CF Express Card Recommendations for SL3?

[Jonathan Levin]

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The recommendation for sl3

Prograde

Delkin

Hoodman

 

 

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[Guest]

On 4/29/2024 at 5:43 PM, Shawn30 said:

Per Leica technical:

At the moment, I would NOT suggest investing in a Sandisk CFExpress card for your camera as we've come across and are investigating some isolated instances where customers using these cards have had files seemingly overwritten during photo sessions. I do not currently believe it to an issue with their SD cards as well, but depending on what you're experiencing perhaps it is. So far, I've heard best results from Prograde and Angelbird CFExpress cards.

I am dealing with this issue on an Angelbird CFexpress card! Files were overwritten mysteriously during a wedding this weekend. I now have data recovery working on it. What a mess.

[SoarFM]

On 4/29/2024 at 8:43 PM, Shawn30 said:

Per Leica technical:

At the moment, I would NOT suggest investing in a Sandisk CFExpress card for your camera as we've come across and are investigating some isolated instances where customers using these cards have had files seemingly overwritten during photo sessions. I do not currently believe it to an issue with their SD cards as well, but depending on what you're experiencing perhaps it is. So far, I've heard best results from Prograde and Angelbird CFExpress cards.

Where does one find this reference from Leica Technical? I don’t doubt it but Leica now seems famously reluctant to recommend for or against one brand or another of storage media.

I just ordered a Sandisk CFExpress card and truth is I have no need for the blazing speed (downloading on to computer might be nice, but that’s it). My thought is to keep shooting onto 64gb SD cards (Sandisk, I’ve got plenty) and maybe use the CF Express as a mirrored backup? I’m an amateur that doesn’t wear out shutters… Lifelong habit is to shoot like I’ve got film in the camera.  

[Viv]

On 3/11/2024 at 4:26 AM, petereprice said:

Hi all - just noticed that these Sandisk Extreme Pro CF Express Type B cards went on super sale.  I'm wondering if anyone has tried this card with the SL3?  Also curious is anyone has any recommendations based on their experience with the SL3?  I'm mainly using Sandisk, since those are the SD cards I had been using with all my other Leica camera bodies.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1551703-REG/sandisk_sdcfe_512g_ancnn_512gb_extreme_pro_cfexpress.html/?ap=y&smp=y&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA0bWvBhBjEiwAtEsoW9uNgmrJKeebMnyku8A4baqX8irw0auqhCn8S0Uy3F1eXanpsX9RXhoCqjUQAvD_BwE

I use this card, but with the Hasselblad X2D 100C.

It works perfectly.

[FlashGordonPhotography]

I’m only using my Lexar and ProGrade cards in the SL3 currently. Both appear to be working fine, so far. I’m not trusting my Sandisk or Sony cards in any Leica camera. Sony’s go in my Sony (mostly because they’re mostly CFE-A). Sandisk in my X2D. Lexar and Prograde in my Leicas.

I don’t think it’s just a card compatibility issue. I’m not saying I’m sure Lexar cards are fine. Just that so far, that have been.

Gordon

[JTLeica]

On 4/29/2024 at 3:57 PM, albireo_double said:

I use the Sabrent 512MB (the cheaper blue version) - good price on Amazon and so far no issues.

Only 5 shots per card? That must be a drag 

[JTLeica]

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On 6/24/2024 at 11:11 PM, JaySD said:

I am dealing with this issue on an Angelbird CFexpress card! Files were overwritten mysteriously during a wedding this weekend. I now have data recovery working on it. What a mess.

Can only assume they thought it was Sandisk as that is the most common brand. Expect also the most common to fake too.

[albireo_double]

57 minutes ago, JTLeica said:

Only 5 shots per card? That must be a drag 

Of course 512GB (my error must have been obvious to all but it takes a certain kind of person to point it out 😉). When I was in my first internship at high school many years ago, the company operated a mainframe computer. It occupied a large room and its RAM was a whopping 64KB, a source of pride for the IT department. My first laptop in 1992 had a 20MB hard drive which was more than enough to run MS DOS, Word Perfect and Lotus 123 (which was all the software that I needed). So, 512MB still sounds impressive to my boomer brain, which is probably where my error came from. I hope you did not get confused 😅.

[jrp]

Is it true that if you remove the battery, image sequence numbers get reset and so you overwrite existing images?

[JTLeica]

4 minutes ago, jrp said:

Is it true that if you remove the battery, image sequence numbers get reset and so you overwrite existing images?

No, not exactly. I’ve tried my hardest to get that to happen and I can’t. Tried several things to cause it but I can’t seem to make any images disappear. 
 

But a fair few others have seen this happenN

Edited July 3, 2024 by JTLeica

[petereprice]

2 hours ago, jrp said:

Is it true that if you remove the battery, image sequence numbers get reset and so you overwrite existing images?

I've read in another post, awhile back that it's tied to specific card brands, according to Leica.  I think they recommend Lexar and Delkin, and that the issues they have observed have been with Sandisk mainly.  Which doesn't surprise me.  Their SSD drives, were known for losing data as well.

I am not certain whether this is related only to SD cards, CF Cards, or both, but when I heard about this, I had Lexar and ProGrade CF cards, and used those instead and have never had the issue.  With that said, I also did not have the issue with my Sandisk 512 CF Express cards either.  

[JTLeica]

6 hours ago, petereprice said:

I've read in another post, awhile back that it's tied to specific card brands, according to Leica.  I think they recommend Lexar and Delkin, and that the issues they have observed have been with Sandisk mainly.  Which doesn't surprise me.  Their SSD drives, were known for losing data as well.

I am not certain whether this is related only to SD cards, CF Cards, or both, but when I heard about this, I had Lexar and ProGrade CF cards, and used those instead and have never had the issue.  With that said, I also did not have the issue with my Sandisk 512 CF Express cards either.  

I don’t think it’s card related. The early reports were correlated to far more Sandisk cards… but they dominate the market 10-1 so that’s going to be the case. It’s happened with all card brands now, I have been told 

[petereprice]

7 hours ago, JTLeica said:

I don’t think it’s card related. The early reports were correlated to far more Sandisk cards… but they dominate the market 10-1 so that’s going to be the case. It’s happened with all card brands now, I have been told 

That’s a bummer.  Do you know if it’s a SD card specific issue or also with CF Cards?  I’ve tried replicating this issue and have not been able to even when forcibly pulling the battery while the camera was still on.  I use mostly CF Cards but also tried testing with SD cards and have not been able to produce this bug.  Any other variables to consider?

[JTLeica]

59 minutes ago, petereprice said:

That’s a bummer.  Do you know if it’s a SD card specific issue or also with CF Cards?  I’ve tried replicating this issue and have not been able to even when forcibly pulling the battery while the camera was still on.  I use mostly CF Cards but also tried testing with SD cards and have not been able to produce this bug.  Any other variables to consider?

It's been with both SD and CF Express apparently. Like you I have not been able to replicate this either. I have shot around 1000 images maybe so not a huge amount.

I think best practice seems to be:

• Ideally charge via usb with a decent powerbank while the camera is in the bag so save you having to swap batteries
• Turn off the camera fully if you need to change the battery
• If you can, swap both the SD and the CF express to new ones each time you change the battery so if the file numbers are reset is isnt overwriting anything
• Kneel and pray for a firmware update

 

 

[Jim B]

I’m using Angel Bird’s my images are heavenly! 😇

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09RWW247J/ref=twister_B0CG66ZVPS?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

I believe the problem is user error. Why on earth would anyone pull the battery while the camera was on, or in sleep mode?