CFast
Memory Cards · 7 specs
Direct Answer
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).
Source: CompactFlash Association (CFA) CFast Specification v1.0 / v2.0 / Serial ATA International Org (SATA-IO) · Last reviewed Aug 28, 2026
Specs
| 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) |
SATA Architecture and Connector Redesign
CFast retained the external length and width dimensions of CompactFlash (36.4 × 42.8 mm) but completely replaced the vulnerable 50-pin parallel IDE interface with a robust, recessed 24-pin SATA connector (7 signal pins and 17 power/control pins). Because the pin layout is fundamentally incompatible with legacy CF, CFast cards cannot be inserted into standard CompactFlash slots.
Cinema Camera Standard (ARRI, Blackmagic, Canon)
CFast 2.0 became the industry-standard recording media for high-end digital cinema production throughout the 2010s, powering cameras such as the ARRI ALEXA Mini, AMIRA, Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro, and Canon Cinema EOS C300 Mark II / 1D X Mark II, sustaining heavy multi-hundred megabyte-per-second ProRes 4444 XQ and uncompressed CinemaDNG RAW video streams.