Downloading problems - OS compatibility issue?

[Lesley2]

Hi all - newbie here.

I recently purchased an Olympus E-20 with a vast array of accessories for a very good price.
I'm having trouble getting the pictures to download to my computer - a MacIntosh G4 with OS X 10.3.9.
I had been using a Camedia C-3020 for the last couple of years with no problems. I'd use a cable, which immediately fired up iPhoto.

IPhoto doesn't seem to recognize my new camera. The card icon does appear on my desktop, but reads as "empty."

Is my OS not compatible? I can also run system 9 on this computer, is the E-20 compatible with it, does anyone know?

many thanks!!!

[TCav]

Actually, computers (PCs and Macs) usually just treat the camera as a card reader. If the card shows on your desktop, but doesn't show the photos you've taken, you might just need to format the card (WITH THE CAMERA! Not the Mac!) Sometimes, if all you ever do (or if all the person that had it before you ever did) was erase the photos without reformatting the card, then the format of the card can get corrupt to the point that other devices can't read it. (Macs can be especially tempermental this way.)

Once you format the card, then iPhoto should start up automatically when you connect the camera. If it doesn't, you may need to run the Software Update under the Apple menu.

[steve]

Best to just buy a $20 USB card reader, it's faster than using the camera's interface.

[TCav]

steve wrote:

Best to just buy a $20 USB card reader, it's faster than using the camera's interface.

I agree, but if the Mac can't see the files on the card in the camera, then it's probably not going to see the files on the card in a card reader either.

[Caboose]

TCav wrote:

steve wrote:

I agree, but if the Mac can't see the files on the card in the camera, then it's probably not going to see the files on the card in a card reader either.

Actually it reads the card reader as just another drive so when you insert your memory card in the card reader it is just like putting a cd or disc in one of the drives on you computer. When you plug your camera in via the cable the computer has to communicate with the camera so unless you load the software that came with your camera you may not have the drivers for your computer to recognize. With a card reader you can have it load and open into what ever image program you use and download your pictures directly into that program or you can just copy them onto your hard drive and open them from your editting program.