A digital camera comprising a storage unit(10-e) for storing an electric image signal, an interface (10-k) capable of communicating with a printing apparatus, and a control unit (10-d) for transferring said image signal to said printing apparatus for processing by said printing apparatus, and characterized by further comprising: a determination unit (10-d) for automatically determining, by communication between the camera and a connected printing apparatus via said interface, whether New Camera Direct Print (NCDP) has been implemented in both the camera and the printing apparatus, meaning that the camera and the printing apparatus both have, in an application layer thereof built on protocol and interface layers thereof, an application for direct printing without the involvement of an external computer and independent of protocols and interfaces of said protocol and interface layers, and, if NCDP has not been implemented in one of the camera and the printing apparatus, to determine as a control relationship between the camera and the connected printing apparatus a first type of control relationship in which said storage unit in the camera can be accessed directly by said printing apparatus without using said application, and if the NCDP has been implemented in both the camera and the printing apparatus to determine as said control relationship a second type of control relationship in which processing in said printing apparatus can be controlled via said interface by said control unit of the camera using said application, said communication being started automatically at the time when the camera is connected to the external printing apparatus; and a transfer controller (10-d, 10-f) adapted to change the transfer procedure for transferring an image in said camera to said printing apparatus based on the result of the determination carried out by the determination unit. a determination unit (10-d) for automatically determining, by communication between the camera and a connected printing apparatus via said interface, whether New Camera Direct Print (NCDP) has been implemented in both the camera and the printing apparatus, meaning that the camera and the printing apparatus both have, in an application layer thereof built on protocol and interface layers thereof, an application for direct printing without the involvement of an external computer and independent of protocols and interfaces of said protocol and interface layers, and, if NCDP has not been implemented in one of the camera and the printing apparatus, to determine as a control relationship between the camera and the connected printing apparatus a first type of control relationship in which said storage unit in the camera can be accessed directly by said printing apparatus without using said application, and if the NCDP has been implemented in both the camera and the printing apparatus to determine as said control relationship a second type of control relationship in which processing in said printing apparatus can be controlled via said interface by said control unit of the camera using said application, said communication being started automatically at the time when the camera is connected to the external printing apparatus; and a transfer controller (10-d, 10-f) adapted to change the transfer procedure for transferring an image in said camera to said printing apparatus based on the result of the determination carried out by the determination unit.