Angelbird CFexpress 4.0 Introduced – The Future of Workflows

At IBC 2025, we touched base with Roman Rabitsch, CEO at Angelbird, to speak about the way forward for CFexpress and what CFexpress 4.0 actually means for filmmakers. Whereas highlighting their newest playing cards, readers, SSD drives, and cables on the sales space, the true dialogue was about timing, trade wants, and the way workflows can profit lengthy earlier than cameras catch up.As an editor, I get particularly excited when new expertise tackles bottlenecks in submit. Quicker playing cards, readers, and cables won’t sound glamorous to many individuals, however they imply much less ready and a smoother workflow. Each hour saved in offloading or prepping media is an hour I can spend really enhancing, and that makes an enormous distinction.Getting into CFexpress 4.0For these of you who might have missed it, we just lately reviewed the Efficiency Card Reader and lined the Stable Flex USB 4.0 cables. Earlier this 12 months, we additionally wrote concerning the Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards.At IBC, although, the main focus was not simply on the {hardware}. It was about what CFexpress 4.0 means for workflows and the way the trade is getting ready for the following step ahead.Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards. Supply: AngelbirdCFexpress 4.0 doubles throughput in comparison with the earlier era, with max reads as much as 3700 MB/s and sustained reads round 3500 MB/s.Meant for workflows, not simply camerasSometimes it’s known as Model 4 or Gen 4, however the official CFA title is CFexpress 4.0. On paper, it’s a massive step ahead. Roman defined that the main focus is on learn velocity. CFexpress 4.0 is one thing that cameras don’t want but, and it could be one other few years earlier than they really do.So, the place does it assist proper now? In offloading and submit. Giant shoots and dwell productions typically generate terabytes of knowledge. With the ability to again that up and get it into the edit bay sooner could make or break a deadline.Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress B. Picture credit score: CineDAngelbird’s Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 playing cards are constructed for precisely this. They vary from 512GB to 4TB, with sustained reads close to 3500 MB/s throughout the road. The 512GB card begins at $179.99 at B&H, and goes as much as $1,199.99 for the 4 TB possibility.It’ll take time for cameras to catch up, since write speeds aren’t the limiting issue but. For now, the fast benefit is shaving hours off the switch course of. As Roman put it, in case your reader, laptop, and cables all help CFexpress 4.0, “you actually get the excessive velocity out of it.”Angelbird Efficiency Card Reader. Picture credit score: CineDBuilding the CFexpress 4.0 ecosystemAngelbird is aiming to cowl the whole chain with their ecosystem. The Efficiency Card Reader helps CFexpress 4.0 and consists of an inner fan to forestall transfers from throttling. In our earlier evaluation, it was even quick sufficient to function an SSD substitute for enhancing. It sells for about $249.99 at B&H.Stable Flex Cables from Angelbird. Picture credit score: CineDThe identical considering extends to cables. Angelbird’s Stable Flex USB 4.0 fashions help 40 Gb/s transfers and use strengthened connectors to keep away from unintended disconnects. They might appear to be commonplace cables, however Roman reminded us {that a} weak hyperlink right here can kill efficiency.Pricing and long-term valueRoman additionally touched on the pricing of CFexpress 4.0 playing cards. Whereas reminiscence chip prices rise and fall, he identified that they’re already aggressive per gigabyte in comparison with many V90 SD playing cards. For professionals who transfer giant volumes of knowledge, that price-to-performance ratio issues as a lot as velocity.He additionally harassed that purchasing into CFexpress 4.0 now isn’t just about immediately’s workflows. It’s about positioning your self for the longer term. When cameras finally demand greater throughput, the playing cards, readers, and cables will already be prepared. Meaning much less scrambling to improve gear underneath strain and extra confidence that your media pipeline will maintain tempo with manufacturing calls for.Picture credit score: CineDNotes on drive velocity from an editorJust six years in the past, a consumer despatched me 4TB of 8K RED footage on a cut price USB 2.0 drive and wished a two-day turnaround. It was totally doable; nonetheless, it took practically 20 hours simply to dump the footage to my system!With speeds like Angelbird is displaying, jobs like that turn into doable, letting me begin enhancing immediately as an alternative of ready a day simply to repeat recordsdata. Angelbird is a part of a push to ease bottlenecks and maintain workflows transferring ahead, and I welcome it.We’ll maintain following how Angelbird shapes quick media options. Be sure you go to Angelbird’s official website for extra on their merchandise and ecosystem.What about you? Would you employ CFexpress 4.0 playing cards largely for enhancing, backup, or each? Tell us within the feedback beneath.