Sony Finally Upgrades Its CFexpress Cards, Doubling Their Peak Speeds
Sony is finally updating its newest CFexpress Type A memory cards with CFexpress 4.0 compatibility, increasing their maximum speeds from 800MB/s to 1,800 MB/s.
This upgrade is hardware-based, so it will require new memory cards in order to take advantage of the speeds — it cannot be done via firmware.
CFexpress 4.0 isn’t a new standard: it was first introduced in the fall of 2023 when ProGrade Digital and Nextorage brought the technology to CFexpress Type B cards. As a recap, CFexpress 4.0 doubles the theoretical maximum throughput of the card, which is why Sony’s new CFexpress cards are significantly faster than the first generation ones. While it will take an update to the hardware of cameras to realize those higher speeds during capture, CFexpress 4.0 cards are backward compatible with current hardware (such as Sony’s latest Alpha series cameras), and it will dramatically speed up workflows once photographers and filmmakers are back at their desks.
Sony has two new capacities for these higher-end cards: a 1,920GB and a 960GB card. Both promise peak read speeds of 1,800 MB/s and peak write speeds of 1,700 MB/s. They are VPG400 rated.
“These new additions highlight Sony’s commitment to expanding its lineup of video production accessories to support professional and high-end amateur creators in enhancing and simplifying their production activities,” Sony says.
To go along with these new cards, Sony also has to upgrade its card reader, and that comes in the form of the MRW-G3.
“The CFexpress Type A Card Reader, MRW-G3, provides high-speed data transfer with CFexpress 4 and USB 40Gbps support, reducing computer import times. It is compatible with most computers, smartphones, and tablets, enabling data editing and uploading from various devices and locations. It features a heat dissipation design to handle temperature increases during large file transfers, achieving high reliability and durability,” Sony adds.
Sony is a bit late to the CFexpress 4.0 game. As mentioned, the technology first debuted almost two years ago and has been available widely from companies like ProGrade Digital, Nextorage, Angelbird, OWC, Wise, and Lexar. While these companies started rolling out the upgraded cards with the larger Type B card format, CFexpress 4.0 cards in the Type A format have been available for some time. OWC’s 960GB Atlast Pro cards, for example, have been widely available since April 2024 and promise similar performance to Sony’s cards.
The specification is even older than that, which is why it was a bit frustrating to see Sony’s flagship a1 II — a camera that really could have taken advantage of faster cards — use the older CFexpress specification and not 4.0.
Whatever the case, Sony is finally manufacturing top-of-the-line memory cards for its own cameras, but they do come at a literal cost — they might be the most expensive option on the market. The 960GB card will retail for approximately $584.99 and while the 1,920GB card is priced at $949.99. The new memory card reader will cost $149.99. All three new products are expected to be available by August.
Image credits: Sony
