Digital Camera Question

[peacock2121]

I have a Canon PowerShot camera. I now need to decide to get a memory card reader or a thumb drive reader. I am confused.

What's the deal and what's the difference in the two? Which one should I get?

[kayrharris]

Apparently all the electronic wizards are away at the moment. I have a memory card reader for my digital camera, but then again I dint know I had a choice. It works fine.

I'm sure someone here will know and will be here soon. Good luck!

[tlynn78]

I'm still trying to figure out how to get the film out of mine...




t.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I this that would depend on whether you have a thumb drive or a memory card in your camera. A memory card is shaped like a slice of bread a thump drive is loaf shaped.

[Bob Juch]

I have a Canon PowerShot camera. I now need to decide to get a memory card reader or a thumb drive reader. I am confused.

What's the deal and what's the difference in the two? Which one should I get?

Your confusion is contagious.

A thumb drive plugs into a USB port and needs no reader. That has nothing to do with your camera though.

The memory card reader would allow you to read your camera's memory card without connecting your camera.

Both my LCD video display and HP printer have a full set of memory card readers built-in.

[BackInTex]

My computer has slots for all memory cards. The problem is, they are sssssllllllloooooowwwww.

I have a multi-card memory card USB 2 reader from Wal-Mart, about $20. It reads smart media, flash, XD, SD, and any others. It is fast.

Never heard of a thumbdrive reader. A thumbdrive has a USB connector built in.


I was thinking the other day that car stereos should have a USB port to stick a thumb drive in and play the MP3s on it. That would get my money.

This is what I have:
http://tinyurl.com/2xxzbn

[lilyvonschtupp26]

Pea, didn't your camera come with a wire to attach it to the PC? Then after you uploaded the pix, you can edit and send them for reprints then.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I have this thing that effectively turns a SD memory card into a thumb drive

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-TravelLi ... B000AYA59M



a memory card looks something like this

[tanstaafl2]

I have this thing that effectively turns a SD memory card into a thumb drive

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-TravelLi ... B000AYA59M



a memory card looks something like this

Excellent device for travel and can be used at home as well. My Canon powershot has a USB cable that allows for connection to a computer so I haven't purchased one yet. My Canon SLR is a little older and uses a flash card for which I have a flash card reader connected to my home computer. But it might be useful to be able to transfer pictures onto a computer and then download them to my thumb drive while on the road so that I could then erase my flash card for use again.

Will have to look into that.

[ulysses5019]

I see that I am too late....all questions have been answered....I'm surprised the camera didn't come with the usb cable that connects to the camera. The PowerShot is a good camera, a little bulky but a good quality camera.

[cindy.wellman]

My computer has slots for all memory cards. The problem is, they are sssssllllllloooooowwwww.

I have a multi-card memory card USB 2 reader from Wal-Mart, about $20. It reads smart media, flash, XD, SD, and any others. It is fast.

Never heard of a thumbdrive reader. A thumbdrive has a USB connector built in.


I was thinking the other day that car stereos should have a USB port to stick a thumb drive in and play the MP3s on it. That would get my money.

This is what I have:
http://tinyurl.com/2xxzbn

Ooh, they do have some car stereos like that. I finally got the car I wanted and the stereo I wanted (first link below) but then had to leave them both in Italy because the car had european specs. Blech!


http://www.wholesaleconnection.com/prod ... 87&refer=1

At the time I bought it, you had to buy a separate adapter if you wanted to use your iPod on it. It worked great w/ just USB thumb drive or plain MP3 players.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pioneer-DEH-P6900ub ... dZViewItem

This one comes with the iPod adapter, as well as a ton of other stuff!


Cindy

[earendel]

I have this thing that effectively turns a SD memory card into a thumb drive

http://www.amazon.com/Kingston-TravelLi ... B000AYA59M

I'd love to have a device like this; however it seems that the company no longer makes them. I went to the Amazon site, which indicated they weren't available, so I did a Google search and went to the company itself. This model has been discontinued but they do have other offerings.

[peacock2121]

Okay, someone needs to talk to me like I am a first grader (distinct from an idiot).

The camera came with a thingie that I can plug into the camera and the computer.

Do I have this right?

1. A memory card is where the pictures are stored. The camera came with one that holds 16 pictures. I can get memory cards with differing amounts of pictures they will hold.

2. I can store pictures on the memory card or I can download them from my memory card to my computer and store them there. I can also print or e-mail them from my computer.

3. I can mail my memory card to another and they can do the same thing if they have a memory card reader - they do not need a camera - they just need the card and the reader.

4. The thumb drive reader is not even to be considered in this conversation and I should wipe that out of my head.

5. There is something that I can buy that can make my memory card into a thunb drive and I do not understand why I would want that. Can someone explain.

You guys are the best. I always know someone will be able to help me.

[MarleysGh0st]

Okay, someone needs to talk to me like I am a first grader (distinct from an idiot).

The camera came with a thingie that I can plug into the camera and the computer.

Do I have this right?

1. A memory card is where the pictures are stored. The camera came with one that holds 16 pictures. I can get memory cards with differing amounts of pictures they will hold.

Correct. You want to buy a higher capacity memory card so you can take more pictures at one time.

