CFast vs. Sony Memory Stick
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 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).
Memory Stick is a proprietary removable solid-state flash memory card format introduced by Sony in 1998. Evolving across standard, PRO (expanded capacity), Duo (compact form factor), PRO-HG Duo (60 MB/s high-speed), and Micro M2 variants, it featured Sony's MagicGate hardware DRM copy protection across Cyber-shot cameras, Handycam camcorders, VAIO laptops, and the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
Specification Comparison Table
14 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
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) | — |
|
Proprietary Standard
|
— | Sony Corporation (with SanDisk for PRO formats) |
|
Standard Memory Stick Size
|
— | 50.0 mm × 21.5 mm × 2.8 mm (10-pin interface) |
|
Memory Stick Duo Size
|
— | 31.0 mm × 20.0 mm × 1.6 mm (10-pin interface) |
|
Memory Stick Micro (M2) Size
|
— | 15.0 mm × 12.5 mm × 1.2 mm (11-pin interface) |
|
Key Format Generations
|
— | Original (up to 128MB), PRO (up to 32GB), PRO-HG Duo (8-bit parallel, up to 60 MB/s), Micro M2 |
|
Hardware DRM Security
|
— | MagicGate (Cryptographic copy protection for ATRAC3 audio / secure media) |
|
Operating Voltages
|
— | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (Dual-voltage M2) |