How to Transfer Files from Your Digital Camera to Your Computer

Learn how to transfer photos and videos from your digital camera (DSLR or Mirrorless Camera) to your computer using Windows PC. I will show you 2 different ways to connect the camera's storage to the computer, first by using the USB data transfer cable and then by removing the SD card from the camera and plugging it directly into the computer. Then we use file explorer to copy and move the files that we want over to the computer.
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:14 Using USB Data Transfer Cable
0:44 By Removing SD Card From Camera
1:30 How To Find Files from Camera
3:04 List View vs Thumbnail View
3:34 How To Move Files From Camera To Computer
5:44 How To Delete Files From SD Card
6:03 How To Eject SD Card From Computer
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📺 ABOUT MY CHANNEL
This Guy makes filmmaking, photography and animation Tutorials for everyday, average, regular people like you and me. My Tutorials are meant to help you learn how to make the most out the equipment and software that you have (or that you can afford) taking you from beginner to pro along the way. So if you want videos that are clear, helpful & straight to point, then this is the channel for you! Enjoy!

[@jacqueline4832]

Ran out of storage today and had to free up my sd card. First time ever transfering photos and I'm so glad I came across this tutorial. Clear, straight to the point, and exactly as described.. it didnt even take me ten minutes to transfer everything. Thanks so much!

[@user-qh3wz5ik1g]

You are the BEST!!! I have tried for a couple of days to transfer photos from my Pixpro AZ401 using a USB with no success. Then, as you suggested, I used the SIM card after inserting it into my computer, and all of the photos came up for me to import. THANK YOU!!! Have a great weekend/holiday in remembrance of Memorial Day.

[@ThisGuy]

That's great that it worked! Glad I could help! 👍

[@madamsoulfood]

Thanks so much ! I just learned something new . Much appreciated . I couldnt download my video for about three hours until I came over here 👍🏼

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome!

[@Pantelos125]

Thnx I was trying for hours to move photos from my grandmothers old camera to her computer. I appreciate you buddy keep up the good work!!!❤:)

[@ThisGuy]

You're very welcome!

[@riasarkar1694]

I was struggling hard but your video made everything clear. Thank you so much❤❤

[@ThisGuy]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching! 👍

[@4everdr0nk49]

when i connect it with usb it doesnt pop up on my computer

[@user-id9bo3ms7l]

same

[@johnnycanread9978]

too much I'm lost and my computer doesn't recognize the camera

[@robertetchingham7337]

Same here. I'm using this dell computer that I hate. It's just giving me a sound that the camera is connected but I get no pop-up... very annoying

[@dragonflamesucksMC]

This is very little don't do coding

[@lifeoftati01]

@@robertetchingham7337same

[@jeremiahzimmer7830]

The best tutorial I could find. most of the others were too old, bad quality, or skipped steps. 😄🤗

[@ThisGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@soufianghalb8679]

Thank you so much man, was really struggling with that EOS Utility before I came across your video

[@ThisGuy]

Glad it helped!

[@Lana-iq3gm]

I liked how clear and detailed the video are , thanks !

[@ThisGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jeremyhare747]

A great explanation Shawn. It made it very clear to follow, thank you.

[@ThisGuy]

Very welcome

[@SimplyThatSleepyGuy]

Thanks man!

[@kabagyanmasterpiece]

Thank You So Much For The Wisdom and Knowlegde

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome.

[@mcdiarys]

very detailed! thank you ❤

[@ThisGuy]

You’re welcome 😊

[@Mohamadblogger]

Oh thank you . I was need this info

[@ThisGuy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@temuujinulziibayr1726]

thanks for the cleanest explanation

[@ThisGuy]

No problem!

[@Moni31909]

Thank you!!!! This was super easy !!! ❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉

[@ThisGuy]

You're so welcome!

[@tristanrujano]

Thankyou! I honestly feel overwhelmed with cullating photos. It’s not an enjoyable process but I want to change that.

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome. 👍 Yes...it can be a very tedious task for sure...

