Camera displays 'hot card' warning - this is the solution
To get straight to the point, the issue of the "hot card" error message is typically not caused by a fault in the memory card but by using an older CFX card in, for instance, a Nikon Z9 or Nikon Z8 camera. The solution is simple: use a faster card. But how do you know when a card is fast enough?
'Hot Card' error caused by insufficient write speed
When selecting a CFexpress card for high-speed cameras like the Nikon Z9 and Z8, it is crucial to look for the right type with a high minimum guaranteed write speed. This applies to other cameras as well, which demand fast write speeds, such as the Canon R5C, Canon R5, Canon R3, Canon C500 Mark II, Canon C300 Mark III, Panasonic GH6, Sony A1, and DJI Ronin 4D. These cameras can also experience overheating issues if the write speeds are not sufficiently high.
"These cameras can also suffer from an overheated card if the speed to write the data away is not high enough."
The minimum guaranteed write speed is more important than the advertised read speed when choosing a CFexpress card for high-speed cameras. Even cards with indicated write speeds of 1300 Mb/s or higher may not always achieve these speeds consistently. Therefore, it is essential to pay close attention to the minimum sustained write speed when purchasing a CFexpress card.
New generations of cards
With most cards, you'll notice that the latest generation of CFexpress cards comes with improvements in thermal throttling and minimum sustained write speeds. This is to prevent the card from getting too hot. However, the Nikon Z9, for example, still prefers cards that deliver consistent performance, with a minimum sustained write speed of 1300 Mb/s as an absolute necessity. This is more critical than solely focusing on the top speed due to the camera's limited buffer capacity.
Data transfer for 4K and 8K filming
When recording 8K 120P on the RED V-Raptor, the maximum data speeds can reach up to 850 MB/s. This means you'll need a card that can handle and sustain these speeds for extended periods. The Nikon Z9, when recording 8K 60p N-RAW (High Quality setting), also generates high speeds, up to a maximum of 750 MB/s.
"This means you need a card that can maintain these speeds for a longer period of time."
On the other hand, the Canon R5/R5C only requires a card that can support 400 MB/s for recording 8K RAW. Therefore, it's essential to use certified media for certain cameras, as not every random card can achieve the required data speeds.
Cards with sufficient write speed
For Nikon Z and Canon R cameras, you need a Type-B CFX card, while Sony requires a Type-A card. It is very important to buy the right type of CFX card, as they are not interchangeable. This is because these cards have different dimensions, meaning a CFexpress B card will not fit in a CFexpress A slot.
So don't be distracted by the MB/s speed listed on the card. That is almost always the maximum reading speed.
Best CFX Type-B cards for Nikon Z9/Z8 and Canon R5:
- Lexar CFexpress Type B DIAMOND -The latest version of this card has a sustainded writespeed of 1600Mb/s.
- OWC Atlas Ultra CFX 4.0 kaarten - These cards have a sustainded writespeed of 1500Mb/s.
Featured: OWC Atlas Ultra CFX 4.0 cards
The OWC Atlas cards are resistant to use in the harshest conditions, including X-rays, UV, shock, drops and extreme temperatures. In addition, they come with the OWC Innergize™ software for checking the health of the card, resetting to factory settings as well as performing firmware updates of the CFX card.
You can also use the OWC Copy That® software for fast and accurate transfer of recordings to backups. With this software, you can streamline the copy process by making fast and verified copies of files to one or more destinations. OWC has this handy compatibility chart to see which card you need for your camera.
Best CFX Type-A cards for Sony E-mount cameras
So for Sony cameras, you need a CFX Type-A card. The advantage is that this slot also fits a regular SD card. The disadvantage is that the maximum achievable speed of a Type-A card is much lower than that of a Type-B card. Because of the much higher writing speed, it is absolutely recommended to use a CFX card instead of an SD card for High-Speed Continuous shooting and 4K or 8K video.
- Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series of 320GB has a minimum sustained write speed of 700Mb/s.
- OWC Atlas Pro CFexpress 4.0 | Type A of 960GB has a minimum sustained write speed of 400Mb/s.
If you compare these minimum sustained write speeds with the speeds of an SD card, you see that SDHC/SDXC simply falls short in terms of speed. In fact, the writing speed of a CFexpress card is more than twice as much. They are fine cards in themselves, but better opt for the CFexpress Type-A if you use a Nikon Z8, Nikon Z9 or other high-speed camera.
- Lexar® Professional 2000x SDHC™/SDXC™ UHS-II GOLD Series kaart of 256GB has a minimum constant write speed of 260Mb/s.
- OWC Altas S Ultra SDXC UHS-II V90 card has a constant write speed of 90Mb/s.
Featured: Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series
Designed specifically for use with Sony Alpha and FX cameras, the Lexar® Professional CFexpress™ Type A Card GOLD Series has a minimum sustained write speed of 700 Mb/s. The highest available capacity of this high-speed card is 320 GB. With this card, you can achieve critical speed and performance for capturing long, high-data-rate video recordings, stills and burst photography up to 8K RAW.
The consistent and uninterrupted sustained write speed enables super-fast shooting. In the process, you retain all available features and settings of Sony's CFexpress Type A cameras, such as the Sony α1, Sony α7 IV, Sony α7S III, Sony FX3 and Sony FX6.
Choose the right CFX card size
If you are in doubt between a 500GB, 650GB card or a 1TB card, it is wiser to go for a card with more memory. Sometimes these cards have just another slightly higher sustained write speed than the smaller memory cards of the same range. Also, you know you will always have enough space to capture images.
Besides a memory card getting too hot, it is more common for the camera itself to overheat. Because the latest cameras have so much technology built in, as well as generating very large data streams with very ultra-high video resolutions and super-fast burst rates, an overheating notification for the camera occurs sooner than you might expect. So this is separate from the notification that the card is too hot. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to prevent or delay your camera overheating for longer:
- Place a grip under your camera. This places the warming batteries further away from the camera body/sensor.
- Change batteries a bit more often, even if they are not yet empty. This allows you to use a cooler battery for much longer.
- Use an external battery power supply or AC adapter with cable to the camera. This gets very little battery heat into the camera.
- Swivel the LCD to the side of the camera or if this is not possible pull the screen into a 45gr position. The LCD screen quickly becomes very hot and this prevents heat from entering the camera.
- Turn the camera off completely between shots and open the battery compartment.
- Put the camera on a tripod instead of clasping it with your hands.
