Cards, batteries and flash
CFexpress Type A and Type B: Which One Does Your Camera Take?
CFexpress Type A and Type B look similar but are not interchangeable — one will not go into the other's slot. This page shows the physical difference, which brands use each type today, and the exact spec-sheet field that names which one your camera takes.
The short answer
CFexpress Type A and Type B are two different card shapes defined by the same standards body, the CompactFlash Association. They are not interchangeable: a Type A card will not go into a Type B slot, and a Type B card will not go into a Type A slot, in any camera, at any firmware version. Which one your camera takes is fixed by the body itself, not a setting.
The fastest way to check is your camera's own specification page or manual, in the section that names approved memory cards. The exact heading differs by maker — Nikon labels it "Approved Memory Cards," Fujifilm titles its compatibility page around "Recording Media," and Sony's own page is titled "Memory cards that can be used" — but every maker documents this somewhere on the model's own spec or manual page, and it names the type by letter there. Buy the letter your model names — not the type a retailer listing, a forum thread, or an older review mentions, since some of those still drop the A/B distinction and just say "CFexpress."
Why they don't fit each other
The two shapes exist because they carry a different number of PCIe lanes: Type A uses one lane, Type B uses two. The CompactFlash Association describes Type B's ceiling as double Type A's maximum speed, a direct result of that second lane. The Association also describes Type A as the smaller of the two shapes, sized to sit alongside an SD slot in compact bodies, while Type B is the larger shape — the same physical dimensions and connector as XQD, the card format some Nikon DSLRs used before CFexpress existed.
A card slot's shape cannot be changed by firmware. Where a firmware update has added CFexpress Type B support to an older, XQD-only body, it works because XQD and CFexpress Type B are already cut to the same dimensions — the update unlocks support for a card that already fits the slot. It cannot make a differently sized card fit a slot that was never built for it.
Which type your camera takes
We checked three makers' own current documentation directly:
- Sony: the Alpha 7 IV (ILCE-7M4) takes CFexpress Type A cards. Sony's own documentation states plainly that CFexpress Type B cards are not compatible with this camera; the same card slot also accepts SD cards (UHS-I and UHS-II). Sony's own bit-rate table lists XAVC S-I 4K, at up to 600 Mbps, as the highest of the recording formats specified for this camera; for that format, Sony's documentation specifies a Type A card rated VPG200 or higher.
- Nikon: the Z9's two card slots each take CFexpress Type B or XQD cards. Nikon's manual recommends a transfer rate of at least 250 MB/s for high-speed frame capture and high-bitrate video.
- Fujifilm: the GFX100 II, X-H2S, and X-H2 take CFexpress Type B alongside a separate SD UHS-II slot. The GFX100S II and GFX100RF have no CFexpress slot at all — SD UHS-II only.
Beyond those three, the CompactFlash Association's own summary states that Type A is currently used exclusively by Sony cameras, and Type B spans Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony bodies. Treat the three models above as checked examples of how to read the lookup, not a full roster — a body not listed here may use either type, or neither (some cameras use SD or UHS-II only), and the only way to be sure is the field named above on that exact model's own page. A third shape, Type C, is defined in the specification, but the Association states there are currently no cameras and no cards that use it.
| Type A | Type B | |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe lanes | 1 | 2 |
| Physical size | Smaller; fits alongside an SD slot | Larger; same size and connector as XQD |
| Brands using it now (per CFA) | Sony only | Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, Sony |
| Confirmed example body (checked directly) | Sony Alpha 7 IV | Nikon Z9; Fujifilm GFX100 II, X-H2S, X-H2 |
| Example card, same generation (ProGrade Digital CFexpress 2.0 Gold) | Up to 900 MB/s read, 600 MB/s sustained write (VPG200) | Up to 1,700 MB/s read, 1,300 MB/s sustained write |
What the version number does and doesn't tell you
The CompactFlash Association has released three CFexpress specification versions so far: 1.0 in 2017, 2.0 in 2019, and 4.0 in 2023. None of those version numbers change a card's shape — a version 4.0 Type B card is still Type B-shaped and still needs a Type B slot. What a version changes is the electrical ceiling available to that shape.
| Version | Released |
|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2017 |
| 2.0 | 2019 |
| 4.0 | 2023 |
The Association's own pages state the version-by-version ceiling as an image rather than as text, so an exact MB/s figure for "CFexpress 2.0's maximum speed" is hard to verify from the source itself. A more concrete comparison comes from an actual product line at a single generation: ProGrade Digital's CFexpress 2.0 Type A Gold card is rated up to 900 MB/s read and 600 MB/s sustained write (VPG200), while its CFexpress 2.0 Type B Gold 1700 card is rated up to 1,700 MB/s read and 1,300 MB/s sustained write. Comparing those two numbers, 1,700 against 900, works out to roughly double — in line with the Association's two-lanes-means-double-speed description — though any individual card's real rated speed depends on its own flash and controller as well as the slot generation. Buy on the card's own rated speed and VPG mark, not the version number by itself; see Memory Card Speed Marks for what those marks guarantee.
Traps to check before you buy
- A spec sheet that just says "CFexpress" with no letter is usually either written before Type A existed (before 2019) or simply imprecise. Check the model's own current page, not a retailer listing or an older review, and look for the letter.
- The letter alone doesn't guarantee a card meets your body's minimum rated speed. Nikon, for example, recommends CFexpress or XQD cards rated at least 250 MB/s for the Z9's fastest capture modes; a very old or low-rated card of the right shape can still be too slow. Check your model's own minimum, not just the letter.
- If your camera's spec sheet lists only SD or UHS-II, and never mentions CFexpress, the Type A/B question doesn't apply to your body — see UHS-I vs UHS-II for that decision instead.
