09/02/2026 6:25 pm
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I’m trying to pick a reliable CompactFlash card for my Leica setup (M body with a CF slot) and I’d love some real-world recommendations. I shoot mostly RAW, sometimes long exposures at night, and I’ve had one cheap card corrupt a file once—so I’m a bit paranoid now. I’m not sure if faster UDMA cards actually make a difference on these older Leica bodies, or if it’s more about brand and consistency. Also curious what capacity is the sweet spot (16/32/64GB) without risking bigger losses if something goes wrong. What CompactFlash cards have been the most dependable for your Leica M (and any workflow tips)?
7 Answers
12
09/02/2026 7:10 pm
In my experience, on the older Leica M CF bodies the “fastest” UDMA number is kinda meh… what matters is boring reliability and decent controllers. Been there with a corrupt file, it sucks.
- Delkin Devices CF Power CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 7 160MB/s: rock-solid, good value, handles long exposures fine. Not the cheapest, but I trust it.
- Transcend CompactFlash 16GB 400x UDMA: budget pick that’s surprisingly dependable. Slower on paper, but in-body it’s basically fine.
- SanDisk Ultra CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 6 50MB/s: not sexy, but “just works” and usually cheaper.
Capacity: 32GB is my sweet spot too (less pain if it dies). Workflow: format in-camera, don’t delete in-camera, and rotate cards (2–3 smaller ones). cheers
10
09/02/2026 8:00 pm
+1 to the “boring reliability > speed” takes—imo grab ProGrade Digital CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 7 160MB/s or SanDisk Extreme CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 7 120MB/s and stick to 32GB; rotate 2 cards + format in-camera every shoot, dont delete in-camera.
5
09/02/2026 6:25 pm
In my experience, reliability > headline speed on the older Leica M bodies. I’ve had really boring, zero-drama results with SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 7 160MB/s and Lexar Professional 1066x CompactFlash 32GB UDMA 7 (both used in an M with CF… long exposures, RAW, the usual stuff). The faster UDMA cards *can* help a bit with buffer clearing, but it’s not night-and-day, so I’d pay for a legit card from a good seller more than max MB/s.
Capacity-wise I’m happiest at 32GB… big enough for a day, not so huge you lose EVERYTHING if things go sideways. Workflow tip: format in-camera, don’t delete in-camera, and I rotate cards instead of filling one monster card. i feel u on the corruption paranoia, been there lol. cheers
3
09/02/2026 6:40 pm
Ok so for older M CF bodies, speed barely matters—reliability does. I’ve had zero issues with Transcend CompactFlash 32GB 800x UDMA 7 (~$25) or Kingston CompactFlash 32GB Ultimate 266x (~$20). 32GB is the sweet spot, IMO.
3
19/02/2026 2:56 pm
Can confirm
3
01/03/2026 10:10 am
Man I wish I found this thread sooner. Would have saved me so much hassle.
1
04/03/2026 5:15 am
Gonna try this over the weekend. Will report back if it works!
