The Best Memory Card Readers for Photography and Video

Need to dump footage or video from your camera? These are some of the best memory card readers available. Note that a majority of these card readers are specifically for SD and/or CF cards, but there are a few that take several types of cards in addition.

Lexar LRW025URBNA Multi-Card 25-In-1 USB 3.0 Reader

The Lexar LRW025URBNA is one of the most versatile card readers on this list, accepting 25 different types of cards. It also allows concurrent downloads, so you can pull content off of two different card types at once — or you can even transfer from one card type to another.

With USB 3.0, this Lexar card reader can reach transfer speeds of up to 500 MB/s. The only real downside is that this reader is not UDMA 7 compatible.

USB 3.0
Transfer Speed Up to 500 MB/s
Accepted Cards Types
Compact Flash (CF)
Type I and Type II
UDMA 0-6
Not UDMA 7 compatible
SD
SDHC
SDXC
miniSD
miniSDHC
MMC
MMCplus
RS-MMC
microSD
microSDHC
Memory Stick
Memory Stick with MagicGate
Memory Stick PRO
Memory Stick PRO Duo
Memory Stick Duo with MagicGate
Memory Stick PRO Duo Mark 2
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo
Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX
Memory Stick Micro (M2)
xD-Picture Card
xD-Picture Card Type-M
xD-Picture Card Type-M+
xD-Picture Card Type-H
Concurrent Downloads
Card-To-Card File Transfer
This card reader is available from retailers for $21 to $23 USD.

Kingston USB 3.0 Media Reader

This USB 3.0 card reader from Kingston accepts CF, SD, microSD, and MS cards. It has a 5 Gb/s max speed transfer rate when using a USB 3.0 port.

Supports UHS-I and UHS-II Card Speeds
Up to 5 Gb/s Max. Data Transfer Rate
Accepts Compact Flash cards
CF Type I & II (UDMA 0-7)
Accepts SD and microSD
SD
SDHC UHS I-II
SDXC UHS I-II
microSD
microSDHC UHS-I
microSDXC UHS-I
Accepts Memory Stick cards
MS PRO
MS Duo
MS PRO Duo
Built-In LED Light Indicator
Compatible Operating Systems (OS)
Windows
Mac
Linux
Chrome
This card reader is available from many retailers for $17 to $21 USD.

Rocketek RT-CR5 USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader

This Rocketek RT-CR5 memory card reader is an 11-in-1 device that is incredibly small and packed full of features.

3 Media Slots
Accepted Card Types
SD
Mini SD
SD/MMC
Micro SD
SDXC
up to 2TB
SDHC
MMC
RS-MMC
MicroSDXC
MicroSD
MicroSDHC
Mini SD
UHS-I Cards
USB 3.0
Backwards compatible with 2.0/1.1.
Compatible OS
Windows 2000/ME/XP/Vista/7/8(32bit/64bit)
MacOS 10.X or above
Android 4.0+
LED indicator
Free lifetime technical support
24-month manufacturer’s warranty
The Rocketek 11-in-1 USB 3.0 memory card reader is available for $8 to $17 USD.

Transcend RDF5 USB 3.0

The Transcend RDF5 is a very cheap and portable memory card reader that’s worth carrying in your laptop or camera bag. It’s certainly not the fastest card reader on the market, but its size and price makes it worth investing in one or two. It also includes a data recovery program with purchase.

Accepts SD and microSD cards
SDHC
SDXC
microSDHC
SDXC Cards
USB 3.0 Interface
Free Data Recovery Software Download
Compatible OS
Windows 8, 7, Vista, XP
Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later
Linux Kernel 2.6.30 or later (USB 2.0 only)
The Transcend RDF5 is available from $6 to $10 USD.

Delkin Devices USB 3.0 Universal Memory Card Reader

This Delkin Devices universal memory card reader is extremely versatile and accepts a wide variety of memory cards.

5 Gb/s transfer speed
Accepted card types
CF Type I & II
including UDMA 6 and 7
SD
SDHC/SDXC
all classes, including UHS-I
microSD
microSDHC
Memory Stick
Memory Stick Micro
MicroDrive
MMC
Memory Stick XC
Memory Stick DUO (HG)
Memory Stick PRO (HG)
Memory Stick PRO DUO (HG)
xD
Universal Format Compatibility
USB 3.0
Backwards compatible with USB 2.0 / 1.1
5-Year Warranty
FCC & CE Approved
Compatible OS
Windows 7 / XP / Vista / ME / 2000 (SP4)
Mac OS9 or Later
The Delkin Devices’ universal memory card readers is available for $17 to $20 USD.

Lexar LRW400CRBNA Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader

This memory card reader from Lexar has a collapsible body designed to protect the contact points from the elements, which is great for shooters whose bags and gear are susceptible to sand, dirt, or debris. The card reader has a USB 3.0 connection and a data transfer rate up to 500 MB/s.

USB 3.0 Interface
Compatible with CF Cards
UDMA 0-7
Compatible with SD
SD
SDHC UHS-II
SDXC UHS-II
Max. Read Speed: 150 MB/s
Data Transfer Rate: Up to 500 MB/s
Supports UDMA 7
Allows for Concurrent Transfers
Enables Easy Card-To-Card File Transfers
Pop-Up Design Protects Card Slots
The Lexar LRW400CRBNA Professional Dual-Slot Reader is available for $32 to $78 USD.