Side by Side Comparison of: Transcend vs CanaKit vs Vostrostone

Worked great to read my 8 Gig SDHC card. I had more then 3,100 pictures on the 8 Gig card and my Cannon PowerShot camera would give me a "Communications Error" when I tried to plug the camera in to my Windows computer. I found out this is a know problem, when you have more then 3,000 pictures on a SD card with this camera. I was able to get all 3,100 plus photos/movies off the SD card using the Transcend card reader.Note: I did have issues with Windows 10 recognizing the Transcend card reader. There is a firmware update for the card reader on the Transcend site, and that fixed the issue. You will need to get Windows to see the card in order to do the firmware update, so a Windows reboot may be in order. Once the firmware update was in place, I was able to plug in the card reader multiple times and Windows saw it right away. Remember to "eject" on Windows, before unplugging.

Son, let me tell you right now this is good stuff right here.First SD card I tried was a Sandisk SDSDU-016G-A11; has a 30MB/s READ speed and I maxed out about 46MB/s WRITE speed, averaged around the 40's. God dang, I don't even know. Others' CrystalDiskMark tests are around 10MB/s write speed.Second card was a Lexar LSD64GCRBNA1000; Others' CDM tests are from ~70-87MB/s write speeds. I maxed out about 86.7MB/s, averaged around 65-75. I don't really recall. Transferred 30GB in less than 10 minutes so the average must've been higher than 60MB/s for sure.

The Transcend RDF5K memory card reader is available in black or white and supports SDHC UHS-I, SDXC UHS-I, UDMA6/UDMA7 CF and MSXC memory card formats.Transcend RDF8 Memory Card Features:Super-Speed USB 3.0 interface (also compatible with USB 2.0)Supports SDHC UHS-I, SDXC UHS-I, UDMA6/UDMA7 CF and MSXC cardsTransfer high-resolution images and video recordings to your computer faster and more efficientlyUtilize the full speed potential of your memory cardsUSB powered (no external power or battery needed)Blue LED indicator light for card insertion & data transfer activitySupports SD & CF built-in security functionsThe body of the Transcend RDF8 USB 3.0 card reader is made from plastic and the top of the device has a glossy finish. This does show finger prints, but the easily wipe off with a cloth. The front of the reader features the CompactFlash, microSD and SD memory card slots. Being able to read a microSD card without an adapter is nice! The reader supports UHS-I SD cards and UDMA 7 CF cards.The backside of the Transcend RD8F features the MS PRO/XC/MS DUO slot along with the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 data and power header.The bottom of the Transcend RDF5K shows the model number, serial number, date of manufacture and the usual conformity markings that are required for various regions.To get the Transcend RDF5k USB 3.0 memory card reader installed on your PC you just need to hook up the USB 3.0 cable between your PC and the reader and you should be good to go. The reader is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 ports, but you’ll want to utilize a USB 3.0 port to get the most performance possible!

The Transcend USB 3.0 Flash Card Reader features outstanding performance, superb design and construction, and excellent strength and durability. It is small, light, and unobtrusive, and it facilitates the connection of a full-size SD card to the USB 3.0 port of an ultra-thin portable computer, whose exceedingly thin and light construction does not enable it to be equipped with a full-size SD card slot. It is also decidedly versatile, because it has the additional capability for accommodating a micro-SD card, in addition to a full-size SD card. A micro-SD card can be unwieldy, and difficult to grasp and insert into the tiny micro-SD card slot of an ultra-thin notebook computer, and this adapter facilitates the use of the much larger and more convenient USB 3.0 port. In conclusion, this Transcend USB 3.0 Flash Card Reader is an outstanding adapter for providing a connection between both a full-size SD card and a micro-SD card, and the USB 3.0 port of an ultra-thin portable computer, and I give it my highest recommendation.

I bought this to transfer data from a 64GB SanDisk micro SD card to a 64GB Transcend micro SD card newly installed in my BlackBerry Z30. I paired it with a StarTech USB to USB OTG host adapter. This sucker is F*A*S*T. It quickly transfered over 26GB of music, 4 GB of photos and a bunch of other stuff. The phone immediately sees the USB connection and the SD data is accessible via file manager. I then popped my camera's SD card in to copy the photos I took of the setup over to the phone (uploaded for this review). Needless to say it worked great on a PC too.Tiny Powerhouse should be its name.

