FIELD GUIDESource-led reference

From card to computer

Give every part of the path a name.

A source-linked workspace for card families, exact readers and camera slots. No guessing from fit, no automatic hardware scans, no product rankings.

Begin with the documented connection

Read the complete card-family name

Identify the exact component and role. Read the source limitations before choosing a cable, card or adapter.

FROM CARD TO COMPUTER

The card is only
the first connection.

Identify the family. Check the exact reader. Keep camera-slot requirements separate from the computer connection.

Build a card-reader worksheet →Explore media connections

01 Card family02 Exact reader03 Camera slot Optional context04 Computer host

Documented family ≠ certified setup

7 card families11 reader profiles3 camera slot maps6 task guides

Read the exact model

Reader support directory

Filter by media family and documentation state. A missing statement stays unknown; only explicit exclusions are labelled excluded.

Choose the slot

Camera slot maps

Shared openings and separate slots remain distinct. No recording format, capacity or firmware is approved by a family result.

Start with the card family.

Full-size SD card form — original, not-to-scale identification schematic; drawing review pending

Full-size SD card form

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

microSD card form — original, not-to-scale identification schematic; drawing review pending

microSD card form

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

CompactFlash Type I card interface — original, not-to-scale identification schematic; drawing review pending

CompactFlash Type I card interface

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

CFast card interface — original, not-to-scale identification schematic; drawing review pending

CFast card interface

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

CFexpress Type A: original nominal width by height envelope study, 20 by 28 mm, 2.8 mm nominal depth. Not a contact or key drawing; no host compatibility approval.

CFexpress Type A card interface

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

CFexpress Type B: original nominal width by height envelope study, 29.6 by 38.5 mm, 3.8 mm nominal depth. Not a contact or key drawing; no host compatibility approval.

CFexpress Type B card interface

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

XQD: original nominal width by height envelope study, 29.6 by 38.5 mm, 3.8 mm nominal depth. Not a contact or key drawing; no host compatibility approval.

XQD card interface

Inspect documented reader and camera coverage →

A practical learning path

Check the right question next.

Choose a card reader without guessing from its shapeTreat the card family, exact reader and upstream computer connection as separate checks.XQD and CFexpress: check the reader, not just the outlineSimilar physical forms do not establish shared reader support.Read a camera card-slot map correctlyA shared opening and two separate openings are different physical arrangements.The reader-to-computer USB checklistThe reader’s media slot is only one side of the connection.Recording support is not the same as offload supportA camera recording requirement and a reader transfer requirement answer different questions.A non-destructive card-offload planning checklistPrepare an evidence checklist without formatting, repairing or modifying the card.

Evidence beyond the card shape

Read the distinctions that matter.

Is CFexpress Type A or B the same as its generation?Separate the physical type, specification generation, protocol and exact equipment support.Does an XQD slot automatically support CFexpress Type B?Use an exact firmware example without extending it to every camera or reader.What do UDMA, UHS and USB mean on a multi-card reader?Keep each card slot’s interface separate from the computer connection.Do two supported card families mean two usable slots?Distinguish alternative cards, physical slots, insertion and simultaneous access.Is VPG the same as a card’s read speed or USB speed?Check sustained-write profile requirements separately from offload claims.

What this workspace does not do

Family-level documentation only. Not an exact-card, firmware, recording-mode, measured-performance or end-to-end compatibility certification. No card is read, written, formatted or tested. All new profiles await independent content review. Prices, availability and purchasing recommendations are outside this directory.