Dumb question about USB-C connector.

My X-T5 came with a USB-C - USB-C cable, which I presume is to connect to my computer for download. However, my computer doesn't have a USB-C port, only USB-A. All the USB-C to USB-A cables that I have and tried don't seem to work, even the previous cable that came with my X-T30.

What to do, besides using a card reader?

First thing to check with a cable you know to have worked for data transfer before (some USB cables are for power/charging only), are the USB settings "Connection Mode" and "USB power supply/comm setting" .

To access the camera as a USB storage device, connection mode needs to be "USB card reader". The other setting might need to be specifically set to "power supply OFF, comm ON".

Personally, I just use a card reader - as the cable for the camera is so short (my USB ports being on the top of my PC), so popping the cards into a reader is just a lot simpler and always works.

nightowlnz said:

First thing to check with a cable you know to have worked for data transfer before (some USB cables are for power/charging only), are the USB settings "Connection Mode" and "USB power supply/comm setting" .

To access the camera as a USB storage device, connection mode needs to be "USB card reader". The other setting might need to be specifically set to "power supply OFF, comm ON".

Personally, I just use a card reader - as the cable for the camera is so short (my USB ports being on the top of my PC), so popping the cards into a reader is just a lot simpler and always works.

Click to expand...

Another reason to avoid using the USB cable is that the battery would get charged by the USB power. Short cycles of charge-discharge isn't exactly good for the battery.

ddtan said:

My X-T5 came with a USB-C - USB-C cable, which I presume is to connect to my computer for download. However, my computer doesn't have a USB-C port, only USB-A. All the USB-C to USB-A cables that I have and tried don't seem to work, even the previous cable that came with my X-T30.

What to do, besides using a card reader?

Click to expand...

When you connect your camera to the computer via the USB-C cord directly or even with an adapter, make sure the camera is switched on. If it's on, the moment you connect the cable it should appear as an icon in "This PC" so you can quickly access the files stored on the camera.

I think it only charges when the camera is off and of course for transfers it will be on. Is it true that numerous short re-charges are bad? I'm not so bothered about the camera, but I wonder about the wife's car.

a_c_skinner said:

I think it only charges when the camera is off and of course for transfers it will be on. Is it true that numerous short re-charges are bad? I'm not so bothered about the camera, but I wonder about the wife's car.

Click to expand...

Yeah it will affect the battery health on the long run but for me I'd rather keep my battery topped off than go out with having it less than full capacity. Worst case sceneratio in a few years when its health becomes really bad just get another one.

I do search for this from time to time and today found this . It is about EV mainly but I imagine the ideas are the same. I think it says that keeping the state of charge between 60 and 80% with regular small top ups is best for battery life.

Anyhow back to the OP, Amazon sells USB A to C adaptors as well as C to A (I've got both after not paying attention during purchase!) and the ones I've got seem to work.

It's a pain, but USB-C is so much better and is the newest, fastest, and most universal connector today. Hopefully your next computer will have USB-C.

I really like being able to charge the camera with any of my chargers.

a_c_skinner said:

I think it only charges when the camera is off and of course for transfers it will be on.

Click to expand...

Yes, this is true, at least for my X-T2 and X-T20.

a_c_skinner said:

Is it true that numerous short re-charges are bad? I'm not so bothered about the camera, but I wonder about the wife's car.

Click to expand...

Typical car batteries are lead-acid, they are not affected by memory effect. However, if your trips are too short, the alternator may not be able to recharge the battery to compensate for the energy lost to starting the car, eventually you would need to jump the car or charge the battery manually. They usually last only 3-5 years anyway.

Camera batteries, Li-ion, are not supposed to be affected by memory effect. However, they best stay in 40-80% range, frequent short cycles of charge-discharge in the 90-100% range would kill the battery quicker. Recent laptops have a battery-conservation mode for users who keep the laptop plugged most of the time. The laptop simply keeps the battery at 60%, instead of topping it at 100%.

My concern came from using the X-T2 with USB power bank via the microUSB cable, as the 50-140/2.8 drains battery 3 times faster than other lenses. While camera is on, there is no charging, but the battery also discharge slowly as the USB power isn't enough (might not be the case with USB-C). When camera is off, the battery is charged from the USB bank. Thus, during a whole 3-hour event, I turned the camera on/off rapidly, subjecting the battery to rapid discharge/charge cycles. Together with the heat from using the camera, the battery got swollen very quickly.

Plugging the camera into the computer is not as severe as the above scenario, but users should keep the above in mind and not subject the camera to multiple on/off cycles while plugged, especially when the battery is already full (not sure if the camera is smart enough to not charge the battery if it's at least 90% full).

