that uses the format is the Nikon D4. Nikon claims a write speed of up to 125MB/s or 1Gbps in the D4, although this has not been tested independently as of yet. They also claim up to 125MB/s or 1Gbps read speed.
Currently, only 16GB and 32GB capacities are available, through the Sony H Series of XQD cards.
Other specifications noted by the CompactFlash Association:
- Size of the cards: 38.5 x 29.8 x 3.8mm
- Interface performance potential: PCI Express 2.5Gbps currently, 5Gbps future
- Durable & Robust
As a comparison to Compact Flash, the XQD format isn't necessarily faster, but the interface has the potential to be much faster. For example the Lexar 1000X CompactFlash card claims a read speed of 150MB/s and write at 145MB/s, but current cameras can't keep up with this speed as most do not support UDMA7. The Nikon D4 according to the Sony specs released, can keep up at 100 continuous RAW shots.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
XQD is a memory card format developed by the CompactFlash Association. Unlike CompactFlash, which uses an older parallel-style interface, XQD is based on PCI Express (PCIe), giving it much higher potential transfer speeds.
From the information available at the time of the D4 launch, Nikon claimed up to about 125MB/s read and write speeds in the D4. The XQD specification itself was designed with more headroom than CompactFlash, with future performance potential beyond that. The format was also promoted as durable and robust.
In practical terms, the main advantages of XQD are:
- faster read/write performance
- more room for future speed improvements
- a physically compact, sturdy card design
At introduction, the downsides were mostly availability and ecosystem maturity: fewer card choices, limited capacities, and support in only a small number of devices.
So, compared with CompactFlash, XQD’s key benefit is speed and future scalability, especially for high-burst shooting and video, while CompactFlash had the advantage of being more established.
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