Sonnet SF3 Dual-Slot CFexpress/XQD to Thunderbolt Pro Card Reader

About: Sonnet SF3 Dual-Slot CFexpress/XQD to Thunderbolt Pro Card Reader

Whether you’re capturing 4K at 60P RAW video footage to CFexpress memory cards, or shooting hundreds of photos in a session and saving them to XQD memory cards, the generated files are huge, and the cards fill up fast. Moving those files to your computer for editing is a must, but if you use the wrong tool, you’ll spend a lot of time waiting around. Get a Sonnet SF3 Series - CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader; it’s the ultimate tool for finishing the job fast.

Features

• Superior Ingest Performance - Ingests footage from CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards and XQD cards at up to maximum supported speeds.
• Cuts Ingest Times by up to Half - Dual card slots enable simultaneous ingest of footage from two cards for greater efficiency.
• 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.
• Two Thunderbolt Ports - One port connects to computer; second port supports daisy chaining of up to five additional SF3 Series pro card readers.
• 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.

Cut Ingest Times by up to Half - ​Dual Card Slots, Less Waiting

The SF3 Series - CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader is ultra-fast, able to ingest files from CFexpress and XQD cards at their maximum speeds. Better still, it can ingest files simultaneously from two CFexpress cards — at more than double the average ingest speed of other CFexpress or XQD card readers — to cut your ingest times in half.

Ready for Racking

Sonnet’s SF3 Series pro card readers include threaded mount points that enable you to securely attach two readers side-by-side on a rack tray in just 1U of rack space.

The CFexpress/XQD Reader for Digital Imaging Technicians (DITs)

Measuring 5.75 inches wide by 1 inch tall by 3.5 inches deep, the SF3 Series - CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader is suitable for use in any workspace and workflow; for DITs working multi-camera shoots or in a small space, the Sonnet reader’s design advantages stand out.

Ingest four, six, or more cards simultaneously at up to 2800 MB/s!

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!

​40Gbps Thunderbolt - Fastest External Interface Available

Featuring a dual-port 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.

• Dual 40Gbps Thunderbolt Ports - One port is reserved for the connection to your Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 computer; the second port enables expansion of up to five additional Thunderbolt peripheral devices in a daisy chain.
• 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 Support - 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2 support allows you to connect a USB device to the second Thunderbolt port using the proper cable or adapter.
• Provides 15W of Power - For peripherals requiring extra power, 15 watts is provided to bus-powered devices.
• Supports Connecting One 5K 60Hz Display - Maximize the utilization of one computer Thunderbolt port.

All the Right Connections - 40Gbps Thunderbolt Cable and ThunderLok 3 Included

Sonnet includes a Thunderbolt cable that supports Thunderbolt‘s full 40Gbps bandwidth, and is fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 computers. Sonnet also provides a ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip that prevents accidental cable disconnections — just slide it over one end of the cable, and then plug in the connector and secure it to the reader by turning a thumbscrew. Because of its unique design, ThunderLok remains on the cable so it won’t get lost when not in use.

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. 

Backward Compatible with Older Macs

No Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3? No problem — SF3 Series - CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader is also compatible with Macs with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports when used with the bi-directional Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter and a Thunderbolt cable (both sold separately).

Specifications

• Compatibility
  • Mac Compatibility
    • Mac (M series):
    • Mac (Intel) with Thunderbolt 3 ports
    • Mac with a Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt 1 port with an Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter plus a Thunderbolt 2 cable (both sold separately).
    • macOS 10.12+
    • macOS Sonoma compatible
  • iPad Pro Compatibility
    • iPad Pro (M series)
    • Compatible with only CFexpress cards
  • Windows Compatibility
    • Windows computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports
    • Windows 11 and 10
  • Supported Media
    • CFexpress 2.0 Type B
    • XQD
• Hardware
  • Form Factor - Portable card reader
  • Bus Interface - 40Gbps Thunderbolt
  • External Connectors
    • Two CFexpress 2.0 Type B/XQD card slots
    • Two Thunderbolt ports
    • Power port
  • Power Adapter - Universal 60W, 100-240V AC, 50–60 Hz
  • Cameras Supporting CFexpress/XQD (March 2021)
    • CFexpress 2.0 Type B
      • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
      • Canon EOS-1D X Mark III
      • Canon EOS C500 Mark II
      • Canon EOS R5
    • CFexpress 2.0 Type B or XQD
      • Nikon D5 (CFexpress with firmware 1.40)
      • Nikon D6
      • Nikon D500 (CFexpress with firmware 1.30)
      • Nikon D850 (CFexpress with firmware 1.20)
      • Nikon Z6
      • Nikon Z6 II
      • Nikon Z7
      • Nikon Z7 II
      • Panasonic Lumix DC-S1
      • Panasonic Lumix DC-S1R
    • XQD
      • Nikon D4
      • Nikon D4s
      • Phase One XF IQ4
      • Sony PXW-FS7
      • Sony PXW-FS7M2
      • Sony PXW-FS7M2K
      • Sony PXW-FX9
  • Dimensions (WxDxH) - 5.75 x 3.5 x 1 in. (147 x 88.3 x 35.6 mm)
  • Weight (Reader and Power Adapter) - 1.35 lbs (0.6 kg)
  • Compliance
    • RoHS 3 (Directive 2015/863)
    • IEC62368-1 and IEC62368-2 Safety

Package Contents

• Sonnet SF3 Series - CFexpress/XQD Pro Card Reader
• Power adapter
• Region-specific power cable for US, Australia, Europe, Japan, Switzerland, or UK
• 0.5-meter Thunderbolt 3 cable
• ThunderLok 3 Thunderbolt connector retainer clip
• Documentation