14 DAY TRIAL // Some photographers relying on the iPad to import and upload their photos on the fly can no longer employ the Mac maker’s Camera Connection Kit, an accessory specifically designed for the tablet device, due to an unknown power management issue seemingly caused by the iOS 4.2 software update.
9to5mac summarizes the situation reporting that the iPad Camera Connection Kit no longer works with non-self powered devices.
Apparently, the problem is not tied to camera-related devices only, but also to USB microphones and even Apple’s own keyboard, as these devices require power of more than 20mA.
Another example is USB microphones, which were allegedly compatible with the iPad running iOS 3.2.2 but not with the new iOS 4.2 release.
Citing unnamed users, the blog claims these people are “unhappy that they cannot use many of their USB flash drives, USB keyboards, or USB microphones anymore,” and even more so “that many of their USB cameras no longer work with the iPad.”
The most upset seem to be photography fans who used to rely on their Apple tablets and camera connection kits to upload photos from their camera on the go.
If proved to be a bug of some sort, this issue will likely be remedied in an upcoming iOS release.
Apple’s camera kit includes two connectors, each with a different interface.
The Camera Connector features a USB interface. Users just plug it into the dock connector port on their iPad, then attach the digital camera or iPhone using a USB cable.
The kit also features an SD Card Reader, which allows users to easily import photos directly from their camera's SD card. Users simply connect it to their iPad, then insert the digital camera's SD card into the slot.
The iPad automatically opens the Photos app, which lets users choose which pictures to import, then organizes the selected photos into albums.
When synced a PC or Mac, the photos on the iPad are added to the user’s photo library.