harolnick

Around 80 jpgs were on the Sundisk memory card of my Canon Powershot. For unknown reason, pix didn't show on camera---but on my PC, all of them showed up (whew!) Canon tech suggested I copy pix from memory card to separate directory on PC, then format the memory card (inside camera), which I did. The result? I can copy the pix back to camera, but the camera still doesn't read pictures.(When I took a picture, it could be seen). Canon said that once the jpg has been on the PC, it can't be seen any more! Thus three questions: a) Is there any tweaking I can do with the Canon to resolve this? b) Are any software programs around so I can see pix on my camera? c) Last resort. Are there any camera brands which don't have this propriety tenacity, so I can copy pix from PC to camera? (f.y.il, yes, I locked and opened Sundisk. PC is Windows 7.) Thanks and apologies for long message.

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Can you use a different memory card, format in-camera, take photos, download and/or view on PC, then re-insert the card and see the photos?

It's unclear to me what you mean by "copy pix back to camera." Did you delete the 80 from the card after copying to the computer?

Thanks!

harolnick

Thanks. Upon the Canon tech's advice, I copied pix from memory card onto a separate directory on PC (thus ensuring I wouldn't lose them.) Then ran format of memory card, then tried to copy them back. They were readily copied back, but couldn't be read on the camera viewfinder/

I'm borrowing a new memory card from a friend, and will take your advice. (I still can't figger out why Canon doesn't have a program to make jpgs----taken with its own camera, copied to its own camera--readable.)
'

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

It's still unclear to me why you would copy photos onto a blank card and then re-insert into the camera for viewing those photos.

The "normal" process doesn't work that way Someone else may come along to correct me, but I doubt that simply using an SD card as a storage device to view a file on a camera is do-able. Now I'll go test that theory.

kenievans Loc: Dallas

Can you see the photos on your camera when you first take them? I guess I don't understand why you would want to copy them back to the camera. The point of the removable memory cards is to save your photos on a PC, laptop or other device. Is it just to test whether or not your camera can read the files?

harolnick

Thanks. My PC and two separate storage disks have close to a thousand JPGs saved, but these 80-odd are favorites which I sometime show around. (Forgive my ego!) So would love to have them handy. You might be right, and copying them back might not be do-able. But on Ugly Hedgehog, practically everything is possible, so I'm giving it a try.

pmorin Loc: Huntington Beach, Palm Springs

Where did you format the sd card? If you used the camera to format the card then you shouldn’t have a problem. Your camera will not see the files if you formatted the card on the computer though. Use the camera to format then you should be ok.
The reason that your camera doesn’t read the file could be because the data was written in a format that the camera software doesn’t recognize. Chalk it up to ‘lesson learned’ and be happy that you saved the files that you have.
P

Linda From Maine Loc: Yakima, Washington

Ah, the fog has cleared 😀

Maybe use a tablet or smart phone for sharing photos when you're out and about? Or, if going to someone's home who has a computer, carry a thumb drive with those pics, then simply insert them to the other person's computer to view.

Bill_de Loc: US

This topic came up a while back. At that time I tried coping from my PC to a memory card to view in the camera. I was surprised that it didn't work. This was on a Nikon.

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hcmcdole

I believe you have to 1) put the images back in the directory structure that Canon uses and 2) use the name format of the image as Canon names them.

So on the root of the memory card is DCIM. Under that folder is your daily files (or however you set your camera up) as NNN-MMDD. Under the daily folder are the photos of that day with the prefix IMG_NNNN

DCIM\NNN_MMDD\IMG_NNNN (where N is an arbitrary number?) MMDD is month day

I just did an experiment by taking a few shots, moving the daily folders to my computer, formatting the card back in the camera, copying the daily folders back to the card at the root and couldn't see them on the camera. Popped the card back in the card reader and put the daily files under a new directory I created called DCIM - back in the camera and could see all the pictures.

Next experiment was renaming the picture IMG_5418 to IMG_5418-hello and could not see that photo on the camera. Back to the computer and remove "-hello" from the image name and back to camera and now the picture is seen. Renamed 5814 to 6000 and the picture could be seen on the camera.

Last experiment was folder renaming from 135_1014 (today's date) to 700_1014 - this worked in the camera. Renamed 700 to abc and it didn't work in camera. Renamed abc to 135 (the original name) and it worked again in camera. I am not reiterating all the steps between camera and card reader hooked to computer as all the renaming is of course done on the computer.

Simple solution is abide by the manufacturer's naming convention and it should work.

harolnick

Wow!!! Lots to explore here. And since the jpgs are all in external drives, no fear of losing them. Yes, the formatting was done in the camera. Now I'll take out a few prize pix (Audrey Hepburn being interviewed by me in Macau, the Dalai Lama and I in India---you see what I like to show?) and start your processes.

The DCIM directory (and others) show up on PC with memory card. And now to follow your most detailed instructions.....

BebuLamar

If you want to put the pictures on your camera so that you can take the camera around and show them to people why not put the pictures on the cell phone? I guess you have a phone right? The cell phone can display pictures much better than the camera.

harolnick

You are correct. And they are. But I'm so accustomed to my camera, that I just don't use the phone that much. If I can't get these pix on, I'll use the phone more.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Years ago I found on one camera that if I modified the images, like on a computer, and put them back on a card that I put in the camera, the camera can't handle them (display them) because something changed in the file that the camera did not like. Rotating images definitely does this on one camera of mine.
Could be this?

harolnick

No. I knew about this, so the pix remained virgin. Not even turning them sideways. Apparently, simply copying them on the PC is enough for them to not show on the viewfinder of the camera (though they're still on the memory card. Thus, while I love Canon, their system here seems confounded. Above your message, a long note from "hcmcdole" gives a virtual algorithmic solution, which I will work on tomorrow,.