I was all ready to buy a new Coolpix 950, and was suprised to discover that it uses Compact Flash storage, where my old Olympus uses Smartmedia. Technical preferences asside, I am going to need to learn to live with both for a while.

Does anyone know of interface devices (PCMCIA or USB preferred) that will read both formats into my laptop? I know it's a big ask. It seems that the new HP printers have both slots, but directing a printer buy just to solve this problem seems somehow backwards.

Thanks!

-- Scott Christie (scott.christie@shawpittman.com), December 02, 1999

Answers

Does anyone know of interface devices (PCMCIA or USB preferred) that will read both formats into my laptop? I know it's a big ask.

I bought my Compact Card PCMCIA adapter for $10 and I overpaid! So I'm not sure why the concern. You must already have solved the Smart Media problem. I use a 32 meg card with my 950. It only takes a few minutes to read the 32 meg card and store it to disk. However you do need to have a lot of spare harddrive space ... 50 to 100 meg or more spare for workspace. Should it fill up, the Nikon software has fits!

-- dave clark (daveclark@mail.com), December 02, 1999.

I found what I was after. It turns out Microtech makes a USB reader it calls the CameraMate that reads both formats. I can use it with both cameras, and with both desktop & laptop PCs.

Another problem solved.

-- Scott Christie (scott.christie@shawpittman.com), December 04, 1999.