The best memory card readers are an easy way to make sure you can always get your images off your camera. With many laptops eschewing the SD card slot in favour of ever-slimmer designs, having a memory card reader can be practically essential. Sure, there's always the option to connect via USB, or wirelessly. But in practice this can be fiddly, and sometimes simply whipping the card out is the easier option.
Best External Sd Card Reader For Mac
The simplest way to save time and speed up your workflow is using a fast SD card reader. Photography and videography are time-consuming activities. And one of the slowest parts of the process can be transferring the files from your digital camera to your computer.
The ProGrade Digital is the best of all memory card readers. It boasts one CFexpress Type B slot and one UHS-II SDXC slot. These are the two most common camera card formats used by DSLR and mirrorless cameras.
It also has a helpful write-protect switch, so you never overwrite any essential files. And it has a stackable design that is convenient for pairing with other readers. Lastly, SanDisk makes identical models that read CFexpress cards, CFast cards, and RED MINI-MAG cards.
The Kingston Nucleum 7-in-1 hub is the perfect solution for people with newer laptops lacking ports (like the 2020 MacBook Air or 2021 MacBook Pro). It boasts SD and microSD memory card readers, two USB-C ports, and two USB 3.1 ports.
The Sony MRW-G2 CFexpress memory card reader transfers files at a lighting-fast max speed of 1250 Mbps. When paired with a CFexpress Type A card, it transfers data up to 2.8 times faster than traditional SD card readers.
Even if you only use this reader with traditional SD cards, more and more cameras will use CFexpress Type A cards every year. And if you own a Sony camera like the a7S III, this is undoubtedly the best memory card reader.
It comes with a detachable USB 3.0 cable that transfers data at a top speed of 5 Gbps. While USB C ports are typically faster, this microSD card reader is ten times faster than older USB ports. It is still compatible with older ports, but the transfer speeds will be noticeably slower.
The Apple USB-C to SD card reader is an excellent choice for all Mac devices. It is inexpensive and has a simple design. But it also features the same signature, high-quality look, and feel as all Apple products.
Because of the USB Type-C connection, it is compatible with Mac computers and newer-generation iPad Pros, Airs, and Minis. For iPad users, the ability to download photos and videos directly to their tablet is a dream come true. And you should check out the Lightning to SD card camera reader if you want one for your iPhone.
If you work with microSD cards more frequently, the SanDisk Professional Multi-Card PRO-READER is the best option. For photographers and videographers who have cameras using CFexpress cards, you should probably opt for the Lexar Professional USB 3.2 reader.
Those on a budget will see great results from the Anker 2-in-1 USB 3.0 SD card reader. And our top recommended one for the average person is the ProGrade Digital card reader. It checks off all the boxes!
But, there are types of SD card readers on the market, how can you choose and use the right one for your MacBook Pro? Or you've already prepared an SD card reader but find it not working on your Mac. What should you do to enable your MacBook Pro to read it? Let's move on to find the answers.
The port of the SD card reader should be suitable for the interface on your MacBook Pro. Or else, you can't connect the SD card reader to your computer. On most modern MacBook Pros, they are designed with USB-C ports. Hence, you need to select a USB-C SD card reader.
This SD card reader supports both SD cards and Micro SD cards, allowing reading 3 SD cards simultaneously. Whether you have an SD card or an SDHC or SDXC card, the reader can enable your MacBook Pro to access the data on the card.
Sometimes, your SD card not working or recognized on your Mac. You may regard the troublemaker as the SD card reader. You can check if your SD card reader supports your SD card. If not, change the SD card to a compatible one.
If your SD card reader still not working on your MacBook Pro, in other words, your computer still fails to read your SD card, you need to think about if your SD card format is compatible with your Mac and if the card is damaged or not.
Jessica Shee is a senior tech editor at iBoysoft. Throughout her 3 years of experience, Jessica has written many informative and instructional articles in data recovery, data security, and disk management to help a lot of readers secure their important documents and take the best advantage of their devices.
A 5-1 USB-C Hub, MOKiN USB-C much more than a card reader. It comes with one 4K ultra high definition HDMI port, two super-speed USB 3.0 ports, one SD memory card slot, and one TF memory card slot from one USB-C port. This one is a must-have for cinematographers or videographers who shoot their content in 4K and need a faster data transmission.
