SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro Thunderbolt 3 Card Reader From Sonnet

Sonnet Technologies, Inc. announced its SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro card reader, the first in a family of professional media readers that feature a 40Gb/s Thunderbolt 3 interface.

SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro card reader (left) and MacBook Pro

The reader employs dual card slots to take advantage of the bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 offers. The CFast 2.0 Pro reader, a card reader with Thunderbolt 3, can ingest files simultaneously from two cards at concurrent data transfer speeds up to 1,000 MB/s – more than double the average ingest speed of USB 3.0 card readers.

“Our CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader was designed to meet the time-sensitive demands our customers face on location as they ingest footage from Canon, ARRI, and Blackmagic Design professional cameras,” said Robert Farnsworth, CEO, Sonnet. “Not only do they need a rugged and portable reader, but they also need to be able to ingest a whole stack of CFast cards as quickly as possible. The SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader gives users the ability to ingest content from two cards at once and at the fastest speeds the cards will support.“

Measuring 5.75 inches wide by 3.5 inches deep by one inch tall, the CFast 2.0 Pro card reader’s shell is made from extruded aluminum, making it lightweight, rugged, and able to withstand heavy use. The reader features a user-replaceable, captive 0.5-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s) cable with USB-C connector, and it is bus-powered with no power adapter required.

The SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro card reader (part number SF3-2CFST) is expected to be available since May 22 with an MSRP of $199.