Transferring digital-image files

I have four Transcend SDHC Flash Memory Cards, each of which is partlally-full.

How can I transfer all of the digital-image files onto one card?

Will I be able to playback the transferred images on the camera?

GCOTTERL said:

GCOTTERL wrote:
I have four Transcend SDHC Flash Memory Cards, each of which is partially-full.
How can I transfer all of the digital-image files onto one card?

Click to expand...

Hook up the camera to a USB port on your computer.

Copy the image-files from the camera to (any) drive (either internal or external to the computer).

Remove the camera from the USB port on your computer.

Format each memory card to erase it's contents (using the camera only to format the memory-cards) only after you have made absolutely sure that the copying operations proceeded successfully.

Pick which card you want to put all of the images onto (after making sure that the memory-card has the capacity to store all of the image-files).

Insert that memory card into the camera.

Hook up the camera to a USB port on your computer (again).

Copy all of the image-files from your computer drive(s) to the memory-card inserted in the camera.

Remove the camera from the USB port on your computer.

You are done !

GCOTTERL said:

Will I be able to playback the transferred images on the camera?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Thanks!!!!

I agree DM, this will result in all images being consolidated on a card but it is unlikley that they'll be viewable on the camera. The necessary control data, saved with the images as they are shot on the camera and used by the camera for display control purposes, will not be present. Stuart

I do this way bypassing camera/usb cable route

1.Create a new folder on your desktop let's say name SHOTS (right click and create a new folder)

2.Insert your partially filled SD card into computer SD card slot or Laptop SD card slot of 3rd party card reader if you do not have built in SD card readers

3.Copy and paste or Cut and paste onto the newly created folder (Drag N Drop or paste)
4,Do the same for all SD cards
5.Reformat ALL the cards through your card reader one at a time

6.Select card and insert (the one that you want to complied all) into SD card slot and just copy all the files from the SHOTS folder ( Drag N drop or Copy and paste)
Quicker than the cable-camera- USB route based on my experience.
No camera NO cables required

You can apply the same for ANY camera any media card/ANY computer/Anywhere in the world

enjoy

minzaw
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/myanmarmauk

windmillgolfer said:

I agree DM, this will result in all images being consolidated on a card but it is unlikley that they'll be viewable on the camera. The necessary control data, saved with the images as they are shot on the camera and used by the camera for display control purposes, will not be present. Stuart

Click to expand...

I regularly put "wrong" cards into other cameras to review the jpegs if the other camera happens to have a better screen. No problems.

The problems that may occur when consolidating images from a few cameras....

Be aware of file number collisions, you may need to rename a whole set of images before transferring.

The images all may need to be in the same host cameras folder, so if the host camera had folder structure of DCIM\109_PANA\ then all the images had best be in that folder.

If you now take a picture with that camera, then it will take the highest number it finds in the folder from any camera and add 1 and carry on from there.

Just now I used Windows Explorer and copied a Casio ZR100 image and an Olympus E-PL1 image to my LX3 into that folder shown above and they displayed properly on the LCD of the LX3. I used the LX3 cabled via its USB cable for the copying thus treating the LX3 like a disk drive.

The LX3 images gave more information but the "foreign" images displayed the image, histogram and basic file number (the last 4 digits) and date properly.

I vaguely remember from years ago with my old Ricoh R3 (I think it was) that I experimented with making a file bigger and bigger via edit program interpolation to see what the camera would read. I think I got to about 24 MP or so before the 5 MP camera decided that it could not display the jpeg any more.

Regards.......... Guy

Guy Parsons said:

I vaguely remember from years ago with my old Ricoh R3 (I think it was) that I experimented with making a file bigger and bigger via edit program interpolation to see what the camera would read. I think I got to about 24 MP or so before the 5 MP camera decided that it could not display the jpeg any more.

Click to expand...

Experimenting later.... dug out my old Ricoh R3 and it did not do what I said above. It must have been some other earlier camera, possibly one of my old Olympus models.

Just now took a Ricoh shot, used an edit program to interpolate to a different size, and put it back on the card with a valid file number. The result was an "unmatched file" message but the shot's own jpeg internal thumbnail was displayed regardless. Ditto an unaltered LX3 image did the same to the Ricoh. So some cameras are not so forgiving about what they will display.

On the other hand the LX3 displayed the Ricoh R3 and the Oly E-PL1 card's images OK, plus the Oly E-PL1 displayed the LX3 card and Ricoh R3 cards OK. Those cameras seem more forgiving about the card contents.

When I interpolated an LX3 image to slightly bigger, it (the LX3) also didn't like it and would only display the internal jpeg thumbnail in the file. My guess is that any edits to any image make a current camera not handle the image any more. My old Olympus must have been less discriminatory.

Of course to get back on track, the OP probably has a bunch of cards recorded in the same camera. That is much more straightforward to consolidate onto one card (if it fits) and all should be OK. There will be no file number clashes as long as the camera was set to always increment the file number each shot and not reset when a fresh card is inserted.

Regards....... Guy

minzaw said:

5.Reformat ALL the cards through your card reader one at a time

Click to expand...

I would suggest using the camera's formatting, not the card reader in a computer. In fact, even with new cards, or cards that have been used in other devices or cameras, it's best to format them in-camera before use. Computers may not format with the correct file structure, and also may add hidden files of their own, depending on the type of computer and its age and operating system.

--
Gary
Photo albums: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse

Gary R. said:

minzaw said:

5.Reformat ALL the cards through your card reader one at a time

Click to expand...

I would suggest using the camera's formatting, not the card reader in a computer. In fact, even with new cards, or cards that have been used in other devices or cameras, it's best to format them in-camera before use. Computers may not format with the correct file structure, and also may add hidden files of their own, depending on the type of computer and its age and operating system.

Click to expand...

If you must use the PC/Mac to format an SD/SDHC/SDXC card then try this https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_3/ for the "official" formatter. The first time a freshly officially formatted card is used in a camera then the camera's operating system adds the correct folders to get started.

Sometimes I've had a card not recognised as a card in a camera and won't format in the camera. It takes a computer format (with the proper format program as above) to sort it out.

Regards...... Guy

Guy Parsons said:

Guy Parsons wrote:

.... to get back on track, the OP probably has a bunch of cards recorded in the same camera. That is much more straightforward to consolidate onto one card (if it fits) and all should be OK. There will be no file number clashes as long as the camera was set to always increment the file number each shot and not reset when a fresh card is inserted.

Click to expand...

So, how did the performance of the actual (likely less complicated than more complicated) process work out for the Original Poster ? Inquiring minds would surely like to know ...

Detail Man said:

So, how did the performance of the actual (likely less complicated than more complicated) process work out for the Original Poster ? Inquiring minds would surely like to know ...

Click to expand...

Yes, indeed, what did the OP do?

Without feedback we are stumbling about suggesting all sorts of things and trying to think of all complications that might arise. Maybe confusing the OP more than necessary.

At least it made me try a few more cross camera card and image swaps to see how versatile the cameras are.....

And a thought to add more complications..... oh please OP, do not keep images that you think important just on some SD card, make sure they are stored and backed up a few times on some hard drives scattered about.

Regards..... Guy

guy thats a great little program

Just used that SD card formatter program and its fixed my old microSD card out my phone
Windows would only format it as 4gb but it says on the card its 8gb
I thought I had got a fake 8gb card but it was windows not seeing it right
Its sorted now and back as an 8gb card
--
Panasonic FZ48/TZ6/Pentax 430
Hi from England