I did a good bit of research on USB 3.0 readers before purchasing this one and found many of the reviews for other units to be hit or miss. This reader from Transcend scores mostly 4 and 5 stars and I can see why. This thing just works, and works with blazing FAST USB 3.0 speeds.The size of the adapter is good, it is wider than most USB sticks, but on my computer chassis with 2 USB 3.0 ports right next to each other, I can still use the adjacent port to charge a device or connect an external drive with a standard USB plug. Clean aesthetics, piano black glossy finish with a blue activity LED that is faint enough so that it does not bother.The main reason I got this drive was because I wanted to test some high-capacity Class10/UHS-I microSD cards I had recently bought since these are known to be counterfeit targets. I only had an older generic USB 2.0 adapter that was capping out at 30MB/s Read and 10MB/s Write, and the devices themselves were not much better over USB 2.0. I also needed the reader to transfer video files from my head-mounted action camera as the transfer speeds over USB 2.0 are excruciatingly slow.I was ecstatic to see the following transfer speeds with the following microSDs:***USB3.0 Port*** (Intel Z87 chipset)Samsung Pro Class10/UHS-I microSDXC 64GB: 77MB/s Read | 32MB/s WriteSamsung Plus Class10/UHS-I microSDHC 32GB: 77MB/s Read | 32MB/s Write***USB2.0 Port*** (Intel Z87 chipset)Samsung Pro Class10/UHS-I microSDXC 64GB: 42MB/s Read | 22MB/s WriteSamsung Plus Class10/UHS-I microSDHC 32GB: 42MB/s Read | 22MB/s WriteI was amazed to see 2 things, the Samsung Plus microSD which is only guaranteed transfer speeds of 48MB/s Read and 10MB/s Write actually matched the much more expensive Samsung Pro! I guess this is more of a function of Samsung's flash memory just improving that much to the point there is virtually no difference between the Pro and Plus models now other than capacity. Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, the generic USB 2.0 reader and various devices connected over USB 2.0 were limited to 30MB/s Read and 10MB/s Write, but even over USB 2.0 this reader very nearly reached the maximum throughput of USB 2.0 at 42MB/s Read and also doubled the Write speeds. Very impressed!You will find USB 3.0 readers for much more, but I think you will be hard pressed to find a better performing reader at any price, much less one for <$10!Also, if you are having trouble attaining these speeds with this reader, first verify you have a card that is capable of achieving these transfer speeds. You will most likely need Class10/UHS-1 to benefit from the USB 3.0 speeds. Also make sure you have the Intel USB 3.0 drivers or the drivers for your USB 3.0 controller installed. I thought I had installed my Intel USB 3.0 drivers in the main driver package, but they were separate.

2nd attempt at getting this review approved, don't know what I did wrong before but I have attempted an edit.Headline says most of it.---> Notes: Well there was a rant here about a requested change to the advertising of the product features and I had a picture of the packaging but apparently those are no-no's for Amazon reviews these days so since I am only allowed to review the product, here's me stating a fact about it: THIS READER ONLY READS ONE CARD AT A TIME.DECISION:Since I've already torn the packaging to open it, and it was such a dirt cheap add-on item I will not be returning it but I will be stashing this as a backup reader in my camera bag instead of using it as my primary card reader. I will be buying a [insert different product here] for about $2 more, like I should have done in the first place, because it can read both card slots simultaneously and I am a fan of [insert different brand here]. Better?Gripes:- The micro sd slot sounds terrible when inserting card, like it's full of sand and metal shavings. Still works, but sketches me out and makes me think it's scratching the contacts. Would much prefer a smooth spring-loaded interface like how most cameras and phones have.- Missing double card reading functionality makes this dead in the water as my primary reader. If you already have a card inserted and you stick a 2nd in, NEITHER shows up, so that's somehow worse than only reading 1 at a time. I was intending to use this to read my 2 dash cam cards at the same time to watch the front and rear footage simultaneously, but obviously that isn't happening.Good:- For $6 and some change it works and is USB-3.0-fast (~100 MB/s copy speeds) with one card at a time.- I like that it has a cap but based on the history of USB devices with removable caps it is very likely to get lost.Meh:- It's a little narrower than some similar ones, which I like, but it's still too wide to be used in a side-by-side port on a laptop or USB hub so it's kind of a moot point.- Cards stick out the left side of the reader with the label facing up, which may interfere more or less with other things you have plugged in depending on your hardware, so check before you buy.

