Why don't camera reviews cover the data connection to the PC?

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:14:10 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:07:17 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:46 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:11:39 -0000, John Navas wrote:

The problem is that not all Standard-A to Mini-B USB cables are the same
-- there are both 5-connection cables and 4-connection cables, and only
proper 5-connector cables will work properly without a Motorola USB
driver. Standard USB has only 4 connections. Mini USB has 5
connections, the extra connection being the device ID pin.

There was absolutely no need to invent more than TWO types of B connector. A big one and a little one.

Different devices have different requirements. The big one is stronger
and easier to use for devices with sufficient size. The small one is
designed for small devices.

Agreed. What I object to is the large number of varieties of the small type.

There are only two, mini and micro.

--
Best regards,
John
Panasonic DMC-FZ8, DMC-FZ20, and several others

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:15:31 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:14:10 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:07:17 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:46 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:11:39 -0000, John Navas wrote:

The problem is that not all Standard-A to Mini-B USB cables are the same
-- there are both 5-connection cables and 4-connection cables, and only
proper 5-connector cables will work properly without a Motorola USB
driver. Standard USB has only 4 connections. Mini USB has 5
connections, the extra connection being the device ID pin.

There was absolutely no need to invent more than TWO types of B connector. A big one and a little one.

Different devices have different requirements. The big one is stronger
and easier to use for devices with sufficient size. The small one is
designed for small devices.

Agreed. What I object to is the large number of varieties of the small type.

There are only two, mini and micro.

There are only two standard ones. There are also a couple that only fit certain makes of camera. The only place I've found to get these is to look for a cable designed for that particular camera on ebay.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

_.-``````-._
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On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:27:41 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:15:31 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:14:10 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:07:17 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:46 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:11:39 -0000, John Navas wrote:

The problem is that not all Standard-A to Mini-B USB cables are the same
-- there are both 5-connection cables and 4-connection cables, and only
proper 5-connector cables will work properly without a Motorola USB
driver. Standard USB has only 4 connections. Mini USB has 5
connections, the extra connection being the device ID pin.

There was absolutely no need to invent more than TWO types of B connector. A big one and a little one.

Different devices have different requirements. The big one is stronger
and easier to use for devices with sufficient size. The small one is
designed for small devices.

Agreed. What I object to is the large number of varieties of the small type.

There are only two, mini and micro.

There are only two standard ones.
There are also a couple that only fit certain makes of camera.

That's typically because the camera also has audio-video output that
needs its own connections, and because size and cost are often issues, a
proprietary combo USB-AV connector is used. But the camera usually
comes with the requisite cable, so there's no real issue unless you're
careless enough to lose it.

--
Best regards,
John
Panasonic DMC-FZ8, DMC-FZ20, and several others

Pat Cheney wrote:

What this then means is that any camera with a combined AV/USB port, by the
very definition, MUST be using a proprietary connector!

No, it would be quite possible to design a custom connector that could
accept both standard mini or micro USB plugs, or a custom A/V plug. They
would put the contacts for the AV connections further back on the
connector. It's been quite common to use dual purpose, dual level
sockets on ultra-small Japanese notebook computers. Other variations
have been a USB connector with a small hole to the side of it so an
external, higher power-consumption, USB interface drive could be plugged
only into that USB port (and that USB port being able to supply more
than 500mA).

There's all sorts of creative ways that they could have handled this,
but it was cheaper to use an off-the-shelf connector, and order custom
cables. How many sales do you think they lost because of this custom
connector? Probably zero.

On Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:24:15 -0800, Pat Cheney wrote
in :

