Best Cf Reader For Mac

11-05-2021
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The lack of an SD card slot on the 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro is an inconvenience for photographers of all stripes who shoot with cameras other than the iPhone. The answer—as with everything else that needs to connect to the USB-C–only MacBook Pro—is an external USB-C SD card reader.

Due to the lack of Compact Flash slot, the Cable Matters USB 3.1 type-C dual slot card reader is smaller than both the Transcend and IOGEAR, making it even easier to carry around! Plus, it costs even less than the other too, starting at around $12. Compact Flash CF Card Reader, WEme Aluminum Multi-in-1 USB 3.0 Micro SD Card Reader with 2-in-1 Type C Adapter for PC, Mac, Macbook Mini, USB C Devices, Support Sandisk/ Lexar UHS, SDHC Memory Card by WEme. Compact flash card reader (12 items found) Best Match Price, Low to High Price, High to Low Name, A-Z Name, Z-A Top Rating New Arrivals SORT BY.

Cf reader for mac

Sony Reader For Mac

But which one? As you would expect, third parties have rushed to create adapters for everything, including memory card readers. And to no one’s surprise, the quality, specifications, and prices are all over the map.

We tested six adapters that stood out among the field based on online reviews, word of mouth, and design. All of the adapters read and write to SD cards, and we tested one model—the IOGEAR USB-C 3-Slot Card Reader/Writer—that also accepts larger CompactFlash (CF) cards still used by some high-end cameras. Choosing which reader is best for you depends a lot on what you need and how much you’re willing to spend. For most people, that could turn out to be one of the least expensive of the bunch.

Before you view the picks, you may want to consult our SD Card explainer to understand the stew of acronyms and jargon the industry uses to describe memory card storage and speed.

Best card reader for speed

The SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II USB-C Reader is pricey ($49 on Amazon, and unlike the other adapters we tested, it has just a single SD card slot—no microSD, CF, or USB-A ports to extend its versatility.

But it’s fast.

On one hand, the speed is due to its UHS-II compatibility, transferring up to a theoretical 312 MBps from UHS-II memory cards that include a second row of contacts from which to read data. In our real-world tests, we recorded an average throughput of 195.45 MBps for photos and 267.67 MBps for video; the latter’s increase is due to the reduced amount of overhead needed to copy nine files versus 684 files.

That said, even when copying from more common UHS-I cards, which top out at a theoretical speed of 104 MBps, the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II USB-C Reader bested the other adapters we tested. It copied our suite of photos at a rate of 86.68 MBps and video at 101 MBps.

We also liked the fairly compact design, with its bendy neck and minimal footprint, although the angle of the case where you insert the SD card makes extracting a card less elegant than needed.

But if you’re shooting with a camera that works with UHS-II cards and you need the fastest copy turnaround, the cost is worth it.

Best value for UHS-II cards

If you’re willing to give up a few seconds and don’t want to pay a premium for speed, the Verbatim USB-C Pocket Card Reader is nearly as fast as the SanDisk Extreme Pro when copying from UHS-II cards and costs just $17 on Amazon.

In our testing, we found an average throughput of 179.36 MBps for photos and 221.89 MBps when transferring video files. The Verbatim reader is a little more bulky, and sports a short cable for the USB-C plug, but it also features slots for SD and Micro SD cards.

Best combination of price and performance

What if, like most current photographers, you’re not yet capturing to UHS-II cards? For an adapter that has a great combination of price and performance, we like the Cable Matters USB 3.1 Type-C Dual Slot Card Reader ($12 on Amazon).

We expected to run into tradeoffs at this price, but the Cable Matters adapter was almost as fast as the SanDisk adapter. Our photos transferred at 82.17 MBps, while videos zipped along at 95.6 MBps.

The adapter has dedicated SD and microSD card slots that can be used simultaneously, and a discrete LED to indicate the adapter is getting power. With dimensions of just 2.8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches and a 6-inch cable, it doesn’t add bulk to any bag.

If you don’t need UHS-II compatibility, the Cable Matters USB 3.1 Type-C Dual Slot Card Reader is the one to get.

Best Cf Reader For Mac

How we tested

We copied two sets of photos and videos from a SanDisk Extreme Pro SDXC card rated at 95 megabytes per second (MBps). For photos, we timed three transfers of 12.9GB of JPEG and raw images (684 files) and averaged the results. For video transfer, we copied 31GB (9 files) from the same card.

Best Compact Flash Reader For Mac

We also copied the same files using a SanDisk Extreme Pro SDHC UHS-II card rated at 280 MBps to test the difference that UHS II compatibility affords. And for the CF reader, we used a SanDisk Extreme CF card rated at 120 MBps (UDMA 7) to copy 7.7GB of JPEGS (402 files), since that card’s capacity maxed out at 16GB.

All of the testing was done on a 2016 MacBook Pro with TouchBar equipped with a 2.7GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. We used the Image Capture utility to facilitate the transfer of photos, and copied the video files using the Finder.

