Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A / SD USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader Review

CFexpress Type-A cards are part of the growing range of card alternatives to the dominance of SD. While the take up of the Type-A card has been far less than the larger type-B cards, the use and popularity are growing, with many of the latest Sony cameras offering a dual card solution with SD and CFexpress Type-A.

The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A / SD USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader is designed for camera users who not only require transfer speeds that will keep up with the cards’ performance but will also enable you to download the contents from both Type-A and SD cards at the same time.

Lexar has also designed this reader to be equally at home in the studio, office or out in the field with a robust, sleekly designed build that looks stylish on a work surface and can stand up to a knock or two in a kit bag.

The Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A / SD USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader has a single USB Type-C connection cable. However, it features a USB Type-A adapter as standard that is connected to the end of the cable.

If you use the Type-A connector to interface with older machines, this is extremely useful; if you use a more modern machine with Type-C ports, you’ll probably want to cut it off to prevent it from getting in the way.

Once connected to a machine, the reader’s small light on the front illuminates white to indicate that it is connected and ready. Then with a card inserted, the light flashes to show it has been recognised before the card appears on your system.

When transferring files, the small light on the card reader blinks to show that the files are on the move, and, once complete, the light returns to a solid state. It’s a small feature but one that is very welcome.

The card reader performed well in the tests with the following results in the Blackmagic Disk Speed test using a MacBook Pro M1 Max.

SD UHS-II
Read 240MB/s
Write 202MB/s

CFexpress Type A
Read 740MB/s
Write 710MB/s

Unlike SD and CFexpress Type-B card readers, the volume of options for CFexpress Type-A card readers is relatively limited, with the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A / SD USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader being one of the only well-known brands to offer such a high-performance solution.

As you’d expect from a brand such as Lexar, the design and build is solid and robust and should last several years.

Aside from the dual memory card slots, status light and USB Type-C connection, the feature I found most useful was the large rubber foot on the base. This helped keep the reader stationary on several temporary surfaces while in the field. The only addition I would have liked to have seen would have been for a rubber texture upper. I’ll often utilise my car bonnet as a temporary desk when on a shoot, so everything is at a slight angle, and any loose cards simply slide off; maybe a simple rubber mat would be a more viable option.

At the end of the test, the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A / SD USB 3.2 Gen 2 Reader is a very accomplished card reader for SD and Type A cards. If you own the Sony A7 IV or A7S III, this is your reader.