Besides, the card slot is much less likely to get damaged than the tiny delicate USB-C port. Using a card reader is a better long-term option. Worst case, if the cable goes wrong or the pins of the USB-C port get shorted, the camera main board will need to be replaced.

For charging, looks like Wasabi has USB charger for NP-W235, those are super convenient on the road (sharing USB power banks with other devices):
https://www.wasabipower.com/collections/fujifilm-np-w235

Have you tried wireless transfer?

It’s weird because it’s not as if I’ve never connected a camera to a computer. In fact my X-T30 uses a USB-C port. And the USB-C to USB-A cable provided by Fuji, doesn’t work on my X-T5, which you think would considering it’s a Fuji cable. Anyway, 3 different cables didn’t work. I do turn the camera on once it’s connected, the PC notification doesn’t come on.

ddtan said:

It’s weird because it’s not as if I’ve never connected a camera to a computer. In fact my X-T30 uses a USB-C port. And the USB-C to USB-A cable provided by Fuji, doesn’t work on my X-T5, which you think would considering it’s a Fuji cable. Anyway, 3 different cables didn’t work. I do turn the camera on once it’s connected, the PC notification doesn’t come on.

Click to expand...

The only thing left to try is a different computer? If, with another computer, and a few cables, it still won't work, then you have quite a big problem. Hopefully you can return/exchange without having to go through warranty repair.

I assume it isn't a Mac; this would be normal behaviour as you need to load image capture.

I think you are right about multiple charge cycles right at the top of the charge being bad - at least from what I've found.

I share your worry about damaging the USB port too.

At the moment I cannot source the Fuji charger and one hears all sorts of stuff about off brand chargers risking over charging, no heat monitoring etc.

As have said, I too only use a card reader to move files/images from the XT5 to the PC. I also only charge my batteries in a charger rather than in camera. The USB-C cable has remained in the box.

a_c_skinner said:

At the moment I cannot source the Fuji charger and one hears all sorts of stuff about off brand chargers risking over charging, no heat monitoring etc.

Click to expand...

I would not worry about the risk too much. Li-ion charging technology has matured over the years, current charging chips/controllers are advanced and safe enough to smartly monitor the battery voltage to avoid overcharging, phones/tablets/laptops can be fully charged quickly in minutes. Most external chargers, such as the Wasabi one, keep the battery in the open so no risk of heat build up.

I was shooting at a funeral the other day, tried to not tether to wall outlets. The two USB power banks were used for two smartphones recording continuously, thus I used a 3Ah Ryobi battery to charge the camera batteries via the Wasabi USB charger, about 4-5 times, still have 2/4 bars left. The USB charger is significantly more useful than the wall charger, it can make use of any USB power source.




Not exactly the best, Ryobi 18V stepping down to 5V USB by the Drok, then stepping up to 9.8V by Wasabi charger. However, the chips are quite good at 90%+ efficiency, only a bit of energy wasted into heat.

If i recall correctly, in the camera menu you need to set usb mode to file transfer (if not already the case). Next, when connecting, most PCs ask permission to connect the camera. Perhaps you inadvertently declined this.

If the USB mode is in media mode (mtp), it does not show as a storage device, but rather a media device. You will then see it in the peripheral section between scanners and printers.

I've used various USB cables to connect the xt4: the original Fuji, wireless headphones, and the one that came with my phone, all worked fine. So it is definitely not that the camera only likes one specific cable, I'd say.

That is the good thing of the w235 battery nowadays. Even with 50% charge you can take many shots.

It really is much more peace of mind than with my xt1. There i would not go out without a spare on me. Which i almost always used.

Many of you have made the case for file transfer via card reader, and maybe it is time to switch. In my case it was also wanting to know, why a technique that has worked before, and should have worked, ie using a USB cable to transfer files, did not work for my set up. Regarding frequent short cycle charges damaging the battery, it probably depends on how frequently one is connecting the USB cable to download pictures, which in my case might be once a month or slightly more. It is not something I would worry about as a reason to not use the cable if it worked. Certainly in the past it seemed to me a trade off between frequent connect/disconnect of the USB cable causing damage to the port, vs frequent popping an SD card in and out causing wear and tear on that part. Thanks for all the input.

The durability of the tiny plugs and sockets on devices like cameras has always bothered me. Much more so than an SD card socket, perhaps because the connectors are so much larger. I’ve read a number of times recently about USB C plug issues so I’ll stick with a card reader.