Using CF x SD Adapter in 7D ???

Anyone with actual experience using a CF to SD adapter in a Canon 7D, I would like to know of your experiences and what you have learned works and what does not.

I have both, a 7D and a 7DMkII.
I have a varied selection of SD cards of various brands/models and capacities.
I have this CFxSD adapter = Qumox Type 1 Extreme CF Adapter:
https://www.amazon.com …sc=0&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it

Here is a condensed version of my findings:
With any SD card that I have tried, SD card inserted in the adapter and the adapter then inserted in a USB-connected card reader, I can read and write to the card flawlessly, with no noticeable difference in speed compared to the same SD card inserted straight in the reader; this holds true regardless of whether the combination works in the camera or not.

That being said, I have found the 7D to be quite finicky and also somewhat erratic as to which of our SD cards it will recognize and which it will not -- in the adapter, of course.

I have also found that the 7DMkII is not quite so finicky; it will often accept and recognize SD cards (in the adapter) that the 7D will not.

Any SD card that the 7D will accept, so far it has always accepted; and, the SD card/adapter combo seems to be almost as quick to respond as a normal CF card.

If I put a SD card in the 7D and it tells me to remove and reinsert the card or format in the camera; I may as well just make note that that particular SD card is not going to work in the 7D, as no amount of re-situating is going to change it's mind; either it accepts it right off, or it is not going to.

The 7D will accept a 64GB Delkin Advantage, but will not accept the 128GB Delkin Advantage.
It refuses to accept 32GB Delkin Select
It will accept 32GB Transcend 600x 90MB/s and not accept 32GB Sandisk Ultra 80MB/s

The above is just a sampling of what the 7D will and will not recognize in the CF adapter.
Like I already said, several - but not all - of the cards that the 7D rejects, the 7DMkII will readily accept.

I have tried to fool the 7d by formatting the rejected card in various other cameras and also in the computer, but I have not had any success at this.

Considering my own findings, I am going to say that the 7d owners that give these CF adapters wonderful reviews just happen to have an SD card that their 7D likes; and, those 7D owners that leave negative reviews just happened to have SD cards that the camera did not like; I am sure this holds true regardless of camera model.

I have also read in many comments about the CF adapters something like "If you want an adapter that works, you are going to have to spend a lot more money and get a quality adapter"
I have two things to say about those type comments: First, I don't believe the comment writer has ever used a CF adapter - high quality or not - as I have searched the internet over and all I can find are relabeled examples of the one that I already have.
And second, none of these people ever leave a link to, nor mention a brand name of, these high-priced quality adapters; if such an adapter exists, I would like to be pointed in that direction.


Also, concerning these CFxSD adapters of ALL brands, there are always several reviews that tell horror stories of the adapter bending or even pulling out pins from the cameras card slot; with this information burned into my brain, I carefully inspected the holes in the adapter with a strong magnifying glass and thoroughly tested it by numerous insertions and removals from a card reader before I ever inserted it in the actual camera.
The particular adapter that I got must be okay in this regard as I can tell no difference between inserting/removing it and a normal quality CF card.

By the way, I debated on whether this discussion should be in the memory card section; but, I put it here instead because I am seeking answers specific to using the adapter in Canon cameras ONLY.

Thanks for reading and all help is appreciated.

Please share your CF adapter findings.

Have used these adapters a lot in the 7D/5D2 days in order to use an Eye-FI card in those bodies, and never had any issues
I don't think I ever tried any other SD cards in those adapters.

I wonder if you're seeing an issue with the SD / SDHC / SDXC / UHS-x variances

(i.e. 1D4 is a max 32 GB SDHC)

SMP_Homer wrote in post #19020442
I wonder if you're seeing an issue with the SD / SDHC / SDXC / UHS-x variances

(i.e. 1D4 is a max 32 GB SDHC)

As best I have been able to figure, there seems to be no rhyme nor reason as to which cards work and which ones do not; and, like I said in my initial post, I have cards that will work in the 7D/adapter that will not work in the 7DMkII/adapter and vice versa, and then some will work in both.

