Delkin BLACK CFexpress 2.0 Type A Card Review

The Delkin BLACK 160GB Type A card is the brand’s flagship CFexpress 2.0 card. This CFexpress Type A card features the highest current rating offered by the Compact Flash Association for minimum write speed, VPG400. Delkin claims it offers maximum read speeds of up to 880MB/s and write speeds of up to 790MB/s. The memory card featured in this review was purchased at full price through regular retail channels. Delkin had no part in this review and was unaware it was being created.

Having tested this card in the field and worldwide in my Sony a1 and a9 III cameras for over a year, it was about time to run it through some of my usual memory card speed tests to see how it performs against the competition. Anecdotally, it always performed outstandingly in my cameras and never felt as though it was any slower than the fastest CFexpress Type A cards from Sony, ProGrade Digital, and OWC. In this review, we’ll determine if that’s true by examining maximum and sustained speed tests.

Delkin Black CFexpress Type A Specifications

• Card Type – CFexpress Type A
• Card Specification – CFexpress 2.0
• Bus Type – PCI-Express 3.0
• Capacity – 160GB
• Max Read Speed – 880 MB/s
• Max Write Speed – 790 MB/s
• Min Write Speed – 400MB/s
• Sustained Write Speed – Not Specified
• VPG Rating – VPG400
• Price – $169.99-269.99 at review time – Check the current price.

Delkin Black CFexpress Type A Speed Tests

My usual card speed tests were performed using a ProGrade Digital USB4 reader. Although this card reader is for CFexpress 4.0 cards, previous experiments have shown me that USB4 card readers can extract a little more speed from CFexpress 2.0 cards than a USB 3.2 reader. So, while I own Belkin’s USB 3.2 Type A card reader, I was more concerned with the card’s maximum potential and opted for the faster ProGrade reader for the tests. For reference, Delkin says the card’s max read speed should be 880MB/s, and its max write speed should be 790MB/s.

Result Discussion – Good or Bad?

Delkin’s promised maximum read and write speeds were easily eclipsed in the small file AJA test. These write speeds are the fastest I have ever recorded from a CFexpress 2.0 Type A card. The maximum read speeds are also impressive, almost precisely matching the speeds I saw from the ProGrade Cobalt Type A card that many people regard highly. Regarding maximum speed in short bursts, I’d say the Delkin BLACK is the king of Type A cards, albeit by a tiny percentage, only in maximum read speeds, from the ProGrade Cobalt.

As file sizes get larger in the tests, they push the limits of sustained write speeds, an essential metric for buffer clearing and high-resolution video capture. Again, the results closely mirror the ProGrade Cobalt in read speed and slightly outpace it with write, although not really by enough to make a practical difference. As usual, I saw more variation in read and write speeds in the largest file test, likely due to thermal throttling. Importantly, though speeds go up and down, they never dip too low, showing why this card was given a high VPG400 rating in the strenuous CFA testing. It’s clear that this would be an excellent Type A card for those shooting long 4k and 8K shots with large file sizes.

CFexpress 2.0 Vs. 4.0

The Delkin BLACK Type A card tested in this review uses the CFexpress 2.0 specification. As the CFexpress card standard continues to evolve, so do the specification and maximum performance attributes. CFexpress 4.0 cards superseded 2.0 cards in 2024. At review time, no cameras support the 4.0 standard. However, photographers and filmmakers can use CFexpress 4.0’s speed by pairing a 4.0 card with a 4.0 card reader, resulting in faster file ingests at the end of a day of shooting.

That said, this Delkin Black Type A card is a flagship standard. It is one of the fastest 2.0 cards on the market, and in ways such as sustained write speeds, it still delivers higher performance than a low-grade CFexpress 4.0 card. This card still confirms VPG400 standards, while some CFexpress 4.0 do not. Therefore, if you need a VPG400 CFexpress Type A card, of which very few exist, the Delkin Black card may still be your best option.

Alternative CFexpress Type A Cards

The Delkin BLACK series CFexpress Type A card is a fine option. Still, it’s worth knowing about alternative possibilities and capacities. My current recommended Type A alternatives are listed below.

Conclusion

I purchased the Delkin BLACK CFexpress Type A card through regular retail channels and used it worldwide as part of my standard kit of Type A cards for my Sony a1 and a9 III cameras. In the field, it performed flawlessly in temperatures ranging from +40 Celsius to -40 Celsius. Yes, it gets that cold where I live in the Canadian Yukon!

The speed test results on the test bench in my office were also impressive. For comparison, we need to look at another VPG400-rated Type A card, of which there are very few. Still, I have tested and extensively used the ProGrade Digital 160GB Cobalt Type A card. Comparing the test results, the Delkin BLACK card showed marginally faster write speeds on average across a range of file sizes. Write speeds were almost identical between the ProGrade Cobalt and Delkin BLACK cards. These are the best CFexpress 2.0 Type A cards on the market, and there’s almost nothing to choose between them.

In the end, both these cards are so close in performance that I wouldn’t be able to choose between the two on anything other than price. Memory card prices fluctuate more than any other camera accessory, so if you need a VPG400 Type A card and 160GB is enough capacity, I recommend looking at both options and choosing the cheapest on the day.

Suppose you need more capacity and don’t need a VPG400 card. In that case, I recommend looking at ProGrade Digital’s Gold series CFexpress 2.0 Type A cards, which come in 240GB or 480GB capacities. Or the ProGrade Iridium class card with a 960GB capacity and VPG200 rating. Delkin doesn’t offer any higher-capacity Type A cards at review time.