[SNIP]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=%20370140474273

Compatible WithFuji: FinePix F20, FinePix F30, FinePix F31FD, FinePix
F40FD, FinePix F460, FinePix F470, FinePix F50fd, FinePix S700, FinePix
S8000FD
KONICA Minolta: Dynax 5D, Dynax 7D, Maxxum 5D, Maxxum 7D, DiMage A200,
DiMage E323, DiMage E500, DiMage X50, DiMage X60, DiMage Z10, DiMage
Z20, DiMage Z3, DiMage Z5, DiMage Z6
Nikon: CoolPix 2100, CoolPix 2200, CoolPix 3100, CoolPix 3200, CoolPix
3700, CoolPix 4100, CoolPix 4200, CoolPix 4600, CoolPix 4800, CoolPix
5200, CoolPix 5600, CoolPix 5900, CoolPix 7600, CoolPix 7900, CoolPix
8400, CoolPix 8800, CoolPix L series L1, CoolPix L series L10, CoolPix L
series L11, CoolPix L series L12, CoolPix L series L2, CoolPix L series
L3, CoolPix L series L4, CoolPix L series L5, CoolPix L series L6,
CoolPix P series P3, CoolPix P series P4, CoolPix P series P5000,
CoolPix P series P6000, CoolPix S Series S10, CoolPix S Series S200,
CoolPix S Series S4, CoolPix S Series S500, CoolPix S Series S510,
CoolPix S Series S9
Olympus: FE series FE-180, FE series FE-190, FE series FE-220, FE
series FE-230, FE series FE-240, FE series FE-250, FE series FE-280, FE
series FE-290, FE series FE-300, FE series FE-310, FE series FE-340, FE
series FE-350
PANASONIC: LUMIX DMC-FX01, LUMIX DMC-FX07, LUMIX DMC-FX10, LUMIX
DMC-FX12, LUMIX DMC-FX3, LUMIX DMC-FX30, LUMIX DMC-FX50, LUMIX DMC-FX7,
LUMIX DMC-FX8, LUMIX DMC-FX9, LUMIX DMC-FZ15, LUMIX DMC-FZ18, LUMIX
DMC-FZ20, LUMIX DMC-FZ3, LUMIX DMC-FZ30, LUMIX DMC-FZ4, LUMIX DMC-FZ5,
LUMIX DMC-FZ50, LUMIX DMC-FZ7, LUMIX DMC-FZ8, LUMIX DMC-LS1, LUMIX
DMC-LS2, LUMIX DMC-LS70, LUMIX DMC-LX1, LUMIX DMC-LX2, LUMIX DMC-LZ1,
LUMIX DMC-LZ2, LUMIX DMC-LZ3, LUMIX DMC-LZ4, LUMIX DMC-LZ5, LUMIX
DMC-LZ6, LUMIX DMC-LZ7, LUMIX DMC-TZ1, LUMIX DMC-TZ3
Pentax: *ist DL, K100D, K10D, K110D, Optio 33WR, Optio 43WR, Optio 450,
Optio 50, Optio 550, Optio 555, Optio 60, Optio 750z, Optio A10, Optio
A20, Optio A30, Optio E10, Optio M10, Optio M20, Optio M30, Optio MX,
Optio MX4, Optio S, Optio S4, Optio S40, Optio S45, Optio S4i, Optio
S50, Optio S55, Optio S5i, Optio S5z, Optio S6, Optio S60, Optio S7,
Optio SV, Optio T10, Optio T20, Optio T30, Optio W10, Optio W20, Optio
W30, Optio WP, Optio WPi, Optio X
Vivitar: ViviCam 3000, ViviCam 4345, ViviCam 4385, ViviCam 5385,
ViviCam 5386, ViviCam 6300, ViviCam 8300, ViviCam 8300S

--
Best regards,
John
Panasonic DMC-FZ8, DMC-FZ20, and several others

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:40:27 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:27:41 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:15:31 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:14:10 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:07:17 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 19:38:46 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 02:11:39 -0000, John Navas wrote:

The problem is that not all Standard-A to Mini-B USB cables are the same
-- there are both 5-connection cables and 4-connection cables, and only
proper 5-connector cables will work properly without a Motorola USB
driver. Standard USB has only 4 connections. Mini USB has 5
connections, the extra connection being the device ID pin.

There was absolutely no need to invent more than TWO types of B connector. A big one and a little one.

Different devices have different requirements. The big one is stronger
and easier to use for devices with sufficient size. The small one is
designed for small devices.

Agreed. What I object to is the large number of varieties of the small type.

There are only two, mini and micro.

There are only two standard ones.
There are also a couple that only fit certain makes of camera.

That's typically because the camera also has audio-video output that
needs its own connections, and because size and cost are often issues, a
proprietary combo USB-AV connector is used.

The ones I'm referring to were only USB cables. The non-camera end was a standard type A USB plug to go into a PC.

But the camera usually
comes with the requisite cable, so there's no real issue unless you're
careless enough to lose it.

Or have it eaten by a parrot.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

When the Viagra virus comes to your PC, all your software becomes hardware.

On Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:37:27 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:40:27 -0000, John Navas wrote:

That's typically because the camera also has audio-video output that
needs its own connections, and because size and cost are often issues, a
proprietary combo USB-AV connector is used.

The ones I'm referring to were only USB cables. The non-camera end was a standard type A USB plug to go into a PC.

Which cameras?

--
Best regards,
John
Panasonic DMC-FZ8, DMC-FZ20, and several others

On Thu, 08 Jan 2009 07:25:15 -0000, John Navas wrote:

On Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:37:27 -0000, "Peter Hucker" wrote
in :

On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:40:27 -0000, John Navas wrote:

That's typically because the camera also has audio-video output that
needs its own connections, and because size and cost are often issues, a
proprietary combo USB-AV connector is used.

The ones I'm referring to were only USB cables. The non-camera end was a standard type A USB plug to go into a PC.

Which cameras?

One was a basic model Benq, the other I've forgotten the name of.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

There are three blondes stranded on an island. Suddenly a fairy appears and offers to grant each one of them one wish.
The first blonde asks to be intelligent. Instantly, she is turned into a brown haired woman and she swims off the island.
The next one asks to be even more intelligent than the previous one, so instantly she is turned into a black haired woman. The black haired woman builds a boat and sails off the island.
The third blonde asks to become even more intelligent than the previous two. The fairy turns her into a man, and he walks across the bridge.

John Navas wrote:

On Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:00:36 -0600, John Turco
wrote in :

Amomg my various Kodak digicams, the V603 is the lone one which has a
"USB/AV connector." As with your own Casio EXILIM, this seems to be the
comparatively rare exception, rather than the rule.

No offense intended, but your sweeping conclusion does not follow from
the limited evidence presented. I know of several other cameras with
USB/AV connectors.


Hello, John:

Well, that's why I used qualifiers (such as "seems" and "comparatively").
Regardless, "several other cameras" is a very small sample -- and thus,
fits right in, with my original statement. :-)


Cordially,
John Turco