Lexar Professional UDMA FireWire 800 CF Card Reader Review

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The Lexar Professional UDMA FireWire-800 CompactFlash Card Reader is Lexar's top of the line Compact Flash reader. The unit is powered by FireWire 800 which is capable of transfer rates up to 800Mb/sec (or 100MB/sec) (specified by Lexar) this is twice as fast as the traditional FireWire 400. Couple this reader with the newest UDMA CF cards from Lexar and Sandisk and you have lightning fast copying of your memory cards to your computer. The unit offers a stackable design which lets you stack up to four readers on top of each other.

Specifications

Positives

• Fast, I love the speed of this reader.
• Stackable, up to four readers.
• Price, especially with the current deal at B&H

Drawbacks

• Too much force is needed to insert the card.
• Not compatible with the 6-pin FireWire, this reader only has FireWire 800 ports.
• Lexar support was tested and all I can say is oh dear.

Verdict

A problem for some will be the lack of the 6-pin firewire or an additional USB port on the unit. With that in mind the unit would probably cost way more if it had those additional ports on it, not to mention the size of the unit would be much larger. The speed of the Lexar 800 unit is awesome. This is probably one of the fastest CF readers on the market today. This unit says one thing and that is- time is money. Couple this device with the new UDMA Lexar or Sandisk CF cards and you have a sure winner when it comes to transfer speeds. My main concern with the unit is that you have to "force" the cards in, this is a bit too tight in my opinion. Other then that the unit feels sturdy enough.

Features
Performance
Build
Value

Lexar Professional UDMA FireWire 800 CF Card Reader

Alternatives

Purchasing items through these links helps me adding more content to this website. The links takes you to B&H's website, which is my recommended store to get equipment from. I've used B&H personally since 2005, and I get all my equipment from them these days(including the lenses used for these reviews). Thanks for your support, Fredrik.

Hoodman RAW FireWire 800/400 CF Reader Price: $79.99 USD

Delkin Devices Reader-39 CompactFlash Reader Price: $52.95 USD

*Prices and rebates are subject to change. Listed price is from February 17, 2010

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