Freewell goals to simplify the trendy card storage conundrum with their Professional Reader, a tool that guarantees not solely high-speed studying of a number of codecs but in addition built-in storage for playing cards while you’re out within the area. I have been testing one out to see the way it suits right into a creator’s workflow.
The core thought behind the Freewell Professional Reader is compelling sufficient: mix a multi-format card reader with a protecting card holder. It is designed to be a single gadget that handles each offloading and carrying your valuable media.
Storage
Let’s first have a look at the storage facet. The reader and storage are mixed into an inner setup in regards to the measurement of a sweet bar, which nests in an aluminum alloy tube. Twin buttons safe the reader into the outside housing, and whereas the seal isn’t waterproof, I’d characterize it as mud resistant. It is compact sufficient for a journey equipment, and the included carabiner makes it straightforward to clip onto a bag or strap, although I would in all probability nonetheless tuck it inside a bag for higher safety. An LED indicator offers visible suggestions throughout knowledge switch.
The aluminum alloy physique feels sturdy, whereas the reader is manufactured from a sturdy plastic. The reader has devoted slots designed to retailer one CFexpress Kind A, one CFexpress Kind B, three SD playing cards (UHS-I or II), and 6 microSD playing cards. There are additionally two slots for Nano SIM playing cards. You can not retailer the reader within the housing with playing cards nonetheless within the reader’s slots, solely within the storage slots.
For creators closely invested in microSD, maybe for drone or motion digital camera footage, the six slots could be welcome. Nonetheless, for a lot of photographers and videographers, that may really feel like a bit an excessive amount of area devoted to the smaller format in comparison with SD or CFexpress. The Nano SIM slots additionally really feel considerably area of interest, notably for customers in areas the place bodily SIM swaps are much less frequent lately, since right this moment’s U.S. mannequin iPhones don’t even have SIM slots anymore.
Essentially the most vital consideration for some would be the singular slots for CFexpress Kind A and Kind B. When you’re operating a dual-slot digital camera utilizing two playing cards of the identical CFexpress kind, you may want to hold spares elsewhere. This product capabilities OK as storage, however its particular configuration could be an ideal match for some customers and fewer than ideally suited for others.
Card Studying
The place the Freewell Professional Reader actually delivers is in studying playing cards. It options devoted slots for CFexpress Kind A, CFexpress Kind B, SD (UHS-I and II suitable), and microSD. This covers the principle codecs professionals and lovers are doubtless utilizing right this moment. Connection is dealt with by way of USB-C over an hooked up (albeit quick) cable, supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds as much as 10 Gbps. Once you’re coping with giant batches of high-resolution uncooked pictures or 4K/8K video information, that pace interprets instantly into much less time ready for knowledge transfers and extra time taking pictures or enhancing.
A standout function is the power to learn from the CFexpress A/B, SD, and microSD slots concurrently. It is a vital workflow enhancement. As a substitute of offloading playing cards one after the other, you possibly can plug all of them in and provoke the transfers concurrently. This generally is a actual time-saver on the finish of a protracted taking pictures day, and is newer habits that I’m beginning to take pleasure in on trendy card readers.
By way of compatibility, it’s designed for plug-and-play operation throughout numerous techniques. I examined it totally on a Mac and PC, the place it labored instantly without having any drivers or changes. Freewell lists compatibility with Home windows going all the way in which again to XP (actually?), macOS (10.6.2+), Linux, Android, and iPadOS. For connecting to units with out USB-C, a USB-C to USB-A adapter cable is included, which is a pleasant contact given the built-in cable.
Freewell’s compatibility chart notes that whereas laptops and desktops help studying all card sorts (CFE-A, CFE-B, SD, TF), iPhones don’t help CFE-B. It is a limitation of the cell working techniques or {hardware} moderately than the reader itself, however it’s an vital consideration for customers within the in all probability uncommon situation of mobile-only offloads by way of CFexpress Kind B playing cards.
So, who’s the Freewell Professional Reader greatest suited to? I see it interesting most to touring photographers, videographers, or vloggers who use a mixture of card codecs, together with CFexpress Kind A or B alongside SD and microSD. When you worth having a single, sturdy system that gives quick, simultaneous offloads by way of USB-C and offers a level of organized card storage for transit, it is a compelling possibility. The ten Gbps pace and simultaneous learn functionality are real advantages for straightforward knowledge administration.
Whereas the particular card storage configuration won’t completely align with each person’s wants—notably these needing to hold a number of CFexpress playing cards or those that do not use many microSDs—the core reader performance is powerful. It reliably reads the codecs it guarantees at speeds that trendy workflows demand.
The Freewell Professional Reader is a succesful and quick multi-format card reader with the added bonus of built-in card storage. Whereas the storage structure makes some extremely particular selections for the person, the reader’s efficiency, construct high quality, simultaneous learn perform, and broad compatibility make it an affordable worth even when judged solely as a card reader.
The Freewell Professional is offered now.
