Canon camera will not sync with MacBook pro running OS X

Question

Level 1

4 points

Canon camera will not sync with MacBook pro running OS X

I have a refurb MacBook Pro 15 that I just bought. I also have a MacBook Pro 17 that runs OS as opposed to OS X. My problem is one that I have seen posted about here today. I guess the only encouraging thing is that this is apparently not an isolated case involving only my computer.

I have a Canon PowerShot camera that has always synced with both my other Mac and PC's. However I cannot get it to sync with this Mac. I can remove the SD card and the computer will use the Canon software that I loaded to read the card and will download images from the card. However it will not download imaged directly from the camera. That also means that I cannot manage the camera from this computer.

Since others are having the same problem I am wondering if anybody has gotten any farther downstream than I have. Is it possible that OS X simply does not recognize or is not compatible with the USB driver for this camera? It is hard to understand the camerawindow and imager working when you insert the SD card and not working when you attach the camera directly unless there is some problem with the USB driver.

Canon Tech Support was very helpful but I have to say that Apple Tech Support was considerably less helpful as they would not even help me understand the Apple error messages coming up on the computer screen. Regardless of the fact that the Canon software and device are third party Apple should at least be willing to help you understand what the Mac computer is trying to tell you.

Anyway, any ideas? Does anybody think this could be a USB driver issue?

MacBook Pro 15, Mac OS X (10.6.5)

Posted on Dec 8, 2010 5:24 PM

Reply

Answer 1

babowa

Level 9

78,568 points

Dec 8, 2010 6:44 PM in response to nugj

You did not mention which camera model? And what type of card? I have a Canon camera using SDHC cards; I also have a USB card reader which I use exclusively. It saves camera battery life and works much easier.

I'm also not sure what exactly you mean by "syncing" - you generally don't sync a camera: you download the photos. And for that process, there is no software or driver needed.

If you have a card reader (or buy one; they are very inexpensive), simply insert a card, plug reader into USB port on Mac. The Mac has built-in capabilities. You can specify to:

1. simply download your pics onto your desktop by dragging them from the Canon folder inside the reader icon (which will show up as soon as you plug it in), or
2. tell iPhoto to automatically download your pics, or
3. tell Image Capture to automatically download your pics.

You can set up the initial action by going to System Preferences -> CD&DVD and choosing what you want the system to do when inserting a picture CD and/or simply open iPhoto and choose under General Preferences.

If/when you're done downloading your pics, you can also delete the pics on your camera, although it is advised to format the card in the camera.

Reply

Answer 2

nugj Author

Level 1

4 points

Dec 8, 2010 9:28 PM in response to nugj

The camera is a PowerShot SD870IS. Since I can already remove the SD card from the camera, insert it into the SD card slot on the computer and download the pictures, i think the card reader would be extraneous. The remaining issue is that since the computer will not initialize when directly attached to the camera via USB, I guess I am left using one of my other computers to do things like delete the photos off the card once they have been downloaded. I did not try to delete the photos on the card via the computer card slot. The image viewer works fine via the SD card slot but it did not appear that the camerawindow would open via the SD card slot. You need the camerawindow to perform those functions.

There are already some threads on this site from other users with the same issue with PowerShot cameras and OS X.They are unable to directly attach the camera to the computer and perform those functions either. While getting the photos off the card is OK, I would prefer that the camera functions were available on this computer as they are on my OS based MacBook Pro 17 and on my PC. This MacBook 15 is now the newest computer in the household and it is the computer I had intended as my carry around laptop.

I still don't wonder if this is an issue of a USB driver for this camera and OS X. There are no responses to the earlier threads on this topic that suggest that anybody has been able to successfully connect a Powershot camera with an OS X based computer via the USB cable.

Reply

Answer 3

babowa

Level 9

78,568 points

Dec 8, 2010 9:53 PM in response to nugj

Your profile did not indicate your MBP model, so I couldn't know that you have an SD card slot.

+You need the camerawindow to perform those functions.+

Actually, you don't. I've been doing this for some time: as I had said, when done downloading pics, simply drag the contents of the open window (representing the sd card icon) usually called Canon or DCIM to your Mac's trash. Empty trash with card still inserted. Your pics have now been deleted from your card. However, Canon advises that you do occasionally format the card in the camera.

As for your desire for a driver - I respectfully disagree; I wouldn't call it an issue because it works with the card; furthermore, I would not expect Apple to include drivers for every camera model available - the OS would become absolutely and unnecessarily bloated, so it would be up to Canon to make something available. My personal preference is to keep my OS as lean as possible and as long as I can access the contents of the card and have built-in apps to view, edit, or whatever, I don't see the need for drivers. And, FWIW, my Canon model (SX 1 IS) actually does come with some so-called semi-professional software and it does work with the Mac; however, I installed it, found it completely superfluous, and got rid of it (I use Aperture and Photoshop Elements as well as a few others).

+There are no responses to the earlier threads on this topic that suggest that anybody has been able to successfully connect a Powershot camera with an OS X based computer via the USB cable.+

IMHO, using a card reader is far more sensible than attaching a camera and wasting batteries, so, even if it were possible, I'd be using a card reader instead.

Reply

Answer 4

sig

Level 8

35,862 points

Dec 9, 2010 3:20 AM in response to nugj

"... I also have a MacBook Pro 17 that runs OS as opposed to OS X."

What does that mean? What OS is the MBP 17 running?

Reply