CompactFlash (CF), a flash memory mass storage device used mainly in professional devices and high end consumer devices such as digital cameras, is possibly the most successful of the early memory card formats.

Today we are testing two 128GB CompactFlash cards that offer high-speed performance by leveraging the UDMA 7 technology to deliver a read transfer speed up to 1066x (160MB/s): The Lexar Professional 1066x CompactFlash and the Toshiba EXCERIA PRO - C501.

UDMA 7, which stands for Ultra Direct Mode Access 7, is the latest transfer mode under the UDMA interface. UDMA 7 allows a maximum transfer rate of up to 167MB/sec. This can be compared to the previous UDMA mode, UDMA 6, which allowed transfer rates of up to 133MB/sec.

The cards both conform to the CF 6 Specification and can be used with existing CF and CF UDMA devices (backwards compatible).

Both cards lets you capture and transfer high-quality photos and 1080p full-HD, 3D, and 4K video. And you’ll power through post-production with high-speed card-to-computer file transfer, when paired with a UDMA 7-enabled reader.

Below you see the basic specifications of the cards we are testing:

	Lexar Professional 1066x CompactFlash	Toshiba EXCERIA PRO - C501 (model THN-C501G1280E6 )
Card standard	CF+ and CompactFlash Specification Revision 6.1
Capacity	128 GB
Interface	UDMA 7
Video Performance Guarantee (VPG)	VPG-65
Max read speed (MB/s)	160 MB/s
Max write speed (MB/s)	155 MB/s	150 MB/s
Dimensions	36.4mm (L) x 42.8mm (W) x 3.3mm (T)
Weight	10 g
Operation power	3.3/5.0V
Warranty	Limited lifetime warranty (10 years from purchase in Germany)	5 Year Warranty
Software & Services	Downloadable Data Recovery Software using the activation code on the package

Both cards support the Video Performance Guarantee (VPG-65) specification. This means the cards have been tested and guaranteed for professional video capture streams at a minimum guaranteed write speed of 65MB/s for compatible host devices and recording media.