Expert: David Silver - 9/4/2005

Question
Some info about docking, please.  I am going to buy a digital camera and have heard that a docker is necessary.

Answer
Hi Frank,

No, in most cases a dock is NOT necessary.  A dock is simply a shortcut device that allows you to print pictures directly from a digital camera without a computer.  It is an accessory, and in most cases is not mandatory.  The traditional methods for printing pictures from digital cameras are either to load the images into a computer (and then print them out with the computer's color printer or a separate high quality photograph printer) or to take the storage "chip" (or "stick" or "memory card" or whatever that manufacturer calls it) out of the camera, bring it to a photo store (or a photo outlet at a pharmacy or grocery store), plug it into a digital printing machine, and make your own pay-as-you-go prints.  I use a Fuji digital camera, and the way I make prints is to connect the camera directly to my computer with a USB cable, transfer the image files, use Photoshop to clean up the images, and then use the computer's printer to make whatever prints I choose.  I have a friend with an Olympus digital camera who prefers to pull out the memory card, go to his neighborhood grocery store where they have a digital printing kiosk, plug in the card, and pick and choose the images he wishes to print and pay for right there.  In either case, no dock is necessary.  However, a dock is actually a very cool and worthwhile investment, especially if you only wish to make standard 4 x 6 inch prints, and you don't expect to do a lot of editing.  Kodak digital cameras offer a fabulous series of docks for that purpose.  The system allows you to literally plug the entire camera into the dock, there's this little preview screen that allows you to see all the images stored in the camera at that time, you can edit them slightly if necessary, and usually with the push of a single button you can produce a basic 4 x 6 inch (or 3 x 5 inch) print.  Canon also offers an excellent series of docks.  Some docks also serve as all-purpose communicating devices between the camera and a computer or separate printer, but most docks today are simply small photo printers with direct connections for that particular brand of camera.  Once again, you do not NEED a dock, there are other ways to get prints out of a digital camera, but if all you're interested in doing is making simple prints and you don't care about massive file storage, a dock is a very nice little accessory.

Best wishes,

David Silver