Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader Review

The speed gained through using the latest CFexpress cards is incredible, and the latest Lexar Professional Diamond card offers a way to maximise the transfer speeds up to 1900MB/s. The only issue is that until now, almost no card readers could keep up with the pace.

Now the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader has arrived, and with this high-speed connection, this CFexpress card reader will enable you to download files at speeds just shy of Lexar’s fastest card.

There is, however, one issue for Mac users; while PC users can, for the most part, take advantage of the ultrafast speeds as long as they have USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports, Apple MacBook Pro users are unable to access this generation of USB. MacBook Pro’s skipped 3.2 Gen 2×2 generation adn went straight to USB 4 and ultra-fast Thunderbolt 4 without addind what was needed in between.

While PC users benefit from the 20GB/s transfer speeds, Mac users must dwell on fast but comparatively sluggish 10GB/s.

The first thing that you notice about this card reader is the size and weight. It’s many times larger than the previous Lexar CFexpress reader and in looks, size, weight and design is a more premium product.

As with the CFexpress Type-A card reader I looked at previously the finish and large rubber base enable the reader to be used easily out in the field, it is in every respect a professional piece of kit with a price to go with it!

In this test, I instantly hit an issue. Despite the power and speed of the latest Mac silicon when it comes to any USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 device, it’s best to forget it and go, in this case for the older Lexar USB 3.1 CFexpress card reader I looked at a while ago. The performance on a Mac is pretty much identical, averaging around 850MB/s write and 920MB/s read.

However on a PC equipped with an ASUS ProArt Z690-CREATOR WIFI motherboard, the true nature of the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader was displayed. The speed of transfer was accelerated with transfer speeds around 1600MB/s with the Lexar Diamond CFexpress card when tested with AJA System Test.

This transfer was considerably higher than those achieved with the USB 3.1 CFexpress card reader helping to cut a considerable amount of time when transferring files ready for editing.

Ultimately on both Mac and PC, the quality and integrity of the card reader shone through. On the PC the accelerated performance sits well with a professional production or photographic studio. However, for those using a Mac workflow while you’ll benefit from the high-quality build, you’ll have to bypass on the additional speed.

At the end of the test, I was impressed by the performance of the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader but disappointed about the compatibility issues with Apple MacBook Pros.

Lexar and its accessories are not alone with Apple compatibility issues and while devices work, the performance of many hard drives and peripherals are throttled by how Apple has implemented their technologies. For photographers and videographers, this is incredibly frustrating considering the huge sums that need to be spent on Mac hardware.

However, for PC users, the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Reader is an ideal choice and coupled with one of the excellent 3XS machines from Scan or a PC featuring the newer 3.2 Gen 2×2 rather than 3.2 Gen 2×1 USB ports you’ll have a reader that can keep up with the high demands of the latest cameras and editing workflows.