4 Stars: I've had several microSD cards mishaps. When they do, I save them in hopes of getting lost material off of them. (I know that you shouldn't reuse them because it may overwrite the lost data and it becomes permanently lost. I thought data recovery would be outrageously priced. One of my microSD cards, I mistakenly deleted everything instead of one picture. I saved it. I downloaded the software, opened it within the software and hit recover and my data was restored. Pictures and videos that I thought got lost years ago, it brought me to tears. The value of this for the price of the reader and software package is incredible. Now for the bad. One of my microSD cards stopped working and this still was not able to recover the data from it. only basic recovery for deleted pictures. That's also a negative. It recovers all your deleted stuff. It has no way of knowing what was intentionally deleted, or accidentally deleted, it just recovers all of it. When you recover your data, you only choose to recover file TYPES, there's no way of knowing what you have salvageable until you hit all the types, let the software work for about an hour and see what comes up.Also, for the reader itself, it's great. some computers don't have a SD port and this is great to be able to read all of your data from microSD and SD cards for a cheap price. Great product.

The Transcend card reader preforms as advertised while using a USB 3 connection. SD cards with higher write speeds will get the best results. However, older cards can see some upload times reduced. Also, if uploading to a SSD hard drive the Transcend will hit and even exceed the maximum upload speeds from the SD cards.WARNING: The Transcend card reader gets noticeably warm/hot when large amounts of data are transferred (12+ GB). This is not a fire hazard but is startling if not expected. This happens with all three Transcend USB3.0 card readers I own. If the card reader gets hot, finish the transfer then disconnect the card reader from the computer, also remove the SD card from the reader. Allow a few minutes to cool off before continued use.There were no issues with the Transcend USB 3.0 card reader using Windows 10.The -1 star is for the fact the Transcend USB 3.0 card reader is wider than necessary and will block the use of other USB ports on some small to medium sized laptop.There might be faster card readers on the market, but I doubt you'll find one at this price point.Will buy again.

I don't have a card reader on my PC, and this was a much less expensive way to be able to read SD cards from my Cannon t3i. It's so much more convenient than having to plug the camera into the PC.It's inexpensive, and easy to use. Since most people have only a need for SD and micro SD, this will be jsut fine. If you have a need for other formats (Compact Flash, Sony Memstick, etc) then get one that has those features too. Otherwise, this does exactly what it needs to do. I didn't do any kind of speed test or anything to determine if it actually uses USB3 speeds, but I have transferred over a gig of photos through it and it was pretty fast.I took off one star becasue of how the card mounts from the side. It sticks out kind or far, and as a result makes it so that I can only plug it into certain ports on my PC. I have to unplug something else to plug this in. Not too big a deal though, as all I am unplugging is the cable for my phone, but it's enough to take off 1 star.

- The cap is going to get lost, just resign yourself to losing it.- The reader doesn't "work" if both the SD and the microSD slot have something in it. I originally thought my unit went bad until I pulled out one of the cards and the blue status light and mounting of the card on my Mac started working normally. Would be nice if they could mount both, or at least one, but if your unit doesn't work make sure you don't have both slots in use.- The point of buying a USB 3 card reader is for faster transfer speed, so make sure you actually plug it into a USB 3 port. If you only have a USB 2 port, it'll still work, but you are getting none of the advantages of faster transfer speeds (USB 3 is 10X faster than USB 2).- Tom's Hardware rated the Transcend at 150 MB/s read which ranks really well.- While the card reader is something I would throw in my laptop bag, leaving an SD or MicroSD card in the reader isn't all that secure. Best to buy Pelican's SD card holder and move the cards out of the reader when transporting.

