Sony a1 II Mirrorless Camera [SAMPLE]
ILCE-1M2
VPG200, VPG400
Dark Mode
Video Performance Guarantee (VPG) is a standard established by the CompactFlash Association (CFA) to guarantee minimum sustained write performance for recording high-quality video.
The latest iteration of VPG is Profile 5 (VPG-5), defining two new classes for CFexpress media cards that capture streaming video: VPG800 for 800MB/sec sustained write speed, and VPG1600 for 1600MB/sec sustained write speed.
Note: Although VPG-5 and VPG-4 are profiles for CFexpress, they are not backward compatible. A higher-performing card supporting the VPG800 or VPG1600 class won’t necessarily work with a camera mode that requires VPG200 or VPG400.
However, if a VPG-certified card shows both a VPG-4 logo (VPG200 or VPG400) and a VPG-5 logo (VPG800 or VPG1600), that indicates the card supports both VPG-4 and VPG-5 camera profiles.
Read more about this feature in the VPG-5 white paper.
VPG-Certified Media Cards
These cameras require media cards that support VPG in order to unlock certain modes. End users looking to unlock these camera modes should refer to the above list of CFA-certified media cards that support VPG.
VPG is crucial for professionals and videographers who rely on uninterrupted, high-resolution video capture such as continuous burst, slow-motion, and 8K content.
Some cameras* require media cards that support VPG profiles in order to unlock certain modes. With tight coupling between the media card and camera, VPG ensures that media cards capture high-data-rate video without dropping frames. The VPG certification logo helps end users select the appropriate memory card for their video recording needs with guaranteed compatibility and performance.
*Note that not all use cases and cameras/camera-modes require VPG. Media cards without VPG support have gone through a separate self-compliance process according to CFA’s test guidelines and should work fine in non-VPG operations. Refer to the camera manual to see if a VPG-supported card is required for your situation, or view this list of cameras requiring VPG-supported cards.
Media card manufacturers test their candidate cards according to CFA’s test specifications using a CFA-approved, tamper-proof tester, and then submit the test reports to CFA for review and certification. This quality-control step by an unbiased party ensures that the media cards will perform as guaranteed.
Coming soon: Visuals of the VPG-certification process
Media cards bearing the VPG logo are certified by CFA to perform against the specified VPG profile. Learn more about the certification process or how to avoid counterfeit cards that illegally use the VPG logo without CFA certification.
The VPG classes marked by the logos on the card (e.g., VPG200, VPG400, VPG800, VPG1600) indicate the minimum sustained write speed in megabytes per second (MB/s). Higher VPG ratings are indicative of better performance, enabling more demanding video formats like 4K, as well as allowing high-frame-rate recordings to be captured reliably.
The latest iteration of VPG is Profile 5 (VPG-5), which defines two new VPG classes for CFexpress media cards: VPG800 for 800MB/sec sustained write speed, and VPG1600 for 1600MB/sec sustained write speed.
Users need to be aware that VPG-5 is not backward compatible with VPG-4. It is counterintuitive, but a higher-performing VPG card, such as one supporting the VPG800 or VPG1600 class, won’t necessarily work with a camera mode that requires VPG200 and/or VPG400.
However, within the same profile, a higher class VPG can support the lower class. For example, in VPG Profile 4, VPG400 will support VPG200, and in VPG Profile 5, VPG1600 will support VPG800.
If a VPG-certified card shows both a VPG-4 logo (VPG200 or VPG400) and a VPG-5 logo (VPG800 or VPG1600), that indicates the card supports both VPG-4 and VPG-5 camera profiles.
Read more about Video Performance Guarantee in the white papers below.
