Next-Level Performance: A Month With The Exascend 1 TB CFExpress Memory Card

As a wedding and sports photographer, reliability and speed are at the top of my list when choosing media cards. I've tested many different brands and various-sized cards in the past, so how did the Exascend 1 TB CFexpress stack up when put under pressure?

Exascend is a relatively new company when it comes to storage and technology and has only been in existence since 2016. I'd heard of the company before but had not had the chance to test their products, including their new VIGOR CFexpress Type B card. This card is aimed at higher-end professional photographers and videographers.

The VIGOR CFexpress Type B 1 TB Memory Card is a great option for photographers and videographers who seek uncompromised performance and ample storage for high-resolution content. Having extensively tested this memory card with my Canon EOS R5, I can confidently say that it stands out as a stellar investment for content creators, videographers, and photographers and will be in my camera bag for quite some time. Let me explain why.

This card is designed for photographers and videographers. It has low power consumption and fast read and write speeds, meaning frame drops are extremely rare (actually, I didn't experience a single issue with this card in the months I tested it). It's comparatively light compared to other similar cards I've used in the past. The look is simple but pleasing to the eye, with just the basic information on the card.

As a wedding photographer, I choose to have a massively high-capacity card in the front slot and a smaller 128 GB card in the rear slot. The rear card changes per wedding. This allows me to have instant access to a few previous weddings should I need it and enough space for the current wedding I'm shooting. This makes the VIGOR CFexpress Type B a perfect solution for my needs in my Canon EOS R5. 

One of the standout features of the VIGOR CFexpress Type B is its exceptional read and write speeds, which are invaluable for both wedding and sports photographers alike due to our innate need to capture fast-moving athletes and sometimes even faster-moving brides and grooms! The card's claimed write speed of up to 1,700 MB/s and read speed of 1,800 MB/s stood up to the test and ensured I never missed a shot when shooting in burst mode with seamless and rapid data transfer. While I don't generally shoot video, the higher capacity and efficient cooling capability prove invaluable, especially if I capture 4K or even 8K video, allowing me to have smooth, uninterrupted recording without the fear of buffer limitations and, even worse, dropped frames, which has happened in the past when using my SanDisk card.

The Exascend CFexpress memory card has incredible durability and reliability. It's a pretty solid build, and while I don't generally take my CF cards out of my camera, this level of durability is particularly reassuring for me if I find myself in challenging conditions. It feels like a premium product. The labeling is simple and clear, and I liked the color on the card itself. The packaging was clear, concise, and, unlike most things today, relevant in size to the product.

In the month I used this, it was incredibly reliable and never missed a beat.

Priced on B&H's website at $469 for 1 TB, with 512 GB coming in at $299, and 256 GB at a reasonable $169, this is a little higher than other cards like ProGrade, but the quality of this card can't be ignored, and as a professional photographer, reliability is key.

In conclusion, the Exascend CFexpress 1 TB Memory Card earns my highest recommendation for professionals and enthusiasts alike. Its blazing speeds, ample storage, reliability, and forward compatibility make it an indispensable tool for those who demand the best from their camera gear.