The new SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader from Sonnet is an industry’s first: it has a Thunderbolt 3 interface, for fast transfer of data.

With the increasing popularity of profession digital cinema cameras from 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.

The SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader from Sonnet Technologies is the first in a new family of professional media readers that feature a 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 interface. The Sonnet reader employs dual card slots to take advantage of the tremendous bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 offers. Sonnet’s CFast 2.0 Pro Reader, the industry’s first 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 of Sonnet Technologies. “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 just 5.75 inches wide by 3.5 inches deep by 1 inch tall, the compact CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader’s shell is made from extruded aluminum, making it lightweight, rugged, and easily able to withstand heavy use. The reader features a user-replaceable, captive 0.5-meter Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) cable with USB-C connector, and it is bus-powered with no power adapter required.

Sonnet’s SF3 Series – CFast 2.0 Pro Card Reader is expected to be available May 22 with a price of $199.