2. I can store pictures on the memory card or I can download them from my memory card to my computer and store them there. I can also print or e-mail them from my computer.

Correct. You use the "thingie" (probably a USB cable) to download the pictures to the computer. Or you can plug the memory card into the computer, if yours has a slot to read that. It may or may not have that.

3. I can mail my memory card to another and they can do the same thing if they have a memory card reader - they do not need a camera - they just need the card and the reader.

Correct, but it'd be much easier to just e-mail the photos after you've downloaded them to your computer. Why bother mailing the card?

4. The thumb drive reader is not even to be considered in this conversation and I should wipe that out of my head.

Correct. You're doing great!

5. There is something that I can buy that can make my memory card into a thunb drive and I do not understand why I would want that. Can someone explain.

Don't bother with that, either. It would let you read the memory card on your computer, if your computer doesn't have a slot for the memory card directly. But just use the USB cable.

[peacock2121]

Yipee!!

I think I've got it.

How do I know if my computer has a slot for the memory card? Where do I find that?

If I am away on a trip and don't have a computer and want the pictures to be downloaded and sent to someone while I am gone - that is why I would mail the card.

[MarleysGh0st]

How do I know if my computer has a slot for the memory card? Where do I find that?

It would probably be on the front panel of your PC, but that's not something that's standard. Do you have the manual that came with your computer?

[ladysoleil]

Yipee!!

I think I've got it.

How do I know if my computer has a slot for the memory card? Where do I find that?

If I am away on a trip and don't have a computer and want the pictures to be downloaded and sent to someone while I am gone - that is why I would mail the card.

If you have one, you'll probably see the little slot on the front panel of your computer near where the USB cable will plug in. It will look exactly the same as the slot that the card fits into in the camera.

If you are planning to mail the card to someone for download and want to take more photos, you'll need to buy multiple cards. If you don't want to do that, you might want to find a Kodak Picture station (if you're doing U.S. travel.) The kiosk will let you dump out the pictures from the card and put them on a CD for you. I don't know what that costs, but probably less than a memory card, I'd think. A lot of drugstores and quickie film processing places have the Kodak kiosks.

[MarleysGh0st]

Oops, I overlooked this point.

If I am away on a trip and don't have a computer and want the pictures to be downloaded and sent to someone while I am gone - that is why I would mail the card.

Some stores, like the Wegmans supermarkets up here--or maybe Wal-Mart--have kiosks which have slots for those memory cards, so you could bring in your card, review your photos right there and make prints of the ones you want to send to people. Unless they want the digital image instead of a regular print.

Ummm, like ladysoleil just said!

[peacock2121]

How do I know if my computer has a slot for the memory card? Where do I find that?

It would probably be on the front panel of your PC, but that's not something that's standard. Do you have the manual that came with your computer?

LOL - um, no.

Is the thing called my PC the tall tower thing? The thing I put the back-up disc into?

[peacock2121]

So, if I have an old or not special computer, is my only option using that wire thingie?

Or does the card reader attach to the wire thingie instead of my camera attaching to the wire thingie?

I will do the kiosk thingie -that sounds much easier.

and cheaper

[MarleysGh0st]

Is the thing called my PC the tall tower thing? The thing I put the back-up disc into?

Yes, that's the main part of your Personal Computer; it's where the CPU ("the brains") and the memory and the hard drive and stuff lives. Then there's the thingie with all the keys on it that you type on...and the monitor thingie with a big screen that you see pretty pictures on...and the thingie which looks like a mouse with a long tail...

[peacock2121]

Hey!

You makin fun of me?

[MarleysGh0st]

So, if I have an old or not special computer, is my only option using that wire thingie?

Yeah, that's what they expect you to use. They probably also gave you some photo album software that helps you download those photos with a click of a mouse.

Or does the card reader attach to the wire thingie instead of my camera attaching to the wire thingie?

You could buy a stand-alone card read to plug in with a USB cable, but you don't need that.

I will do the kiosk thingie -that sounds much easier.

and cheaper

Ummm, yeah.

[MarleysGh0st]

Hey!

You makin fun of me?

Would I do that?

[ladysoleil]

So, if I have an old or not special computer, is my only option using that wire thingie?

Or does the card reader attach to the wire thingie instead of my camera attaching to the wire thingie?

I will do the kiosk thingie -that sounds much easier.

and cheaper

For your old and not special computer, the cheapest way is to use the wire thingy that came with the camera. Plug the weird shaped side into the camera and the rectangle side into the rectangle slot on your computer, which is probably on the front or may be on the back. Before you do any of that, put in the CD that was in the box with the camera and put on the software. I have a PowerShot also, it's really easy to work with. Then you plug everything in and turn on the camera and the computer will suck all the pictures off the card for you.

The card reader attaches using it's own plug which is just like the plug on the wire thingy and then you plug the card into it. So basically you're spending extra money to do what the wire you got for free already does. The reader is handy if you're using more than one computer or don't have the camera with you. If that's not the case, you don't need it.

The kiosk is probably the best while you're traveling and the card gets full, but for regularly using it, if you take lots of pictures, it's going to be the most expensive way to get the pictures off your camera in the long run.