5
 
Uploading images from the camera
In order to make the most of your pictures, you need to transfer them
to a computer. Some people call this "uploading"
while others
say "downloading" - it really depends on whether you look
at it from the camera's or the computer's point of
view. Once your
pictures are stored on the computer's hard disk, you can edit them
to improve them
or make any changes
you wish.

There are a few ways of getting your pictures onto the computer. The
method you use depends on
your personal preference,
the
Windows
operating
system
you
are
using
and whether
you
are using
the software that came with the camera.

There are two golden rules:

1. Make sure you have got good copies of your pictures on the computer
before deleting them from your camera (don't
forget that reformatting
the camera's memory card is one sure way to delete them). Discovering
you
have a bad
copy
after you've deleted them means
that
picture has gone for good!
2. Make sure you backup (create a safe copy elsewhere) before you
start editing your pictures. If your editing goes
badly wrong, you
can always go back to the original version from your backup and start
again. If you don't have a
backup, you're stuck with the edited version!
Probably the safest thing to do is to burn the originals to a CD
or DVD
if your computer has a suitable burner installed.

Most digital cameras are connected to the computer using

what is called a USB
cable. USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, but
that's not too important - all you
need to know is that it offers a way
for the
computer to access the pictures on
your camera. The USB port (socket)
on your computer is indicated by the symbol
on the right and is about
1/2-inch by 1/8-inch in size.

One end of the camera's computer cable will have a plug that matches the USB socket. The other end will have a plug that
fits into a corresponding
socket on your camera. Each manufacturer uses their own type of camera
socket, and they even
vary between different camera models from the same
manufacturer, so it's important to have your cable with you, unless
you
have a card
reader (see below).

Connecting the camera directly to a Windows XP machine

This is probably the quickest way to get your pictures onto the computer.
When the camera is connected, a Windows XP
"wizard" opens
asking what you want to do with the images it detects on the camera.
It will open a window that will give
you a preview of the images on the
camera.

Now select the images you want to upload by putting a tick

next to each image. You also need to tell the computer where to
store
the selected images – the My Pictures folder (inside
My Documents) is usually the default location.

Note: this will only happen using Windows XP. If you

have an earlier version of Windows you need to use one of the other
methods.

Your camera is using its battery while it is connected to

the camera. Try to work as quickly as possible or use the
camera's external
power supply,
if you have one.

Using the software that came with the camera.

Your camera probably came with some software that has to be
installed on your computer. The benefit of doing this is that
the software
is often tailored to your camera and will be able to make the most of
its unique features.

When you connect the camera to the computer, the software

typically detects the camera automatically, and may upload the
images into
the My Pictures folder. It may also create folders for the images it uploads each
time. These folders often have
a name that contain the date the pictures were
taken.

Alternatively, the computer may ask you where you want to store the
pictures. It may also ask if you want to delete the
images from the camera
after it has uploaded them (say no until you are sure the pictures
have been safely transferred to
your computer).

Your camera is using its battery while it is connected to the camera.

Try to work as quickly as possible or use the
camera's external power
supply, if you have one.

Using a card reader or camera card slot on your machine

Using Windows XP, this is similar to connecting the camera
directly to the computer. Earlier versions of Windows are
likely to need
to install software that comes with the card reader before it can be
used. When the card reader is correctly
installed, insert your camera's
memory card
in the
correct
slot in the reader. Open My Computer and locate the removable
disk drive
that relates to your
card
reader
slot
with the
camera
memory
card
inserted
into it.

You should see a folder called DCIM (digital camera images).

1. Inside that folder, there maybe another folder. If you double-click

that one you should see your images.
2. Change the view to show thumbnails (small versions) of the images
(View menu – thumbnails).
3. Select the images you want to copy to the computer. Use the
Control Key to select more than one image at a time.
4. Copy the images to the "clipboard" using the Edit menu > Copy
command.
5. Open the My Documents folder and then open the My Pictures folder
within it.
6. Use the Edit menu > Paste command to paste the copied images from
the clipboard to the My Pictures folder.

Once you are comfortable with the Copy and Paste operations, you can use
the keyboard shortcuts for these commands,
which is often quicker (Cntl-C
for copy, Cntl-V for paste).