Yes, you will have to get a card where the camera writes the picture files.
The dealer simply meant that, when transfering image files from the card to
the computer, you will do so through the USB port on your computer.
The way I do it, is simply using a cable supplied with the camera (Canon).
One end of the cable is always plugged in to my USB port, the other end I
will plug into the camera whenever I want to transfer images to the computer
and my Canon software will tell that the camera is connected and open a
window where I click to get the images transferred from the card (still in
the camera) to a folder of choice on my hard drive.
(You will also get some Pentax software that you need to uinstall, which
will then take care of the transferring as well as processing for you.
Others will give you good advice on using it and on alternatives to the
Pentax software.)
Now, you can also get a card reader, which means that you will take the card
out of the camera, plug it into the reader (connected by a cable to a USB
port), which then will read the files off the card and transfer them to your
computer.
Cards have different writing speeds. However there is a limit to the speed
that the camera can use, why it would be a waste of money to buy the fastest
cards available. (Someone else will fill you in on what the D can use.)
I use a 2 gig (CF - not SD) card (and a 256 back up). However some people
prefer using smaller cards just in case something goes wrong and they won't
lose too many images.
I understand you are doing a lot of macro through a microscope, where
everything is very delicate and you will always need the absolute best
quality, which would be shooting RAW files instead of Jpegs. RAW files are
bigger than jpegs why you may want a card of some capacity not to having to
interrupt your shooting.
Btw. after transferring your files to the computer, you will erase the
images on your card, unless you want to save some of them on your card as
well.)
Good luck,
Lasse
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 1:58 PM
Subject: More ignorance -- help needed again
The *ist D is on the way, but without a card. What do I get? I'm quite
sure any number of SD cards will work, but what's the best value for
money? I've just been talking to a dealer who offered me a Sandisk 512
Type II card but I'm not sure I know what he meant when he said it would
go into my USB port? Does Sandisk sell cards with readers? Or some kind of
an adapter? Anyway I'd like to know what the recommended cards are so I
can get one before the camera gets here. Does the camera have any internal
memory? I know there's a buffer, of course, but cannot find out if the
camera will work at all without a card.
Don
--
Dr E D F Williams
_______________________________
http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams
See feature: The Cement Company from Hell
Updated: Photomicro Link -- 18 05 2005
