OWC has just started shipping the first available CFexpress 4.0 Type A cards for Sony cameras. While most major memory card manufacturers have unveiled the specifications for their upcoming CFexpress 4.0 Type A cards, the OWC Atlas Pro cards are the first available. You can buy them from the links below:
- OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 960GB – OWC / B&H Photo / Amazon
- OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 480GB – OWC / B&H Photo / Amazon
UPDATE: I have reviewed the OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4 Type A cards and a compatible OWC CFexpress 4.0 Card Reader.
The CFexpress 4.0 standard for Type A cards allows for read and write speeds double those available from CFexpress 2.0 Type A cards. While there are currently no cameras designed to take advantage of the 4.0 Type A standard, the cards are backward compatible with all existing Sony cameras using the 2.0 standard.
So, why buy them if there aren’t any cameras that support them yet? This is a no-brainer when all the facts are laid out. Firstly, you’re future-proofing your kit. There will be cameras within the next 12 months that take advantage of CFexpress 4.0 speeds. Secondly, these are actually cheaper per GB than most of the slower, older Type A cards. Thirdly, perhaps most importantly, you can download photos off your memory cards twice as fast as you can with older CFexpress 2.0 Type cards. And that is an advantage right now—no need to wait as long as you have a USB 4.0 CFexpress reader. Who wouldn’t want to halve the time it takes to download their photos?
On that note, OWC includes a CFexpress Type A to Type B converter with its new Type A cards, allowing users to use a single card reader to process downloads from both Type A and Type B cards. Including the Type A to B adapter is all the more impressive when considering the price of OWC’s cards. These are aggressively priced compared to the competition from ProGrade Digital and Lexar.
Alternative CFexpress Type A 4.0 Cards
Cfexpress 4.0 Type A cards are becoming more widely available. Here are some alternatives to compare to.
CFexpress Type A 2.0
| Card Model | Price* | Max Read | Max Write | Sus Write | VPG Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ProGrade Digital Gold CFexpress 2.0 Type A 120/240/480/960GB (review) | $130-$440 | 900 MB/s | 800 MB/s | 600 MB/s | 200 |
| Delkin BLACK CFexpress 2.0 Type A 160GB (review) | $269.00 | 880 MB/s | 790 MB/s | Unspecified | 400 |
CFexpress Type A 4.0
| Card Model | Price* | Max Read | Max Write | Sus Write | VPG Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 240GB (review) | $199 | 1850 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 400 MB/s | 200 |
| OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 480GB (review) | $319.99 | 1850 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 400 MB/s | 200 |
| OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 Type A 960GB (review) | $519.99 | 1850 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 400 MB/s | 200 |
| ProGrade Digital CFexpress 4.0 Type A Iridium 480GB (review) | $389.99 | 1800 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 800 MB/s | 200 |
| ProGrade Digital CFexpress 4.0 Type A Iridium 960GB | $599.99 | 1800 MB/s | 1700 MB/s | 1450 MB/s | 200 |
| Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 256GB | $279.00 | 1800 MB/s | 1650 MB/s | 850 MB/s | 400 |
| Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 512GB | $379.00 | 1800 MB/s | 1650 MB/s | 850 MB/s | 400 |
| Exascend Essential Pro 4.0 CFexpress Type A 1TB | $699.00 | 1800 MB/s | 1650 MB/s | 1650 MB/s | 400 |
| Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 256GB | $219.99 | 1865 MB/s | 1750 MB/s | Unspecified | 400 |
| Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 512GB | $359.99 | 1865 MB/s | 1750 MB/s | Unspecified | 400 |
| Wise Advanced CFexpress 4.0 Type A 1TB | $549.99 | 1865 MB/s | 1750 MB/s | Unspecified | 400 |
| Angelbird 256/512GB or 1TB AV PRO CFexpress 4.0 Type A | $199-499 | 1800 MB/s | 1650 MB/s | 800 MB/s | 400 |
