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Downloading Digital Images

Digital Imageing Hardware
At some point you'll need to get those photos out of your camera and into your computer. This process is called downloading, and you'll need to make both hardware and software choices. First, the hardware:

• USB or FireWire cable
Most cameras ship with a USB 1 cable that will allow you to transfer the images directly from inside the camera to your computer. That method will work, but it's slow and you run the risk of the camera's battery dying during download, which can create problems for you (you may not then be able to download the remainder). If you choose to use this method, be sure and start with a fully-charged battery or have the camera plugged into AC power.

• PCMCIA card slot
Most laptops have a built-in PCMCIA slot (often referred to as a PC card slot). With an adapter, you can use that slot to download your photos. The speed is still slow, but it doesn't require any additional power other than what the laptop already has, so it avoids that problem. Recently there have been 32-bit card adapters (Delkin had the first) announced that remove the speed problem, claiming speeds that might match or surpass USB 2 or FireWire card readers.

• External Card Readers
This is the choice that most professionals make, using a stand-alone reader with a USB 2 or FireWire protocol for very fast transfer of images. These readers can be purchased on sale for under $20. If you choose to go this route, be sure not to buy a USB 1 reader, which is MUCH slower. Confirm that the unit is USB 2 before buying.

Digital Imaging Software
Once you've settled on the physical way to get images into the computer, you'll need to decide what software you'll use to get that done. Most digital cameras ship with software that will help automate the process of downloading your photos from the camera (or card) to the computer. If you're using that software and like the way it works, great, don't change. If not, though, there are other options for you:

• System support
Both Windows XP and Mac OSX have system-level support to assist you in downloading your photos. With Windows, the system will "see" when you've attached a camera or card and offer to help download the photos. It uses a tool called the Scanner and Camera Wizard, and will let you choose a download location, create a named folder there, and even re-name the images during the download process. It's very easy and efficient. The Apple Mac will also see a camera or card and offer to download the images for you using Image Capture. It also lets you choose a location and create a folder, but not re-name the photos on download.

• Browser support
Some browsers can take this capability a few steps further. A browser is a piece of software that shows you the photos inside a folder. Apple's iPhoto is an example of a browser that has an "Import" button to help take over the job of downloading photos. The advantage of using a browser to download images is that you'll likely want to view the images once they're in the computer, and if you're already in the browser, that's one step saved.

• Adding information and value
You already know that you can use tools like Windows XP's Scanner and Camera Wizard to re-name photos while downloading. More powerful browsers, like Photo Mechanic (www.camerabits.com), , can also caption all of your photos during download, download to two locations at once (instant backup) and do other housekeeping chores to make your workflow easier. The more information you can add to photos at the beginning, the more value they'll have in the future.

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