Ask Engadget: Best 5+ megapixel camera with USB Host support?

Last week the big question was whether or not it's a good time to buy a Mac. Up for this week's Ask Engadget we've got a question from reader Gabe M., who writes:

My current digicam doesn't have USB host support, so I can only transfer photos right to my computer. Next time I travel I want to be able to leave the laptop at home and dump photos to my new Cowon iAudio X5 for portable storage. What's the most compact 5+ megapixel digital camera that's compatible with USB host?

Anyone wanna help Gabe travel lighter?

[0ndks4 @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Since X% is host compatible, shouldn't the digi-ca simply be mass-storage compatible? And if so, there's a lot of cameras to chose from...

[TC @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Couldn't you just get that cool Sandisk Plus USB/SD card, and a SD compatible compact camera? (like a Pentax Optio s5z - the new one with larger LCD)

[liam @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

yeah i have older cams that won't connect to a usb host device... not sure which models do, tho. is it just a mass storage thing, or do they hafta specifically support usb otg?

[Unknown @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Here's a list of cameras compatable with your X5:

http://www.iaudiophile.net/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1539

[Unknown @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Here's a list of cameras compatable with your X5:

http://www.iaudiophile.net/forums/viewtopic.php?id=1539

[ramanja @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I have an Iriver h320 which doesnt accept many cameras either. However I found that a cheap generic card reader, one of those that don't even come with a driver cd works perfectly. I take the cards out of any of my cameras (even my mobile cameraphone), and conect the card reader to the portable storage device, the card reader is small so I dont mind the extra element. The only problem is that the transfer process is painfuly slow. So I do the transfer at night in the hotel while watching TV .

[COWON @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

The list of cameras that are compatible with the X5 is now up on COWON's site.

http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/iaudio/x5/

(Scroll down the features to the "OTG (USB Host) Feature" section)

[Jeffrey @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

It seems odd that devices with USB host only support a specific list of approved devices. Isn't this just a standard? Shouldn't there be some generic way of determining if your camera will work or not?

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Get a Sony CyberShot DSC-T1. I am going to buy one tomarrow.

[Kapila Wimalaratne @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

>The list of cameras that are compatible with >the X5 is now up on COWON's site.
>
>http://www.cowonamerica.com/products/iaudio/x5/>
>
>(Scroll down the features to the "OTG (USB >Host) Feature" section)
>
It seems to me that this list is incomplete and probably out of date.

e.g. It's weird that they're no Canon cameras on the list and the Nikon Coolpix 8800 has been around for a while now (the 8700 is on the list).

Kap

P.S. Btw, do you want the best camera, or the most compact camera? i.e. What's your maximum limit on size?

[Johnny @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Currently on the market there is only one Digital camera that is listed under the USB organization�s integrators list that has passed the USB OTG test. The camera is a HP Photosmart Digital Camera - R707. Test ID of 90001911 which was certified 2003/05/05. However, there is nothing mentioned on HP website of the capability of the OTG. It all depends on the firmware on the HP camera. If they have added the support for MSD devices then it could copy to any external MSD devices (USB Thumb drives or USB hard drives but no CD-R/W or DVD unless they have implemented a Burning Stack on the OTG). To add OTG to a Camera is actually not too difficult since more and more DSC chips have a host function. Also you could add an external chip to the DSC that is host. The increase to the BOM (Bill of Materials) is only about 3 to 5 dollars, however it is the space that it would take up that the manufactures are worried about. This is the future however of cameras. Digital photography was computer centric but as we move forward, it will become camera centric.

[shiftis @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

You could get a Macally Sync Box/Reader.

[Rajat Karol @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Go for a SONY DSC T7 which supports the PTP/PC/Pict Bridge modes.
Ultra compact too ...

[James @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Get a good camera instead of the one with the one feature you want. You won't care much about offloading them onto your MP3 player if they look terrible...

Besides, 1 gig SD cards can be found for $50-60 nowadays.

[shiftis @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Samsung, Nikon, and others, also have really small cameras like the Sony Cybershot T7.

[Zhoot Deem @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I recommend the Sony DSC-T7. It's the slimmest ever, has USB host support for Sony proprietary devices as well as 3rd party. Very decent pics too and fits in your breast pocket like a charm.

