Good news for CFexpress Type A users: Angelbird has launched a new super-fast, high-capacity Type A card. Called AV PRO MK3, it uses the latest CFexpress 4.0 standard to achieve a maximum read speed of 1870MB/s, and a peak write rate of 1850MB/s. These speed figures are extremely rapid, being around twice as fast as the Type A format was capable of at launch, but it's sustained write speed that matters more for high-res video capture. Here AV PRO MK3 is even more impressive, being rated for 1700MB/s sustained read and 1600MB/s sustained write rates, giving the cards the ability to record 8K Raw footage with ease. These performance stats apply to the 400GB, 800GB, and range-topping 1600GB AV PRO MK3 capacities. An entry-level 200GB version is also available, but while it boasts the same read speed as the larger capacities, write speed is cut to 570MB/s peak and 500MB/s sustained.
Excluding the 200GB card, all other AV PRO MK3 capacities are both VPG400 and VPG800 certified. This Video Performance Guarantee means they're guaranteed to maintain a minimum 400GB/800GB write speed during video recording. You may wonder why Angelbird uses both VPG400 and VPG800 ratings, as surely the faster version should simply override the slower? The reason the cards sport both labels is because VPG800 doesn't actually replace the older VPG400 rating; it instead supplements it. This is due to VPG800 being part of the latest Video Performance Guarantee Profile 5.0, released by the CompactFlash Association in February 2025. VPG-5 is not backward compatible with VPG Profile 4.0 (which covers the existing VPG200 and VPG400 ratings). As such, a VPG800 card may not work with a camera recording mode that requires VPG200 or VPG400, hence the need to retain VPG400 as a distinct rating for backward compatibility.
To ensure maximum reliability, AV PRO MK3 cards feature advanced thermal management to avoid overheating, plus they also benefit from Angelbird's Stable Stream technology that promises consistent read and write performance. The cards are also said to be protected against shock, vibration, and temperatures ranging from 10 to 162°F. Should the worst still happen and you encounter data loss, Angelbird offers the option of in-house data recovery.
Angelbird AV PRO MK3 CFexpress Type A cards are available to pre-order now at B&H. Expect to pay $199.99 for the 200GB capacity, with the 400GB, 800GB and 1600GB cards priced at $399.99, $599.99 and $899.99, respectively.
