Tranferring photos from card reader in XP (and organization)

[shiningstardv]

I was wondering how you guys transfer photos in Windows XP using a USB card reader. Both of my Canon utilities that came with the 20D don't recognize the card reader. And the transfer utility that is built into XP won't work for me because I want to keep the default names of the images, and it makes you rename all the images upon import.

So my question is how do you import your photos in XP using a card reader? Also, what application do you use to store, organize, and view all of your photos?

I am new to photo processing with Windows because I had been using my Mac. But it turns out that my Mac is too slow to handle the 3-5 MB images my 20D produces.

Thanks for your help!

[PacAce]

I just use Windows Explorer to copy and paste image files from the card reader to my HD.

For viewing just to see what images files I have in my HD folders, I use Windows Explorer in Thumbnail mode.

For goijg through all the image files to see what I have and how they look, I use FVU or EVU.

And for editing I use PS CS.

[shiningstardv]

Thanks Leo. One question though, when you use Explorer to copy and paste, do you do that several times...one for each folder? Because the camera puts only like 30 or so images in a folder and then starts a new one (usually like 106CANON, 107CANON, 108CANON, etc.). Or is there some way to get around that multiple copy & pastes? Thanks.

[pcasciola]

I use Windows Explorer to drag and drop the entire contents of each of the Canon folders to my local hard drive and then I format the card on the camera when it's done. I keep the names the camera assigns, but I create a new folder on my hard drive for each day I shoot. Under each date folder I create an 'edit' folder where I save the best shots from the day, edited in Photoshop CS.

[ScottE]

I use two methods.

If I saved the images on my SmartDisk FlashTrax, I plug the FlashTrax into my USB2 and copy from that.

If I didn't copy the images to the FlashTrax, I copy them using a ScanDisk USB2 compact flash card reader.

I usually copy and paste the entire contents to a directory named for the date and location of the shoot, then go into each subdirectory, higlight all the files (Ctrl A) and then drag them into the directory. After that is done I delete the subdirectories. This is the least time consuming method I have found.

I use the "eject" or "safely removed hardware" commands before removing the CF card from the reader or the FlashTrax from the computer. (I learned this after just pulling a CF card from the reader and not realizing it had corupted the file directory on the card. I shot a bunch more pictures without re-formating the card and lated discovered that only one of them could be read.)

[shiningstardv]

Thanks guys, that sounds like a good plan.

[iwatkins]

Also take a look at: http://www.breezesys.com/Downloader/index.htm

I've used this for ages now and it never lets me down. Basically, I've got it fully automatic from when I plug my CF card into the reader until Photoshop fires up once the transfer has completed.

Cheers

Ian

[dhbailey]

I am surprised that your card reader doesn't just install as additional drives in Windows explorer. Perhaps you need to get a different card reader. Mine shows up as 4 different drive letters, with full capabilities in WinXP just as if they were hard drives -- I can read the files on a card put in any of the slots, copy them, rename them, format the medium, delete them.

When trying to locate the card reader in the Canon 20D make sure the tree view is open in the left panel. My card reader shows up there just the same as in WinXP. Make sure you navigate to MyComputer. The programs may be starting up showing only the My Pictures or My Documents folders. I would be surprised if you couldn't navigate to your card reader.

My card reader is USB, Sandisk 6-in-1 reader.

[shiningstardv]

I have the SanDisk ImageMate USB 2.0 for Compact Flash. It does show up in Windows Explorer as a drive letter. I'll try browsing to it in the Canon utility when I get home today and see if I can import pictures that way.

[psychedelic_never]

I use a USB 2.0 card reader and use zoom browser to download the images onto the computer. As i don't fill up my 1G card in a day, zoom browser does a neat job of copying the images according to shooting date. To use it I simply click on Download Images then choose Memory/Card Reader. Then in the dialog box i choose Show Images. Then i get the same window as you get when directly downloading the images from the camera connected. That's it simple and automatically organized.