[John Laur @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

You really ought not to buy a camera based on this sole criteria. You ultimately end up compromising on the camera or image quality for a feature which is really not that important. A lot of cameras support some form of host transport or PictBridge or some equally similar stupid feature, but the fact remains that the only reason these features exist is because nobody can agree on a standard form factor for memory.

If it's really that important, what someone really needs to do is produce a 2/6/7/9/21/23-in-one memory card reader with USB host and PictBridge and whatever else support. I would venture to bet one already exists.

Foregoing that, you ought to just standardize on CompactFlash for all of your "backend" equipment -- there are a lot of good offloading devices that simply dump a CF card to a hard drive or similar.. and there are all kinds of adaptors that convert various media to CF -- including MS, MS Duo, SD, MMC, etc... I remain steadfast in my belief that CompactFlash will stick around as the most flexible small form factor flash memory form factor -- if for no other reason than it is the only one large enough to accomidate adaptors/readers for all of the others!

[aliask @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

I have a Nikon Coolpix 5900, which is compatible with my H340 (also USBOTG). Its a great camera, and takes fantastic shots, but it has no manual shutter speed control, so if you want that sort of thing, then you might opt for something else.
It's not a tiny camera, but its pretty small.
Check out the product page, http://nikonimaging.com/global/products/digitalcamera/coolpix/5900/index.htm

[Austin Vaughan @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Aside from the iPod, most portable devices that are Mass Storage Complient seem to work with the USB Host feature on the X5. I've been able to hook up my Camera (Olympus), PSP, and some other MP3 players to it. Transfer speed is like USB1 but, eh, it works.

[yuppicide @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

That Cowen doesn't have any SD slot or anything?!

I, myself, would opt for camera features. I would get the Canon S2 IS: 5 megapixel, 12x optical zoom, image stabilization, super macro mode, etc. Then I would find a card reader that doesn't require a driver to plug into your Cowen.

[somebody, somewhere @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

you know...so many people here rambling about all these different cameras...it could get very confusing....and here is what it boils down to:
no sony camera-expensive, proprietary (you have to use their very expensive memory cards). if size is an issue, get a casio ex-s500. the camera was just announced a few days ago and has everything you want, is cheaper when compared to similar cameras, and takes SD cards which come relatively cheap these days. it's not shipping till july, but you can order one now. after looking around for a new camera, this is the one i settled on, for the above reasons. i dont konw how people can say "i'm buying a T1" or a T7...unless you have $$ to blow. well, there you have it.

oh btw, i currently have the casio ex-z40 and am very happy with it (except that it doesnt take VGA video, which is why i'm getting this new one), casio makes excellent cameras.

[somebody, somewhere @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

oh, and heres the link for the best camera ever:
http://www.casio.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=corporate.pressrelease&page=/corporate/pressreleases/2005-09_06_ex-s500.htm

it really is sweet-way better (and just as thin) as the sony T1s and T7s or whatever, not to mention cheaper (including the price of a memory card)

[marbin @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Panasonic Lumix LZ2

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Panasonic/panasonic_dmclz2.asp

[gem @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

well, you guys can just opt for a USB OTG (on-the-go) hard disk. the hard disk is any small 2.5 inch laptop hard disk, 40gb is really really cheap nowadays.

then just USB OTG hard disk enclosure. it's not any bigger than a regular laptop (2.5 inch) hard drive enclosure, but it has usb host functionality so you can directly hook your camera to it and dump photos on the 40gb (or 60, 80gb) drive.

the hard disk case has a little add-on module that takes 4 AA batteries. if you don't want to use that it's got a little plug that you can plug into a wall socket. so if you're outside i suppose you could do the photo transfer thing while you're at lunch at a restaurant somewhere.

[john eager @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

what are your thoughts on the olympus stylus 500

[Patrick @ Dec 19th 2005 1:23AM]

Somewhat off-topic but related - I just took a two week trip and over 3.5GB of pictures with the help of the Delkin USB Bridge. I was already going to take my iRiver (which acts as a USB mass storage device) and Canon camera (which does, too) - the Delkin bridge let me dump the pictures from the camera to the iRiver and verifies the copy so I didn't need to bring a laptop. The USB OTG disk market looked awful and I'm glad I didn't need to buy a special purpose portable hard drive for my situation and could basically just stick with hardware I've got.