camera connection kit: Canon G5, no photos on iPad 1

The fact that your camera won't connect has less to do with the Camera Connection Kit and much more to do with the fact that your camera is very old (circa 2003). The G5 takes Compact Flash (CF) cards, and not the newer Secure Digital (SD) cards that can be utilized with the Camera Connection kit. Since you cannot use the SD card connector from the CCK with your CF cards, you are probably connecting the camera to the iPad using a USB cable and the USB connector, right? Well, iPads are notorious for not connecting to other devices like cameras using a USB connection. This all means that you will not be able to directly import photos into the iPad from the G5 or it's CF card. However, you can still copy photos from the card into iPhoto (or whatever photo app you use on your main computer) and then sync the photos to the Ipad using iTunes.

There is a company that sells a CF card reader for use with the iPad, but from what I've read on the photo blogs, due to the iPad power requirements it's successful use has been spotty.

http://store.micgadget.com/card-readers/280-ipad-2-cf-card-camera-connection-kit .html

Your best bet is to just get a new camera that takes SD cards (most point and shoot cameras do today). The Canon G12 (your G5's great-great-great-great grandchild!) is a great camera if you want to stick with Canon.

Actually, my suggestion of getting a new camera with an SD card WILL fix your problem. 😎

It's not a design flaw or arrogance ... it's intentional. In order to boost battery life, the iPad's latest operating system has very low power requirements. This is good for battery life, but the tradeoff is not being able to read storage devices which have power requirements over a certain threshhold. Unfortunately, CF cards require more power than the iPad can provide. Some people have reported success with a CF card reader attached to a powered USB hub, and then connecting to the iPad using the USB dongle in the CCK. Not an elegant solution, but worth a try nonetheless. Your best bet is really to get a modern camera.

I have a 'modern' canon 7d camera which takes CF, most pro cameras are CF so why won't Apple make a gadget that can read them. This would be particularly useful on a shoot or on holiday, as don't always have the time to let all photos download as need the camera to take further photos.

I am not a pro, but am sure there are plenty out there who would appreciate thisnalso.

paula1040 wrote:

I have a 'modern' canon 7d camera which takes CF, most pro cameras are CF so why won't Apple make a gadget that can read them. This would be particularly useful on a shoot or on holiday, as don't always have the time to let all photos download as need the camera to take further photos.

I am not a pro, but am sure there are plenty out there who would appreciate thisnalso.

I have a Canon 7D as well. You can attach it to the iPad and the photos can be downloaded directly without a card reader. Don't forget to turn the camera on!

Yes, I have the camera transfer gadget, but it'd be nice to be able to transfer direct from the CF card, and then I could carry on using camera with spare card, while the other downloads to IPad :-)

I have a question on all this. I have a Canon Rebel T3i and take tons of video with it. I have not been able to justify buying the iPad yet, but I am about to pull the trigger on an external monitor for it.

In order to not have limited or duplicate pieces of equiptment, is there a way to hook the 3 to an iPad for video playback, or even live view?

If so, i will pick one up today actually. Thous would be the gamechanger for me for the iPad.

Amenisis wrote:

I have a question on all this. I have a Canon Rebel T3i and take tons of video with it. I have not been able to justify buying the iPad yet, but I am about to pull the trigger on an external monitor for it.

In order to not have limited or duplicate pieces of equiptment, is there a way to hook the 3 to an iPad for video playback, or even live view?

If so, i will pick one up today actually. Thous would be the gamechanger for me for the iPad.

I'm not sure about that. You may want to look into the video adapter cord for the iPad. It *may* let you do what you want.

I've been doing digital photography for about 5 years, and have concluded the iPad is just not there yet in terms of back up storage. It simply doesn't have the storage capacity to act as a backup device (if you shoot RAW), nor are there any really good photo editing programs for it. As a viewer for photos after you've processed them, or if you shoot JPGs on an SD card, it's perfect.... copy the JPG images to the ipad from the SD card in your P&S, and then email them or add them to Photostream or whatever. But if you shoot with a serious DSLR, using RAW and a CF card, the iPad doesn't cut it. In fact, I just got an 11 inch MacBook Air and a 500 GB external drive/mobile backup when I travel. IMHO, it's a better option for CF card users and RAW shooters.

I have a Macbook I just bumped up the ram in it just this Christmas for my storage and editing needs too. I have resisted getting an iP2 because I feel the same: it just does not do what I need it to do.

I have seen where a JB one can be used as a live monitor. So I know the machine can technically do it, but the OS limits its abilities, and I don't feel comfortable JB'ing one.

I have seen where I can use it as a live monitor out the box, but I would need to use it through my Mac, create a personal hot spot and still the lag would not be true for the purose of live vieo recording; but what is the point of having to use 2 or 3 more pieces of equiptment to do that?

It seems Apple really is purposfully limiting the iPad, and until they let it do what it obviously is built to do, I will not be buying one. If they fixed this, I would get one, most likely two immediately.

As I see it now, its a glorified iPod.

(edited for grammar)

Message was edited by: Amenisis

Well, I think it IS doing what it was intended to do: Content Consumption. If you're interested in surfing the web, viewing photos, getting email, Facebook, Twitter, games, messaging, etc., the iPad is perfect. But if you are more interested in Content CREATION (e.g., making images, drafting documents, etc.), the iPad is not the ideal device -- a laptop would be better. Not a criticism of either device, just pointing out the different intentions and capabilities.

I agree maybe this isn't aimed as a hard drive, but it would be nice to download photos while out on a shoot.

Personally, I wouldn't delete the photos from cf card until I got home, but by looking you could see how you've done and if you need to make changes, take more etc.... This would be handy for me as not a pro, and be nice to see pics in the field before I get home;-)

paula1040 wrote:

I agree maybe this isn't aimed as a hard drive, but it would be nice to download photos while out on a shoot.

Personally, I wouldn't delete the photos from cf card until I got home, but by looking you could see how you've done and if you need to make changes, take more etc.... This would be handy for me as not a pro, and be nice to see pics in the field before I get home;-)

Well, I CHIMP (CHeck IMage Preview) every third shot or so on the camera LCD, so I can see how the composition and highlights look.

As for backup when I travel, I've been using an Epson P-5000 photoviewer. It's essentially an 80GB hard drive with a 4-inch viewscreen and camera card slots (CF and SD). At the end of each shooting day, I'll copy my picture files to the Epson and then wipe the card. It's become my essential backup device, at least before I got the MB Air. Sad part is that it appears that Epson is no longer making these devices, and the 80GB HDD is not easily replaceable so it can't upgrade it to a larger size. However, there are alternatives, such as the Sanho Hyperdrive. They make a related device for viewing on the iPad too.

http://www.hypershop.com/HyperDrive-s/119.htm

If you are interested in using the iPad in photography, this may be a good device for you.

I bought a non-Apple Compact Flash adaptor - and it works a treat on my IPad II - Why Apple don't make one for UK use is beyond me?

If anyone was wary about using non- Apple adaptors (as I was), I am delighted I tried as this gadget was exactly what I wanted and it works ;o)