FIELD GUIDESource-led reference

Storage and memory cards question

Is VPG the same as a card’s read speed or USB speed?

Check sustained-write profile requirements separately from offload claims.

The answer

Short answer No. VPG guarantees a minimum sustained write for video, not read speed or USB speed.

No. CFA’s Video Performance Guarantee concerns a minimum sustained writing capability under its qualification framework, not a peak-read or USB file-copy rate. Profile and class must both match the camera mode: CFA explicitly says Profile 5 is not backward compatible with Profile 4, so a higher-looking number alone is not enough.

CFexpress Type A: original nominal width by height envelope study, 20 by 28 mm, 2.8 mm nominal depth. Not a contact or key drawing; no host compatibility approval.
CFexpress Type A card interfaceOriginal identification schematic · not to scale · review pending
CFexpress Type B: original nominal width by height envelope study, 29.6 by 38.5 mm, 3.8 mm nominal depth. Not a contact or key drawing; no host compatibility approval.
CFexpress Type B card interfaceOriginal identification schematic · not to scale · review pending

Why the simple answer is not enough

Keep the evidence layers separate

1Reasoning step

A VPG requirement belongs to the recording path. A reader’s advertised USB rate describes a different part of an offload path.

2Reasoning step

CFA distinguishes Profile 4 classes such as VPG200/400 from Profile 5 classes such as VPG800/1600. A Profile 5-only qualification does not automatically satisfy a mode requiring Profile 4.

3Reasoning step

Within the corresponding profile, CFA permits higher-class substitution such as VPG400 for VPG200 or VPG1600 for VPG800. A dual-profile card is a separate documented case.

4Reasoning step

CFA warns that labels may be misused and maintains a certified-card register. This site has not verified or certified an individual card through this reference.

Write qualification, profile compatibility and reader rate are separate
Label or exampleWhat is documentedWhat still needs checkingEvidence
VPG qualificationCFA describes minimum sustained writing performance, not a peak-read or USB transfer promise.The camera mode’s exact requirement and the exact card qualification.C141C (private workspace)
Profile 5 versus Profile 4CFA explicitly says Profile 5 is not backward compatible with Profile 4.A larger class number does not prove a required Profile 4 mode will accept it.C141D (private workspace)
Within-profile / dual-profile casesCFA documents higher-class substitution within a profile and separately describes dual-profile cards.Verify the actual labels and certified product; do not infer dual qualification.C141D (private workspace) · C141E (private workspace)
Sony MRW-G2 USB linkIts manual specifies SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps and supplied-cable conditions.No measured card-to-computer rate or camera VPG qualification follows from the USB link label.C137C (private workspace)

Scroll horizontally on narrow screens. These are bounded references, not tested-card approvals, measured transfer rates or a complete licensed-standard extract.

What to check next

  1. Read the camera mode’s exact profile and class requirement.
  2. Check the exact card model and its qualification in the issuer’s register.
  3. Do not substitute a peak-read number or a larger VPG number from another profile.
  4. Evaluate the reader, cable, USB host and workload separately for offload performance.

Canonical connector and cable notes

Your next step

Continue with the relevant reference.

Question pages do not create compatibility verdicts.

They reorganize facts and uncertainty already represented in the atlas. Exact-device, cable, protocol, power, safety and performance requirements remain separate where the evidence says they are separate.

Evidence behind this page

Scope first. Source second. Approval separate.

12 linked sources · 18 scoped claims · 0 sources with inspection/access flags.

Page scope: Evidence attached to records and cable profiles referenced by this guide; not a sentence-by-sentence editorial approval.

Assessment 2026-10-22 · earliest scheduled source review 2027-01-01. This is a recorded-date assessment, not a live source check. Page-level independent review is not established by this panel.

Inspect 12 source scopes, access limits and dates

S096 · Card types and form-factor distinctions

CompactFlash Association · Standards-organization domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: CF uses PATA; CFast uses SATA; CFexpress uses PCIe/NVMe; Type B and XQD share a form factor but camera support is conditional.

Not established / limitations: No copied tables, logos, numeric throughput promises, exhaustive market status or licensed normative specification. Text-only scope.

Locator: CFexpress Form Factors; Type A versus Type B; Legacy Standards

S098 · CFexpress Type B CEB-G support — interface identity

Sony · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: Sony CEB-G examples explicitly identify CFexpress Type B and PCI Express.

Not established / limitations: Japanese primary text inspected. Model-specific performance and dimensions are not transferred to every card.

Locator: CEB-G product information; interface row

S105 · MRW-G2 card reader

Sony · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: MRW-G2: CFexpress Type A and SD; USB Type-C computer interface, SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps; supplied Type-C and Standard-A connection cables.

Not established / limitations: Documentation-only family and port scope; no physical test, current stock or price check, measured performance, complete card list, or independent approval.

Locator: Product overview and connection features

S106 · MRW-G1 card reader

Sony · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: MRW-G1: CFexpress Type B and Sony XQD G- and M-series cards; USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C computer interface. Other XQD cards are not established by this scope.

