Lexar Card Reader Review

From Camera to Computer

In digital photography before you can do anything with those hard gained photographs you’ve taken, you have to transfer them onto a computer. Whilst this can be done using the camera, it quickly becomes apparent that this is far from ideal. Far easier is to remove the memory card from the camera and should it have a suitable slot, putting straight into the computer. However not all computers have card slots, which is where a card reader comes in. Usually plugging into a USB port, they will accept the common SD and CF cards, and many will also accept a raft of older and less common cards.

SD vs CF Cards

As mentioned SD, CF, or a combination of both are what are usually found in modern cameras. My cameras use CF cards which is my personal preference anyway. CF have higher practical and theoretical transfer speeds but this is generally negated by other factors. Unless you have a very high spec computer, hard drive, etc you are unlikely to get close to the max transfer rate. However for me the number one plus for a CF card is simply its robustness! For starters it’s larger and thus slightly harder to lose in a camera bag (but not impossible!!!). The connectors are all internal so are unlikely to get damaged. They are also more likely to stand up to punishment better and I have had and seen SD cards literally fall to bits, loose the lock switch etc. I’m not saying it can’t happen but I’ve yet to have a CF card fail on me!

A Problem

Whilst the CF cards themselves are rugged, the same cannot unfortunately be said about many of the card readers. My card readers get most of their use when covering events where I can have several photographers constantly bringing back (mostly CF cards) for me to quickly download the pictures from. In this situation a problem came to light. In the camera the delicate connecting pins are buried deep inside the card slot which has a guide groove to ensure the card is perfectly aligned to the pins. Unfortunately most of the cheaper (and some more expensive) card readers I tried had very short guide rails which unless you are very careful could lead slight misalignment and cause damage to the pins!

Help

A post on social media regarding the problem lead to the Lexar Professional Card Reader being recommended by several people. A search of reviews turned up a user who had had similar problems that had been overcome by this reader. That was the decider and I immediately ordered one.

First Impressions

The unit is a dual format in that it will accept both CF and SD cards. According to what I have read you can download from both slots at the same time as well as transferring from one card to the other. However this is something I’ve not tested. Overall the unit seems well built and measures about 60x70x25mm(open). It has a good rubberised base that helps keep it from slipping about the desk. One unique feature are the two recessed buttons on the sides of the unit. Pressed together the centre section springs open revealing the card slots. Gimmicky perhaps but it makes the unit more compact for storage, and gives some peace of mind that the slots are protected.

Speed

The unit is USB 3 which for people who are unfamiliar with the technicalities of USB is up to 10 times faster than the older USB 2. Once again this is all very theoretical and depends very much on many factors. It should also be pointed out that USB 3 is backward compatible so although you won’t have the speed advantages it should work without problems connected to a USB 2 port. I have not done any specific speed tests and to be honest it would be pretty pointless quoting the speeds I attain as they would be specific to my computer, card combination. However I would say that previous experience with a USB 3 reader indicated about a x6 times speed increase over a USB 2 reader. Working with various other photographers also highlights the difference in speed between different makes and types of cards.

In Use

Having used it now normally and also for an event I can say it is well up to the task I require it for. The pins in the CF slot are quite deep inside the unit and the guide grooves extend far further forward. It means I can put the card in far easier without worrying about it being misaligned. The extra speed of USB 3 is also an advantage to the quick turnaround required during an event. It also does not seem to suffer from some of the dismount problems I have experienced with other readers.

Overall

This is a very well designed and produced unit that well deserves the “professional” title. The fact it only handles two formats is generally not of any consequence (I can’t remember when I last had to read anything other than a CF or SD card), and although it is more expensive than many other readers, I feel sure it’s build quality will ensure a longer lifespan.
Overall 5 out of 5

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