Apple's iPod Camera Connector

hmm.. bring on ipod updates then eh? maybe not...

Just a quick thought, but does anyone else with that apple brought back the colour? I know we have the ipod minis, but I just wish there was some colour across all of apples product ranged.

It was the coloured imac G3's that brought me to the mac platform, and I guess i miss those types of designs.

Jay

p.s. I suppose your wondering what this has to do with a camera connector? It just occured to me that if I had a silver or blue, or what ever colour, ipod mini; I'd probably like the idea of being able to buy a colour camera connector to.

I ordered the Camera Connector on Tuesday and it shipped on Thursday. Should be here on Tuesday or Wednesday.

I'd sure like to use this to download photos to my 3G iPod but apparently Apple has some kind of problem with people downloading photos onto iPods that don't have the ability to display them. Bah, I say. If this supported more than just the iPod photo, I'd jump on it, but I don't have any real reason to buy an iPod photo...

reidab said:

I'd sure like to use this to download photos to my 3G iPod but apparently Apple has some kind of problem with people downloading photos onto iPods that don't have the ability to display them. Bah, I say. If this supported more than just the iPod photo, I'd jump on it, but I don't have any real reason to buy an iPod photo...

Click to expand...

Is there a way to hack this? I'm sure people are working on it if there is. I'd be very interested in a hack that let you use the connector with a 3G iPod.

Little late on this "breaking news". But I still love that adapter, too bad it only works on the new ones, that HAS to be software. I wish they would make it work on all of them Perhaps someone will crack the firmware.

Camera CONnector

It's a pity the camera connector can't be hooked up to the 3G ipods. Guess this is Apple's subtle way of "encouraging" 3G owners to upgrade to photo models?

BenAKL said:

It's a pity the camera connector can't be hooked up to the 3G ipods. Guess this is Apple's subtle way of "encouraging" 3G owners to upgrade to photo models?

Click to expand...

Not just 3G models, but even 4G non-photos! Its a crime I tell you! I just spent $400 on a 4G 40GB iPod and I can't use this connector...

It's something that has been needed a long time IMO, and now they've done it, and even at reasonable price

Shame they have made it iPod Photo only though

by the end of the year

ipods will all be color so....

crazzyeddie said:

Not just 3G models, but even 4G non-photos! Its a crime I tell you! I just spent $400 on a 4G 40GB iPod and I can't use this connector...

Click to expand...

The iPod Photo has extra circuitry to handle picture handling. Although the dock connector looks the same, the wiring of the pins varies depending on the capabilities of the iPod.

The alternative would have been to take the Belkin approach (which does work on non-photo models - the pictures are collected into a "Photos" folder ready for transfer - Apple wrote the firmware to do it) but by all accounts that was a dog in terms of slowness and power draining.

If the new connector is superior to the Belkin, it is because of newer technology in the iPod Photos, not a blatant desire to piss off users of other iPods!

Does the iPod Photo read RAW files? That's really the only way something like this would help me.

The Black Rock said:

Does the iPod Photo read RAW files? That's really the only way something like this would help me.

Click to expand...

Probably. According to the info posted on Apple's website, the key is the interface seems to look for the DCIM folder.

Since the RAW files are inside this folder, I don't see any reason why it should not copy the RAW files. Now of course it won't be able to read them, but dual RAW / jpeg files should give the best of both worlds.

James.Paul said:

I ordered the Camera Connector on Tuesday and it shipped on Thursday. Should be here on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Click to expand...

Do you have a media card reader? If so, could you test the iPod / Connector's ability to read from the card reader?

The fascinating thing to me is that on Apple's web page with the compatible cameras notes "compatible cameras and media readers".

If we can figure out a USB 2.0 media reader that sync's up with the iPod/Camera Connector, it will solve problems for all those with USB 1.1/Firewire camera connections.

I don't think it reads RAW but it might read the jpeg preview file embedded in the RAW. Processing RAW simply takes too much battery life.

Lacero said:

I don't think it reads RAW but it might read the jpeg preview file embedded in the RAW. Processing RAW simply takes too much battery life.

Click to expand...

I don't think anyone ever thought the iPod would preview RAW files (way too many divergent formats, even WITHIN a single manufacturers product line).

But even having them transfered to the iPod for later digital darkroom work on a serious CPU is a GREAT step in the right direction.

I called the store & asked if it will handle RAW files & they asked someone in "engineering" or something & I got a "Yes, it will."

So, there is my 2 cents.

CalfCanuck said:

Do you have a media card reader? If so, could you test the iPod / Connector's ability to read from the card reader?

The fascinating thing to me is that on Apple's web page with the compatible cameras notes "compatible cameras and media readers".

If we can figure out a USB 2.0 media reader that sync's up with the iPod/Camera Connector, it will solve problems for all those with USB 1.1/Firewire camera connections.

Click to expand...

Sorry, i don't. I just have my Nikon D70. Knowing mac users though, it won't be too many days before someone has tried, hopefully they will post here.

If you've got a camera which is unsupported then you could always look for a new or used Belkin Media Reader. I used one for quite a while and although slow they are a life saver at times. Well worth the investment and support a whole range of media. A lot of people criticised it for it's slowness but for me it was never really an issue as i would start it uploading and go and do something else for a few minutes. The reported slowness is not really an issue. I did actually sell my Belkin a few weeks ago to buy the iPod Camera Connector. Feel that the extra speed, smaller size and no reliance on batteries can justify this for me.

I've just bought one from the Apple Store in Regents Street, London.

See photo.

It doesn't work quite how I expected - main limitations:

1. You can't do TV slide shows with images imported via the camera connector

2. iPhoto sync is not two-way - images imported to the iPod are not synced back into iPhoto

3. Imported images are stored in a seperate menu system and are viewed as rolls

Images are stored on the iPod's hard drive in a directory called /DCIM so Image Capture and iPoto treats the iPod like a camera - with one difference - it has it's own icon in the import screen - see screen grab.



This info provided for people who are as nerdy and obsessive about these things as I am!

Foocha said:

3. Imported images are stored in a seperate menu system and are viewed as rolls

Click to expand...

Can it import raw?

My camera is a cheap Sony - it doesn't support Raw format, so I don't know, sorry.

Foocha said:

3. Imported images are stored in a seperate menu system and are viewed as rolls

Images are stored on the iPod's hard drive in a directory called /DCIM so Image Capture and iPoto treats the iPod like a camera - with one difference - it has it's own icon in the import screen - see screen grab.

Click to expand...

Thanks for bringing this info to us!
If I get it right, the connector imports the whole DCIM folder to the iPod. And when you connect the iPod again to the Mac, you can again transfer the complete DCIM folder to your Mac. This implies that it can be used to empty your camera on the iPod including RAW-files and movies. They can of course not be viewed on the iPod, but thats no problem for me.
It's a shame there is no iPod syncing for ordinary jpeg's!

Foocha said:

My camera is a cheap Sony - it doesn't support Raw format, so I don't know, sorry.

Click to expand...

which model do you have? Cybershot? ... i have an unlisted Sony 505v. Im sure it will work, but i'm just wondering.


peace.

Like many others I sure wish this would import photos onto other iPods than the iPod Photo. At this point I will wait to buy an iPod Photo until somone hacks this or a competitor introduces something similar that will work on other 4G iPods. However, I might upgrade to an iPod Photo if my work in photography increases. I can see how Apple might hope that enough of this do this that they don't offer support to others.