- A body that originally shipped with an XQD-only slot may have gained CFexpress Type B eligibility later through a firmware update. Check your model's current manual or firmware notes rather than assuming its original launch specification still describes the slot today.
- Type C is not something to plan a purchase around yet: no camera and no card currently uses it.
What to check on your own camera
Open your exact model's own manual or specification page and find the section that names approved memory cards. Nikon heads it "Approved Memory Cards"; Fujifilm's current compatibility page is titled around "Recording Media"; Sony's own page is titled "Memory cards that can be used." The wording differs by maker, but it will name the letter directly. If you already own the camera, the card-slot door or the manual's slot diagram usually states it as well. Once you know the letter, Memory Card Speed Marks covers the capacity, bus, and VPG/speed-class rating to buy within that type for the mode you shoot.
Check it on your own equipment
These take you to the manufacturers and standards bodies the page draws on, so you can look up your exact model.
- Standards reference
CFA's card-types breakdown (opens in a new tab)The CompactFlash Association's own page defining Type A, Type B, and Type C, including the Type B/XQD dimension match and the statement that Type C has no cameras or cards yet. — compactflash.org - Official support page
Sony's Alpha 7 IV card compatibility page (opens in a new tab)Sony's own listing of which memory cards the Alpha 7 IV supports, including the Type A card rating required for its highest-bitrate recording format. — helpguide.sony.net - Official support page
Nikon Z9 approved memory cards (online manual) (opens in a new tab)Nikon's own technical notes naming CFexpress Type B and XQD as the Z9's supported cards, with the recommended minimum transfer rate. — onlinemanual.nikonimglib.com - Official support page
Fujifilm's recording-media compatibility list (opens in a new tab)Fujifilm's own page grouping its current bodies by CFexpress Type B versus SD-only — the same format to look for on any maker's site. — www.fujifilm-x.com
What this page does not tell you
- The brand examples in this piece (Sony Alpha 7 IV, Nikon Z9, Fujifilm GFX100 II/X-H2S/X-H2) are the specific models checked directly against each maker's own documentation, not a full roster of every current camera — always confirm your own exact model on its own page.
- CFexpress Type C is defined in the specification but not available in any camera or card as of the access date on this page's sources.
- The ProGrade Digital speed figures used for comparison are one manufacturer's own rated numbers for one product line, not a universal ceiling that applies to every Type A or Type B card.
Sources
9 documents, each with the facts on this page it supports. Manufacturers revise specifications, so every source is dated — open it before you buy.
- CFexpress Type A cards use a single PCIe lane.
- CFexpress Type B cards use two PCIe lanes, which the CompactFlash Association describes as giving double Type A's maximum speed.
- The CompactFlash Association has released three CFexpress specification versions: v1.0 in 2017, v2.0 in 2019, and v4.0 in 2023.
- The CompactFlash Association states Type A is currently used exclusively by Sony cameras, while Type B is used across Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic, and Sony cameras.
- The CompactFlash Association describes Type A as the smaller, more compact form factor and Type B as having larger card dimensions.
- CFexpress Type B cards share the same physical dimensions and connector as XQD cards.
- The CompactFlash Association notes that some XQD-based cameras have been updated to also support CFexpress Type B cards.
- CFexpress Type C is defined by the specification, but currently there are no cameras and no cards that use it.
- The Sony Alpha 7 IV (ILCE-7M4) takes CFexpress Type A memory cards; Sony's own documentation states CFexpress Type B cards are not compatible with this camera.
- The Sony Alpha 7 IV's card slot also accepts SD cards, UHS-I and UHS-II compatible.
- For XAVC S-I recording, the Sony Alpha 7 IV requires a CFexpress Type A card rated VPG200 or higher, or an SDXC V90 card.
- Sony's own compatibility page for the Alpha 7 IV (ILCE-7M4) is headed "Memory cards that can be used."
- Sony's own bit-rate table for the Alpha 7 IV lists XAVC S-I 4K, at up to 600 Mbps, as the highest bit rate among the recording formats specified for this camera (XAVC HS 4K and XAVC S 4K up to 200 Mbps, XAVC S HD up to 100 Mbps, XAVC S-I HD up to 222 Mbps).
- The Nikon Z9 supports CFexpress Type B and XQD memory cards.
- Nikon recommends CFexpress or XQD cards with a maximum data transfer rate of at least 250 MB/s for the Z9's high-speed frame capture and high-bitrate video.
- Nikon's approved-memory-cards documentation for the Z9 is headed "Approved Memory Cards."
- The Nikon Z9 has two card slots (Slot 1 and Slot 2), both listed under the same CFexpress (Type B) / XQD storage-media specification.
- Fujifilm's GFX100 II, X-H2S, and X-H2 take CFexpress Type B cards; the GFX100S II and GFX100RF have no CFexpress slot and use SD UHS-II only.
- Fujifilm's current compatibility page for the GFX100 II, GFX100S II, GFX100RF, X-H2S, and X-H2 is titled "GFX100 II/GFX100S II/GFX100RF/X-H2S/X-H2 Recording Media Compatibility Chart."
- The Fujifilm GFX100 II's CFexpress Type B slot accepts cards from 64GB to 2TB, and Fujifilm's own page recommends a CFexpress or UHS-II card for high-speed burst shooting.
- ProGrade Digital's CFexpress 2.0 Type A Gold card (PCIe Gen 3 x1) is rated up to 900 MB/s read, 800 MB/s burst write, and 600 MB/s sustained write (VPG200).
- ProGrade Digital's CFexpress Type B Gold 1700 card is rated up to 1,700 MB/s read, 1,500 MB/s burst write, and 1,300 MB/s sustained write.
- Comparing ProGrade Digital's Type B (1,700 MB/s read) to its Type A (900 MB/s read) works out to roughly double.