New CF/SD card reader - USB 3.0, UDMA.. which one?

Sebastian

Sebastian

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Sebastian
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Hi all,

I'm looking for new card reader.
I'm using CF, SD and microSD cards in my cameras.
Obviously I would like to invest in USB 3.0, supporting UDMA technology.

I know that Lexar makes CF/SD Professional reader supporting UDMA and 25-in-1 reader that is "just" USB 3.0.

Kingston media reader is another option.

Which one would you choose?

Price is not important, I'm after reliability and quality.

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Seb
 
UDMA7 and USB3 support are fairly obvious
There is a transcend one which works alright

I am not sure, but doesn't Lexar one only read Lexar cards? I've seen that posted somewhere
And then we apparently have the issue of newer nikons only working with sandisk or lexar cards
 
Portable.. meaning on the end of a flying USB lead, or one fitted in the PC?
 
I'm shooting with D3 and D7000 and not planing to upgrade any time soon.

is there anyone here using USB 3.0 card reader? If yes, which one and why?
 
I have two USB3 card readers. They are definitely worth getting if you have a need to shift a lot of data quickly.
I started out with the Kingston one. Its ok. Speed wise its faster than USB2 but getting a SD card in and out is a bit fiddly. It feels like there is something catching inside and needs a bit of extra effort to seat it. It works ok though.

When i made the jump to Windows 8 the CF slot stopped working under USB3. USB2 was fine. Turns out it needed a FW update. Before i found out about that i went and got a Lexar Card reader
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004P8J1DU/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9550947909&ref=asc_df_B004P8J1DU
To me this is a better option. I dont need all the other slots, it seems a bit faster and better made, more "classy" i guess. Its easier to get the SD and CF cards in and out, no sticking like in the Kingston.
The kingston does have a nice illuminated logo when a card is in a slot. It looks pretty cool. The Lexar just has a small blue LED. Less intrusive though.

EDIT: Just to add that transfer speeds were around 20-30MB/s under USB2, they average about 40-60MB/s under USB3, although it does seem so fluctuate and favour the lower end sometimes. I guess it depends on the files sizes and what else the PC is doing at the time.
 
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Thanks Dave.

I had a look and Lexar offers two card readers: Professional with 2 slots and 25-in-1, also USB 3.0.
I wonder what the difference is, probably in supported modes (UDMA?)
I will have to investigate.
 
Go for the Lexar 2-slot unless you have something stupid like Sony Memory Sticks or you like really slow transfers, then go for the 896-in-one reader.
 
hollis_f said:
Go for the Lexar 2-slot unless you have something stupid like Sony Memory Sticks or you like really slow transfers, then go for the 896-in-one reader.
Click to expand...

Only thing is the microSD slot, or lack off. Ive not use microSD but im assuming they come with a SD adaptor to make it a non issue.
 
Sandisk have there own usb3 reader, I will see if I can find the site I seen it on and post a link, from what I remember it looked pretty well made and think it also supports e-sata
 
Hi all,

thanks for your input so far. I'm using microSD with Gopro but I have plenty of adapters so it's not a problem.
I'm just wondering how important UDMA or UHS-1 support is. Only some USB 3.0 reader support this protocol
 
Thedodo said:
Sandisk have there own usb3 reader, I <snip> think it also supports e-sata
Click to expand...

Hmmm, that would be interesting. That might make it as fast as ExpressCard.

Sebastian said:
I'm just wondering how important UDMA or UHS-1 support is.
Click to expand...

It may give some speed advantage. It should do, but some manufacturers are sneaky and resort to underhand techniques like claiming 'UDMA compatibility'. I bought a cheap reader that had such a claim, and a dozen really good reviews on Amazon, many saying how fast it was.

When I tested it myself it was slower than my £5 generic non-UDMA reader form the local supermarket. It turned out that 'UDMA compatible' meant that it wouldn't not work with a UDMA card - not that it actually used the UDMA protocol. It also showed me that you really can't trust Amazon reviews.
 
Another (y) for the Lexar one linked above. I have it and it works great with my D800 and both CF and SD cards.
 
