One pet peeve about my 350D

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Slack - 30 Mar 2005 03:36 GMT

Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery
is low!?!?!?!

I mean, a USB cable is more than capable of carrying some juice, so why
not let the camera dump it's payload before having to recharge it? This
pisses me off. Maybe all of the DSLRs are like this, but it still
doesn't make it right.

Other than that, I'm digging the camera.
--
Slack

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Randall Ainsworth - 30 Mar 2005 03:39 GMT

> Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
> flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> pisses me off. Maybe all of the DSLRs are like this, but it still
> doesn't make it right.

Guess you never heard of a card reader?

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Slack - 30 Mar 2005 03:52 GMT

>>Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
>>flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Guess you never heard of a card reader?

Dang you! I knew there was something I forgot to pick up when I got my
camera :-p

And a tripod.
--
Slack

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Digi - Reb - 30 Mar 2005 03:44 GMT

I'm pretty sure that the inablillity to dump the load with a low charge is a
safeguard to prevent corrupting the data.
I don't know about the 350D but I do know the 300D is agonizingly slow at
offloading the images even with a fully charged battery.
I suggest you get a compact flash card reader such as that which comes with
most of the newer Lexar CF cards.
Fast CF + Fast Reader = Fast offloading, and all without need for camera
battery.

> Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
> flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> --
> Slack

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Skip M - 30 Mar 2005 03:52 GMT

> Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
> flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> --
> Slack

Either get a card reader or an AC adaptor, I'm not sure the latter exists
for the 350D, yet. I have one for my D30 that fits my 20D.

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Skip Middleton
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com

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Alan Browne - 30 Mar 2005 04:27 GMT

If it's a Li-ion, then by various reports, the battery life will improve
after it's been used and then recharged up a few times. I have to say
that my experience with the 7D has been great wrt the battery. But then
I manual focus and I attach any flashes that I'm using (or use studio
strobes). [actually at a belated Easter dinner last night I played with
the AF for some snapshots.]

Cheers,
Alan

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G.T. - 30 Mar 2005 05:09 GMT

As others have said, card reader. Your digital life will be much happier.

Greg

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Steve Wolfe - 30 Mar 2005 08:23 GMT

> I mean, a USB cable is more than capable of carrying some juice, so why
> not let the camera dump it's payload before having to recharge it? This
> pisses me off. Maybe all of the DSLRs are like this, but it still
> doesn't make it right.

The USB cable supplies 5 volts, which is not enough for the camera.
Adding a step-up converter to get it to where it needs to be would add bulk
and cost. Even if they did that, the USB cord isn't going to supply the
peak current that the camera needs under conditions like charging the flash,
so they'd have to add even more logic to disable power-hungry features while
running off of USB power, which would just lead to more consumer confusion
and complaints.

It's a lot easier to just use a charged battery or a card reader.

steve

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Alan Browne - 30 Mar 2005 15:26 GMT

>>I mean, a USB cable is more than capable of carrying some juice, so why
>>not let the camera dump it's payload before having to recharge it? This
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> It's a lot easier to just use a charged battery or a card reader.

I don't totally agree. On the 7D when you hook up the USB (and are not
in remote storage mode) it only operates in data trasnfer mode. Nothing
else on the camera works (except the monitor stupidly stating
"connecting to computer" (or whatever)).

It would, in fact be very nice if, when the camera was "off" and a USB
cable attached, that the USB would be able to read the card.

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Michael Meissner - 30 Mar 2005 23:07 GMT

> Alright, so the battery life could be better, especially when using the
> flash. But, why can't you download images to your PC even if the battery is
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the camera dump it's payload before having to recharge it? This pisses me off.
> Maybe all of the DSLRs are like this, but it still doesn't make it right.

I'm not aware of any (non web-cam) camera that is powered by USB. I suspect a
DSLR just needs a lot more juice than you can get over a USB or firewire
connection.

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Michael Meissner
email: mrmnews@the-meissners.org
http://www.the-meissners.org

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