[@wildfire6005]

What stuff do people use, I am a beginner to camera work and am wondering which of the methods work better and what gear people use. Thanks to anyone who helps!

[@mobilenumber3086]

Very informative thank you❤️

[@ThisGuy]

You are so welcome!

[@MontanaWeatherby]

Hi there Shawn, I have a eos rebel 6tI whenever I transfer videos from my camera through eos utility and download them to my computer the quality turns out blurry but on the actual camera its looks crisp and clean

[@sjshofilena9232]

Thanks very clearly done

[@ThisGuy]

You're very welcome!

[@Roblox13191]

it help a lot he the best

[@osamastein]

thanks, this helped a lot!

[@ThisGuy]

No problem!

[@joelingram4371]

Clear and insightful, thanks for sharing. Is there a way to avoid duplicate files after transferring?

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome. Once you've transfer the files to your computer, you just have to delete the ones from your SD card right away (is that what you mean?)

[@xtensionxward3659]

the more important question is which method wears down the camera hardware more ? i assume that breaking the usb port inside the camera over repeated numerous usage is better than breaking the sd card slot because that would kill the camera while with a broken usb port it can still function and write photos on the sd card . however using the usb port could be potentially more risky because a power surge could burn the camera circuits .. there is also using the wifi or bluetooth option but it isn't valid for me as copying a 5 Gb size files could take hours

[@neptxnetips]

thank you so much! I just spent like an hour wanting to cry because I couldn't figure it out until I found your video

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome!! Glad I could Help! 👍

[@kim-pw9ob]

For the memory cards, I made it automatically go to photos instead of files. Do yk how to change that setting so it goes to file explorer instead of photos?

[@Robkq]

thank you, worth like

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome!

[@YahsWiseChildren]

I have an ASUS computer so i don't have a big sim card slot or that big thing that your using so i have no idea how to transfer the photos

[@haileybuffington6246]

Great video thank you! How do I make sure to keep the original date the picture or video was taken and not the day I copied it to my computer?

[@ThisGuy]

When I view my images in "list view" the dates that I see are the dates that the photos were taken...? But the date that you took the photo will also still exist within the metadata. If you right click on the photo and go to properties, I think the "modified date" is the date that photo was taken and the "created date" is when the photo was added to the computer. Did that work for you?

[@bbianca68]

thank you!

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome!

[@sahildhapola_]

try to turn off wifi on camera and then connect via usb , it worked for me

[@bryson294]

saved my life

[@ThisGuy]

glad i could help

[@ibdam1]

You are the MOST informative you-tuber in the WORLD. I’m a new subscriber. Thanks for your GREAT info.

[@ThisGuy]

Ha! Thanks and welcome

[@emiliotellez1609]

Bro thank you so muchhhhh

[@ThisGuy]

no problem!

[@Ebread1738]

I accidentally formatted my sdxc card for my m50 mark 2 and I recovered all my photos but is their a way I can put them back in the folder canon 100 and see them back on my camera?

[@Izuxz]

hi, Does anyone know how to use the "powershot sx500 is canon" as a webcam?

[@galvanizingtechniques1111]

Yeah Good Job Brother...

[@ThisGuy]

Thanks!

[@tarsneyisleestrelas4659]

my canon 250D will download smaller videos to my computer but the larger ones wont which means the file on the computer for that download is empty.any idea why ? spoke to microsoft they confirm its not the computer...confused 🙂

[@anid1119]

Is there a way to transfer photos onto the camera?? I accidentally formatted my camera and got the pictures back from a specialist service but they are not appearing on my camera again

[@Masakazu-gp7jn]

i have little problem i put my sdcard in my computer with the (USB SDCARD transfer) and when i select (open in folder) in Choose what to do with memory card. All my photos disappear and the folder with photos have no icon

[@Mohamadblogger]

Thank you

[@ThisGuy]

You're welcome

[@annaxuan4936]

does this work with a usbc cable

[@Shoggy56]

Thanks

[@ThisGuy]

Welcome

[@Levithin.]

