How to transfer photos:
How to transfer photos from the camera to a computer
The best way is to take the memory card out of the camera and insert it into a card reader. Then your PC will recognize it as a regular USB flash drive.
If you have a laptop, it may have a built-in slot for your memory card. But not all laptops have one. If it doesn’t, it’s worth buying a separate memory card reader.
Card reader
Which card reader should I buy?
- You need to find out what type of memory card you have. Most likely, it is either a SD card or a CFexpress card. You need a reader that supports that type of card.
- You also need to check what port your computer has. It may be USB-A or USB-C. The card reader’s cable or connector must be compatible with your computer’s port.
- The card reader must support USB 3.0 / USB 3.1 Gen 1, which is 5 Gbit/s, or faster. All modern readers support this data transfer speed, but if you found an old one somewhere in the attic and it is no faster than USB 2.0, transferring your photos will take a very long time.
USB — using a cable
Can I connect the camera via USB, using a cable, without taking out the card?
Yes, you can. But many cameras copy photos and videos to a computer much slower than when using a card reader.
Will I break the memory card slot in my camera if I keep taking the card in and out all the time?
No, you won’t. Camera engineers design cameras with the expectation that this is exactly what you will do. You are more likely to wear out the USB port than the memory card slot. Feel free to take the memory card out and put it back in as many times as you need. The chances of breaking your camera this way are almost zero.
Wi-Fi
Can I transfer photos and videos to a computer via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth?
Yes, you can. This is the slowest method, but it is still possible if your camera supports Wi-Fi. To do this, you need to install the appropriate app on your computer. Below, I will list the names of the software, but I don’t recommend searching for them online. Instead, find the link in your camera manual. This way, you will definitely end up on the official website, not on a website with viruses, and you will download the correct version for your camera.
For Canon cameras, it is Canon EOS Utility.
For Nikon, it is Nikon Wireless Transmitter Utility.
For Fuji, it is PC AutoSave for batch transfer of all the photos on the memory card, and FUJIFILM X Acquire for transferring frames during shooting, when the photo is sent immediately after it is taken.
For Sony, modern models work with Imaging Edge Desktop (Remote). Also, some models that have FTP settings in the menu can transfer files directly to an FTP server.
For cameras released before 2018, the program PlayMemories Home was used.
Panasonic LUMIX cameras use Wi-Fi to transfer files to a PC built-in function , usually via the “Send Images While Recording / Send Images Stored in Camera” menu option. Before you start, you need to prepare a folder on your PC and make it accessible over the network. Panasonic does not have one official “one-click” import app unlike Canon or Nikon. Instead, the standard network method, the SMB protocol, or a network drive is used.
However, Panasonic has released LUMIX Tether software for remote camera control. LUMIX Tether is primarily designed for USB connection, but some models, for example the GH5M2 and BGH1, also support Wi-Fi. With LUMIX Tether, you can control the camera from your PC and save photos directly to the computer while shooting.
However, Panasonic officially says that when working over a wireless network, the connection is not always stable, and recommends using USB or wired LAN instead.
How to transfer photos and videos from a camera to a phone
This is done over Wi-Fi using an app. If your camera has Wi-Fi, the manual will tell you where you can download the app that connects your phone to your camera. So… here you will have to look for the solution in the manual. And you need to find not only the link to the app there, usually a QR code with a link, but also read how to do it. The process can differ slightly depending on the model. But with modern cameras that have NFC, it is simple. In some cameras, the QR code for downloading the app to your phone can be found directly in the camera menu.
For Canon, the app is called Canon Camera Connect.
Nikon used to have an app called WMU, or Wireless Mobile Utility, but for modern cameras it is SnapBridge.
For Fuji cameras, it is FUJIFILM XApp.
For Sony cameras, it is Imaging Edge Mobile. This app does not transfer RAW files from all cameras. And for the cameras that can transfer this format, a more complex setup is required, because you need to configure FTP. If you shoot in RAW, Imaging Edge Mobile will convert it to JPG. There are also current limitations regarding video with this app. MP4 files can be transferred, but AVCHD format is not supported yet. In Imaging Edge Mobile, transfer from a Sony camera to a mobile device is done manually, either through the app or through the menu. There is no automatic background sync.
Sony also has an app called Transfer & Tagging for transferring photos on the fly. But it does not work with all cameras, only with those that have an FTP section in the menu, such as the α7 IV, α1, α9 II, and others. This app can receive both RAW and JPG files on your phone.
For Panasonic cameras, depending on the camera model, it is either the newer LUMIX Sync app or the older Panasonic Image App. The older app does not support RAW files or 4K video transfer.
Conclusion
If you are a newbie photographer and you do not need to show photos to a client straight away during the shoot, the quickest and easiest option at the moment is to take out the memory card and transfer the files to your PCusing a card reader.
Boris Krupnik
Photographer, instructor, and author of a photography textbook.
