Don’t be Strangled by the Cord
Getting pictures from your camera to your computer using the USB cord.
Now that you have a digital camera, you are pretty proud of your new gadget. You’ve been taking pictures with it and enjoy not having to worry about getting your film processed. But how do you get the picture from your camera to the computer? There are 3 ways to do this:
- Using the cord or base that came with your camera
- Inserting the memory stick or memory card directly into a specialized slot in your computer
- Getting the pictures printed at a drugstore and scanning the printed pictures into the computer.
I’m going to tell you how to use the cord that came with your camera.
The Cord.
A cord similar to the above picture comes with most digital cameras. If you bought your digital camera used and it came without a cord, or if you misplaced your cord, you can probably get another one at your local camera store, or order it online from your camera’s manufacturer (go to “google.com” and type the manufacturer’s name in the box).
The smaller end will vary in looks depending on your camera, but the larger end… the “USB” plug will be the same as the one shown here. Look at the plugs. Do you see that symbol that looks like a cactus on a ball? (click the picture for a closeup) That tells you that this cord works using the USB port (outlet) on your computer.
If your camera comes with a base for connecting to the computer, the base probably has a cord like this, too. It will connect your camera base to your computer the same way. You can still use this tutorial, if you understand that when I refer to the “camera”, I mean your camera when it is attached to your base.
The Computer.
Your computer will have “USB ports” in it somewhere. These are narrow slots that fit the larger USB plug. The one on the left is a USB port in my laptop, so it sits horizontally. In the right picture, you see two USB ports on the front of my computer. One of the ports has a USB device plugged in already. The other is free. Look at the symbols near the ports. See the cactus-on-ball symbol? (click pics for close up)
Some older computers do not have USB ports on the front. You will have to go to the back of your computer and find one. They are the narrow rectangle slots. It may be hard to see, but stamped into the metal near the correct openings is same cactus symbol.
Making the Connection
Turn your computer on. (Some people might print out these directions for reference, so I want to make sure they have everything just right.)
Plug the big end of the cord into the appropriate slot in the computer. These cords can only go in one way. If you meet resistance, DO NOT FORCE IT. Flip the cord over and insert the other way. It should be a bit snug, though.
Plug the opposite end of the cord into the camera. There should be only one place on the camera where this cord fits. Both of my cameras have their USB outlets hidden behind a little thumbnail flap. One has the little cactus symbol stamped on the outside of the flap. The other just has “USB” stamped above the outlet. This plug can only go in one way as well.
Your computer and your camera are now connected to each other.
Making the Transfer
Now we’re going to transfer the pictures from the camera to the computer.
- Turn on your camera. Some cameras may receive power as soon as they are connected or placed in their base
- Select “Copy Pictures…” from the menu. A menu like the one below should pop up. Mine says “Sony Memory Stick” in the upper left because I still have my memory stick in my camera. Your may say something else, but whatever it says, it will be followed by a letter in parenthesis. Select “Copy Pictures to a folder on my computer using Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard.
- The Wizard Opens, click NEXT. Here is the first page of the Wizard program.
- Choose which pictures you wish to transfer. You can be selective about which pictures to transfer over by making sure they have a checkmark next to them. I usually want to move everything to my computer and decide later what I want to keep.
- Advanced: If you have a picture that is turned on its side so that it fits the long way (”portrait”), you can correct it here, too, or you can wait until it is on your computer. To rotate the picture at this point, do the following: Click “Clear All” in the lower left corner, then click the picture that needs rotating. Using the little triangle symbols in the lower left corner, select which way you want to turn your picture. It will take a moment to rotate the picture, so don’t panic during the delay. When it is finished, rotate another in the same way or click “Select All” to select all the pictures in the camera again.)
See the picture below for the Choose Pictures to Copy menu.
- Picture Name and Destination. On this menu (pictured below), you can name the batch of pictures. I usually name them by event or subject: “ballet recital” or “picnic2007″ or some such. In this case, I am naming this batch of pictures “Gladys” so I typed that in the top box. I want to put these pictures into the “My Pictures” folder. If the file you want is not showing in the 2nd box, click the “Browse” button to find it. I want to delete these pictures from my camera, too, so I have checked the “Delete pictures from my device after copying” box. Click “NEXT” when finished.
- (Advanced: You can create a new folder for the pictures by clicking “Browse”, clicking the place where you want your new folder (when in doubt, I put it on the Desktop so I can find it easily) so that it is highlighted in gray, click the “Make New Folder” button, where your cursor lands, name your new folder, click Okay.)
- The Copying Begins Automatically.
- Deleting is automatic, too. After the pictures are copied from your camera to your computer, and if you checked the “Delete pictures…” box in Step 5 above, the program will delete the pictures from your camera.
- Other Options. When step 7 is finished, a window entitled “Other Options” pops up. Select “Nothing, I’m finished working with these pictures” and hit next. (The other two options assume you have online accounts for these services, or presume to make accounts FOR you. Witchy Tech will cover getting prints and web-sharing your photos in a later tutorial.)
- Finish the Wizard. Click the “Finish” button.
- Turn off your camera and disconnect from computer. At this point, it is a good idea to turn off your camera so you don’t run the batteries down. You can also disconnect your camera and your USB cord. (Tip: If your USB port is in the back of your computer, it’s okay to leave the cord in for convenience. There are also USB extension cords available from your computer store.)
- Your Pictures are on your computer. When you hit the Finish button in Step 9, the wizard program automatically closes itself and opens up the your picture file. WARNING: All the pictures you just transferred over are selected, so DON’T HIT DELETE! Just click on one to select that one.
Congratulations!
You have just transferred your digital pictures to your camera. Now what do you do?
Keep watching Witchy Tech for lessons on sharing, editing, web publishing, and printing your photos.
Did you find this tutorial useful? Was something unclear? Please let me know by posting a comment.
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