CompactFlash vs. Sony Memory Stick
Comparing 2 standards across 14 specifications. 14 key differences identified.
CompactFlash (CF) is the pioneering solid-state removable memory card standard introduced by SanDisk in 1994 and maintained by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). Based on a 50-pin Parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) interface, it dominated professional DSLR photography and industrial computing for two decades, scaling through CF+ specifications up to UDMA 7 (167 MB/s).
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Operating Voltages
|
Dual voltage: 3.3V (low power) or 5.0V (legacy standard) | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (Dual-voltage M2) |
|
Governing Body
|
CompactFlash Association (CFA) | — |
|
Introduction Year
|
1994 (SanDisk) | — |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
36.4 mm × 42.8 mm × 3.3 mm (Type I) / 5.0 mm (Type II) | — |
|
Physical Connector Form Factor
|
50-pin female socket receptacle (2 rows of 25 pins on 1.27 mm pitch) | — |
|
Interface Protocol
|
Parallel ATA (PATA) / True IDE Mode / PCMCIA Memory Mode | — |
|
Max Bus Speed Tier
|
UDMA 7 (167 MB/s @ 133 MHz PATA clock in CF 6.0) | — |
|
Video Performance Guarantee
|
VPG-20 (20 MB/s) / VPG-65 (65 MB/s sustained write for Full HD / 4K) | — |
|
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) |