Earlier today, my head had been puzzling over this; and, I tried a couple more experiments.
With the 7D, I took a hundred or so RAW/L-jpegs with an adapter/SD combination that does work; then, with that working card in one reader and one of the un-accepted cards in another reader, I copied the contents of the one over to the other --- put that card/adapter combination in the 7D and still no go.

Then, I noticed that the working card was FAT-32 and the un-accepted one was Ex-FAT -- I thought maybe I had stumbled upon the reason.
Windows would have no part of it; but, EaseUS Partition Master does not have such qualms and within seconds had the Ex-FAT card formatted to FAT-32 --- my efforts made no difference whatsoever.

Reply to an old post, however since I just picked up a mint condition 7D and I purchased a CF to SD adapter for my SanDisk Ultra Plus 128gb microSD card, I can report that the 7D works great with it. I can't report on the speed of the CF adapter in a card reader as I just use the SD card by itself in a USB 3 card reader. Below is a link to the CF adapter I bought.

https://www.amazon.com …_yo2_dt_b_produ​ct_details

shutterguy wrote in post #19362059
Reply to an old post, however since I just picked up a mint condition 7D and I purchased a CF to SD adapter for my SanDisk Ultra Plus 128gb microSD card, I can report that the 7D works great with it.

I am glad you responded as I needed to update this story.
Since my initial posting, I have acquired a second mint-condition 7D.

For this camera, I got the Type-1 sister to the Type-2 adapter that you linked to; the 7D will accept either, Type-1 or Type-2.
https://www.amazon.com …dt_b_product_de​tails&th=1
Although in this brand of adapter, both 7D are still somewhat finicky as to which SD cards they will accept and which they will not, they will accept cards in this adapter that they will not in the Qumox adapter.

Also, curiously, there are cards that one 7D will accept and the other reject.

The Digigear adapter seemed to be quite a bit more dependable than the Qumox, so I got another Digigear for the other 7D.
Having three adapters between two cameras proves to be quite handy; as, I can remove an adapter from a camera and immediately pop in another SD-loaded adapter; thus, the camera is not without a card while I offload the pictures.

I see you are using a micro-SD, so you must be using two adapters, a micro-SD to SD and then the SD to CF.

I mostly use a 64GB Delkin Advantage in one of our adapters
https://www.amazon.com …sc=1&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it
and these 64GB MicroCenter cards in the other two adapters.
https://www.amazon.com …sc=1&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it

I have had great success with the MicroCenter cards and can buy two for less money than one of anything else.

I am tempted to try this 128GB PNY at $16
https://www.amazon.com …ref_=lv_ov_lig_​dp_it&th=1

The only fault I see in any of these SD to CF adapters is the fact that you must remove the adapter from the camera to remove the SD-card.
If the card slot were on the long edge of the adapter, then the adapter could remain in the camera while the card was being inserted/removed.
I just now investigated and an SD card aligned thus does come precariously close to the CF pins; but, I don't think it gets close enough to interfere.
A micro-SD would clear with miles to spare.


I will say this again, as already stated in my initial post, I highly suspect that at least 90% of the poor reviews from disappointed customers is due to the fact that cameras will accept one SD card and not another.
If you get one of these adapters and it does not work for you, try a few other brands/sizes of SD-card and you may find a combination that will work.

BuckSkin wrote in post #19363221
I am glad you responded as I needed to update this story.
Since my initial posting, I have acquired a second mint-condition 7D.

For this camera, I got the Type-1 sister to the Type-2 adapter that you linked to; the 7D will accept either, Type-1 or Type-2.
https://www.amazon.com …dt_b_product_de​tails&th=1
Although in this brand of adapter, both 7D are still somewhat finicky as to which SD cards they will accept and which they will not, they will accept cards in this adapter that they will not in the Qumox adapter.

