Digital Cameras for Teachers
Downloading, Storing and Viewing Photos
Downloading your photos into the computer
1) Depending on your camera and your computer, you can download your photos into your computer by using:
- Cables that plug into your camera and your USB port
- A "dock" purchased separately, plugged into your computer's USB port, that you set your camera into. This dock serves as a downloader and a recharger for your camera's batteries.
- A separate card reader that plugs into your USB port
- A card reader that is built into the front of your computer
- A card reader that is built into your printer
Remember that most multiple-card readers will read the following types of cards:
- Compact Flash (CF) cards or micro-drives
- Sony Memory Sticks
- Secure Digital (SD) cards
- Smart Memory cards (found in fewer and fewer new cameras)
- xD cards, found in newer Olympus and Fuji cameras
Make sure your card reader has a slot for the card you use! You can purchase an "adapter" that will allow an xD card to fit inside the CF card slot (about $40-$60 for the adapter), but since you can find xD card readers for less than this amount, it's probably not a good option.
Ready to download? Keep going!
2) To make it easier on yourself, it would help if you first locate the cables and software that came with your digital camera.
Most digital camera bundles come with software that will
- download from the camera to your computer via a USB cable
- provide a picture viewer that will allow you to view, rotate, crop, and rename your photos.
Make sure you install this software, or other software of your choice that accomplishes the same thing, especially if you have a Windows 98 machine. (Windows XP will automatically recognize USB card readers and assist you in downloading.)
There are a number of good programs that will do these things, but if you are new to digital cameras, the only software you may have might be the bundle that comes with your camera. (More software possibilities are discussed later in this lesson.)
3) Once you install the software, you will need to locate your USB ports. USB ports are usually found
- On the back panel of your computer
- On the front or the side of your computer.
4) Next, decide if you want to use:
- the downloading cable that came with your camera,
- a camera dock (available with some Kodak and HP digital cameras)
- or a card reader, whether installed on your printer or computer or separately purchased
Once your software is installed, plugging your camera via cable or dock into the USB port and turning it on should activate the software so that it will automatically read the memory card and load the pictures for you to view.
The software should ask you:
- where you want to save your pictures
- to name the folder you want the pictures downloaded into
- whether you want to delete the photos off of the memory card when it has finished downloading
- if you want to view the photos
- if you want to rotate, crop or rename the photos
- if you want to delete any of the photos off of your hard drive.
The same thing should happen when you use a card reader--when a card is inserted, the computer should automatically recognize that pictures are available for downloading.
Next: What to do with all your downloaded photos!
Digital Cameras for Teachers
EOU Malheur County Center (541) 889-7468 or (541) 889-6222
