CFast vs. microSD
Comparing 2 standards across 12 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).
microSD (originally developed as TransFlash / T-Flash by SanDisk in 2004 and ratified by the SD Association in 2005) is the ultra-compact form factor of the Secure Digital family. Measuring 15.0 × 11.0 × 1.0 mm (approximately 20% the size of a standard SD card), it is the universal removable storage medium for smartphones, action cameras, drones, and handheld gaming consoles.
Specification Comparison Table
12 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Governing Body
|
CompactFlash Association (CFA) | SD Association (SDA) |
|
Physical Dimensions
|
36.4 mm × 42.8 mm × 3.6 mm | 15.0 mm × 11.0 mm × 1.0 mm (Weight: ~0.25 g) |
|
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) | — |
|
Original Name
|
— | TransFlash (TF Card / T-Flash by SanDisk, 2004) |
|
Pin Configurations
|
— | 8 pins (UHS-I / Legacy) / 16 pins (UHS-II dual-row) |
|
Capacity Standards
|
— | microSD (≤2GB), microSDHC (4–32GB), microSDXC (64GB–2TB), microSDUC (up to 128TB) |
|
Operating Voltages
|
— | 2.7V–3.6V (Standard) / 1.8V (UHS-I signal) |
|
Passive Adapter Compatibility
|
— | Electrically identical to full-size SD (100% pin-compatible via passive sleeve adapter) |