In today’s digital world, technology often takes precedence over more traditional items. One piece of equipment that some may think is a piece of the past is the photo slide viewer. However, this device still has many positive benefits, even in the age of technology.

One of the greatest benefits of a photo slide viewer is that it actually forces you to take the time to look at your photographs. Most of us take hundreds and thousands of photos, but very rarely go back to look at them. With a slide viewer, taking the time to view and appreciate your photos almost becomes a ritual, as you have to load each individual one onto the viewer and then manually flip through the slides one by one. This slow, steady pace of looking through photos can be a nice break from the hectic, fast paced digital lives we often lead.

Slide viewers are also great for archiving photos, since you don’t have to worry about the long-term storage of digital files. As long as you store your slides in archival boxes, they can last for years and years, providing you with a physical archive of your memories. This also allows you to free up storage space on your devices, as you don’t need to worry about having your photos take up valuable memory.

Photo slide viewers are also excellent tools for teaching photography, especially to younger generations. Showing students how to manually use a viewer, rather than just scrolling through digital images, helps them to form a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art of photography. Plus, they may even become interested in exploring different types of film development techniques and analog photography, which can lead to further explorations in photography.

In the modern era, there is still a place for the photo slide viewer. It can help us take more time to appreciate our photos, store our memories for years, and can even aide in the teaching of photography. Despite its old school look, the slide viewer is still a welcomed item in many households.