This works well when connected to a desktop or notebook USB port and is reasonably compact, so four stars for that. Nothing outstanding to give it an extra star. One important note, however: If you're looking for something to work with an OTG cable and a Samsung Galaxy S5, in my experience, this combination does not work. Other reviewers seem to have no problem using this in their Android OTG setups, but no dice for me. Interestingly, when connected, via OTG cable, to an old, unpowered USB hub and multi-card reader, this card reader does work. Whether that's because of the multi-card reader circuitry or the whims of the gods, I have no idea, but it does suggest it's not a power issue. In any case, I wouldn't deduct a star for that since Transcend does not claim OTG compatibility for this reader; just want to let you know you'll be rolling the dice if you want to use it that way.

It works, does what it's supposed to do, but is VERY flimsy, which likely explains the ow price. I am wondering how long before I go to unplug it and it crushes in my fingers or falls apart. It flexes greatly between my fingers when I remove it - you can just feel it giving way. As if it's made of sarna wrap instead of hard plastic.

I also have the larger Transcend USB 3 Reader (Transcend USB 3.0 Super Speed Multi-Card Reader for SD/SDHC/SDXC/MS/CF Cards (TS-RDF8K)) which is great but this smaller unit get really....really hot! I won't leave it plugged in as it makes me nervous due to the heat it generates--It is more than warm to the touch! I will use it in my camera bag for occasional on-the-go needs, but will use the Super Multi-Card Reader on my home computer as it does not seem to get hot like this smaller unit.

It works as advertized, but it gets hot. Really hot sometimes during long transfers.Even when idle it gets warm though. The heat alone doesn't bother me (it won't burn you), but that's an indication that it's taking a lot of power from USB. This is probably okay if it's plugged directly into your computer but I worry that when used in an unpowered hub (which is how i use it) combined with other devices it may draw too much current for my port. This is probably the "interference" issue other reviewers stated.As a result, I don't ever leave the reader plugged in, which makes it a hassle to use.

I'm not sure if the Micro-SD slot and the SD slot can be used unconditionally. Meaning, if we are expected to insert an microSD card into a card reader without presuming it to be SD, and if the microSD card is not recognized , is it a problem with this product? Or is it the computer?For example, I was attempting to flash a program into a MICRO-SD card and inserted this card directly into the microSD slot without using the SD adapter. The installation instructions called for a microSD card, but did not explicitly state that it had to be used with an SD card adapter.But my tablet failed to detect this card when inserted directly into the microSD slot.At first I thought that the product does not work. But then I inserted the microSD card into the SD card adapter and then plugged it into the card reader. This time, it worked!Therefore, my vote is right in the middle - because I don't know if the microSD slot on my card reader is actually working or not!

1) it's supposed to be a multi cards reader, but actually got only two slots.2) it's too wide and if you don't have an usb extension cord, it won't be able to plug in next to the hdmi cable or any other devices cables next to it on the laptop.3) the transmission speed look okay and normal but not impressive enough. considered return it but what the hack, not worth the hassle.

I was a little disappointed in the performance of this device when I paired it with various Class-10 SDHC cards I own. In testing by myself and others, I know that a "Class-10" rating on any given memory card can vary widely in data transfer rates from product to product. But I had hoped that it would approach the transfer speeds of my USB3 flash drives (I use Sandisk's 'Ultra' line of drives), which are blazingly fast, with sustained read-transfer rates to USB3 HDDs of 120-150MBps. The sustained read-transfer rates to the same HDDs from Class-10 SDHC cards inserted into this Transcend reader top out at round 40 MBps, with write speeds being agonizingly slow. Having said all this, getting SDHC files into or out my laptop(s) with this reader is still faster than plugging the SDHC card into the on-board memory card slot(s) in the laptop(s).Not sure if my expectations were just too high, or if the performance is really a limitation of my Class-10 memory cards. If I ever invest in Sandisk's SDHC Ultra line of memory cards, I'll be able to compare this side-by-side to my USB3 Ultra drives. Then I'll know if the problem is with the Transcend Reader or not.

