Does anyone know if Nikon is going to release a USB version of the Coolpix 950?

Is the camera-to-computer transfer via serial only? The new G3s and iMacs don't have a serial connector.

Are there adapters for connecting serial cables to USB jacks? What about Compact Flash card readers that connect to your computer? Do they exist? And do they speed up the process?

-- Marilyn Dispensa (marilyn-dispensa@uiowa.edu), February 24, 1999

Answers

Check out the ImageMate on the SanDisk site.

-- Bob Benson (benson@gbasin.net), February 24, 1999.

No USB for 950, but you can get compact flash USB readers for $70, so don't worry about it.

-- Benoit (foo@bar.com), February 25, 1999.

CF reader that plug into USB are DEFINTELY much faster. I'm told that Adaptec (?) makes a USB to Serial adapter for the new PowerMacs, but haven't investigated it personally. Don't know how it works with the MacOS to look like a regular serial port, how compatible it is...

-- Dave Etchells (hotnews@imaging-resource.com), March 05, 1999.

Even with the USB card readers, which I have and works great, you would think these new 2+ megapixel cameras would come out with either USB and/or firewire ports. I am not interested in getting a digital camera (I have the sony trv900 digital camcorder to play with for now) until the manufacturers realize that the times have changed in parallel port access is outdated and way behind new technologies. Why have to go through the intermediary step and a card reader rather than direct access? My digital camcorder has a firewire port which works great with my capture card.

-- Lurch (Lurchtt@aol.com), April 02, 1999.