Buy Now

SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader

Professional Dual-Slot CFast 2.0 Card Reader for Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports

Mac® | Windows®‍

Compatible with Apple® M series Macs; Thunderbolt™ 3 Intel® Macs; and Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 Windows computers

Buy Now

Supports CFast 2.0 Cards at Maximum Speed

Superior Dual-Slot Ingest Performance

With the increasing popularity of professional digital cinema cameras from RED®, Canon®, ARRI®, and Blackmagic Design, the use of CFast™ 2.0 memory cards has soared, and the need for a truly high-speed card reader is undeniable. With current CFast 2.0 cards’ rated read speeds near 550 MB/s, it’s clear that USB readers don’t fill that need. Sonnet’s SF3™ Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader does. Featuring a 40Gbps Thunderbolt™ interface, this pro media card reader quickly ingests footage from CFast memory cards to any Mac or Windows computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports at the fastest speeds the cards will support.

SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader Hero

Key Features

Superior Ingest Performance

Ingests footage from CFast 2.0 cards at up to maximum supported speeds. Simultaneously ingest from two cards at full speed.

Dual CFast 2.0 Slots

Enable simultaneous ingest of files from two cards up to 1000+ MB/s aggregate.

PCIe 3.0 x4 Thunderbolt Device

This Thunderbolt 3 device provides four lanes of PCIe 3.0 (two lanes to each card slot). Thunderbolt 4 would be limited to one lane total. Learn more about Thunderbolt 3 performance benefits over Thunderbolt 4.

Compact, Rugged, Stackable

Small and rugged aluminum enclosure for reliable operation; design enables multiple SF3 Series card readers to occupy same footprint.

Rackable

Threaded mount points enable secure attachment of two readers side-by-side on a rack tray in just 1U of rack space.

Bus-Powered, Energy Efficent

Powered through its Thunderbolt connection, the SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader requires no power adapter.

Apple M series Compatible

Supports M series Macs.

Intel® Macs Compatible

Supports Intel Macs with Thunderbolt 3 ports, and Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt 1 ports (with adapter plus Thunderbolt 2 cable, sold separately).

Windows Compatible

Supports Windows computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports.

Free Lifetime Tech Support

‍Sonnet was established in Irvine, California in 1986. Since then, we’ve pioneered and brought to market many innovative and award-winning products that enhance the performance and connectivity of Mac, Windows, and other industry-standard computers. Many of our employees have been with the company for more than 20 years. We have a wealth of knowledge about our current and past products. Should you ever need technical support on one of our products, contact us; we’ll be around to help you.

Dual CFast Slots

Ingest from Two Cards at Same Time

As the industry’s first CFast 2.0 card reader for Thunderbolt, Sonnet’s SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader employs its dual card slots to take advantage of the tremendous bandwidth offered by Thunderbolt technology. This CFast 2.0 reader is capable of ingesting media files simultaneously from two cards at concurrent data transfer speeds up to 1000+ MB/s — more than double the average ingest speed of USB 3.0 card readers — using the Sonnet reader makes for a significantly more convenient and efficient workflow.

Bus-Powered

No Power Adapters Required

The SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader connects directly to your Mac or Windows computer’s Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 port or at the end of a Thunderbolt device chain. Requiring only a single cable to connect to your computer, this high-performance Sonnet reader is bus powered (no separate power supply required).

On the Road Travel Companion

Portable, Rugged, Stackable

Measuring a compact 5.8 inches wide by 1 inch high by 3.5 inches deep, the SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader is suitable for use in any workspace, even where space is tight. The reader’s shell is made from extruded aluminum, making it lightweight, and yet rugged enough to be transported in an equipment bag without fear of damaging the case.

SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader Dimensions

Sonnet SF3 Series Pro Card Readers

Designed to be Stacked and Daisy Chained

SF3 Series pro card readers feature rugged aluminum enclosures designed to be stacked and daisy chained, enabling multiple AJA PAK Media, CFast 2.0, CFexpress™/XQD™, RED MINI-MAG®, and SxS™ PRO X readers to occupy the same footprint, while connecting to your computer through a single cable. You can take advantage of Thunderbolt’s up to 2800 MB/s of PCIe 3.0 x4 bandwidth to ingest four, six, or more cards simultaneously!

AJA PAK Media Pro Card Reader ›

CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader ›

RED MINI-MAG Pro Card Reader ›

SXS PRO X Card Reader ›

40Gbps Thunderbolt

Fastest External Interface Available

Featuring a 40Gbps Thunderbolt interface, this reader ingests footage from all CFast memory cards to Mac and Windows computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports — on location, in the studio, or in the edit suite — at up to the fastest speeds the cards will support.

Cable Built-in

Never Lose It. Easily Replaceable.

Through the use of a captive cable, the SF3 Series - CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader’s 40Gbps Thunderbolt cable remains firmly connected to it at all times. Should the cable ever break, it can easily be replaced with an approved replacement cable available from Sonnet or a Sonnet-authorized service center.

Compatible with Thunderbolt 4 Computers and Apple M series Macs

SF3 Series professional card readers are fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 computers, including Apple M series Macs. Sonnet’s media readers are purposely designed with a Thunderbolt 3 controller and its four lanes of PCIe (not available in a Thunderbolt 4 peripheral) to achieve maximum simultaneous ingest speeds. Learn more about the performance benefits of Thunderbolt 3 over Thunderbolt 4.

Compatible with Apple M series Macs

see Tech Specs for details

See Tech Specs for footnotes.
Product specifications and information subject to change without notice. Computer hardware and accessories featured in photos that are not included with product are shown for illustration purposes; items sold separately.