Sony’s FX5 did something memory cards do not normally have to worry about: it made a certification badge matter. Angelbird’s answer turned up at IBC 2026 in Amsterdam, where the Austrian maker showed off a new generation of CFexpress 4.0 Type A media built to keep that camera fed. It was not the only card company working the show floor either, with rival Wise also bringing new product to the event.
The flagship range is the AV PRO CFexpress A v4, sold in 400GB, 800GB and 1600GB capacities. Every card in the line tops out at a maximum read speed of 1870 MB/s and holds a sustained read of 1700 MB/s. Writing is where capacity starts to tell:
- 400GB (AV400CXAM3) — 1160 MB/s maximum write, 1000 MB/s sustained write
- 800GB (AV800CXAM3) — 1830 MB/s maximum write, 1500 MB/s sustained write
- 1600GB (AV1T6CXAM3) — 1850 MB/s maximum write, 1600 MB/s sustained write
All three carry dual VPG400 and VPG800 certification. VPG400 is the guarantee that unlocks the FX5, since a Video Performance Guarantee rating promises a floor rather than a marketing peak, and the camera wants that floor held for the whole take. VPG800 is the hedge: Angelbird is betting the next wave of cinema cameras will ask for twice as much, and would rather sell a card that already answers.
Alongside the big three sits the AV PRO SE CFexpress A v4, a single 200GB model aimed further down the range. Both lines share the same foundations — a new-generation controller, a slimmed-down internal design and reworked firmware — plus the 1870 MB/s read ceiling and the 1700 MB/s sustained read figure. Angelbird also folds in what it calls Stable Stream technology, meant to stop write speeds sagging partway through a long recording, backed by integrated thermal management for the same reason.
Compatibility runs across Sony’s Alpha and Cinema Line bodies, including the A1, A1 II, A9 III, A7R V, A7 IV, A7S III, FX5, FX3/FX3A, FX2, FX30 and FX6. The cards are rated to survive extreme temperatures from -12° to 72° C and are described as shock- and vibration-resistant, which is less about bravado than about the reality of media that gets swapped in the rain and dropped into a pocket with car keys. Angelbird backs them with a three-year warranty and its in-house data recovery service, covering both hardware and software recovery.
Pricing puts the AV PRO line squarely in professional territory: US$399.99 for 400GB, US$599.99 for 800GB and US$899.99 for 1600GB. As of September 11, 2026 the cards were available to preorder.
