digital still cameras

Images from a digital still camera can be transferred onto a computer in several ways.

Some cameras come with USB or FireWire cables you can connect directly to the computer. Alternatively, users can purchase an inexpensive "card reader" which attaches to the computer via USB or FireWire. If you have a card reader, you'll need to turn off the camera, remove the memory card, and insert it into the card reader.

You can then transfer the images from the camera or the flash card reader using any of a number of photo management programs (which often come bundled with the camera). In many cases you simply use the computer's file manager (such as Windows' Explorer or OS X's Finder) to drag image files directly from the CF card to the computer.

Macintosh computers running OS X come with a built-in application called iPhoto that makes it easy to transfer images to the computer.

When a camera is connected to a Mac running OS X, iPhoto launches automatically, tells you the name of the connected camera, and how many images are on the memory card inside. Clicking the Import button at the lower right of the iPhoto window starts the import process. You'll have the opportunity to tell iPhoto to delete images from the card after transfer, or to keep them. In most cases, you'll want the images deleted.

In addition to handling image transfer, applications such as iPhoto allow you to sort, store, and catalog/database your images. Most offer basic image retouching capabilities such as red eye reduction, black and white or sepia conversion, image cropping, and rotation. Most also let you output your images in web-ready or email-ready format, burn backup CDs, generate simple web galleries, order prints, or even have glossy, cloth-bound books printed from an external service.

iPhoto for Mac OS X lets you transfer, sort, store, catalog, name, rotate, crop, and otherwise manipulate digital images. Click for larger version.

To get images out of iPhoto, drag their numbails to the Desktop or other Finder window. Alternatively, select individual images or an entire album and pull down File | Export to see a dialog that will let you resize images during export.