This device doesn't stay connected, I have it connected to a USB-3 port but it just disappears and I have to reboot to see it. My old USB-2 hub doesn't have this issue.

Well, I'm a photographer and need to download 100+gb worth of images on quite a few readers before backing up to storage and heading to bed. I give it a star, for one star that it hasn't broke and it's been reliable, but I'm so upset with this 3.0 USB it is soooo slow, takes forever to download. I have a Lexar USB reader AND a Sandisk MicroMate reader, both reading my 64gb cards really fast, while my Transcend reader 3.0 usb is so far behind. I get it, it's only $6, so I'll give it two stars..., and like I've heard before, you get what pay for. I need another sd card readers so I'm reluctant to buy the Sandisk reader for $25. Wish there was another type of SanDisk that was less expensive.

I can't say how good it is across the board, but I can say using the USB 3.0 speed on an ASUS Z87 motherboard in my THOR case, it locks up WIndows 7 Ultimate until I remove the card. It does transfer the photos fast. In a USB 2.0 slot it doesn't have a problem. It works well in my laptop and my wife's operating at USB 2.0. I have transferred pictures from both the SD and Micro SD port without a hitch. The micro barely sticks out, the regular SD slot needs a bit of room (1 5/8" wide), so it won't fit if you have a very narrow recessed USB port. I am going to try and find another machine and see if I have similar problems using the USB 3.0 slot, but right now it hoses my computer until I remove it. I used the USB 3.0 slot for many other things, so I know it works and I know it works as USB 3.0 speeds.

The back of the packaging states "UHS-1 SD / microSD cads transfer at full speed" - I'm not sure if that means "at the full speed of the card" or "at the USB full speed standard" which, according to the USB spec., means 12Mbit/s. (Conversion: that's 1.5MBytes/s.) That's USB 1 transfer rates(!), and exactly what I was reading from my Sony 64GB microSDXC UHS I card, rated at 40MB/s.Reading from the SD side on a 32GB Lexar Professional UHS-1 card and it jumped to 72Mbits /s...In short, I would totally avoid this if you're using microSD cards, even good ones. I'll be returning mine.Lots of people have commented that this device gets hot while in use - I found that to be true, but as long as the manufacturer designed it to work okay at those temperatures, it doesn't worry me much.

Within about 2 days the metal USB connector was bent at about a 45 degree angle, just from average moving about and using it. I've learned not to bend these things back because often it destroys the very solder points and connections between the USB slab and what's inside. So I can't put the cap back on it any more, can't carry it in my bag any more, and it's a delicate patient sitting in a safe place for when I really need it. Why can't more USB items have a solid securing of the metal slap to withstand a bit of random pressure which is inevitable with things sticking out the side of laptops?

Editing my original review (2/5 stars):I've bought a second one in May, and something must have changed with these. My second reader only lasted just past Amazon's return window of 30 days. I filed an RMA with Transcend, shipped my broken reader to them, and in about a week I get a new one back from them. Their RMA process is pretty painless to be honest. I thought all was good, but nope, only two and a half weeks later the replacement fails. It's not recognized by my computer anymore, while my first reader that I bought almost a year ago is still working. I'm not going to RMA it again, because sending it would put the total of postage spent on RMAs at 2/3 of the price of a new one. I rather use my credit card's return protection to get the entire purchase price back, and use the money to buy another brand of reader.It's not a bad reader when it works, it's actually quite good for the price. It's just that they're not as reliable nowadays compared to the one purchased over a year ago.Original Review Feb. 2014 (5/5 stars):This is the first thing I bought that actually takes advantage of USB 3.0 speeds. It's much faster than USB 2.0 card readers, and it's pretty much the same price. I like having dedicated slots for SD and microSD.The minor things I don't like about it are that it has a cap that doesn't store on the reader, and that it gets a bit warm. I'm not a fan of having caps that can be lost, so I used a bit of velcro to store the cap on the side of the reader while it is in use. As for it getting warm, it's not something that really alarms me. You have to leave it plugged in for a long time for it to do that.

