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I Hate the software for my new Canon Camera


benos

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I recently bought a new Canon ELPH 300 HS. I love it - it's easy to use, takes great pics, and is super compact - exactly what I wanted.

But here's what I hate. My Mac is the last PowerPC that was released before the Mac's with Intel processors, and the software for the camera won't install on it!

So being a complete idiot, I didn't read the install error message in detail. I was running Tiger, so when I saw the error I thought, okay, I'll finally upgrade to Leopard. Which I just did. So I put the install disc back in and it still won't install. So of course this time I read the error in detail: This software is not compatible with your computer's CPU. Thanks a lot Canon, for selling a camera that can't be used on a Mac, if your machine doesn't have an Intel processor.

I do have a workaround, but it's a bit of a PITA. Michele's Powerbook (we use it mostly for shipping) has an Intel processor. So I can get my pics onto it and then move them to my machine.

I put this in here instead of the Hate forum in case anyone had a workaround.

be

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Unfortunately, everyone's been abandoning PowerPC (even Apple) for software, at this point... Paul's got the right idea - iPhoto should probably do everything you need done by the Canon software. My experience is that the Canon stuff mostly blows, anyway...

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Just use a card reader and copy them over to your HD (Hard drive) directly and go from there.

ETA: go buy lightroom...I do not work for them and I'm a die hard photochopper, but, I saw the light. Very decent editing and great keywording, etc. It isn't super simple but RTFM :-) and google. It is nothing like PS in complexity. I do most work now in LR but still go to PS for heavy lifting.

LR is also great to use as an import tool as well...

...my nonsensical rant for the day <_<

Edited by -JQ-
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I love LR, too... But, unless Brian needs that level of sophistication, iPhoto is built in to his OS, and does a pretty decent job of keywording and such, too...

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What does the software give you that iPhoto does not ?

You should be able to upload your pictures to iPhoto or Aperture without any additional software.

I've never even launched iPhoto - I manage my pics manually. When I plug the camera in nothing happens - it doesn't mount on the desktop like all my other cameras did.

So I launched iPhoto and plugged in the camera, and wola, it asked if I wanted to import the photos.

I would much rather the camera mounted on the desktop though, so I could edit/delete/file/store the photos manually.

It looks like I can just drag (copies) the pics from iPhoto to my desktop, then store them where the rest of my pics are. It's a bit of a PITA but I couldl learn to deal with it.

Or maybe if I gave iPhoto a shot for a while, I might get used to or even like it?

Just use a card reader and copy them over to your HD (Hard drive) directly and go from there.

Thanks for the card reader idea. If I don't end up liking iPhoto, I'll get a card reader.

be

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I organized all the pics on my drive, then imported them into iPhoto - it's actually pretty cool. Much easier to find / view pics in iPhoto than it is in folders on my drive.

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I never use the software that comes with the cameras anymore. Every (newer) computer has some sort photo software built in and it's generally easier to use and more sound than the software from the camera manf...

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I organized all the pics on my drive, then imported them into iPhoto - it's actually pretty cool. Much easier to find / view pics in iPhoto than it is in folders on my drive.

It's kind of like anything else Apple - don't try to make it do things it wasn't designed to do, and you should be cool. The most recent version even does facial recognition - you tell it who a person is in a few photos, and it can automatically sort them by that person and find new ones that you add with that face in them. But, it's pretty good at sorting/storing/finding pictures easily, especially if you take the time to tag them all with locations, people in them, events, etc.

The card reader would definitely get you back to full manual management.

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I organized all the pics on my drive, then imported them into iPhoto - it's actually pretty cool. Much easier to find / view pics in iPhoto than it is in folders on my drive.

The most recent version even does facial recognition - you tell it who a person is in a few photos, and it can automatically sort them by that person and find new ones that you add with that face in them.

That's crazy. Thanks Dave.

be

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I just plugged my old D100 into my macbook pro and it showed up as an external drive on the desktop. I fired up iPhoto and just import photos from there. Cindy got a new D7000 in today. I don't think I'm even going to bother installing any of the software that came with it. iPhoto seems to be able to read Nikon .NEF files fine.

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It should work with Aperture the same way. I switched over from iPhoto a while ago as I needed the ability to edit IPTC/EXIF data and the IMPORT/EXPORT presets that Aperture has are a great time saver.

It seems to take a little longer to process new images but the functions it offers over iPhoto are impressive.

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Actually, it ALMOST handles it completely. I found I couldn't take one of the class 10 high capacity SDHC cards out of the camera and plug it directly into the card slot on the mac. Just wouldn't recognize it. I went back and took a low-cap card out an older coolpix camera (2g) and the mac read that one just fine, so the card reader works, just not with new big cards.

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OK, so after suggesting not to use import software, I ran into an issue. I was trying to simply copy over a 32GB card to a hard drive. It would only get about 22/32 through.

So in a last ditch effort I tried "importing" with Lightroom and they all came in fine.

I just wanted to share that there are many ways to skin a cat...and sometimes you need them all.

Good luck!

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