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April 2000

Web Sight: Smart as a Smart Card
by Marshal M. Rosenthal

Photographers tend to get com-fortable with their camera equip-ment, and why shouldn’t they? After all, having to stop and think where a specific button or knob is—as opposed to it being second na-ture—can make all the difference between a great shot and a common one. But this does tend to create a bit of hesitation when it comes to trying out new equipment, which could explain why digital cameras in general have been viewed with a bit of trepidation. And if that wasn’t enough, transferring the digital im-age to the computer also goes into unknown territory. But while we readily admit that the choices and technologies being used in digital cameras can be intimidating, the methods for getting that digital im-age into the computer are simple and easily digested.

There are basically two ways in which a digital image is transferred out of the digital camera and into the computer; either the camera it-self is directly attached through an output, or the storage media that was inside the camera is placed into some type of “cradle” that connects it to the computer. Digital cameras that directly attach themselves can have a variety of outputs—these range from a TV signal (useless for still quality reproduction) to that of a serial or USB port. Serial ports fit both PC/Mac computers as this is an older technology, with the com-puter running software that then “sucks” the images from the camera (note: as long as there’s an output, this can be done even if the camera uses removable storage). The newer style port is USB. It features a faster transfer rate as well as being able to self-configure itself when plugged into the computer (which doesn’t have to be turned off first).

Plus, the USB port supplies power to the de-vice plugged into it. Those looking to use USB with computers that don’t have this input need only purchase an inexpensive USB card (well under $150 depending on the make) that inserts into their computer. Those with only one USB port (or loathe to have to reach behind the computer to plug in the connection) can use a USB Hub which adds additional ports. For example, there’s XLR8’s clear colored [www.xlr8.com] Iceview Hub for the Mac which features four ports, an optional power sup-ply, if desired to boost the power to devices plugged in, and a “Loadmeter” that protects against intermittent USB performance by providing interactive feedback. All in a tiny package for $39.95. PC users (as well as Mac) can go the 7-Hub route with Dlink’s DSB-H7 [www.dlink.com]. Powered to pro-vide power to 7 USB devices, it also comes in a translucent color with a set of diagnostic LED’s ($99.00). Both Hubs set up for use within minutes.

Okay, so it seems we did the “cart before the horse” thing, but now that we know where to connect to—it’s time to look at what we’re con-necting. Removable storage media in digital cameras consists of either ATA Flash hard drive cards (big enough so that they can hold hi-rez images composed of lots of megabytes of space) or the smaller solid state “smart cards.” The hard drive cards (which are still smaller than a playing card) come in varying storage sizes such as 20MB or 40MB, and are most often found in the higher-end digital cameras. Which is not to say that the “smart card” media is chopped liver; coming in respectable sizes that range from 2MBs on up to 32MBs and featuring near-instant image retention after a shot as well as being much more compact than the hard drive cards. But there are different standards working here, with some cameras using the SmartMedia format and others using CompactFlash (Sony also has digital cameras that use floppies and their Memory-stick storage media but this is in the mi-nority). Regardless of which is used, transferring images from these “smart cards” to the computer re-quires some sort of interface, and the woods are lousy with them; as an example there’s the Flashpath, a floppy disk-like device that you in-sert the SmartMedia card into and then which can be placed in the computer. Another type found is Microtech’s USB CameraMate [www.microtechint.com] which ac-cepts both types of “smart cards” and includes software for use with both PC/Macs. In addition to spring and mechanical ejector mecha-nisms, this palm-sized digital reader is compatible with the IBM 1” mi-crodrive, transfers the images at high speed, and gets its power from the USB port it’s connected to. It re-tails for $89.00

Regardless of the method or type of storage media used, digital imag-ing has the potential for allowing the photographer to “stretch” his/her vision—whether it ends with the snap of the digital shutter or continues on into computer imaging enhancements.

Marshal M. Rosenthal is a photojournalist based in Los Angeles, and a frequent con-tributor to many imaging and com-puter publica-tions. He can be reached at mar-shalr@pipeline.com/.

Mictrotec Caps
1. Compact FlashFilm—32MB Compact Flash Card.
2. USB CameraMate—Digital FilmReader (SmartMedia & CompactFlash). Images shows Apple iBook, IBM 340 MB micro-drive, SmartMedia, and CompactFlash.
3. USB CameraMate—Digital FilmReader (SmartMedia & CompactFlash). Images shows Apple iMac, digital camera, IBM 340 MB microdrive, SmartMedia, and CompactFlash.