I transfer my photos from camera to hard drive through Windows Explorer by way of a reader. If I work on the file in Elements and save it in jpg (I know… there’ll be some loss involved), will I then be able to safely "retrace" my steps and drag back from Explorer to the Smart Media card in my camera? Would I have to rename the file? Can this cause a problem to the card? In other words, should I beware???
Learn how to rescue details, remove flyaways, add volume, and enhance the definition of hair in any photo. We break down every tool and technique in Photoshop to get picture-perfect hair, every time.
I use my card reader all the time for moving photos. You can even move regular files on them – they make great mini hard drives. Just remember that if you don’t rename the image files you’ve worked on that they’ll probably replace the originals. I, along with a number of other regulars here on the forum, always make sure I archive one original JPEG image from my card. As time goes on, I’ve learned I don’t always want my only copy to be one that I’ve already edited.
I wonder, though, what goal you have in mind. If you are anticipating displaying the edited images on your camera’s LCD, you may be disappointed. Many cameras require JPG files to be "just so" in order to display them. My Sony cameras don’t recognize edited images as valid photos, when I put them back in.
If, however, your intent is to simply transport the images on the card, then you should have good results. I use this practice to carry files to Costco for printing – their terminal accepts CDs, floppies, and all types of memory cards.
If you mean for the purpose of displaying the image through the camera onto TV (or even displaying in camera’s LCD screen), many (if not most) cams require that you generally save the images back to a certain folder on the card, and conform to the same naming convention that the camera makes.
Thanks for your responses. I guess what I’m mostly interested in here is that if I do drag the file from my hard drive back to the card (BTW, I assume I just leave the card in the reader when I do this) it won’t upset anything as far as using the card normally in the future.
This is very interesting for me to read also,,,,,,I have been wondering the same thing. My Coolpix 4300 is supposed to be able to plug into the TV and have a slideshow, but I have never done this. I put the pictures on my Powerbook and plug it into the TV, (actually the VCR as our TV is too old to have a Svideo input.) Then I just run the slide show using Graphic Converter. But the camera is somewhat more portable than the laptop. And also I have been wondering if I can do just what Kenny wants to do; just drag the pictures back off the computer onto an empty card and take it to Costco or whatever. I just upload my pictures to Shutterfly and have them print them. Actually that is quite easy and I don’t have to go into town. I do everything the old fashioned way, so you can see how much I learn from you guys each and every day here! Thanks again, Jane
No, Kenny, nothing will be disturbed. Just use the traditional drag and drop technique in either direction. The one thing you shouldn’t do – or at least I’ve heard it shouldn’t be done and I believe it – is to use your computer to format the CF card. Always make sure that’s done in the camera.
I was serious; these things are kind of like miniature external/internal hard drives! Going slightly off the subject – but I read a post on a Mac forum where somewhere has a 256MB CF card installed in a PCMCIA slot and is using it as additional RAM on a very old PowerBook. They’re really quite amazing little creatures.
I’ve used CF cards to transfer files, especially large PowerPoint presentations, back and forth between laptops at conferences. CF PCMCIA adaptor makes it pretty simple.
What is a CF PCMCIA adaptor? Work with Macs? Additional RAM for my old Powerbook, this sounds neat. I thought the CF cards just dealt with pictures. (I do have one of the little USB flash memory things.)
I found this info below,,,
"Accepts CompactFlash Type I cards of all capacities * Can also accept CompactFlash Type I peripherals such as a CompactFlash modem or LAN card. * Simply plug straight into the PC Card (PCMCIA) Slot of your laptop * Your CompactFlash card will automatically be recognized as an extra hard drive $6"
Use this an extra HD to move things from computer to computer? Would it connect to my G4? I am always asking questions and you people are so patient with me, so another thank you, lets buy some SanDisk stock,,,,,, Jane
PCMCIA adaptor is a small device, very thing and about as long as a pack of cigarettes that fits into the tiny slot on your laptop (probably on one of the left or right side).
But Jane, I think you already have one those USB portable drive (like a key chain) ? If so, the only thing this PCMCIA CF adaptor would permit is for you to use your existing CF cards.
I have used the CF card to shuttle images back and forwards between the laptop and my imac – in the days before I had a network. Only on one occasion did I have any problem using the CF card in the camera afterwards and that was cured by reformatting the card in the camera. Susan S
yep, description sums it up, just a "holder" actually, that allows the pins of the CF card to line up by extension to the internal pins of the puter’s slot. The CF adaptors are cheap, as you say, under $10 generally. The adaptors for other types of memory cards are more.
Thanks everybody, so I won’t bother to get one, as it would just be duplicating my USB keychain thing. It is so handy and so small. If I have a lot of stuff like several months of pictures to go over to my brother’s house, I just take my Ext HD, its Firewire and fast and easy. But the little USB thing takes care of most everything else. I did learn that there are certain older iMacs that just won’t recognize the USB thing, you can’t tell until you plug it in, and the little hd never shows up. Another lesson absorbed by me, thanks again! Jane