Worst experience...my desktop PC freezes after plugging-in this device (Transcend USB 3.0 SDHC). I lost 2hours unsaved documents work due to the freeze, I had to force restart my PC.Same issue with another SDCard 4GB Kingston. I think either the device I received is defective or the chipset used is not compatible with windows 10.I Returned the same to Amazon!

It's not often that I leave product reviews, especially negative ones, and ESPECIALLY on technology equipment that is so subject to user error. However, I feel like I need to on this one.I bought this reader because of good reviews here on Amazon and figured this would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it's the wrong kind of no-brainer. It just plain does not work! When I plug it in to my computer, the light does flash, so I know it's connecting at least on some level. But every single one of the 10+ times I've tried this, as soon as I plug it in and the computer attempts to use it, Windows warns me there is a problem with it and offers to try to fix it. I agree, it tries, and it fails. It says there is a problem with the drive. At one point it even said that all my files were erased off the card due to the reader. (When I put the card back in my camera, however, I found out that was untrue.) If I attempt to access the files manually through My Computer, it tries forever to load and ultimately refuses.I've tried with both Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, I've tried with multiple different SD cards, and on multiple different machines. The thing just does not work. Disappointing!I've looked online for drivers and assistance, and found nothing useful. Unfortunately, this is probably headed for the trash and I'll start my search over again.

Ok, so yeah, this does transfer files, and admittedly it's about twice as fast as my USB2 reader reads... but that's nowhere near what is expected from USB3. This claims "full performance" from UHS-I cards (75MB/s), but doesn't come close.UPDATE: I've moved my review to 1-star, and here's why.. look at the comments by the Transcend Representative below. He keeps making excuses and then says that their promised speed was on a Transcend card... but the listing specifically says "UHS-I cards", not specific to Transcend. I do NOT respect a company/product that makes a performance claim and then qualifies it after the fact!Just transferred 500 .RAW images (approx 20mb each) to a Crucial SSD (solid state drive) and averaged only 35MB/s. Maybe it was the card? Nope, tried another card, 100 of the same files, same result. And, tried another card, 100 files, same result.Well, maybe it will x-fer a larger file at a faster average speed? Nope. Transferred a 3.5 gigabyte .mov file, and 35MB/s...I even tried on a different USB3 bus from my computer.. no difference.These were high-end SD UHS-I cards also... PNY Elite (which actually allows for up to 120MB/s read speeds), Sandisk Extreme Pro, and Samsung Pro.I'll keep it, I mean $7 shipped (using 2-day Prime) it's worth the money... but it does not live up to the claimed speeds. I'll use it for a portable reader on my laptop, but it won't live on my main computer....

Very disappointed. It didn't read my Micro SD Card so I had to put the Micro SD Card into an SD card (the larger one that can hold the Micro SD Card) and it worked. However, my Micro SD Card soon after read an error and the entire SD card is now corrupt. I believe it was because of the Transcend USB Card Reader - I had this SD card for 2 years and no problems til now.This Card reader really was made very cheaply and poorly - it took me dozens of tries before it was read by my computer. The recover software program that was provided with this card reader showed up the first time I finally got this Transcend reader connected, but since then it has not shown up again when I need it the most, now that it broke my Micro SD Card.I've wasted so much time trying to recover my old files. I have to buy another SD Card Reader on top of all this. Do not buy this product, it is not worth the headache, just spend more money and find something more dependable that isn't made of cheap plastic that is shaky at the base where the metal meets it. It'll fall apart quickly.

I am blaming this for frying three micro SD cards, though I cannot be sure. Three different high end cards failed and had to be tossed. Maybe they heated up while copying larger files? don't know and will not use this any more. No issues with other similar devices from different manufacturers. Read some more reviews and see if there are any similar I guess.

This card reader gets so hot while in use that I was afraid it was going to destroy my SD cards. I stuck it in a drawer and went back to my old, reliable USB 2 card reader.