Preview Software

Need some help. I will be assisting with shooting couples entering into their high school prom (with a portable studio setup). We need to be able to hand off the CF card to an assistant after every few couples and load them onto a laptop using a cardreader. I need a list of programs that will allow me to achieve the following:

Immedietly preview all images to the couples so they can choose their favourite one. And I would like to be able to show them a decent size image so they can make an informed decision (so not just thumb previews).

I have seen other photographers use programs for similiar events, some of which were very user friendly and very professional in appearance, but cannot seem to locate what those programs are.

Use the software that came with your Camera. You can buy a long USB cord and connect it directly to you Laptop and use that as your storage device. You can actually setup your camera on a tripod and take the picture from you laptop as well. It's pretty cool!

Doc

FYI - It's the Canon EOS Utility that does it. If you don't have your disk for the drivers, Canon web site has it here for your 20D it looks like. I have used it before. It works really nice.

Doc

I thought of that option, but the problem with shooting tethered is that then there is a cord running from the camera to the laptop, and with a bunch of excited teenagers milling around waiting for their pictures to be taken, or waiting for their preview it creates a very real danger of either the tripod getting pulled over or someone tripping and falling.....I would rather just do the "hand off" with the card and load it to the computer

docfav wrote in post #5522336
FYI - It's the Canon EOS Utility that does it. If you don't have your disk for the drivers, Canon web site has it here for your 20D it looks like. I have used it before. It works really nice.

Doc

Thanks....thats a good option. There has to be third party viewers available though.

One instance I saw with another photog was at a wedding and he would shoot maybe 15-20 pics at the reception, then load then onto the laptop for people to view. It was a really professionally setup program and it looked almost as if it was designed specifically for this type of application, thumbs down the left side with the other 75% of the screen being a large preview image. No adjustments available in this program, and no toolbars across the top etc. It was almost like an interactive "clickable" powerpoint presentation... just simply a viewer for the client....I wish I could remember the name

I use ACDSee Pro 2 for the preview and putting a border on the pictures etc... It works really well. I have used the tethered method before and what I did was buy a 24' USB cable that I could run down my tipod, along the floor(duct taped) and onto the table. Lots of excited kids etc, but no problems.

sidx001 wrote in post #5522402
I use ACDSee Pro 2 for the preview and putting a border on the pictures etc... It works really well. I have used the tethered method before and what I did was buy a 24' USB cable that I could run down my tipod, along the floor(duct taped) and onto the table. Lots of excited kids etc, but no problems.

Some of the screenshots from ACDSee look very similiar to what I was describing above with the wedding shooter. Thanks for the heads up

np, ACDSee also has a trial version that will let you at least get a feel for it as well. I believe it's a 15 day full version trial. It's also great for doing spot editing. I've used it for over 5 years and have been very pleased.

look at some of David Jays programs called showit truly awesome

Sounds like you want to shoot tethered. Then no card swapping necessary. And to time wasted swapping the cards either. Great ideas already suggested, so I wont add any.