Gracias amigo

[@ThisGuy]

no problemo!

[@soupdragon12345]

How would I transfer from camera to google photos?

[@sarsarah765]

About transfering photos via wifi i tried it and it didnt work through the app canon

[@SuccessmarketingWEB]

The USB c Cable did not work but I did put the memory card in the macbook pro then it worked.

[@RoydeanEU]

My windows 11 PC doesn't even detect the camera when I plug it in despite the fact it charges while plugged in 😐😐😐

[@ThisGuy]

You will need an SD card reader now probably...

[@RoydeanEU]

@@ThisGuy Yep I got one today and it worked. 👍

[@natechenry]

Does the photos import to the pc as RAW? And if not is there a way you can import the RAW files from the camera to pc rather than having it be JPEG?

[@ThisGuy]

If you took the photo in RAW, then it will import to the computer as a RAW file.

[@dizclutchgames]

Before tranferring the file... is it best to copy the video or image, or cut and paste?

[@ThisGuy]

I always copy and paste (or drag the files over) and then delete after.

[@Dempsity115]

the thing in the top right wont appear its appeared before but now it wont?

[@shaynwalker4787]

You can always trust a Raptors fan!

[@ThisGuy]

Ha! 👍

[@itzcrashzz]

Can someone gere help me? I got a sony a6700 with a 50mm 1.2 and everytime i transfer my photos to my pc or smartphone it loses a lot of quality idk why, the in camera quality looks beatifull but the quality on the pc looks trash, any tips?

[@lanceling7934]

good job

[@ThisGuy]

Thanks

[@Don_cooks]

What if I want to take the pictures back into the SD card without deleting it?

[@naetiontv]

The problem I’m having is when I transfer to my laptop the videos look great but once I transfer to my iPhone to post to social media etc it’s pixelated. Like my face is unrecognizable. You can’t see anything but pixels

[@mffilmsandphotography]

Im a mirrorles camera user , just wondering why my videos when transferred to laptop is so buggy or so slow. In camera playback it’s just normal

[@ThisGuy]

my guess is that your computer is the issue. Either it doesn't have the hardware capability to handle the quality of your footage and/or you don't have the proper drivers or something?

[@yanivdoumani4]

my pc doesn't recognize my lumix camera' i checked the port and the cable and theyre both working, what can i do?

[@ThisGuy]

get a card reader?

[@bigbadhag]

The Canon app is no good for video transfers, I have the cables and the card reader. Is there an advantage to either one?

[@ThisGuy]

I tend not to ever use the App for any camera (no particular reason, just learned a different way and got used to it).. In my classroom I have students use the cables for our older cameras (Canon T3, T6, etc), but using File Explorer and not the app to do the transfer. For our newer cameras however, I get students to remove the SD card and transfer via card reader and file explorer. For myself, I always remove the SD card. I think it's better/more reliable...but that's just my opinion/experience, not an actual proven thing. Hope that answers your question/helps...?

[@bigbadhag]

@@ThisGuy Yes,I don't think either one is as complicated as app. I generally don't like apps,they pry too much. Thanks for the response.I self taught myself on slr's my dad left me,then the world went digital,took 20 years to get back into it. My passion is night photography.I have 2 Yashica electro 35s gathering dust,1 has 10 exposures left,guess I will finish them off and see what I get

[@ramblinnernd5905]

I’ve successfully transferred pictures but I’m wondering how can they transfer in order. I’m trying to do stop motion but the pictures are coming in out of order. Is there any way I can put them in order in one go?

[@ThisGuy]

If you switch to the "list" or "details" view once they are on the computer, you should be able to click on the "File Name" column header and they sort by file name...putting them in order.

[@ame744]

i tried transferring pics from my camera to my laptop using a usb cable, it worked the first few times but now pop-ups dont appear when i plug the usb and i cant access my camera storage through my files. do you by any chance know what might be wrong? thank you!

