S2 & Mac G5 problem - please help!

[CP2N]

I love this camera, but I can't seem to get the photos onto my computer (Mac G5 tower) without them coming out distorted, pixelated and off color. This doesn't happen on my laptop (PowerBook G4). I've tried all the different software from Canon, plus iPhoto and Image Capture - it's the same thing every time. Mac users can't seem to help, so I figured I'd try the camera gurus! I'm so tired of putting all the photos on my laptop then emailing them to my computer at work!!

[TampaJim]

Hmmm ... according to Apple, the S2 is not supported. According to Canon the S2 driver will be available shortly.

Hopefully, someone here has both an S2 and a Mac and has them working. I assume your problem is with USB connectivity not in using a card reader.

Also, in hopes that someone else can assist - please provide your Mac OS version - (e.g. OS-X 10.4 Tiger, etc.)

Thanks for your patience - our brains are straining for your benefit! LOL

[CP2N]

System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.4 (8G32) Tiger

Go figure, I bought the camera from Apple's site. Oh well.
Anything else you need, let me know!

[TampaJim]

Nope ... you answered my question. Now here is your answer.

"Canon is conducting compatibility tests for the current versions of Canon digital imaging software with the shipping versions of Mac OS X 10.4 [Tiger]. Results will be posted soon. For now, Canon is not claiming compatibility with Mac OS X 10.4"

Sorry!!!

[rockinsage]

CP2N,

Are you running 10.4.4 on both the g4 powerbook and your g5 tower? That's strange that it would cause problems on the g5 but not the g4. I'm currently running 10.4.2 on a dual-g4 tower, using the latest canon software, and I'm not having any pixelation or distortion problems (direct usb connection from the camera to the mac).

I did post previously about some potential color issues once the photos were on the mac, but I haven't had time to revisit those issues. It may just be a monitor calibration problem or a difference in the contrast and brightness between the camera's display and the monitor's display.

I haven't tried loading photos via iphoto yet.

As TampaJim hinted at, you could get a usb card reader and do it that way. Then you're taking the camera and any lack of driver support out of the picture.

[Dawoofo]

CP2N, just to be sure I'm understanding your correctly, you're able to load the pictures onto a different computer and the pictures all look fine, right?

I use a G5 dual 1.8Gb Mac (OS X 10.4.4) and have had no problems loading the pictures from my camera to my mac with the software that came with my S2 (I've never used iPhoto for loading the pictures).

Try reinstalling the software that came with the camera, and you might also want to upgrade Image Browser if you don't have the latest from here:
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=DownloadDetailAct&fcategoryid=322&modelid=11368

Hopefully that'll take care of it.

Edit: Rockinsage probably has something there...are you plugging the USB plug into a hub, or directly into your Mac? If it's in a hub, plug it directly into the Mac's USB port.

[coldrain]

The S2 IS is supported by 10.4. Whoever says different is bonkers!
The S2 IS uses a standard protocol and Mac OS X uses its standard Image Capture to download the photos. NO DRIVERS NEEDED, XP is the one that needs drivers.

You can also install Canon's own software for Mac OS X.

What is the problem with your S2 IS / Mac G5 combo is that the transmission over the USB cable gets corrupted. Try a different USB port on the G5, or a different USB cable (you can buy these camera to USB cables in good computer stores).

I can not tell you WHY the data transmission to your G5 is more sensitive, but that is what you are seeing, damaged JPEGs. I have seen the same with some cable and a computer of mine, with an S30 when its batteries are low. So, try a different USB port, or a different cable, and report back ;)

coldrain, Mac guru :D

[TampaJim]

ME is Bonkers "Oh Great ChillyShower"! Please see below link to clarify my bonkerness ...

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=OSCompatibilitySupportAct&keycode=macdr&fcategoryid=223&modelid=11368

[Blob]

OS X should easily recognize the S2. My G5 has never had a problem with Canon, Panasonic or Nikon cameras.

Maybe your compact flash card is corrupted. I know the G4 can read it but it shouldn't be too hard to reformat your memory card.

Have you tried using the different USB ports? Maybe it has something to do with USB 2.0 in the G5 vs USB 1.0 in the G4.Maybe reformatting the cared will help.

