This page provides a brief overview of the main features of Cam2Com and how to use them.

Cam2Com is a multi-window program, with each window corresponding to one digital camera connected to the computer.

Some features of Cam2Com may work only with one camera at a time, while others work with all connected cameras at once.

For most Olympus "Rye" cameras you need to switch the camera into so-called PC mode before you can use them with Cam2Com. Then connect the camera to the computer and make sure it is turned on, has power, the media is inserted, and the media door is closed.

The first time you run Cam2Com its behavior depends on the kind of the cameras connected to the computer.

If only Olympus cameras are connected, Cam2Com window is empty. You need to select all camera models you wish to work with. Cam2Com then opens a number of windows equal to the number of cameras connected to the computer (regardless on the number of Olympus "Wheat" cameras it opens only one window for all of them).

If Canon cameras connected, Cam2Com displays one window for every connected Canon camera.

Each camera window has the name (camera ID) of the camera it serves in its caption. When cameras are shipped by the manufacturer, all of their IDs are most likely the same. It is highly recommended to set different IDs for different cameras, because Cam2Com uses camera IDs to generate file names for pictures, produced by that camera.

To work with a specific camera, make that camera window active by clicking on it or by selecting it in the Window menu. Then use the toolbar or menu system to perform required tasks. You can also right-click the camera window and use the popup menu, which summarizes the most useful commands available at that time.

To take a single picture with the active camera press the toolbar button.

The status bar below the camera window shows the progress of downloading the image from the camera. (For Olympus "Wheat" camera types that progress is not shown.)

After a picture is taken, it is displayed in the window of the appropriate camera. You may select a different zoom for that picture (this zoom does not affect the actual picture file, the picture is always saved with the full resolution as it was taken by the camera). If needed, the picture can be rotated by 90° clockwise or counterclockwise before saving.

You can take several pictures of the same object consecutively without saving them. These pictures form a series through which you can move back and forward (using arrow keys on the keyboard or and  toolbar buttons). In this case the pictures are superimposed on top of each other, and moving between them creates the impression that the quality of the same picture changes. This allows easily comparing the quality of the pictures for selecting and saving the best one (or all of them if you wish).

You may rotate picture by 90° counterclockwise or clockwise using and buttons. Other than rotating pictures, Cam2Com does not have any picture editing capabilities.

Open Capture Properties dialog (toolbar button ) to have ready access to the exposure parameters, zoom, flash mode, white balance, etc. You can take pictures while this dialog is open. It even conveniently has the "Take Picture" button in it. You can also make a different camera active and the dialog will update itself with the current settings of that camera.

Use special dialogs to change camera manual focus (if supported by the camera) and zoom  (if supported by the camera) - toolbar button , time and ID - toolbar button .

Press toolbar button to take pictures with all connected cameras at once. All cameras will take pictures that are downloaded from the cameras into their corresponding windows. Then you may save pictures one at a time or all at once.

Press toolbar button to start taking pictures automatically, over a period of time.