If you have a PC with a USB3.0 capable motherboard... I just got this.

qEFhZ1Y.jpg


Icy Box IB-865

It's brilliant if you want a built in solution
 
Sebastian said:
I think this is the one I will be going for:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004P8J1DU/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

Expensive, but hopefully worth paying extra. I like the design and the fact that it will support all UDMA and UHS-1 protocols!
Click to expand...
I use this one too... been trouble free so far, I also have a Multi slot built in PC but don't use it, as the Cards stick out a long way and don't feel secure. where as the Lexar feels very solid, well worth the money in my opinion (y)
 
Hi Guys,
I've got an EOS 5d Mk3 and I usually upload files straight from the camera via the USB cable. I'm thinking of getting a CF card reader, but I can't find anywhere that says what the data transfer speed is on my current setup for comparison? Any ideas what the transfer speed from the camera is likely to be or where I could look?
Thanks
Matt
 
I think Nikon D4/D800 are the only cameras using USB3 ports...?

But even then, I still prefer to take CF card out and use the Lexar for transferring.
This just in case something should go wrong, then I certainly prefer to replace/repair the Lexar rather than have to ship in the camera... :)
 
Yep, USB2 is the order of the day for the Canon, although i believe the camera isnt transferring data at anywhere near the max transfer rate. A cheap USB3 card reader (assuming your computer has USB3 of course) will make a huge difference, although ive always found USB2 reader to make a difference as well.
For reference my transfer speeds through USB3 is about 50MB/s (about 2 raw files per second)
 
I have had the 2 slot Lexar for a year or so.

The only problem is the cable needs a good hard shove into the back of the reader.
 
Dark Knight said:
I use this one too... been trouble free so far, I also have a Multi slot built in PC but don't use it, as the Cards stick out a long way and don't feel secure. where as the Lexar feels very solid, well worth the money in my opinion (y)
Click to expand...
yep thats the one i have too excellent, and fast.
 
dinorock said:
yep thats the one i have too excellent, and fast.
Click to expand...

Yep, thats the one i have as well. Best one ive ever owned, although limited if you need more card formats (i dont).

Haha, i see im starting to repeat myself. sorry for the double posts.
 
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dave_bass5 said:
Yep, thats the one i have as well. Best one ive ever owned, although limited if you need more card formats (i dont).

Haha, i see im starting to repeat myself. sorry for the double posts.
Click to expand...
yep thats all i need sd for the wife cf for me and i have a converter sd/microsd for any thing else (digital photo frame) :)
 
matt_is said:
Hi Guys,
I've got an EOS 5d Mk3 and I usually upload files straight from the camera via the USB cable. I'm thinking of getting a CF card reader, but I can't find anywhere that says what the data transfer speed is on my current setup for comparison? Any ideas what the transfer speed from the camera is likely to be or where I could look?
Thanks
Matt
Click to expand...

Windows 7 gives a data transfer rate when copying files if you click on the "details" button. Might help?

I can recommend the Kingston USB 3.0 reader from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kingston-Technology-USB-Media-Reader/dp/B005ES0YYA/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1388678326&sr=1-1&keywords=kingston usb 3.0 card reader#productDetails

This has a native MicroSD slot so might be a bit more convenient than having to use an adaptor.

I checked its speed using Crystalmark with a Sandisk Extreme 45mb/s SD card, and the transfer speed was... you've guessed it... 45mb/s! Both for reading and writing. That's the fastest card I've got so I can't vouch for its performance with higher speed cards.

It looks pretty cool as well, with its brushed matte black finish, hexagonal detailing and red glowing LED badge, it seems someone at Kingston has more than a passing acquaintance with the design gestalt of Lamborghini... :)
 
Hi martsharm and gerryrs. Many thanks for your speedy comments, both of those look good. Whilst I can't find the speed for transferring the data direct from my camera, looking at how fast these readers are shifting data, they're clearly much quicker. I've got a 4 year old iMac with USB 2 and FireWire connectivity. A USB 3 reader will be no good to me (other than it is of course backwards compatible) but can I find a FireWire one anywhere? Nope. The only one I have ben able to find today has been a DeLocker one at about £48, but I understand there are some issues with the firmware on a Mac. Oh well, I think I'll take your advice and try either the Lexar one or the Kingston one - even at USB 2 I think it'll be quicker than straight from the camera.
Thanks again guys,
Matt
 
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