posted on March 14, 2004 06:38:17 PM new
I have a really old kodak digital camera and its time to upgrade. I will only be using it for auctions so I dont need anything real expensive. The way I make auction listing, it would really help if I could have the camera hooked up to the computer and have it load up on my computer right after I take the picture. It would work kind of like a scanner does. Anybody have any suggestions?
posted on March 14, 2004 06:57:16 PM new
i have a Kodak 210 plus, several years old that I shoot all my pics with. Don't need a new one because it does fine, the key to good pics being a good tripod and good LIGHTING.
It doesnt hook to computer, but the memory card goes into a $30 card reader which IS connected to the computer and downloads essentially instantaneously. If you're still using the SLOOOOW cable provided by Kodak, you'll be amazed with this system.
Pics download automatically to a folder in my hard drive marked pics and I go there to select what I need for each auction, stopping on the way to edit them.
Camera stays on the tripod in my "studio" area (kitchen by the window) and the card walks with me into the office.
I shoot at 15000 - 45000 bytes and find that sufficient for good detail and yet small enough to load quickly even on dial up connections. I know I'll only wait so long for a picture to load, assume others are the same way.
posted on March 14, 2004 06:57:43 PM new
It all depends on what you are going to sell? Maybe you can just use a scanner then there wouldn't be a big expense. I think the're are a lot of people just using scanners.
posted on March 14, 2004 07:02:10 PM new
I really don't understand the question. I have a Olympus & can directly download to my computer. Prior I had a Casios & it also would download directly to my computer.. I thought any digital camera would do this if you had compatible software. Don't think CHEAP, get a good camera, its worth it for quality of pics.
[ edited by sanmar on Mar 14, 2004 07:04 PM ]
posted on March 14, 2004 07:11:42 PM new
The camera I had before I upgraded to a Kodak was a Polaroid PDC640. You could hook the cable to the serial port and control all functions from the keyboard and mouse with the software. I never used that function though. The video output is the most important thing to me. I can review all the pics I just shot on a video monitor before I upload them. I can delete the bad ones and reshoot them and not have to deal with the bad ones during editing.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 14, 2004 07:23:08 PM new
like my college professor always said-
ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.
repeat-
ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.
-sig file -------the lobster in the boiling pot of water who tries to prevent the others from climbing out.
posted on March 14, 2004 08:17:29 PM new
http://www.loosefigures.com/Auctions/BobaFettUlitimateBounty.jpg
I already scan most of my items. I am expanding into some other lines and I want to be able to have the camera hooked directly to the computer - I take the picture and I would need it to load directly on the computer rather than, take picture, remove card, put card in reader, open file.
posted on March 14, 2004 08:38:51 PM new
vetting
I don't think there is any camera that will do exactly what you want to do. The pictures are files and thus must be stored, first on the card. Then they have to be downloaded either using the USB or serial cord like others have mentioned. This still involves transfering the files from the card to someplace you store them on your computer. Software does the opening whether it's your windows OS or your picture editor. I'm really not sure which step you want to cut out and why?
Personally I find the card reader to be easy and fast and it dosen't use up my camera's battery. Of course you could use the DC cord if one came with your camera, to save battery power, but by the time you did all that connecting you could have taken the card out and put it into the reader and be downloading images.
Don
posted on March 14, 2004 09:14:53 PM new
A video camera and a frame capture card will do what you want. Also, I believe WebTv operates in this fashion. If you don't mind spending big bucks to save a couple minutes, check some of your local collision repair body shops. Many of them have industrial systems to get pictures of body damage and transmit them directly to insurance companies via a pc. Also, any alarm company can set you up with a system that will feed video or still pictures directly to a hard drive.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 14, 2004 09:24:56 PM new
I used to have aweb cam that took pics and loaded right into the computer..picture quality wasnt the greatest though.
posted on March 14, 2004 09:42:12 PM new
Neglus...I overlooked the webcam aspect. I think the pic quality is related to the camera being used. The big advantage to such a system is that you can use a video camera and some of the lenses and white balance capabilities allow for some very good pictures. It takes a lot of practice to get good pictures though.
