SF3 Series - SxS PRO X Card Reader
Sonnet

SF3 Series - SxS PRO X Card Reader

Professional Dual-Slot SxS PRO X Card Reader for Computers with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 Ports
Compatible with Apple® M1, M2, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra Macs; Thunderbolt™ 3 Intel® Macs; and Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 Windows computers
Key Features
  • Superior Ingest Performance—Ingests footage from all SxS cards at up to maximum supported speeds. Simultaneously ingest from two cards at full speed.
  • Broad SxS Card Support—Supports all SxS media, including SxS PRO X, SxS PRO+ E Series, and SxS-1 cards.
  • 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 M1 and M2 Series Compatible—Supports M1, M2, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra 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.

  • Overview
  • Tech Specs

Supports SxS PRO X Cards at Full Speed
Superior Dual-Slot Ingest Performance
SxS™ professional memory cards are used in many past and current Sony® and ARRI® pro digital video cameras and camcorders. Sony’s latest cards — SxS PRO X — take a performance leap by offering nearly 3x the maximum read speeds over previous generation cards. While Sony Venice Cinema Camera and PXW-Z750 XDCAM exploit SxS PRO X cards’ enhanced performance capabilities, even users of compatible Sony video cameras, such as PXW-X400 and PXW-Z450, can take advantage of the cards’ read speed potential.

When it’s time to ingest footage to your computer, don’t settle on any old card reader — for the shortest ingest times, SxS PRO X cards require a card reader designed to support their maximum ingest speeds (and, for even greater efficiency, a dual-slot card reader that can ingest two cards simultaneously). Get a Sonnet SF3™ Series – SxS PRO X Card Reader; it’s the fastest tool for the job.

Built for Two – Read up to 2500 MB/s
Dual-Slot Ingest at Maximum Read Speeds
The SF3 Series - SxS PRO X Card Reader easily reads all SxS memory cards at their rated speeds, with simultaneous aggregate performance of two cards up to 2500 MB/s.

Supports all SxS Media
Broad SxS Card Support
Supports all SxS media, including SxS PRO X, SxS PRO+ E Series, and SxS-1 cards.

Ingest Simultaneously from Two Cards
Dual Card Slots, Double Productivity
The SF3 Series – SxS PRO X Card Reader ingests files from all SxS memory cards at their rated speeds. Better still, it can ingest files simultaneously from two cards — at double the average ingest speed of other SxS card readers — to cut your ingest times in half.

Rack It Up
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.

Compact, Rugged, Stackable
The SxS Card Reader for Digital Imaging Technicians (DITs)
For DITs working multi-camera shoots or in a small space, equipment size and design features matter. The SF3 Series – SxS PRO X Card Reader measures just 5.8 inches wide by 5.1 inches deep by 1 inch tall, making it suitable for use in any workspace and workflow.

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 SxS 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 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 M1 and M2 Macs
SF3 Series professional card readers are fully compatible with Thunderbolt 4 computers. 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.

Backward Compatible with Older Macs
No Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3? No problem — SF3 Series - SxS PRO X 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).

Bus-Powered Option Available
Do you need the fastest ingest speeds but need to travel light — extra power bricks and cables take up extra space and can weigh you down — and don’t have a large stack of cards to ingest? Check out Sonnet’s SxS PRO X Thunderbolt Single-Slot Card Reader. It’s bus-powered, operating off its Thunderbolt connection so there’s no need to plug in a power supply or power cable, and reads SxS PRO X cards at rated speeds.

Part Number SF3-2SXSPX
Form Factor Portable card reader
Bus Interface 40Gbps Thunderbolt
External Connectors Two SxS card slots
Two Thunderbolt ports
Power port
Power Adapter Universal 60W, 100-240V AC, 50–60 Hz
Operating Temperatures 0˚C to 35˚C (32˚F to 95˚F)
Dimensions (WxDxH) 5.8 x 6.1 x 1.4 in. (148 x 155 x 36 mm)
Weight Reader and Power Adapter: 1.85 lbs. (0.84 kg)
Complete Package: 2.65 lbs. (1.2 kg)
Compliance RoHS 3 (Directive 2015/863)
IEC62368-1 and IEC62368-2 Safety

Mac Compatibility
  • Mac (M1, M2, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra)
  • Mac (Intel) with Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Mac (Intel) 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® 10.12.6+
  • macOS Ventura compatible

Windows Compatibility
  • Windows computer with Thunderbolt 4 or Thunderbolt 3 ports
  • Windows 11 and 10

Supported Media
  • Sony SxS, SxS-1, SxS Pro, SxS Pro+, and SxS PRO X
  • Sony AXS media NOT supported