Not established / limitations: Documentation-only family and port scope; no physical test, current stock or price check, measured performance, complete card list, or independent approval.

Locator: Product overview and supported media

S109 · ImageMate PRO USB-C multi-card reader

SanDisk · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: USB-C interface; SD and microSD UHS-II, UHS-I and non-UHS families, plus CompactFlash up to UDMA 7. CFast and CFexpress are not established by this CompactFlash statement.

Not established / limitations: Documentation-only family and port scope; no physical test, current stock or price check, measured performance, complete card list, or independent approval.

Locator: Specifications and compatibility; model SDDR-A631-GNGNN

S116 · ILCE-7M4 usable memory cards

Sony · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: ILCE-7M4 supports CFexpress Type A and SD families subject to recording-mode requirements; CFexpress Type B is explicitly not supported. Family support is not approval for every recording format.

Not established / limitations: Documentation-only family and port scope; no physical test, current stock or price check, measured performance, complete card list, or independent approval.

Locator: Usable memory cards; movie recording tables; notes

S120 · EOS R5 Mark II support specifications

Canon · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-03 · due 2027-01-01

Within inspection window

Scoped support: EOS R5 Mark II: Card 1 CFexpress Type B; Card 2 SD/SDHC/SDXC with UHS-II support. Capacity, specification and recording-mode requirements must be checked separately.

Not established / limitations: Documentation-only family and port scope; no physical test, current stock or price check, measured performance, complete card list, or independent approval.

Locator: Specifications; recording media

S438 · MRW-G2 Operating Instructions — 5-019-283-B1 (1)

Sony · Unclassified publisher domain · inspected 2026-10-08 · due 2027-01-06

Within inspection window

Scoped support: MRW-G2 shared-slot alternatives, Sony card-family wording, USB interface and supplied-cable limitations.

Not established / limitations: All cards and computers are not guaranteed. Drawing interpreted for this reader only; no manufacturer artwork copied, no card geometry or current OS certification adopted.

Locator: PDF page 1, English compatible cards, precautions, specifications and illustrations A–C; printed identifier 5-019-283-B1 (1).

S439 · RDF8 product sheet — Transcend-RDF8.pdf

Transcend · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-08 · due 2027-01-06

Within inspection window

Scoped support: TS-RDF8K2 / TS-RDF8W2 selected media slots, CompactFlash UDMA7, SD/microSD UHS-I, USB 3.1 Gen 1 description.

Not established / limitations: Concurrent-operation wording is compared with S440 and remains unresolved. Document age or hardware revision is not inferred from a filename. No measured aggregate transfer, exact-card or OS certification.

Locator: PDF pages 1–2 visually inspected; card slots, Compatibility, Performance, Ordering Information and three-card insertion wording. No printed revision identifier.

S440 · RDF8 product sheet — EN_RDF8_PS_1905.pdf

Transcend · Manufacturer / product-owner domain · inspected 2026-10-08 · due 2027-01-06

Within inspection window

Scoped support: TS-RDF8K2 / TS-RDF8W2 UHS-II cards at UHS-I speeds and contradictory simultaneous-insertion wording.

Not established / limitations: Page 1 allows two-card insertion while page 2 says it is unsupported. Kept as an unresolved documentation conflict, not a chosen device capability. Filename is not treated as a verified revision date.

Locator: PDF pages 1–2 visually inspected: page 1 Additional Features, page 2 Operating Environment Note and Compatibility. Page 3 multi-product comparison not adopted.

S441 · Video Performance Guarantee — profiles, classes and camera modes

CompactFlash Association · Standards-organization domain · inspected 2026-10-08 · due 2027-01-06

Within inspection window

Scoped support: VPG class meaning and profile-bound compatibility distinctions, not certification of any named card.

Not established / limitations: No normative test procedure, benchmark, logo asset or copied class table. No certification lookup performed for a user card; camera mode and exact product still require checking.

Locator: Public explanation and FAQ: minimum sustained write, VPG-5 versus VPG-4, within-profile classes, dual-profile labeling and certified-card register. Inspected 2026-10-08.

S495 · MRW-G1 CFexpress Type B / XQD reader supported cards

Sony · Unclassified publisher domain · inspected 2026-10-11 · due 2027-01-09

Within inspection window

Scoped support: Named reader support only, not all XQD readers, all camera slots or all brands.

Not established / limitations: Named example only. No universal compatibility or publication approval. Raw-byte acquisition status is recorded separately.

Locator: Product description and FAQ: supported Sony CFexpress Type B and Sony XQD G/M series cards.

Trace 18 claims to their source records

C121A · P121

The CompactFlash Association distinguishes the smaller Type A form from Type B.

Claim scope: Identification and explicitly scoped documentation only; not an end-to-end connection approval

Source links: S096 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C121B · P121

CFexpress uses PCI Express with NVMe protocols.

