Until now the iPad only played a very specific type of MOV file, not the files that my camera produced. With iOS 4.2 this seems to have been fixed.
You know, I saw that in the specs yesterday and I thought I was misunderstanding, or it was a typeo. Apple - iPad - View the technical specifications for iPad.
I just thought that I would give it a try, and. it worked. Originally, I was vey disappointed/annoyed to find that I could load movies from I camera and play them. I had expected that this would be possible. At least now the problem has been addressed.