Download Camera Firmware Upgrades
If you’ve had your digital camera for a year or more, you might find that you’ve “outgrown” its features. One of the most common problems new owners face as they become familiar with their cameras and use them more and more, is a need for more storage space for images. When you bought your digital camera, it probably came with one of the smaller capacity memory cards, just because they’re cheaper.
As a result, probably one of the first “add on” purchases for a digital camera is an extra memory card, so that when you fill one up you can swap it out for another without having to download your images to a computer, or get them printed. The problem is that the camera manual rarely has any information about the memory size limits, and even if they did - these are subject to change.
The prices of SD memory cards are going through the floor, so the best option is to get as much storage in a new memory card as you can afford, as long as your camera will accomodate it. Because of technology advances in digital cameras, your camera may accomodate memory cards with much more capacity today than it did when you bought it - but how would you know?
It’s practically a full-time job to keep up with advances in digital camera technology, so don’t feel like you’re alone.
You’ll be happy to know that most digital cameras can be upgraded to take advantage of much of the newer technology just by downloading a firmware update from the manufacturer’s web site. For instance, when the Pentax *IST DS was first shipped, it couldn’t handle memory cards with more than 1GB (gigabytes) of storage, but you can download a Pentax firmware update that will allow the camera to use cards with twice that amount of storage.
Pentax is not alone. All of the major digital camera companies provide firmware upgrades, image processing software, and camera guides as downloads from their web sites.
For Nikon firmware downloads, just select the model of your digital camera or the Nikon software you need to get the latest upgrades available. The Canon web site has an index page where you can select your digital camera from a drop down menu of camera models to get to the specific Canon firmware downloads you need. Finding the firmware/software downloads you need on the Olympus site takes a little longer because the drill down is a multi-step process, but it’s still very easy. The Kodak web site allows you to download Kodak camera software upgrades as well as the Kodak EasyShare software for your computer.
I know I’ve missed some, but all the major digital camera companies can easily be found through a simple internet search. Once you’ve found the web site you need, look for a link to their “support” section or a “download” section.
If you’re shopping for memory, be sure to check on the speed of the memory cards that are supported while you’re at it. Digital SLRs and many point-and-shoot cameras (especially if the camera has a resolution above 6 megapixels) are designed to take advantage of high-speed memory cards. They allow you to take pictures more rapidly, review images on your display faster, and reduce the time it takes to download them from your memory card to your computer.
