At first I was hoping that at least 16 gb cards work, but the forth "full performance tests" on the same card just failed. It seems like random read/write errors happen and the chance for them to happen is just slightly lower when the cards are smaller. On a 256 gb card the test fails every time at some point in time.
I have said this before, maybe on this thread; maybe elsewhere:
Flash media manufacturers update production runs of these cards all the time, and even though they may have the same product names, that doesn't mean they will perform the same in audio recorders. Audio recorders write data to cards differently than the short bursts of data you get with photo or video.
You can only rely on cards that match the
exact model numbers found in card tests from Zoom, SD. etc. Buying any old SanDisk Extreme just because there is one of those on a recorder's tested good list means nothing. If it's not the
exact same model number, then it's not the same card internally, despite what the packaging says.
Zoom tells you as much on their card lists:
Note: The internal components of SDHC/SDXC cards are subject to change depending on
theirproduction period. In this case, we do not warrant their compatibility with the
The the really unfortunate thing is that when an audio recorder manufacturer does not continue to do tests on older units with newer cards, the customer is left taking shots in the dark. Zoom stopped testing cards for the F6, and SD only ever tested a few for the MixPre-II.
EDIT: If I needed a new SD card for my F6, I would be trying something from the
F8n Pro card list (PDF). That doc is current as of March 2022, and the F8 should present a more demanding load for the media compared to the F6.
The updated version of the Kingston 128 GB card I use is on the F8n Pro list. I would start there.