card viewer: I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any...

olcoach Loc: Oregon

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

Musket Loc: ArtBallin'

olcoach wrote:

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Memory+card+reader

naturepics43 Loc: Hocking Co. Ohio - USA

olcoach wrote:

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

They can be viewed (from the sd card) on your computer without downloading them, using a card reader. Or you could use a picture frame viewer for about 40 or 50 dollars. Google "Kodak picture frame" for many choices.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I just put a card in the plug in card reader I use to transfer pictures to my computer. I was able to veiw the pictures and delete them. Most new computers have card readers so you may be set or if not readers are under $10. - Dave

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

wilsondl2 wrote:

I just put a card in the plug in card reader I use to transfer pictures to my computer. I was able to veiw the pictures and delete them. Most new computers have card readers so you may be set or if not readers are under $10. - Dave

Just don't get the REALLY cheap ones. Alignment problems and easily busted pins.

DOOK Loc: Maclean, Australia

Does your computer have a card slot? Most do. I have never had a need for an external/plug in card reader. :D

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

olcoach wrote:

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

I use my laptop or a netbook computer to view and delete photos on my cards. If you delete all the photos on the card by formatting make sure you format the card in your camera. The formats are different, computers format for data files, not photos. Formatting in camera is much safer, normally a low level format.

Jim D

EstherP

olcoach wrote:

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

Using a card reader has been answered - just one addition:
Format the card in the camera it is going to be used with.
Never on your computer, that is asking for problems.
If you're not sure how to format in-camera, check your camera's manual and memorize the way to do it. It will only take seconds to format in-camera.
Between my husband and myself, we use five cameras that all take SD cards - when we go out, we make sure that we have at least one spare card formatted in the camera we take, so it can be switched in the shortest possible time and without having to format it then. Murphy's law: The best photo-op happens when your card is out of the camera!
EstherP

oldtool2 Loc: South Jersey

EstherP wrote:

Murphy's law: The best photo-op happens when your card is out of the camera!
EstherP

Esther, how true that is! If I ever catch that little son of a XXXXX he is dead!

Jim D

GaryS1964 Loc: Northern California

No disrespect but you sound like my sister in law. All her pictures are stored on CF cards. When she fills one up she buys another. Personally I don't think CF cards make good long term storage devices.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

GaryS1964 wrote:

No disrespect but you sound like my sister in law. All her pictures are stored on CF cards. When she fills one up she buys another. Personally I don't think CF cards make good long term storage devices.

Actually, I've heard of some pros that do that same thing.

schuchmn

GaryS1964 wrote:

No disrespect but you sound like my sister in law. All her pictures are stored on CF cards. When she fills one up she buys another. Personally I don't think CF cards make good long term storage devices.

CF cards have been know to go through a clothes washer and come out readable. Try that with a disk drive.

But actually, the best thing to do, whatever your preferred storage medium, is to make sure you have more than one copy of everything before formatting a card.

GaryS1964 Loc: Northern California

schuchmn wrote:

But actually, the best thing to do, whatever your preferred storage medium, is to make sure you have more than one copy of everything before formatting a card.

Exactly. Although personally I don't like using CF cards as a permanent storage device it doesn't make much difference what media you use as long as you have multiple copies of the data AND check them regularly to make sure they are still viable.

rebride

olcoach wrote:

I have an abundance of cards. I don't like putting them in my camera to see if I have something on them I want to keep or can I use them for something else. Is there any kind of a relatively inexpensive device that you can put the card into and view the pictures on the cards allowing one to decide to keep, or reformat the card? Thanks for any help.

Try a digital photo frame. That would probably work.
You could possibly view on a TV, but you would still have to use the camera.
There are different kinds of digital media viewers and trail viewers (hunter's use them) and such things.
http://www.huntenoutdoors.com/products/Field-Viewer-4-GB.html
http://www.amazon.com/NIX-Digital-Motion-Sensor-Memory/dp/B0095ABFGO/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1381980399&sr=1-10&keywords=digital+photo+viewer+portable

Don't know if these are any good, but will give you some ideas.

schuchmn

There are also devices that combine viewing with storage, They're pricey though. For example:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/887229-REG/Sanho_shdcsudma2160_160GB_HyperDrive_COLORSPACE_UDMA2.html