Double copying of pictures on my computer

Bing

Sometimes when I upload pictures to Microsoft Office 2010 on my computer, the pictures that I have previously uploaded are copied to the computer as duplicates. How can I prevent this? I have a theory that it is because I have erased one or more pictures from the stored ones on the camera and the computer duplicates the ones I haven't erased.

bruto

I'm unfamiliar with how office 2010 behaves, but I would rather copy files directly from the memory card or the camera to a folder of their own using Windows, and copy them to other programs from there. Windows Explorer will ask what to do about duplicates.

I make a folder with the approximate date on which I dump the camera memory, choose all the files on the card or camera, (select one, "control -A" and they all are selected) and then just drag the whole caboodle to the new folder. Windows will spot duplicates and follow your directions. If you drag with the right button instead of the left, you get the option to copy or move. Moving leaves nothing on the original. I usually prefer to copy first, and reformat after, because my laptop occasionally clobbers a card when writing back to it and loses everything.

If you've got a secure storage off camera (a second drive preferable for important ones), there's no good reason to leave anything on the camera.

huntin_hailbop_

My camera/computer does the same thing but I have a windows. There are 2 copies of each photo, one is a NEF file and one is a JPG file. Only JPG will convert to other programs so I delete all the NEF files. If I accidentally delete A JPG file and only have the NEF file I have to use an online converter. Please contact me if you find out how to fix this!!

bruto

There is an option in the camera whereby you can determine what form the camera saves files in. One of the options is Raw and JPG fine, and that is probably what is chosen. If you want only JPG, you can choose one of three sizes and one of three densities. I would recommend the highest size and least compression.

I would actually recommend saving Raw files and converting later. You can convert using the View NX2 program that should have come with the camera, or with the free Capture NXD program that you can get from the Nikon site.

Raw files allow much more modification at the basic level while allowing the file to be reverted. Depending on the version of Windows you have, you can usually get the correct codec for converting Raw files to JPG using various freeware programs. On mine, I use Irfanview (freeware) as my regular viewer, which allows me to view NEF files and immediately resize and convert to JPG and other formats. There's also a program called Faststone Image Viewer, which is also free and makes very good conversions and views, though I find it a bit less convenient for general viewing.

Among other things, Irfanview includes a very fast and versatile bulk conversion utility, whereby you can both convert and re-size a batch of NEF files to a convenient size, for example when compiling a CD or a Web folder. Options for amount and type of compression are available, along with some very rudimentary editing. Faststone is less conveniently organized, but gives very nice full screen views, and has some other nice features.

In any case, if you are troubled by having both NEF and JPG files saved, go to the menu and check the "QUAL" option in the "i" menu. I suspect it is set to Raw + Fine. "Fine" is the level of compression, and the only option if you are shooting both Raw and JPG. If you check one of the JPG options, the size menu (L, M and S) will become active, and you can choose the size along with the compression. I see no reason to choose any setting but the largest fine, as downsizing and further compression are always easily done in post.