REVIEW – Earlier this year, I bought a new camera for my photography hobby that uses a CFexpress card as its primary storage. I’ve been using the Type-C cable from the camera to the computer while I waited for a CFexpress card reader to come along for review. The Alxum CFexpress card reader review offer came along to answer my penny-pinching ways.
What is it?
The Alxum CFexpress card reader is a USB 3.1 Gen 2 10Gbps USB C to CFexpress Type B Memory Card Adapter.
What’s in the box?
- Alxum CFexpress card reader
- 1ft USB-A to Type C cable
- 1ft Type C to Type C cable
- User Manual
Hardware specs
- USB 3.1 Gen 2 10 Gbps, backward compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB 3.0, etc.
- Compatible with macOS 10.10 and higher, Windows XP and higher, iPad Pro, Linux, Laptop, PC, Chrome OS, and other USB C devices.
Design and features
The Alxum CFexpress card reader is a simple device that does one thing and does it well. It only supports CFexpress Type B cards with capacities up to 2TB.
The aluminum alloy metal case has a lovely satin-like finish that doesn’t show fingerprints like some glossy surfaces. It has an LED indicator light on the top that isn’t overly obvious. I’ve found some devices with LED indicators that are too bright and always seem to distract you from your peripheral vision. The LED has three status modes: White when connecting power, blinking when transferring data, and when in sleep mode, it flashes every three seconds.
The rated data transfer speed of 10Gbps will significantly depend on both the capability of your Type C port, the destination drive speed, and the overall capability of your computer to transfer data. For the Type C connection, I found that using CrystalDiskMark, the best transfer speed on my laptop was 424.7 MB/s (3.3976 Gbps). I also found that the transfer speed was almost identical via my USB 3.1 port.
The slot for the CFexpress Type B Memory Card has a latching mechanism which I like. The positive clicking feedback helps indicate that the card is inserted correctly.
The Alxum CFexpress card reader is specially designed for photographers and videographers. The reader is plug and play, without any driver request.
What I like
- Metal Case
- Type C connection
What I’d change
- Nothing I can think of
Final thoughts
Providing flawless operation for the last 30 days, the Alxum CFexpress card reader simply does what it’s supposed to and does it well.
Price: $39.59
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Alxum.