[@ThisGuy]

You probably need to get a card reader now. I've had a few cameras "lose their ability to transfer via wire connector"

[@sandyrtyyhf2851]

I don't know what I did😢my pictures are in CTG format/file

[@Ravecat27]

Are the picture quality at the end the same with cardreader or with cable?

[@ThisGuy]

Yes. both will be the same.

[@Ravecat27]

@@ThisGuy thx

[@universpro7741]

If you transfer 4k gootage to a 2010 laptop, will it change the quality?

[@ThisGuy]

No. but your screen resolution might not be able to "see" the full quality.

[@SuhanX]

Thx bro❤

[@ThisGuy]

No problem

[@romiemiller7876]

I have been uploading images from my D800s to my laptop for 5years. Windows recently upgraded my laptop to Windows 11 from 10. Now files won’t upload, and I can’t find anything Nikon in programs.

[@princess544]

Do you still able to see the photos on the laptop?

[@romiemiller7876]

@@princess544 No. New photos still in the camera only are not visible on the laptop. I downloaded Nikon's newer software, but it won't upload raw files. I upload 16-bit tiff files. I'm going to buy a Sandisk card reader I think. My Noise and Sharpen AI and Gigapixel works best with raw files

[@snisoo7954]

there is no pop up on my computer

[@Reneelee642]

This to much and my computer doesn’t recognize the camera for some reason 😢

[@djhot80]

Why camera should be off when connecting to a computer?

[@ThisGuy]

just the way i do it. no harm in having the camera on already.

[@brianletter3545]

This has got b nothing to do with my enquiry.😢

[@gregwoolliscroft6255]

WHY is it now so complicated.....I didn't know about the choice of how to import them, haow can I go back to that and choose what you chose, I don't get that option now...they just upload by the first choice and I cannot put things into folders and choose where I save them....

[@ThisGuy]

It's not that complicated, but there are many possible differentiations (between cameras, connectors, computers, etc) so I tried to be as general as possible to suit as many people as possible. It's really just... 1. connect to the computer 2. find your files 3. copy them to the computer

[@gregwoolliscroft6255]

@@ThisGuy But how can I go back to the default to choose how I upload?...I don't have that choice now....

[@Jv_104]

do you know why only a few photos show up and no videos?

[@ThisGuy]

did you look in your other folders? Sometimes cameras create multiple folders, either because of file names or file types...

[@Jv_104]

@@ThisGuy i have, but ill check again!

[@pjpronger7918]

Doesn't work for me. The video file is complete and viewable on the camera, but dragging it to the computer destroys the content and it has 0 size there.

[@ThisGuy]

Never seen that before...?

[@YxngTaTTa]

why does it look good on the camera but very bad quality on pc

[@ThisGuy]

Because when images/screens are smaller (like on a phone/camera) the pixels are compressed/more dense...so even lower quality images will probably still look good. Once you expand/view on a larger monitor the pixels are no longer as dense, and thus the image won't look as good (especially if you missed focus a bit and/or have a camera with lower megapixels).

[@jacyjacinth7565]

why cant i see my videos, just images

[@ThisGuy]

are your videos in a different folder maybe?

[@SparkleStudioq]

i see my videos on pc but i can't open ):

[@ThisGuy]

what format did you record in? You might need to use VLC or some other player to view your clips depending on the format it was recorded in...

[@jodyoliver19]

i get no pop up

[@ThisGuy]

means your cord, or the camera connection is no good...

[@jodyoliver19]

@@ThisGuy Nikon d5100

[@sniper7303]

the usb is not usbeing ;-;

[@ThisGuy]

Like, your USB cable isn't working? That happens. You need a card reader now probably.

[@Reagan-xi1pb]

WUNDERFOWWw

[@thisguydoesphotoshop]

This is my comment...

[@ThisGuy]

It's a good one!

[@firegod9630]

I tired connecting my camera usb but nothings pops up. Can it be fixed or do i have to get the card reader ?

[@ThisGuy]

You might be able to get it fixed, but I typically use a card reader anyway...