Also, curiously, there are cards that one 7D will accept and the other reject.

The Digigear adapter seemed to be quite a bit more dependable than the Qumox, so I got another Digigear for the other 7D.
Having three adapters between two cameras proves to be quite handy; as, I can remove an adapter from a camera and immediately pop in another SD-loaded adapter; thus, the camera is not without a card while I offload the pictures.

I see you are using a micro-SD, so you must be using two adapters, a micro-SD to SD and then the SD to CF.

I mostly use a 64GB Delkin Advantage in one of our adapters
https://www.amazon.com …sc=1&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it
and these 64GB MicroCenter cards in the other two adapters.
https://www.amazon.com …sc=1&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it

I have had great success with the MicroCenter cards and can buy two for less money than one of anything else.

I am tempted to try this 128GB PNY at $16
https://www.amazon.com …ref_=lv_ov_lig_​dp_it&th=1

The only fault I see in any of these SD to CF adapters is the fact that you must remove the adapter from the camera to remove the SD-card.
If the card slot were on the long edge of the adapter, then the adapter could remain in the camera while the card was being inserted/removed.
I just now investigated and an SD card aligned thus does come precariously close to the CF pins; but, I don't think it gets close enough to interfere.
A micro-SD would clear with miles to spare.

I will say this again, as already stated in my initial post, I highly suspect that at least 90% of the poor reviews from disappointed customers is due to the fact that cameras will accept one SD card and not another.
If you get one of these adapters and it does not work for you, try a few other brands/sizes of SD-card and you may find a combination that will work.

Yep, I am using 2 adapters, I wanted to use my Sandisk as the 128gb CF cards are way more expensive. On a whim I decided to see if there was an actual cf to sd adapter, I was actually shocked and happy they made one.

It does suck that you have to remove the cards out, although I haven't tried the cf adapter in a cf reader.

shutterguy wrote in post #19363733
It does suck that you have to remove the cards out, although I haven't tried the cf adapter in a cf reader.

The CF adapters I have all work in all of our CF card readers just as well as the SD cards alone.
In fact, I always investigate such things in a card reader before putting them in a camera; if something weird is going to happen, I had rather it happen in the card reader/computer than in the camera.

I can't figure out how an SD card with maybe seven contacts can do the same job as a CF card with some fifty-plus pins.

So an update to this, the adapter I posted was a Type II version, it won't fit into a regular CF reader, it's too thick. I just ordered the Type I version.

shutterguy wrote in post #19368833
So an update to this, the adapter I posted was a Type II version, it won't fit into a regular CF reader, it's too thick. I just ordered the Type I version.

I may be wrong; but, my understanding is that the Type II adapter has the "push-to-spring-up" feature to release the SD card --- or does it ?

With the Type I adapters, the SD card is friction-fit and you just press it in and then pull it out with a finger-nail.

If it were me, I would extract the SD card and put that in the reader; doing thus avoids half as many chances of messing up a pin or pins on the CF card receptacles.

All of these CF adapters I see are for SD cards; and, due to size constraints, are designed such that the CF adapter must be extricated from the camera to access the SD card.

I wish they would make a CF/Micro-SD adapter such that the Micro-SD card could be extricated without having to remove the CF adapter from the camera.

It definitely has the push-to-spring, unfortunately the Type II adapter is too thick (5mm vs Type I 3.3mm). The CF card won't fit in my card reader, what I have been doing is taking the CF card out of the 7D and then taking the SD adapter out of the CF card and putting that in a reader. I think you are right as the Type I sd slot being just a slide in with the adapter being thinner. I looked for a Type II CF reader however no such luck.

shutterguy wrote in post #19368865
I looked for a Type II CF reader however no such luck.

This one says it will read Type I and Type II

https://www.amazon.com …sc=1&ref_=lv_ov​_lig_dp_it

Thanks, I missed that one in my search.