Recommend Best Card Reader For iMac

Rock Daddeo

Senior Member
Any Mac users care to recommend a good quality and fast card reader? I use a 2009 iMac with the latest OS. Not sure USB 3.0 works without some sort of adapter. The iMac has USB 2.0 and Firewire 800 ports. I will be using SDXC and SDHC flash memory cards.
 

Scott Murray

Senior Member
Any Mac users care to recommend a good quality and fast card reader? I use a 2009 iMac with the latest OS. Not sure USB 3.0 works without some sort of adapter. The iMac has USB 2.0 and Firewire 800 ports. I will be using SDXC and SDHC flash memory cards.
I use a Sandisk Image mate all in one with USB 3.0 but with yours it would default to USB 2.0. You would be better off with a thunderbolt one if your iMac has this, if not then firewire 800 is the only option.
 

Rock Daddeo

Senior Member
Just a question is this a late 2009 iMac? As it should have an inbuilt card reader.

Yes. Yes it is a late 2009. And yes it has an SD card reader. I've owned this iMac for 4+ years and never realized it had an SD card reader because I never used it.

Once you stop laughing, answer me this ... is the built-in iMac reader the same/faster/slower than the newer external card readers?
 

Scott Murray

Senior Member
Yes. Yes it is a late 2009. And yes it has an SD card reader. I've owned this iMac for 4+ years and never realized it had an SD card reader because I never used it.

Once you stop laughing, answer me this ... is the built-in iMac reader the same/faster/slower than the newer external card readers?
:rolleyes:

The inbuilt one will accept SDHC but not sure about the SDXC cards. There may be an update but be aware that it may not.

The inbuilt card reader should read faster as it has a direct line to the internals and is not slowed as far as I am aware.
 

Macmagoo

Senior Member
USB 2.0 would take ages with D800 file sizes, I would try for firewire or thunderbolt.

Yes Scott I agree, Thunderbolt is the ultimate for download speed. I use a 27" Thunderbolt Monitor and it does my Time Machine backups really quickly But when I bought my CF card reader they did not do a thunderbolt version :(
 

Scott Murray

Senior Member
Yes Scott I agree, Thunderbolt is the ultimate for download speed. I use a 27" Thunderbolt Monitor and it does my Time Machine backups really quickly But when I bought my CF card reader they did not do a thunderbolt version :(

I have a USB 3.0 CF card reader and that works great.
 
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