Claim scope: Identification and explicitly scoped documentation only; not an end-to-end connection approval

Source links: S096 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C121C · P121

CFA describes CFexpress Type A as the smaller A/B form using one PCIe lane. The A/B type letter identifies a form factor; the separately described version-4 marking identifies a specification generation.

Claim scope: Card Types public text: Type A versus Type B and label FAQ; reinspected 2026-10-08 without changing the inherited source record.

Source links: S096 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C121D · P121

Sony’s MRW-G2 instructions list Sony CFexpress Type A and the stated Sony SD families, while explicitly withholding a guarantee for every memory-card type. This is named-reader scope, not support for CFexpress Type B or for all cards.

Claim scope: Printed 5-019-283-B1 (1), PDF page 1 English Compatible memory cards.

Source links: S438 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C122A · P122

The CompactFlash Association states that Type B and XQD share a form factor and connector, with camera support conditional on implementation.

Claim scope: Identification and explicitly scoped documentation only; not an end-to-end connection approval

Source links: S096 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C122B · P122

Sony labels its CEB-G card examples CFexpress Type B with a PCI Express interface.

Claim scope: Identification and explicitly scoped documentation only; not an end-to-end connection approval

Source links: S098 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C122C · P122

CFA describes CFexpress Type B as using two PCIe lanes and retaining the same dimensions and connector as XQD. It separately makes camera support conditional on implementation or a manufacturer update.

Claim scope: Card Types public text: form-factor footnote and A/B FAQ; no dimensions or speed table transcribed.

Source links: S096 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C122D · P122

Sony lists its CFexpress Type B memory cards for the MRW-G1 reader.

Claim scope: Sony MRW-G1 and the specified Sony card family only. No camera or other reader approval.

Source links: S495 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C137A · P137

Sony MRW-G2 documentation lists CFexpress Type A and SD, while MRW-G1 lists CFexpress Type B and selected Sony XQD series.

Claim scope: Exact documented product and family scope; no physical test, exact-card certification or end-to-end approval.

Source links: S105 · S106 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C137B · P137

SanDisk ImageMate PRO USB-C lists SD, microSD and CompactFlash; those names must not be collapsed into one card family.

Claim scope: Exact documented product and family scope; no physical test, exact-card certification or end-to-end approval.

Source links: S109 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C137C · P137

Sony specifies the MRW-G2 computer interface as SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 2), supplies USB-C–USB-C and USB-C–USB-A cables, and limits its function guarantee to the supplied cable. This interface label is not a measured card-to-computer copy speed.

Claim scope: PDF page 1 English Specifications, connecting instructions and supplied-cable precaution.

Source links: S438 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C137D · P137

The RDF8 EN_RDF8_PS_1905 sheet says that UHS-II cards work only at UHS-I speeds in that reader. Reading a card therefore does not establish use of its fastest bus mode.

Claim scope: PDF page 2 Compatibility note; named RDF8 scope, not a rule about all USB readers.

Source links: S440 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C137E · P137

Transcend describes RDF8 with a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface and states that speed varies with host hardware, software, use and storage capacity. No measured read, write or multi-card aggregate rate is adopted here.

Claim scope: PDF page 2 Interface and Performance note; the USB connector subtype is deliberately not assigned in the new device profile.

Source links: S439 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C141A · P141

Sony ILCE-7M4 usable-card documentation separates card families from movie recording requirements.

Claim scope: Exact documented product and family scope; no physical test, exact-card certification or end-to-end approval.

Source links: S116 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C141B · P141

Canon EOS R5 Mark II specifications distinguish CFexpress Type B Card 1 from SD-family Card 2 and impose additional media requirements.

Claim scope: Exact documented product and family scope; no physical test, exact-card certification or end-to-end approval.

Source links: S120 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C141C · P141

CFA defines VPG in terms of minimum sustained write performance for video recording. A card’s peak read figure and a reader’s USB interface label answer different questions.

Claim scope: Public VPG explanation and MRW-G2 interface example; no benchmark or automatic camera qualification.

Source links: S441 · S438 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C141D · P141

CFA warns that VPG Profile 5 is not backward compatible with Profile 4: VPG800 or VPG1600 alone does not establish a mode requiring VPG200 or VPG400. Higher-class substitution is described within a profile, and dual-profile certification is a separate condition.

Claim scope: Public FAQ on VPG-5 versus VPG-4 and dual-profile labeling; no individual card certified by this reference.

Source links: S441 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

C141E · P141

CFA maintains a certified-card register because a displayed VPG logo may be misused. Check the exact card’s certification and the camera mode rather than treating an unfamiliar label or larger number as approval.

Claim scope: VPG-Certified Media Cards section; no named-card database lookup or counterfeit identification performed.

Source links: S441 · Evidence trail → (private workspace)

Prepare this page for review → (private workspace)Read the evidence method →

Recorded evidence only. An inspection date, publisher label, source link or generated packet is not independent technical review, hardware testing, fabrication approval or a compatibility verdict.