Software Installation

[Fred Atz]

Greetings,

Just purchased a S5200. Lots of "warnings" from the factory about installng the software first before I plug the camera into the computer. I'm running Windows XP with Photoshop Elements 3 and when I switched my Canon over, Windows and Photoshop simply recognized the new hardware (camera) and Viola! I could download my pictures.

So I'm wondering do I really have to install the Fuji software? I'd prefer not to since I don't need it.

Comments/Suggetions always appreciated.

Thanks.
Fred

 

[GAREB]

I've had the S5500 for over a year and half and have never installed the Fuji software, some like it, but I think Fuji software is something of a joke. there are plenty of better software options out there, plus, you can just connect teh camera to the USB port and it will be reconized without using the fuji software, at least that has been my experience with my S5500.
JD

 

[Harv]

You will find many in this forum (and other) who much prefer a card reader. I suggest with many here the Olympus MAUSB-300. Around $25. (I never use the software that comes with a camera.(

 

[Sunshine_boy]

After I bought a card reader I unistalled every s/w that had to do with Fuji.
They were nothing but sheer frustration. I have W2k.

You may not need the card reader because I think Windows XP can recognise the xD card in the cam as a Windows folder. Copy from there and paste in your chosen folder. But steer clear of the Fuji sw...

Just a warning: NEVER copy images from the PC to the xD and ALWAYS use the camera to delete from the xD card.
--
Sunshine (Fuji F11/F30/OLY C4000Z)
A smile is worth nothing unless given... )

 

[Woadrage]

Hi Sonny-boy

You say never to load images to the XD card from the computer.... Why is this? I just got an F30 but no XD card reader yet. On my old Canon, I'm used to using the flash card in a reader to store and transfer any old info, and it goes back into the camera containing a mix of files, and still works properly. is it different with the Fuji?

Cheers

--
Woadrage
Just when I thought I was winning...

 

[ChrisAU]

You will find many in this forum (and other) who much prefer a card
reader. I suggest with many here the Olympus MAUSB-300. Around $25.
(I never use the software that comes with a camera.(

I second that.

The advantage of card reader over plugging the camera in with a USB cable seems to be that if data upload from the camera to the PC hangs midway through the card, there is no way of unmounting the camera without corrupting data on the card. I yet have anything bad to happen to me when uploading via a card reader.

I speculate that while a card reader is seen by the PC as a mass storage device pure and simple, there might be some unresolved, communications protocol-related issues between the camera software and USB drivers in various versions of various operating systems that might occasionally cause the upload to hang.

I lost a few pix while figuring this out, but had not a flicker of a problem since I got myself an Olympus MAUSB-300, an xD-only card reader (readily and cheaply available from online stores), for use with my 1GB Type H cards.

Having said that, when my pix are safely on the PC hard drive, I still occasionally use the FinePix Viewer for batch rotations, or a quick look at EXIF data without roling out the heavy cannons of Photoshop. NB. I have also resolved my anxiety on archival durability or otherwise of data CD-Rs by backing everything up to an external 500GB hard drive (bought one for AUD 420, ie. well below AUD 1 per gigabyte - I'd love this price to capacity ratio in memory cards!).

--
ChrisAU

 

[Sunshine_boy]

Hi Sonny-boy

You say never to load images to the XD card from the computer....
Why is this? I just got an F30 but no XD card reader yet. On my old
Canon, I'm used to using the flash card in a reader to store and
transfer any old info, and it goes back into the camera containing
a mix of files, and still works properly. is it different with the
Fuji?

Hi Woadrage...

I distinctly remember this warning in the F11 user guide. I assume the same for F30. It had to do with the cam getting mixed up with the image numbers/sequence. It may keep some kind of index for sorting by date that can be corrupted if an 'external' image is placed on the card.
Regards
--
Sunshine (Fuji F11/F30/OLY C4000Z)
A smile is worth nothing unless given... )

 

[Fred Atz]

I think the issue with not deleting pics using a PC has to do with card formatting. Fuji/Oly use secret (can't spell propritetray) stuff that gets messed up when a PC is used to delete. There's lots of chat about this subject on another forum, but didn't Windoze freeze up and I had to get out before I could copy the link.

The other big caveat was never, never, never, format a card anywhere but in the camera.

If the above (deleting) is true that makes me sad since I really loved the flexibility of using the PC to delete and also to up load to the card.

BTW should new cards be formatted before first use?

Comments please?

Thanks in advance,
Fred

 

[David Gosden]

I have a s7000 and a s9500 and always use a card reader for both. It's quick and there is no chance of corrupting the camera firmware.
As for formatting memory cards...yes! Always.

I do it to every new card before use, when changing a card between cameras and regularly, most times after downloading images to the computer hard drive. Formatting is done in the camera the card is to be used in.

I use CF cards and have had only one fail which was replaced by the supplier no questions asked.
Regards,
David

--
David Gosden
Channel Tunnel Rail Link Photographic Project
http://www.ctrlphoto.freeuk.com

 

[Marcel Geers]

IN terms of operating use, there should be no difference between a card reader and the camera. Both will be seen as a mass storage device. The only difference is that the card reader might be faster.

No matter wether XP has USB drivers for the device, it's usually better to check the manufacturers website for the latest hardware drivers. This goes for any hardware you buy and install.

You probably don't need the finepix viewer. Just install the USB driver to be on the safe side. However, I think it will work without a fuji specific driver, as XP should have a usb mass storage driver installed already.

 

[Marcel Geers]

My experience with the F601z and the S5500 is the following: you can transfer files between the computer and the camera without problems as long as you use the USB cable. The camera will be the device writing to the card and it won't mess things up.

With my older smartmedia camera, which didn't have USB, just a serial connection, I used a cardreader. This could cause several problems, but in the end I got it working right if my memory is correct.

If the manual of the camera you're using speaks of disturbing file sequence numbering as a possibility (my guess is that this MIGHT only happen when you place them in the specific camera storage folder and then even in the case where you put a file there which has a numbersystem in the file name like the one the camera uses) you might want to be cautious.....

 

[Marcel Geers]

It doesn't take that much time to format new cards before use, so it won't hurt you or the camera to do it. Although my card worked directly out of the box if I recall correctly. (Unlike the SmartMedia card of old times which did have to be formatted before use.)

When you use the USB cable to connect to the xD card in the camera, you can delete or copy the files on the card from your PC. I personally cut and paste my pictures that way. (It has been said that it's better to copy and paste instead of cut and paste, as it ought to be faster. You can delete the pictures afterwards.)