After years of having an internal multi-format card reader I was dreading needing to get an external one. I read up on a dozen different models and decided the price and good reviews of this one made it worth taking a chance. I am using it on an iMac with 3 card sizes: SD, CompactFlash, and MicroSD. All work great. Hooking it up was instant. The transfer rate is spectacular especially when not hooked up through a USB hub.
Do I wish the cards were easier to get back out? Sure, but they're only a fraction more awkward to get out than my internal card reader and no worse than any other external model. It's nice to be truly pleased with product. Kingston 19-in-1 USB 2.0 Flash Memory Card Reader FCR-HS219/1
Out of box, this card reader DID NOT work with my Transcend 8GB CF cards. I contacted tech support and requested a firmware update if it was available. After the update, this reader works flawlessly.
I give it a 4 star because Kingston didn't bother to make this update (dated July 2008) publicly available. Tech support needs to give you access to their password protected site in order to download it. Kind of a pain but the installation was easy.
I purchased a 4GB SDHC card to go with my new Nikon digital SLR only to find my trusty old multi-format reader didn't work with it. I went to a few BIG BOX stores seeking something to use without luck... they are still relatively rare. After searching the web I decided to buy the Kingston reader. It is a great little reader. I current only have cameras that use SD, Micro SD, SDHC, and Memory Sticks... all these and more are read rapidly.
The reader comes with a very, very short USB cord attached, but Kingston also included a USB extension cord that enabled me to plug into the rear ports of my desktop's CPU with ease. The reader's sliding case allows you to keep cards plugged into the unit while traveling seems awkward at first, but is a really cool idea. Using "My Computer", the Nikon's SDHC card's data appeared on my screen labeled as a "Nikon data port"... very convenient. I have only used the reader for simple single card data retrieval and it worked flawlessly. I am very happy with the fast service the vendor supplied and the operation of this neat device. Highly recommended!
Product is great if you're looking for a media reader that does not support XD card types. You would think that in a 19-in-1 reader you would have high chances of getting it with XD card compatibility, but apparently not so with this Kingston. Although it would help if the product description gave a brief list, (oh maybe 19 words long?) of the 19 media types that it supports.
This card reader is so much faster than my very old very cheap reader I'm not sure how objective of a review I can give. It's lightweight, the hide-away plug is nice, and I like the "slide-away" card port area.
It has read everything from my 16 mb (ahem) CF card to my 8 gig CF card quickly and with ease, and works without flaw in our Ubuntu Linux environment. Yes, it reads both of my 8 gig cards fine.
As a photographer and Linux user, I recommend this reader.
My previous cardreader (6 years old) started giving connection errors so I shopped around looking for (a) price, (b) size, (c) convenience. Another tipping factor was that I've always had positive experience with Kingston products.
Have had it and used it extensively for several weeks and have no qualms about it. It has a short cable so it's easier to connect than those without cable; it is retractable which protects the connections and the cable and makes it easy to throw into my briefcase. One caveat: I've only use the SD connection but one would presume the other connections are operable. Also, upon writing this review, I see that there was suppose to be a 3' extension cable. Hmmmm...don't remember getting that. Have to check my desk--haven't needed it but still would be good to have.
For the price, this was a great deal. Reads everything under the sun. (But to be honest, I've only used it with SD cards so far, but the peace of mind knowing that I'm ready for anything is great) I clocked it's transfer rate of large files with my SanDisk Extreme III at 44MB/s read and 17 MB/s write. (note that MB is megaBYTE, as in 8 megaBITs (Mb) ) This means there is little or no bottlenecking at the reader. Of course my image import times are only about half what my USB 1.1 reader dies, as the start/stop cycles between pictures in the MS camera wizard take most of the time.
Also, the cord option is nice - it has a built-in 2-inch cord for laptops and comes with a 3ft extension for other applications. Also the ports are retractable into the case for extra safety for your cards, so they aren't the farthest thing sticking out.
All-in-all, very nice product for a good price.
I have used this product only for SD so far. It has worked perfectly. I will note that the cards do not slide in and out of the unit smoothly, but this may be a function of the fact that it's designed to accommodate several different types of cards in each of its slots (which is kind of amazing), and thus perfect insertion-smoothness is too much to ask for. Just be careful when popping these little cards into the unit so you don't break the (fragile) cards or the unit! * * * I found the LED on top of the unit a little confusing since its indications differ from other plug-in devices I've owned. (I would have expected the light to go off when the Kingston drive was safely dis-/un-mounted from the desktop (that is, after I safely dragged the SD card icon to the trash). The manual says nothing useful in this regard. However, Kingston Customer Service advised me as follows: "The light indicates a card is inserted. When it flashes, this indicates activity. Do not remove the card when the light is flashing. Before you remove the card, drag the icon for the card to the trash. Wait for the light to stop flashing and for the icon the icon to be removed from the desktop and then pull out the card." * * * For value, versatility, and ease of use, I would definitely recommend this item over its rivals listed on Amazon. - Multi-card Reader - Sd Card Reader - Card Reader - All In One Usb Card Reader'
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