CFast vs. CFexpress
Comparing 2 standards across 13 specifications. 12 key differences identified.
CFast is a high-speed solid-state memory card standard developed by the CompactFlash Association (CFA) based on the Serial ATA (SATA) bus. Introduced with CFast 1.0 (SATA-II 3 Gbps) and refined in CFast 2.0 (SATA-III 6 Gbps), it delivers data throughput up to 550–600 MB/s in a rugged 24-pin form factor, widely adopted in professional cinema cameras (ARRI, Blackmagic, Canon).
CFexpress is an ultra-high-speed removable solid-state storage media standard developed by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). Built directly on the PCI Express (PCIe Gen 3/Gen 4) physical bus and NVM Express (NVMe) command set, it is the dominant storage medium for high-end professional digital cinema, mirrorless photography, and broadcast video.
Specification Comparison Table
13 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
CompactFlash Association (CFA) | CompactFlash Association (CFA) |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
36.4 mm × 42.8 mm × 3.6 mm | — |
|
Bus Interface / Protocol
|
Serial ATA (SATA 3.0 / 6 Gbps in CFast 2.0) | — |
|
Physical Connector Form Factor
|
24-pin keyed interface (7-pin SATA signal + 17-pin SATA power & control) | — |
|
Peak Data Throughput
|
Up to 550–600 MB/s (SATA-III physical ceiling) | — |
|
Nominal Operating Voltage
|
3.3V nominal | — |
|
Video Performance Guarantee
|
VPG-130 (130 MB/s minimum sustained write for 4K ProRes/RAW) | — |
|
Underlying Storage Architecture
|
— | PCI Express (PCIe Gen 3 / Gen 4 / Gen 5) + NVM Express (NVMe v1.3/1.4) |
|
Type A Dimensions & Bus
|
— | 20.0 × 28.0 × 2.8 mm | 1-lane PCIe (1 GB/s PCIe 3.0 / 2 GB/s PCIe 4.0) |
|
Type B Dimensions & Bus
|
— | 38.5 × 29.6 × 3.8 mm | 2-lane PCIe (2 GB/s PCIe 3.0 / 4 GB/s PCIe 4.0) |
|
Type C Dimensions & Bus
|
— | 54.0 × 72.0 × 4.4 mm | 4-lane PCIe (4 GB/s PCIe 3.0 / 8 GB/s PCIe 4.0) |
|
Type B XQD Compatibility
|
— | Physically identical exterior shell to Sony XQD (host backward-compatible via firmware) |
|
Operating Power Tiers
|
— | Up to 1.7W (Type A) / Up to 3.0W (Type B) / Up to 6.0W (Type C) |