[lug] Digital Cameras and Linux

[Timothy C. Klein]

* Terry Branaman (t-branaman at attbi.com) wrote:
> On Fri, 2002-06-07 at 12:18, Bryan Field-Elliot wrote:
> > Hi,
> <snip> 
> > with in an intelligent way), I'd like to get a camera that plays well
> > with Linux, so that I don't have to downgrade to Windows just to pull
> > photos off the camera.
> > 
> > Is this a no-brainer or is this a difficult choice? I just have no idea.
> > Input would be greatly appreciated.
> > 
> > Thanks,
> > 
> > Bryan
> > 
> I have a Nicon Coolpix 880 camera that uses Compact Flash cards. I don't
> try to control it from my computer (e.g. as a web-cam), so I can't tell
> you anything about the possibilities for that. 
> 
> In order to simplify transferring the pictures from the camera to the
> computer, I got a USB card reader (SanDisk ImageMate). It works just
> fine with Linux (as well as that other O$); it is treated as a removable
> drive. 
> 
> So, if you simply want to copy pictures from the camera to the PC, then
> (IMHO) the important factors are: 1) Does the camera have the features
> that you want? 2) Can you get a card reader that works with Linux?

This is a good point.  I would make sure you get a card that is either
compact flash or smart-media.  I'm not keen on the Sony Memory Stick
lock-ploy.  Then, with the use of a card reader, you don't have to
worry.  If the camera you really want doesn't seem to work under Linux,
no big deal.  If it does, great.

I have a Nikon CoolPix 990.  Very nice camera, works fine with gphoto2,
(but not gphoto, it is USB).  Nikon makes good stuff, but sometimes a
bit pricey.

My wife as a Fuji FinePix 4700, also nice.  It is seen as a generic scsi
disk, with the aid of the USB Mass storage driver.  A lot of new cameras
seem to have this, which is very easy.  You just have to make sure you
have the right modules in the kernel, and it will be mountable like
any other drive.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com

Is a great site to get camera stuff.  You can often find things
considerably cheaper via the big mail-order houses, like this one.  Be
wary, though, most of them are crooks.  The only ones I do business with
are BH, above, and CameraWorld of Oregon.  But for comparison, the Nikon
990 (when I bought, a year or two ago) was $950 at BestBuy, but $700
from B&H.

Tim
--
==============================================
== Timothy Klein || teece at silverklein.net   ==
== ---------------------------------------- ==
== "Hello, World" 17 Errors, 31 Warnings... ==
==============================================