Angelbird CFexpress 4.0 Introduced – The Future of Workflows

by Dave KratzSeptember 20^th, 2025

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At IBC 2025, we touched base with Roman Rabitsch, CEO at Angelbird, to talk about the future of CFexpress and what CFexpress 4.0 really means for filmmakers. While highlighting their latest cards, readers, SSD drives, and cables at the booth, the real discussion was about timing, industry needs, and how workflows can benefit long before cameras catch up.

As an editor, I get especially excited when new technology tackles bottlenecks in post. Faster cards, readers, and cables might not sound glamorous to many people, but they mean less waiting and a smoother workflow. Every hour saved in offloading or prepping media is an hour I can spend actually editing, and that makes a big difference.

Stepping into CFexpress 4.0

For those of you who may have missed it, we recently reviewed the Performance Card Reader and covered the Solid Flex USB 4.0 cables. Earlier this year, we also wrote about the Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 cards.

At IBC, though, the focus was not just on the hardware. It was about what CFexpress 4.0 means for workflows and how the industry is preparing for the next step forward.

CFexpress 4.0 doubles throughput compared to the previous generation, with max reads up to 3700 MB/s and sustained reads around 3500 MB/s.

Meant for workflows, not just cameras

Sometimes it is referred to as Version 4 or Gen 4, but the official CFA name is CFexpress 4.0. On paper, it is a big step forward. Roman explained that the focus is on read speed. CFexpress 4.0 is something that cameras do not need yet, and it may be another few years before they actually do.

So, where does it help right now? In offloading and post. Large shoots and live productions often generate terabytes of data. Being able to back that up and get it into the edit bay faster can make or break a deadline.

Angelbird’s Angelbird AV PRO SE CFexpress B v4 cards are built for exactly this. They range from 512GB to 4TB, with sustained reads near 3500 MB/s across the line. The 512GB card starts at $179.99 at B&H, and goes up to $1,199.99 for the 4 TB option.

It will take time for cameras to catch up, since write speeds are not the limiting factor yet. For now, the immediate advantage is shaving hours off the transfer process. As Roman put it, if your reader, computer, and cables all support CFexpress 4.0, “you really get the high speed out of it.”

Building the CFexpress 4.0 ecosystem

Angelbird is aiming to cover the entire chain with their ecosystem. The Performance Card Reader supports CFexpress 4.0 and includes an internal fan to prevent transfers from throttling. In our earlier review, it was even fast enough to serve as an SSD replacement for editing. It sells for about $249.99 at B&H.

The same thinking extends to cables. Angelbird’s Solid Flex USB 4.0 models support 40 Gb/s transfers and use reinforced connectors to avoid accidental disconnects. They may look like standard cables, but Roman reminded us that a weak link here can kill performance.

Pricing and long-term value

Roman also touched on the pricing of CFexpress 4.0 cards. While memory chip costs rise and fall, he pointed out that they are already competitive per gigabyte compared to many V90 SD cards. For professionals who move large volumes of data, that price-to-performance ratio matters as much as speed.

He also stressed that buying into CFexpress 4.0 now is not just about today’s workflows. It is about positioning yourself for the future. When cameras eventually demand higher throughput, the cards, readers, and cables will already be ready. That means less scrambling to upgrade gear under pressure and more confidence that your media pipeline will keep pace with production demands.

Notes on drive speed from an editor

Just six years ago, a client sent me 4TB of 8K RED footage on a bargain USB 2.0 drive and wanted a two-day turnaround. It was entirely doable; however, it took nearly 20 hours just to offload the footage to my system!

With speeds like Angelbird is showing, jobs like that become possible, letting me start editing right away instead of waiting a day just to copy files. Angelbird is part of a push to ease bottlenecks and keep workflows moving forward, and I welcome it.

We will keep following how Angelbird shapes fast media solutions. Be sure to visit Angelbird’s official site for more on their products and ecosystem.

What about you? Would you use CFexpress 4.0 cards mostly for editing, backup, or both? Let us know in the comments below.