Honestly. The dog (who has not appeared in a challenge submission) has chewed the USB cable nearly in two. I'm guessing that's why I couldn't download my pictures. Computer couldn't see the camera.
Can I splice this thing back together as if it were a lamp cord onto which I was installing a rheostat? Or do I have to buy a new one?
buy a new one! unless you think you wanna experiment ... USB cables have 4 wires - 2 for power and 2 for data, and while you might get a lamp to work reasonably with some duct tape, your data connection should be "perfect"
They are considerably cheap. Look on eBay - you can pick one up for 5-6$ They are just a A to mini-B ones. Also, card readers are the way to go. You don't have to waste batteries getting the pictures from the camera.
Dog did you a favor! I agree with everyone else, get a card reader. They're much faster than usb and don't eat up batteries or require you to plug in camera. :) If you have a choice, go for a reader that accepts both smartcards and compact flash just in case you change storage mediums in the future. :)
I bought a card reader. It really IS as wonderful as you said it would be! (Besides, Olympus put a dopey connector on the camera end and wanted $40 for their special cord, and the card reader was similarly priced). Now I read the wear and tear on the pins question, and I've started doubting my actions again.
You guys really keep me on my toes! And I 'preciate that. :D
The way Oly makes their cameras...SmartMedia door on one side...Connectors on the other. In either case, you are opening up the door and putting equal amount of stress on either of the doors. I would say the SmartMedia reader is more convenient.
Also, you do not have to buy the "Olympus" cord...It's the same as this (for example): //cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1369873746
Btw, I bought cables from them in the past..They are very reputable and will definitely work to please you. (They even offered to send me another cable after I told them that the second one I got didn't come for 5 days and we agreed to do so if it doesn't come in two days - it came the next day) Very nice people to do business with.
Originally posted by magnetic9999: question: what is better? the wear and tear on the pins caused by taking the card in and out of the camera?
or using a usb connection?
..interested in input on this issue..
Hi Mag, I suppose whichever way you look at it you're going to be creating some kind of wear on one of your camera connections unless you have some clever infrared devices handy for the downloading!
"what is better? the wear and tear on the pins caused by taking the card in and out of the camera?"
For Compact Flash (CF) this is not an issue... PCMCIA cards have simlar conection system and I have seen them last for years of daily removal. Actually I would be more worried about heat (leaving them in the sun, pocket, etc) Anyway most people have more than one memory card and tend to remove/install them a lot anyway. Also bent pins are not an issue as the pins are far from accidental mishaps and the cards only go in aligned.
Now, Smart Media (SM) has some issues, though I have smartcards that have lasted over three years daily use (electronic bus ticket) through the pins are starting to show it... and I have seen simlar on SM cards. But then I feel SM is to fragile for my taste (and co-ordination :-o )
Though the SM vs. CF point is moot for me, my camera only takes CF
Also the USB plug in the best i've seen in a long long time... I have only ever seen ONE broken USB plug, and that was a faulty buget usb extention lead... comparing it to the old style pin plug system on which I have seen to many broken and bent pins!
For the splicing task... I have a cord for my ipod, and a cord for my phone. I have these cords at the front of my computer and they are bundled up with electrical tape right now to keep things tidy. Now I was wondering if anyone had some instruction on how to splice each cord together to make them shorter? Im not shure right now If I will do this because it is so risky.
note: this is somewhat of a permanent docking setup for me.
For the splicing task... I have a cord for my ipod, and a cord for my phone. I have these cords at the front of my computer and they are bundled up with electrical tape right now to keep things tidy. Now I was wondering if anyone had some instruction on how to splice each cord together to make them shorter? Im not shure right now If I will do this because it is so risky.
note: this is somewhat of a permanent docking setup for me.
Hmmm... two words... zip ties!!!! I wouldn't cut the cords to shorten them!
"what is better? the wear and tear on the pins caused by taking the card in and out of the camera?"
For Compact Flash (CF) this is not an issue... PCMCIA cards have simlar conection system and I have seen them last for years of daily removal.
Ask some of the canon users that have tried to put their cards backwards into the slot about bent/broken pins and tell me this isnt an issue. Konodor, DrAchoo, and several others have had this happen. My cards never leave my camera I use either a firewire or USB cord for dumping photos.
Hmmmmm... Perhaps you can plug the dog into the USB port and download some dog obedience software.
Doesn't the dog need to be plugged into The Matrix to do that? Does that mean that dogs are 'Software Constructs' or is there a place where the machines harvest doggy energy and plug them into The Matrix?
"what is better? the wear and tear on the pins caused by taking the card in and out of the camera?"
For Compact Flash (CF) this is not an issue... PCMCIA cards have simlar conection system and I have seen them last for years of daily removal.
Ask some of the canon users that have tried to put their cards backwards into the slot about bent/broken pins and tell me this isnt an issue. Konodor, DrAchoo, and several others have had this happen. My cards never leave my camera I use either a firewire or USB cord for dumping photos.
MattO
The card doesn't go in backwards on the 10D unless you really, really force it.
What cards are you using that can actually slide into the slot easily either way?
"what is better? the wear and tear on the pins caused by taking the card in and out of the camera?"
For Compact Flash (CF) this is not an issue... PCMCIA cards have simlar conection system and I have seen them last for years of daily removal.
Ask some of the canon users that have tried to put their cards backwards into the slot about bent/broken pins and tell me this isnt an issue. Konodor, DrAchoo, and several others have had this happen. My cards never leave my camera I use either a firewire or USB cord for dumping photos.
MattO
The card doesn't go in backwards on the 10D unless you really, really force it.
What cards are you using that can actually slide into the slot easily either way?
Its never happened to me, mine dont leave the slot once installed. Ask some of those that I said have announced here on the forums that its happened to them.
For the splicing task... I have a cord for my ipod, and a cord for my phone. I have these cords at the front of my computer and they are bundled up with electrical tape right now to keep things tidy. Now I was wondering if anyone had some instruction on how to splice each cord together to make them shorter? Im not shure right now If I will do this because it is so risky.
note: this is somewhat of a permanent docking setup for me.
Hmmm... two words... zip ties!!!! I wouldn't cut the cords to shorten them!
Yeah zip ties sound like a good idea too, I like the electrical tape better though, Its really tidy, but just looks like a huge clunk of unecesary wire.