The light at the end of the tunnel will turn out to be an oncoming train.
posted on March 14, 2004 10:07:17 PM new
My kodak came with a cable that hooked to the computer- and yours probably did too- if you can stay close, its ok, just slower for a big batch of pics than the card reader.
Are you wanting to download one at a time, as you shoot them? if so, a cable like this would work.
posted on March 15, 2004 03:45:47 PM new
may i ask couple questions?
i use 2pixl cameras..a sony and a kodak...images usually taken at 1280 x 960[1pixl resolutn]...
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both sony/kodak has memory stick giving 100 images at above resolutn.
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am running a pent4 desktop, i plug in camera, and use microsoft camera wizard or kodak easyshare software..using both cameras today so i could better describe the functions, i benchmarked as follows...
38 images downloaded in approx 30 seconds..[with me counting, okay?] ...this download procedure takes 4 clicks, plus typing in file info when prompted...all total, less than 45 seconds...
i then turn off camera...images been saved either in "my pix" or "kodak e/share" file...
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now for the question[s]... how much time consumed to remove/insert/replace memory card??? will the card reader do downloading quicker???? and if so, approx. how much quicker???
posted on March 15, 2004 04:26:12 PM new
This thread caught my eye yesterday and I have been thinking about it. My understanding of the original question is that Vetting wants to hook up the camera to the computer and take pictures using the on-screen image to see each shot as it is made and make the decision right there, even perhaps cropping and correcting it on the spot. I can see the value of that. Not so much that it takes a lot of time to take out the card or plug in the cable as the fact that you get instant feedback and don't spend time on shots that don't work.
My husband has a Fuji FinePix S1 Pro camera which is waaay more camera than I will ever need but he does extremely large, high resolution panoramas so he really does need it. It has a PC Cam mode were he can hook up the camera with a USB cable and software to our Mac (I know it also comes with PC compatible software as well) and see and control the image on the computer screen. The computer becomes the view finder for the camera. I have not used it myself but I think it would show a lot more detail than the camera viewfinder and would be good if you were working with a static set up with the camera on a tripod.
I don't know if there are less expensive cameras that have the same feature but a search for "PC Cam" might show if there are other Fuji models or a review might compare the feature on Fujis with other cameras.
Sorry to be so long winded on the subject.
-----o----o----o----o----o----o----o----o
“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on March 16, 2004 08:38:20 AM new
I have an inexpensive Intel Pro Video PC camera that hooks up to the computer with about a 5 foot cord and sits on top of my computer. I have never used the video input feature, only use it as a camera. It is a little oval thing that is approx 4 and 1/4 inches long by 2 and 3/4 inches wide by 1 inch tall. It is able to focus and does closeups pretty well. I have used this camera for a couple of years now. You see on the computer screen exactly what the camera will capture and can take as many pictures as you want and just discard the bad ones. I do not know if they even make them any more, I can't find out much on the Intel website. If I remember correctly, it cost less than $50.00. I like it because it is so easy to use and no batteries to replace. I know I will have to upgrade someday but as long as I can drag the stuff in close to my desk I can get the pictures.
posted on March 16, 2004 08:58:52 AM new
sanmar,
i dont have the answer to the question.
my college professor who used to work for POLAROID as a general manager in europe and latin america told us how he conducted consumer survey in some countries-in the poorer countries of latin america,he figured if they can afford a telephone,they can afford a polaroid.
so he just called the local phone companies and ask how many subscribers are there??
-sig file -------we eat to live,not live to eat.
Benjamin Franklin
posted on March 16, 2004 11:15:24 AM new
myoldtoy,
I guess the cable question was directed at me.
For my purposes the time savings is immense.
I may shoot 100 or so shots at once, pull card and download thru reader to pics file in a couple of seconds. When I used the cable it was 4 or 5 minutes, depending on resolution. It also involved searching thru the old Kodak editing software I was using at the time, waiting for my selection of " source" etc to come up. I didn't have at the time a Pentium 4 or anything close, it was an older slower computer.
Pulling the card involves flipping the card eject button -no time at all, the camera remains firmly mounted on the tripod. Since I shoot my pictures in a different room from my computer, keeping the cable connected isn't feasible.
I'm not insisting anyone do it the way I do it - just that it works for me and is a damn sight cheaper than buying a new camera.
