Transferring Images from Camera to Computer

The following sections summarize what you need to do to transfer images from your camera to your computer. You may need to consult your camera’s manual to account for any differences from these general instructions.

Making a direct connection
Most digital cameras allow you to transfer images using connectors such as USB, FireWire (IEEE-1394), iLink, or a wireless connection. To transfer images by using your camera’s directconnection cable, follow these steps:
1. Make sure that you’ve installed the software furnished with your camera and then turn off the camera.
Some cameras come with stand-alone image transfer programs. Others use miniprograms that run within Photoshop, which you access from the Photoshop Import menu.
2. Attach the cable to the camera’s connector, and then plug the other end into the USB, FireWire, or other port on your computer.
If you’re taking a lot of digital photographs, you may consider leaving your camera’s cord plugged into the computer at all times.
3. Turn on the camera.
Your computer’s operating system detects the camera and loads drivers (support software) that are needed to connect to the camera. Many cameras also leave a permanent “overseer” program running in the background that detects the presence of the camera and loads the image transfer program automatically.
4. If necessary, launch the image transfer program.
If your camera uses a stand-alone program, you may find it in your Windows PC Start menu (under Programs), the Mac OS Apple menu, or somewhere in the Mac OS X toolbar. It may also be listed under Photoshop’s Import menu.
5. Use the transfer program’s options to copy the images to your hard disk and to delete images from your camera’s built-in storage.
6. Close the transfer program.
You can now load the images directly into Photoshop from your hard disk drive. Some digital models place a Camera option in Photoshop’s File➪Open dialog box. If your camera makes itself accessible from Windows Explorer or the Mac Finder, the camera may appear to your operating system as if it were just another device. In that case, you can simply drag and drop files from your camera to your hard disk.

Transferring from removable storage
The most common removable storage options are cards like Secure Digital and CompactFlash. You may also use Memory Sticks. Whichever removable option you choose to transfer images, just follow these steps:
1. Make sure that you’ve installed the software your computer needs to support the card reader or other device.
Newer versions of the Windows and Mac operating systems detect a new device the first time it is plugged in. Your OS may install the support software automatically, or ask for a disk supplied by the device vendor that contains the necessary drivers. Although you can often access removable storage as if it were another disk drive on your computer many cameras are furnished with transfer programs that streamline the process of copying the files from the media and removing old files. Install this transfer program separately, if needed. There may also be a program that runs within Photoshop, which you access from the Photoshop Import menu.
2. Insert the media into the reader device.
Your computer detects the media automatically and launches a file transfer program provided by your camera vendor.
You can also simply open the media from Windows Explorer or the Macintosh Finder just as you do any other storage device.
3. Copy the images to your hard disk.
Use either the transfer program’s options or your operating system’s file images to the folders where you want to store them.
4. Send the original copies on the removable media to the Recycle Bin or Trash.