Can you upload photos from a different camera onto the G5? How are photos you download from the internet looking? If they are ok I would assume it is in the S2 or the USB connection. Can you e-mail the S2's photos to your G5? Do they look normal?

I assume you have run Disk Warrior and Disk First Aid, was anything found?

Maybe the problem is in iPhoto. Are you running the newest version? Maybe you could trash the preference file and/or open a new iPhoto library -- do this by renaming the iPhoto folder located in your User:Pictures folder. Rename the folder to old iPhoto and move it to you desk top. Launch iPhoto and it will ask if you want to make a new library. Say "yes" and then try to import the photos again.


Apple support has a more detailed explaination under "discussions" in the support section. Just run a search on corrupt library.

Good Luck

Bob

[coldrain]

ME is Bonkers "Oh Great ChillyShower"! Please see below link to clarify my bonkerness ...

http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=OSCompatibilitySupportAct&keycode=macdr&fcategoryid=223&modelid=11368
Which can only be concluded with: the person who wrote that "info" on that canon webpage is bonkers.

It even states you can not download RAW files from any Canon camera via OS X's Image Capture. This too is too silly for words.

Many 1000's of Mac users have an S2 IS, they all will vouch for that it is and always has been possible to use an S2 IS with a Mac.

The original poster him/herself even testified that it works FINE on his/hers Mac notebook.

I am a Canon camera owner, and have been since before I used OS X 10.0 (cheetah). I know what I am talking about.
RAW files? Just connect the camera (in my case an EOS 350D) to the computer via USB, no need for any software or driver installation. Same with my old trusty S30, with JPEGs. Same with JPEGs from my EOS 350D.
Same with JPEGs from an A70. Same for JPEGs from an S2 IS.

Same with connecting an S2 IS to an iPod (colour/photo/video). Just connect it, no drivers on the iPod needed. Same with my EOS 350D, just connect it, no drivers on the iPod needed. That is standardized communication for you (PTP i think it is called).

So, funny TampJim who likes to make fun of my nick, yes, anyone who says the S2 IS needs special drivers to work on a Mac with Mac OS 10.4 "Tiger", anyone who says you can not use OS X's Image Capture utility to download photos from an S2 IS connected via USB, is bonkers.

And yes, all cameras mentioned above have been connected to a Mac of mine with OS X, and 3 of them to my iPod. Thanks again for your silly name calling.

[coldrain]

OS X should easily recognize the S2. My G5 has never had a problem with Canon, Panasonic or Nikon cameras.

Maybe your compact flash card is corrupted. I know the G4 can read it but it shouldn't be too hard to reformat your memory card.

Can you upload photos from a different camera onto the G5? How are photos you download from the internet looking? If they are ok I would assume it is in the S2 or the USB connection. Can you e-mail the S2's photos to your G5? Do they look normal?
....
Maybe the problem is in iPhoto. Are you running the newest version? Maybe you could trash the preference file and/or open a new iPhoto library -- do this by renaming the iPhoto folder located in your User:Pictures folder. Rename the folder to old iPhoto and move it to you desk top. Launch iPhoto and it will ask if you want to make a new library. Say "yes" and then try to import the photos again.

Bob, did you read my post? What is happening is that the photos get corrupted while being downloaded via the USB cable. Whatthe poster showed is what is a very normal occurence when a JPEG file gets corrupted.

It has NOTHING to do with iPhoto. iPhoto's "library" is nothing more than a directory structure, it does not touch the actual files... the JPEG's are stored as normal files. Whether you do it via iPhoto or Image Capture, the photos get downloaded by the same part of OS X.

I can totally repeat the problem seen by the original poster by using one particular USB lead, when the battery of my S30 is low. With a different lead the JPEG's do not get corrupted. The frequency of the data being sent over USB is quite high, and when the shielding for instance is not up to spec, corruption can happen.

Whether the G5's USB port or the camera's port or the cable or any combination is at fault for the corrupted signal is hard to tell from here.

But just change ports, or a port from a USB hub, or a different USB lead, and try if that will resolve things.

[TampaJim]

Hey Coldrain ... you called me "bonkers" first. I was having fun, but obviously you are sensitive - maybe not enough sunshine.

I was just trying to point out two things - 1) if using a card reader it wouldn't happen and 2) that Canon nor Apple claim "compatibility" between 10.4 Tiger and the S2.