Best Cf Card Reader For Mac

Bottom line

If you really need the top speeds afforded by UHS-II cards and devices that read them, we recommend the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II USB-C Reader. For everyone else, however, our favorite USB-C memory card reader is the Cable Matters USB 3.1 Type-C Dual Slot Card Reader. It’s fast, small, and inexpensive—the attributes you want so you can spend your time and money on capturing photos.

To read the full reviews of each product we tested, click the product name in the list below, and then click the “Read the full review” link that appears.

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  • Lexar Professional FireWire 800 CompactFlash CF Card Reader IEEE 1394b PC/MAC Pr

    Pre-Owned
    Time left1h 12m left
    0 bids
    From United StatesCustoms services and international tracking provided
    +$19.72 shipping

  • UNIVERSAL CARD READER by TECH UNIVERSE Mini Micro SD MS SIM Card CF Windows Mac

    Brand New
    From United States
    or Best Offer
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • UGREEN USB 3.0 CF / MS / SD / TF Memory Card Reader Adapter Fr Win / Mac / Linux

    Brand New
    From China
    or Best Offer

  • UGREEN 4-In-1 CF / MS / SD / TF High Speed Card Reader Supports Win / Mac/ Linux

    Brand New
    From Hong Kong
    or Best Offer

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Open box
    From United States
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Brand New
    From United States
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided
    3 Watching

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Pre-Owned
    Top Rated Plus
    Buy It Now
    From United StatesCustoms services and international tracking provided

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Pre-Owned
    Top Rated Plus
    Buy It Now
    From United StatesCustoms services and international tracking provided

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Open box
    From United States
    or Best Offer
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • Kodak A251 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Open box
    From United States
    or Best Offer
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • WEme CF Reader USB 3.0 Compact Flash High Speed Converter Adapter Mac Mini iPad

    Pre-Owned
    From United States
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • Kodak A250 50-in-1 Universal Card Reader/Writer Mac/PC USB 2.0 SD HC MICRO SD CF

    Pre-Owned
    From United States
    or Best Offer
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • SMARTMEDIA MEMORY CARD READER USB HIGH SPEED ADAPTER SM SD CF XD Windows Mac

    Refurbished
    From China
    Buy It Now
    Benefits charity

  • HIgh Speed USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader Adapter Micro SD SDHC SDXC CF For PC&Mac

    Brand New
    From China
    Was: Previous Price$9.13
    +$1.99 shipping
    5% off

  • CAMERA USB Memory Card Reader for SM CF XD SD MMC PC WINDOWS 7 SEVEN Vista MAC +

    Brand New
    From United Kingdom
    Buy It Now

  • LEXAR MEDIA JUMPSHOT CF CARD READER Mac Windows USB 2.0 Type A COMPACT FLASH

    Brand New
    From United States
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • HIgh Speed USB 2.0 CF Memory Card Reader Compact Flash Adapter For PC&Mac

    Brand New
    From Hong Kong
    Was: Previous Price$4.79
    +$1.99 shipping
    5% off

  • Lexar FireWire CF Compact Flash Card Reader for Mac/Windows

    Brand New
    From United States
    or Best Offer

  • 3 IN 1 USB 3.1 Type C To SD TF CF Card Reader Adapter For Ipad Mac Android

    Brand New
    From China
    Buy It Now

  • NEW Lexar FireWire CF Compact Flash Card Reader Mac Win

    Open box
    From United States
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • USB 3.0 HIgh Speed Memory Card Reader Adapter Micro SD SDHC SDXC CF For PC&Mac

    Brand New
    From United States
    Was: Previous Price$15.50
    +$29.95 shipping

  • Sabrent USB 3.0 S-Speed 4-slot Memory Card Reader CF MMC SDXC MS PC/ MAC CR-BMC3

    Brand New
    From Australia
    Buy It Now

  • USB 2.0 HIgh Speed CF Memory Card Reader Compact Flash Adapter For PC&Mac

    Brand New
    From United States
    Was: Previous Price$10.00
    +$29.95 shipping

  • Apollo 6 in1 USB Card Reader Writer SM SD MMC MS CF MD HotSwap Win Mac Linux NEW

    Brand New
    From United States
    or Best Offer

  • Cf Card Reader Usb 3.0 Compact Flash High Speed Converter Adapter Mac Mini White

    Brand New
    Buy 2, get 1 5% off
    From United States
    +$20.76 shipping

  • CF Card Reader USB 3.0 Compact Flash High Speed Converter Adapter Mac Mini iPad

    Brand New
    From United States
    Buy It Now

  • Cateck Mac/PC Superspeed USB 3.0 Multi-in-1 3-Slot Card Reader for CF/SD/TF/Mi

    Brand New
    From United Kingdom
    Buy It Now
    Customs services and international tracking provided

  • SMART MEDIA MEMORY CARD READER USB ADAPTER SM SD CF TF XD Windows Mac Linux

    Brand New
    From Hong Kong
    or Best Offer
    652 Sold652 Sold

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