EOS Rebel T3i Help needed setting up on Windows computer

[Natalie3]

Hi I purchased a EOS Rebel T3i camera second hand and am looking to set it up on my computer.  I have windows 10 and have no idea how to do this.  Would appreciate any guidance 🙂

[normadel]

There is nothing to "setup" on the computer, if all you want is to transfer photos from camera. You can also use a USB A-to-Mini B cable to connect them. The camera shows up as a drive in Windows File Explorer. Open it, open the DCIM folder, and drag your photos to the computer.

The program that lets you do remote controlling of the camera is called "EOS Utility". But you don't need it just for file transfer.

[kvbarkley]

If you are trying to use it as a webcam, note that it is not officially supported by Canon's webcam software. You may need to use some other sort of capture device using HDMI or the AV video out.

[Tronhard]

What do you want to do as regards using the computer?
If you simply want to download images to look at and process you don't need to do anything except make sure you have a SD card reader - either in-built or via a USB port.

The fastest, most reliable and efficient method to transfer files is:
1. With your camera turned off, remove the SD card
2. Insert it into the computer's card reader - it should then be seen as a removeable drive
3. Use the copy command to copy the files across to a folder on your hard disc.
4. Having checked that the files have moved across, use the Windows Eject Card feature (right click on the icon for the card and select Eject from the pop-up menu), you should then see the card disappear off File Manager.  If not, the card is still in use, so don't pull it out.
5. Remove the card and put it back in the camera
6. Turn the camera on and use the camera's Format command to wipe the card clean.  Don't just delete files on the card as, over time, this can create a risk of file errors and formatting makes the card read/write faster.

If you want to anything else, then you might want to visit the support page for the T3i.
Canon Support for EOS Rebel T3i | Canon U.S.A., Inc.