Claiming unknown compatibility has two effects - 1) it may or may not work, although many users find that it either does or they themselves find the fix and 2) that neither Canon or Apple would actively assist with the issue since compatibility hasn't been claimed.

The user is "on his or her own" - that doesn't mean it can't work. It does mean to feel free to try different things, listen to others and potentially take the USB camera connection out of the loop if you want to cut things short.

If I offended someone, I am sorry.

[coldrain]

Apple does not need to "claim compatibility" for every camera that comes to market. Every Canon come with Mac software for Mac OS X, this makes that page you pointed to pretty WEIRD. And even without using Canon's supplied with camera software, every Canon does work with Mac OS X because they work with the PTP protocol.

Canon claimed compatibility when they introduced the camera, when they printed the packaging, when the printed the manuals. When they chose to make it PTP protocol compatible. It says so on the box. It says so on their S2 IS web page.

You can't get more compatible that that. That they do not say it is compatible with Mac OS 10.4, or 10.703, or Windows XP service pack 3, or Windows Vista 2.1, is because those OS versions did not exist at the time the S2 IS was introduced.

Who wrote that page you linked to just must be bonkers, because it is misinformation.

[CP2N]

Thanks for all the feedback... I think the problem is OSX 10.4 Tiger. My laptop has 10.3 Panther still. I tried all three usb ports, and two more cameras - all with the same results. The latest just isn't the greatest, unfortunately. My last hope is to get another cable, or a card reader - but will I exerience the same problem when I take the photos off of it? I guess it can't hurt to try and find out.

One last question: Any suggestions for which card reader to buy?

Thanks again!!

[coldrain]

Thanks for all the feedback... I think the problem is OSX 10.4 Tiger. My laptop has 10.3 Panther still. I tried all three usb ports, and two more cameras - all with the same results. The latest just isn't the greatest, unfortunately. My last hope is to get another cable, or a card reader - but will I exerience the same problem when I take the photos off of it? I guess it can't hurt to try and find out.

One last question: Any suggestions for which card reader to buy?

Thanks again!!
The problem is NOT Mac OS X Tiger, I told you that before. Did you use the same cable with all 3 cameras?

I do not think it matters much which card reader you buy.

[CP2N]

Each camera has a different type of cable - go figure, it's my luck, I suppose. It really doesn't seem to matter anyway. It just doesn't work right (Although more of the photos from the other cameras/cables come out okay, it's still not 100%). I'm buying a card reader - probably this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[silvia33]

Each camera has a different type of cable - go figure, it's my luck, I suppose. It really doesn't seem to matter anyway. It just doesn't work right (Although more of the photos from the other cameras/cables come out okay, it's still not 100%). I'm buying a card reader - probably this week. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I have the s2is and a dual G5 2.5 runing OS 10.4.5 (installed yesterday). I have been downloading pictures with card reader using the finder or directly with the camera using picture capture or the canon software using the cable that came with camera, and so far no problems. I like using the canon software because I can call the files starting with the date I took the pictures. I have an old cinema display monitor, 22".

silvia33

[CP2N]

Problem solved! Sorry it took a while to get back to y'all. Bought a SanDisk 5 in 1 card reader and it works great.

Anyway, all that trouble and I'm getting laid off. I won't even be using this G5 or the camera any more. (I did buy the S2 for myself so I can start my own business though!)

[St. Chris]

Ugh, sorry to hear that, CP2N! At least your camera works, for what it's worth.

[MBCook]

I had an S2 IS and used it with my PowerBook G4 (10.4.x) all the time with iPhoto and never had any problems (I never used Canon's software).

It works, it's not a Tiger incompatibility or anything like that.

So what can you do? You've narrowed it down to the USB cable from what I've read (I assume you tried a USB SD Card reader). You could just use a reader forever.

I'd have to second the "try another cable" idea though. The cables Canon gives out are so thin I do worry about them being very cheap. Get yourself a thicker USB cable (something high quality) and see if that makes a difference.

Other than that? I assume this happens irrespective of battery life and such. I'm affraid I can't offer anything else.

Have you tried putting it in DPOF mode on the USB port (the one you use to connect the camera directly to a printer)? I know that's not the normal way to do it, but who knows.