Best portable device to view photos
February 18, 2019 12:25 PM Subscribe
I'm trying to figure out an easy, cheap way to show off some of my photographs, but I am so confused! More after the fold.
For starters, I am not very technology oriented. Recently I was considering purchasing a tablet, so that I could bring my photos to family gatherings to view, but I am at a loss as to the best way to do so. Ideally, I would like something relatively cheap, with an SD slot so I could just insert whatever pictures I would like to share, or an easy way to upload. I do have Amazon Prime; so I was looking at the Fire, but honestly I get lost on 16 vs 32 and micro sd cards, etc. Could someone please point me in the right direction? I don't read eBooks, and I've never watched shows via Netflix, Hulu, etc (though that could change!) Any help is much appreciated!
For starters, I am not very technology oriented. Recently I was considering purchasing a tablet, so that I could bring my photos to family gatherings to view, but I am at a loss as to the best way to do so. Ideally, I would like something relatively cheap, with an SD slot so I could just insert whatever pictures I would like to share, or an easy way to upload. I do have Amazon Prime; so I was looking at the Fire, but honestly I get lost on 16 vs 32 and micro sd cards, etc. Could someone please point me in the right direction? I don't read eBooks, and I've never watched shows via Netflix, Hulu, etc (though that could change!) Any help is much appreciated!
Online is the way to go.
Toms Guide
The 10 Best Photo Storage and Sharing Sites.
posted by adamvasco at 1:27 PM on February 18, 2019
Toms Guide
The 10 Best Photo Storage and Sharing Sites.
posted by adamvasco at 1:27 PM on February 18, 2019
A cheap Kindle Fire tablet will probably meet your need. They have an SD card slot. Instructions on importing and viewing photos on a Fire tablet. The screen quality will not be on par with e.g. an iPad. But they're sturdy and will do what you want, plus a few other things that might be appreciated.
Current US price is $55 for a 7" screen, without advertising, though they show out of stock at present.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:49 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Current US price is $55 for a 7" screen, without advertising, though they show out of stock at present.
posted by seanmpuckett at 1:49 PM on February 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Best answer: with an SD slot so I could just insert whatever pictures I would like to share
Basically nothing on the market for what you'd be looking for comes with a full sized SD card reader. You can get an adapter to use a microSD card in your camera if you want. But you'll find most software is oriented around syncing photos from an online source rather than reading from a removable card.
The screen on the 10" Fire is significantly better than the one on the 8" and 7" models, so if quality is more important than portability or cost, consider that model. The larger size may also be better for people with limited vision.
posted by Candleman at 2:49 PM on February 18, 2019
Basically nothing on the market for what you'd be looking for comes with a full sized SD card reader. You can get an adapter to use a microSD card in your camera if you want. But you'll find most software is oriented around syncing photos from an online source rather than reading from a removable card.
The screen on the 10" Fire is significantly better than the one on the 8" and 7" models, so if quality is more important than portability or cost, consider that model. The larger size may also be better for people with limited vision.
posted by Candleman at 2:49 PM on February 18, 2019
Best answer: Just get a 32gb or larger card, they're dirt cheap and they'll have plenty of space for your purposes. You might eventually fill one up but you can just clear it out again because you're only going to be putting copies of your photos on it. You'll keep the originals stored safely somewhere else.
I disagree that cloud storage is the way to go. Keeping your photos in the cloud presumes that whenever you want to show them to someone your tablet will be on a snappy internet connection, and also that they'll be willing to wait a bit while you pull your photos down out of the cloud. It also requires you to maintain an account with the service of your choice and learn how to use it, whereas if the photos are on an SD card they're just right there.
A Kindle Fire sounds fine. Buy the one with the largest screen you can afford and be bothered to cart around. 7" is barely larger than some (fancy) smartphones these days, and while I do personally have a fancy smartphone with a 6.5" screen, I often wish I had something bigger to show people photos on.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:49 PM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
I disagree that cloud storage is the way to go. Keeping your photos in the cloud presumes that whenever you want to show them to someone your tablet will be on a snappy internet connection, and also that they'll be willing to wait a bit while you pull your photos down out of the cloud. It also requires you to maintain an account with the service of your choice and learn how to use it, whereas if the photos are on an SD card they're just right there.
A Kindle Fire sounds fine. Buy the one with the largest screen you can afford and be bothered to cart around. 7" is barely larger than some (fancy) smartphones these days, and while I do personally have a fancy smartphone with a 6.5" screen, I often wish I had something bigger to show people photos on.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 2:49 PM on February 18, 2019 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you everyone. I do save my photos to discs, and I have photo books printed of some of my favorites. I just want to be able to show certain albums to a friend coming from across the country, of a trip we took together, and I have hundreds of photos to share with her.
I really appreciate all the help, and am looking into a Fire tablet right now, as I can access my photos saved to Amazon there.
Thanks everyone!
posted by annieb at 4:28 PM on February 18, 2019
I really appreciate all the help, and am looking into a Fire tablet right now, as I can access my photos saved to Amazon there.
Thanks everyone!
posted by annieb at 4:28 PM on February 18, 2019
The post title says “portable device” but in case it's of use you might check whether any given television you have access to has a USB port or an SD Card slot. TVs of a certain age, at least, often have built-in functionality for displaying digital photos.
posted by XMLicious at 7:20 PM on February 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 7:20 PM on February 18, 2019 [3 favorites]
Just in case it's not clear, you can also connect your tablet to your computer via USB and copy over your pictures that way (whether to the tablet itself or to the SD card).
posted by trig at 10:34 PM on February 18, 2019
posted by trig at 10:34 PM on February 18, 2019
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That said, one of the better ways to do this is to establish an online repository for your photos, and then access that from anywhere using any device. You could set up your own network attached storage drive that includes your entire photo library and can be accessed remotely, or you could opt for one of the many cloud storage options that are either free or paid. Then you don't need to worry about which tablet, cause you can use any of them.
The easiest/cheapest way to do exactly what you are asking for is to buy one of those photo frames -- literally just a monitor in a frame that has an SD slot -- and use that. Find one that can be battery powered, and make sure it has physical buttons on it for scrolling through the photos.
posted by cubby at 1:01 PM on February 18, 2019