While searching for a desirable card-reader, I appreciate the ones that I found. But, this one, I cannot get it out of my mind. I am super amazed by its power to let me transfer files from three cards simultaneously for the available price tag.
This card reader from Anker gives great functionalities for both Mac and your phones, thus serving multiple needs at the same time. If you are looking for a device that serves the purpose of faster data transfer in multiple domains, and not just your Mac, this one tops the list.
USB-C is becoming the new standard connector and Apple is jumping on board in a big way. All the Mac laptops (both the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro) only have Thunderbolt 3 (aka USB-C) ports, and that has left a lot of people scrambling for dongles, including card readers. The best USB-C card readers for Mac will let you connect your SD cards, microSD, and in some cases, even Compact Flash card to your Mac, so you can transfer files and photos with ease. While a USB-C card reader won't necessarily give you all the options that the best USB-C hubs for Mac can, they are typically less expensive. Whether you just bought a new Apple product that only supports USB-C or you're doing a little future-proofing, here's a list of the best USB-C card readers for Mac.
With no need to install any drivers, and a handy LED indicator light, the Cable Matters USB 3.1 type-C dual-slot card reader is as simple and straightforward as it gets. Due to the lack of Compact Flash slot, the Cable Matters USB 3.1 type-C dual-slot card reader is smaller than other readers, making it even easier to carry around!
Just like the name suggests, the IOGEAR USB-C 3-slot card reader can accommodate three different types of cards; SD, microSD, and Compact Flash. No drivers, updates, or software need to be installed to use the IOGEAR USB-C 3-slot card reader, making it easy to use with all your devices at will.
If you are constantly transferring big files and need fast read and write speeds, the SanDisk Extreme PRO SD UHS-II can achieve 500MB/s data transfer speeds. The downside is this reader only supports SD cards or microSD cards that have an SD card adapter.
Satechi's multi-port adapter doesn't support high-speed data transfer or dual-4K displays. But it does have just about everything else you'd need to run your peripherals with your MacBook Pro. Things like SD and microSD card readers, 4K HDMI, Gigabit, and three USB-A ports.
When it comes to getting the most out of a single USB-C port on your Mac, you're going to want as many connections as possible and that's what the best USB-C card readers for Mac will do for you. As long as your USB-C ports aren't dead, you can plug the best USB-C card readers into any port USB-C on your Mac and enjoy the benefits.
Our top pick is the Cable Matters USB 3.1 type-C dual-slot card reader (opens in new tab). It has both an SD and microSD card slot, so you don't need to fool around with microSD card adapters, and it's very affordable. It really is the best buy for most people.
If you're a photographer and you have cameras that use Compact Flash cards, you're probably going to want IOGEAR USB-C 3-Slot card reader (opens in new tab) to ensure you can get all your photos regardless of what camera you use.
To find the best SD reader for your machine, we tested those that connect either via USB or by way of USB Type-C. The latter is a type of connection standard that's become more widely used, and many Apple laptops, Chromebooks, and Ultrabooks only come with this kind of port.
After calculating speed times for eight of the best SD card readers on the market, we discovered our favorite is the Unitek Y-9324BGY (available at Amazon) . Not only did it hail some of the fastest write speeds from the batch of readers we tested, but it also offers a multitude of connection options. The Unitek is a worthy card reader for anyone who needs to get their data off of a memory card.
I bundled together nearly 30GB of varying file types, including RAW images, JPEGs, GIFs, ebooks, text files, Word documents, and videos to test the write speeds of each card reader. The test was split up into three stages: moving over 10GB of data, then 20GB, and then nearly 30GB. The tests were conducted three times apiece, each time measured by a stopwatch, and the final results were then averaged to determine each card reader's top write speeds.
To test the read speeds of each card reader, I used a program called USB Flash Benchmark to measure the USB 3.0-connected card readers on PC and Xbench on the USB-C card readers tested with the Mac. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB, which tested the fastest in our SD card test, served as the benchmark for each card reader since it can handle up to 95 MB/s transfer speeds.
If your laptop has a USB-C port (many models these days only have one to work with), you'll want to stick with that type of connection for your card reader. If you have a laptop with traditional USB ports, there are also two USB 3.0 options tested here. 2ff7e9595c
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