Tranferring images from the new-to-me D-500 to my computer (Page 2): Thanks all. :sm24: That was quick. Fortunately I do have a card reader for the SD memory card somewhere. It will do...

Overthehill1

Thanks all.

That was quick. Fortunately I do have a card reader for the SD memory card somewhere. It will do the job while I get familar with the camera and give me time to acquire what else I might need. This was pretty much a bare bones purchase, body, battery and charger. But with less than 9000 clicks and within my budget, I didn't want to pass it up.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Now that the UHH community let you know some of the download options, you are in the personal preference zone. You will have to choose the best method for you. Personally, I use the provided D500 USB cable (same as the cable for the D850) to import images directly into LR. My choice is based on my experience repairing electrical equipment over decades and decades where quite a few failures were the result broken, bent, corroded or worn connectors.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Overthehill1 wrote:

Wow, do I feel dumb. Got this camera over the week... (show quote)

Try to use the USB port on the camera as little as possible. They are fragile and can break - which would result in a fairly expensive repair. Better off using a card reader ($15-$25) - faster, no need to connect the camera to it, and cheap to replace if it breaks.

pendennis

The D500 uses the Nikon UC-E22 USB 3.0 Cable. Those are also available as generic cables at Best Buy, etc. On the left side of the camera are flaps for several different connectors (USB, Mic, HDML), and the one you want had what looks like a double connection.

If you're running Windows (and I assume the same for Mac), the computer will recognize the camera, and ask you what you want to do. My Win10's automatically download, and allow me to organize at download time.

I shoot NEF (RAW) and JPEG Fine both. No need for intervening readers, adapters, or anything else, just the connecting cable to your PC's USB port. When I owned a D500, I downloaded thousands of images, and never had a cable problem.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

quixdraw wrote:

Not the camera or computer - I suppose there are good card readers, but most are pretty cheap.

I've heard they fail a lot too. Just another step from camera to computer.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Gene51 wrote:

Try to use the USB port on the camera as little as possible. They are fragile and can break - which would result in a fairly expensive repair. Better off using a card reader ($15-$25) - faster, no need to connect the camera to it, and cheap to replace if it breaks.

👍👍 having seen several mini USB connectors fail (mechanically) after a less than a hundred insertions, I save mine for the few times that I actually need a hard connection to the camera and use a good quality USB 3.0 card reader instead. Rather than the cheap $10 reader, I use an cast aluminum Sandisk reader (~$30) which handles both SD and CF cards and is substantially faster with a fast card than the typical USB 2.0 port on the camera. On the other side of the equation, I have also known several people who have bent the camera pins on a CF card slot when inserting a little less than carefully. It is less expensive however to have the CF card connector replaced than the USB connector which is typically soldered to the camera main board. You pays your money and takes your chances, or you can use WIFI if your camera supports it and you can live with the speed. Btw, this is one of those long standing debates on UHH, right up there with filters as lens protection, MAC vs PC, Canon vs Nikon vs Sony, etc.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Overthehill1 wrote:

Wow, do I feel dumb. Got this camera over the week... (show quote)

I'm not exactly sure what is prompting your question, but the D500 does indeed provide for download of images via a cable connection. The only complication is that since the connection is via a USB 3.0 port, the connector on the side of the camera is slightly different from what you may be accustomed to with older camera models. You will need either the cable that was originally supplied with the camera or else a replacement USB 3.0 cable which matches the connector on the left side of the camera body. It sounds like you may not have received either the cable or the manual with your camera. The UC-E22 cable is available directly from NikonUSA for $29.95. Here's the link to the info:
https://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/cables-computer/uc-e22-usb-cable.html
The manual can be downloaded for free.

User ID

Gene51 wrote:

Try to use the USB port on the camera as little as possible. They are fragile and can break - which would result in a fairly expensive repair. Better off using a card reader ($15-$25) - faster, no need to connect the camera to it, and cheap to replace if it breaks.

A further escalation of that logic leads to using a micro card and never unlatching the adapter from the camera body. Your cable jack never breaks, your card latch never breaks, and no little plastic write-lock piece will ever exit an SD card and lodge itself in your card slot.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

User ID wrote:

A further escalation of that logic leads to using a micro card and never unlatching the adapter from the camera body. Your cable jack never breaks, your card latch never breaks, and no little plastic write-lock piece will ever exit an SD card and lodge itself in your card slot.

the question is can you close the camera door with the adapter?

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Overthehill1 wrote:

Wow, do I feel dumb. Got this camera over the week... (show quote)

On page two of your camera manual is a drawing of your camera, #7 is the USB connector cover, inside it is the USB connection, your camera comes with a cable to connect that USB to the computer USB.
On page iv, you will see your camera comes with a UC-E22 USB cable, you can transfer your images to the computer using this cable, but, it will also help drain your camera battery.
The other way to transfer images is to use a card reader, I use this one. If your using XQD cards
https://www.amazon.com/Sony-QDA-SB1-Xqd-USB-Adapter/dp/B01BV2V77K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1DNVJRNKP68M0&dchild=1&keywords=sony+xqd+card+reader&qid=1612873656&sprefix=sony+xqd+card+%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-3

If your using a SD memory card, I use this one.
https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Reader-Adapter-5Gbps-Simultaneously/dp/B01ARAH6O0/ref=sr_1_4?crid=H1OQ0DGV4YGK&dchild=1&keywords=sd+card+reader+usb&qid=1612873720&sprefix=SD+card+reader%2Caps%2C197&sr=8-4

If you use these card readers you will not drain battery power from your camera.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.

dsmeltz Loc: Philadelphia

Overthehill1 wrote:

Thanks all.

That was quick. Fortunately I do have a card reader for the SD memory card somewhere. It will do the job while I get familar with the camera and give me time to acquire what else I might need. This was pretty much a bare bones purchase, body, battery and charger. But with less than 9000 clicks and within my budget, I didn't want to pass it up.

I always use the reader built in to my laptop. I think my cable is in the original box. Probably in plastic wrap. I always remove the card after a shoot to start the next with a fresh card. Do not really see the purpose to go through all the hassle of connecting a cable to download.

nimbushopper Loc: Tampa, FL

There should be a transfer cable in the box. I got one and it works just fine.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Longshadow wrote:

My card readers are all integral with the computers. I've never had a problem. And I'll bet that they are simply internal USB card readers. I do have an external USB card reader, but I used that at work. I never had a problem with that either. Transfer by card reader is faster than the cable.

Connection ports wear with use and can be damaged and fail. Card readers typically remain attached to the computer and should it fail it's replacement is so much less costly and quicker than a camera repair.

IDguy Loc: Idaho

quixdraw wrote:

Never used a card reader, ex on rare occasions, the SDHC slot in my computer. Cables have worked fine for me for many years. Can't see why someone would insert a comparatively mediocre piece of equipment between two excellent ones. One more thing to buy.

Transfer from camera is much slower.

Bayou

Gene51 wrote:

Try to use the USB port on the camera as little as possible. They are fragile and can break - which would result in a fairly expensive repair. Better off using a card reader ($15-$25) - faster, no need to connect the camera to it, and cheap to replace if it breaks.

Micro and mini USB connectors are indeed rather fragile. They are composed of minute pieces of metal that simply cannot be not to be very durable....same thing with cell phone charging ports. The metal pieces of a data card and its port are much larger, and much more durable.

The card reader transfers data faster as well.