Downloading RAW images

JHopkins77:
Yours is a common problem, and usually happens for common bunch of simple solvable reasons, none of which have anything to do with Canon or Canon software.

Reason 1 is when the camera Menu Communications Mode is set wrong (PTP vs Normal).
Reason 2 is when the computer's System Software version is either too old or too new to work with the either too old or too new versions of software on Canon's Solutions disk. Version mismatch disease.
Reason 3 is when you try and connect the camera to an external USB expander port vs. an internal port directly on the computer.
Reason 4 is when you don't carefully launch the software and turn the camera on in the proper order for the two to communicate, as described in the manual.

There are other causes of failure to communicate. But, keeping with the medical model in this thread, "When you hear hoofbeats, thinks horses, not zebra's." In other words, common problems occur commonly.

I trust you'll figure it out eventually. Picking on the nice people of POTN, who get "punchy" and sarcastic when these posts recur with regularity does not assist you.

Since the card reader works, in effect, you don't have a problem anyway, right. Everyone spends the $9.99 to $29.99 to get a card reader eventually.

Jack

Wrong.

Dave - if you can't see the raw files in Explorer, that's normal. Explorer only sees the 20D as a camera, and only recognizes generic picture formats, which don't include CR2. Try setting comm. mode to "Normal" and use ZB's Camera Window to D/L.

OK, but I can generally see raw files in explorer.....and comm mode is/has been 'Normal'.

Capture works fine including RAW. Downloading is a different issue so far. I'm still looking.

Man, the things I do for photography.....

I got the manual out and my software appears to be working according to spec. I can see the raw files on the camera, I can drag/drop them to my system.

In capture mode I can take pictures, take time lapse, change camera settings, etc. Including raw.

I found the Canon software WAY too much hassle to use just to get my pics onto the PC. The advice in the post-processing section was to get a card reader. this I did, and all my problems blew away.
I have no idea why some people find the Canon software hard to use and others don't - it probably comes down to how well you understand your computer.
But I really fail to see why Canon should produce a fantastic bunch of cameras and saddle them with second-rate software. there is no reason, IMHO, why this stuff should not be plug and play. Why all this hassle with downloading all the drivers, re-installing them, checking for latest versions, and then getting a card reader (ie giving up?) If a card reader was actually slower to use, we'd all be screaming at Canon about this.

This sounds good in theory. I wonder how many different PC configurations there are in homes around this world? That has got to be a major issue for folks at Canon.

To download from a card reader is much easier,why don`t you stick to that?

PC configurations? You mean global conquest by microsoft is incomplete?

jhopkins

As you stated, you have installed the Canon software onto your pc. Can you tell us the exact steps you are folloiwng to try to download the RAW images? Please let us know which procedure in the software manual you are following, and include the pages you are referring to.

As stated in the manual, the download doesn't happen just by connecting the camera to the PC, and you can't see the camera/folder in Windows Explorer (the camera is NOT recognized as a drive). You have to open EOS Viewer Utility and manually drag the folder into the directory tree shown using that program.

steved110 wrote:
PC configurations? You mean global conquest by microsoft is incomplete?

Microsoft does software. It needs to run on a virtually limitless range of hardware. There are probably 30-40 different companies manufacturing mice alone, never mind the number of models of mice. Then take a wild guess at how many different video cards, USB controllers, processors, motherboard chipsets, motherboards based on the different chipsets, hard drive controllers, . . . and figure the permutations. There are probably only a few million posible configurations out there, but that's still a lot of versions to test on.

If this reads a tad confused, folks, OP asked the same question 3 times, then posted a 4th thread when he didn't get as fast a response as he thought he should. You're reading the results of merging all 4.

Maybe this is unneccessary at this point and maybe not very germane to the discussion, but I feel obliged to say a few words in defence of Canon S/W. I have always used card readers. I have used them since well before I bought a Canon camera, so the only time I actually attached my camera to the pc was on the first day when I inserted my name into the Exif. However, I did install all the bundled S/W. I like DPP very much indeed and use it a lot, but I don't care much for ZB. Nevertheless, about 8 months ago when I updated DPP I did the same for ZB also - and noticed that the Camera Window downloader applet had been replaced with EOS Utility and then thought no more about it. Until last week. I have just acquired a Seagate Microdrive and because I have seen reports of compatibility problems frying Seagates in card readers I was afraid of putting the MD into my no-name reader. The MD was working well in the camera so I plugged it into a free USB socket. As soon as I turned on the camera EOS Utility opened and politely asked if I want to download all the RAW files or to pick and choose. The download was certainly not lightning fast - more the card's fault than the S/W - but was problemless. So here, at least, is one satisfied customer.
Elie

I learned a new word . facetious
adj : cleverly amusing in tone; "a bantering tone"; "facetious remarks"; "tongue-in-cheek advice"

Canon software no good? Driver updates have been a fact of life for years. No big deal.

DPP is one of the slickest 'free' packages for raw processing available IMO. I used it for quite a while until I got the cash together to buy CS2 - with an upgrade from the Elements 2.0 that came free with the camera.

And as to Canon service? I called Canon last week trying to figure out a focus problem I was having. The tech I got on the phone explained what test he wanted me to do. I said I would do the test and call him back. He suggested that if I had the time now he would work with me until the testing was done and the results checked. 30 minutes later it was determined that the 'problem' was most likely my Tamron 28-75 f2.8 lens and not my 20D. In my book that's excellent service.