Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. Deals

My favorite SD card reader is a mere $15 for Prime Big Deal Days

Add as a preferred source on Google
The Lexar USB-C SD card reader.
Phil Nickinson / Digital Trends

I take a lot of pictures on a daily basis. And while I usually get to offload them in the comfort of my home, sometimes I need to export as quickly as possible. Maybe even straight from my phone.

That’s where my new favorite SD card reader comes in.

This Lexar USB-C dual-slot reader handles SD cards and microSD cards, with the ability to read up to 312MB per second. That’ll depend on the speed of your card, of course, but nobody wants to wait longer than necessary for the files to get from Point A to Point B. And it’s on sale today for Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days for just $15 and change — about 48% off the usual price.

Here’s what I love about it: First is the size. It’s not a clunky card reader by any standard. It fits in any pocket of any one of my bags. It even fits just fine in my pants pockets. That’s a big deal. Second is that it’s USB-C. That means it works with any of my computers, my iPad, or any of my phones. So if I have time to spare and can properly set up in a coffee shop somewhere to do some editing, fine. Or — and this part is still really cool — I can just pop the card out of my camera, attach the card reader to my phone, and do some quick and dirty editing that way. (Being able to process raw files on a mobile device is so great.)

The card reader doesn’t care what it’s hooked up to — all it knows is it’s connected via USB-C, so it’s going to do its thing. And every time it goes on sale like this, I pick up an extra one.

Because, just like gear bags, you can never have too many card readers at the ready.

Phil Nickinson
Former Section Editor, Audio/Video
Phil spent the 2000s making newspapers with the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal, the 2010s with Android Central and then the…
Topics
The FCC’s latest crackdown could put more than DJI drones at risk in the US
Robot, Person, Face

DJI may have found creative ways to keep some of its products flowing into the US, but those efforts are now drawing increased attention from regulators. According to The Verge, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has started cracking down on several companies it believes could be helping DJI continue selling products in the country. These businesses have been described by industry observers as "DJI front companies" because they market or import products that appear to be closely tied to the Chinese drone maker while operating under different brand names.

DJI's alleged back door may be closing

Read more
I bought Kodak’s viral keychain camera, and the bad photos are part of its charm
The Kodak Charmera is barely a camera, and I still keep using it
Machine, Wheel, Camera

I bought the Kodak Charmera partly because I wanted a portable digital camera, and partly because I wanted a pretty little collectible. The Charmera is sold as a blind box, so you do not know which version you are getting until the box is opened. There are multiple retro Kodak-style designs, plus a transparent secret edition that looks like the one everyone would want.

I had the shopkeeper pick my box for better luck, and it worked out. I got the yellow variant, which is inspired by Kodak's original 80s disposable camera. The transparent one is definitely the fun collector’s piece, but the yellow model feels like the proper Kodak version. It looks like a tiny toy camera that escaped from a souvenir shop, found a keyring, and now hangs around wherever you go.

Read more
This new $30 keychain camera is coming for Kodak Charmera with a flip screen for selfies
Yashica's new camera makes toy photography more fun
YASHICA Funtastic Keychain Camera in multiple variants

Tiny digital cameras are all the rage, and Yashica is now offering a very cute toy photography experience of its own. The company’s new Funtastic Keychain Camera is exactly what the name suggests, a miniature digital camera small enough to clip onto your keys, bag, or lanyard. The popular Kodak Charmera is the obvious comparison, which brings a tiny blind-box keychain camera that became a viral collectible.

Now, Yashica's version lands in the same novelty-camera lane, but adds one very useful trick, which is a 180-degree flip screen.

Read more