Customer Reviews

SanDisk Imagemate USB CompactFlash Reader (SDDR-31)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I bought this card reader when I purchased a new Canon s100 Digital ELPH camera. I did not want to have to connect my camera to the PC every time I took photos.

If you want a very inexpensive card reader that's easy to install an use then this one is definitely the way to go. As mentioned in other reviews, there is a known confict with Adaptec EZ CD Creator Software. So, if you have EZ CD Creator you will need to install the patch BEFORE you install this reader. The patch is very easy to install and takes only a few minutes. If you're totally clueless on the PC just get someone who knows what their doing to help you out. I almost went with a different reader beacuse of the horror stories I read about the conflict. However, after reading about it further at the right technical sources I soon learned it's such an easy fix. This reader is so inexpensive I figured if I couldn't get to work I wasn't risking much. The patch is a snap so don't let that stop you.

As for performance, the file transfer is fast. The unit is very low profile and sits easily on top of your desk, pc or monitor. I did notice once in while I don't get the CF card seated just right in the reader and I get an inaccesible message. Just need to reseat it and it works like a charm.

Bottom line: This product is a great value.

After receiving a Kodak DC3200 camera for Christmas, I bought a small memory card, filled it up with about 25 pictures, and went to transfer them via serial port. It honestly took 8-10 minutes. I have the AC adapter for the camera and I didn't mind the wait at first, but then it was unbearable. Then I purchased the SanDisk Imagemate USB reader. What a difference!

It installs as a removeable drive in Windows. Pop in the card, open up Explorer, drag and drop the pictures to whereever, and voila. There's no A/C adapter for this unit, it works off of the USB ports. It took me seconds (if that) to transfer the 25 pictures to my hard drive.

It sells for ... locally, and I got it for less than... here, shipping included. ... is definitely the place to purchase it from. If it's out of stock, get a notification via email as to when it's available. It's worth every cent.

Simplifies and speeds transfer of images from your digital camera's flash memory card to your computer. For less than ($), it will save your camera's batteries and your time.

I purchased one soon after I got my Kodak digital and couldn't be happier with it. Easy to install software and easy to use reader. It acts just like a removeable disk-drive so you can just drag and drop your photo files from your compactflash card. It's that easy. It saves time and batteries also. You don't have to hook and unhook your camera all of the time. You could spend a lot more for a USB reader, but I don't think you will get one any better than the Sandisk.

I've installed just about everything on my computer. This is the single most difficult piece of equipment I've ever attempted to install. The driver conflicts with the Adaptec Easy CD. Sandisk knows this, and after spending 15 minutes on their site, they give you instructions on where to download the patches. But the patches don't work. The compact flash reader shows up, then disappears.
I installed a SmartMedia reader by SimpleTech and it went flawlessly. Sandisk should be ashamed of themselves for delivering a product with such buggy, awful drivers.
I want to throw this product against the wall repeatedly, that's how mad I am.

This little reader is great, works fine and is pretty bullet proof. I use it to download images from my IBM microdrive and it works flawlessly. I also ran into the Adaptec conflict and just downloaded the patches/installed and then everything sorted out fine. If you don't have some basic computer literacy it may be a problem, but for those of you that can download a file off a site on the net and then install it. . .no problem! ....

I was without my usual compactflash/smartmedia reader for a little while and figured I'd get this inexpensive reader and then sell it when I got my microtech cameramate back. The Sandisk is easy to set up, I had a few glitches with my HP 700mhz system and finally uninstalled the software, plugged the thing in and followed the prompts. It worked fine. You do get what you pay for though. This is just a chunk of thick plastic on the end of a USB cable. It's got some kind of fish eye looking design on the top and a little green LED to let you know when your card is being used. The mouth of the unit is where you stick your card in and you have to be careful to line it up, it doesn't just slide in. I had to force my card the first couple of times. Getting the card out is just the reverse, yank it out. Not nearly as nice as my Microtech with it's push to eject button, but it's also half the cost. I use both CF and SM so the microtech is really the best solution for me, but if you need a cheap USB CF reader, this one is as good as any. I have had no compatibility problems and have used it with an off brand CF card and 2 name brand with no trouble.

Using the Imagemate I'm able to quickly download photos from a CompactFlash card to my PC. The software shipped with the Imagemate was easy to install. It works well with both Win98 and Windows 2000. I find that using the Imagemate is much more convenient than connecting and disconnecting the camera each time I retrieve my photos. The software shipped with my camera (Canon S20) is able to interface directly with the Imagemate. The low price makes the Imagemate all the more attractive.

This product is simple to install, simple to use and works seamlessly. And the price is very good.

There is some anxiety when you plug in the CF card and see the reader light blink on then off. You're always taught to turn off the power before plugging things in... I often wonder if that will ever cause an error in my card. But so far...everything works fine.

An interesting thing about this product is that you can use it as a removable drive for the computer. Its great to have that much portable storage in such a small package.

I purchased this reader when I bought my Kodak DC215, because the camera doesn't have USB connectivity. This way, I can download my pictures faster. My camera has the option of using templates on the pictures I take. This requires me to upload bitmaps to the CompactFlash Card. With this USB Reader/Writer, I am able to not only read faster from the card, but I can also write faster. I even tried uploading an EXE file at work, and I was able to download it at home. I can use it as a small Zip Drive. Plus, it worked on Windows 2000! This is a GREAT buy if you have a digital camera.