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Photo Forum / Digital Photography / DSLR Cameras / July 2006Nikon CF Memory Cards
Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? I am using 1G Lexar Professional 80Xs and just had an issue with one where it thought it was full and I could not delete from camera. I was however able to delete the files off the PC and the card seems to be working again. Also, should I be hesitant about switching cards between both cameras (D70 and D200)? Thanks for all your help, this group invaluable, dave > Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? I am using 1G > Lexar Professional 80Xs and just had an issue with one where it thought it [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > dave Lexar cards are "certified" by Nikon as are San Disk, that means those are the safest to use and if you do have a read/write problem you can call Nikon tech support, and they won'ty say "you are using an uncertified card". That said I believe when the D200 was first out there was a problem with Lexar WA cards. It has been sorted out. I don't delete my files I just reformat the card in the camera, while they do essentially the same thing, format allows the card to rewrite smoother than delete (bad explanation) anyway I just feel better reformating the card. There are a lot of cards out there and most work well. Cards do fail, though it is rare. In my office we transfer files via memory cards, evvery once in a while one stops working, so far reformating the card on a PC and then again in the camera gets the card working. As for switching cards back an forth between cameras, I just feel better if the card is formated for the camera I'm using. Tom >> Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? I am using 1G >> Lexar Professional 80Xs and just had an issue with one where it thought it [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > > Tom I reformat the cards on my computer, figuring doing so doesn't waste camera battery power. >>> Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? I am using >>> 1G [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > I reformat the cards on my computer, figuring doing so doesn't waste > camera battery power. Harry, FWIW both Nikon and the retailer from whom I purchase my D70 (National Camera, Minneapolis/St. Paul) strongly recommend you format your cards in the camera, not via your PC. Jeff Jeff Heyen wrote (in article <lYQtg.76$252.17@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com>): > Harry, FWIW both Nikon and the retailer from whom I purchase my D70 > (National Camera, Minneapolis/St. Paul) strongly recommend you format > your cards in the camera, not via your PC. Yes, that's the boilerplate answer. However, I've never formatted a CF card in my camera, and they all work just fine. I don't ever reformat them either. I just delete the files and go back to shooting again.  SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw According to Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net>: > Jeff Heyen wrote > (in article <lYQtg.76$252.17@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com>): [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I don't ever reformat them either. I just delete the files and > go back to shooting again. Hmm ... that strikes me as producing ever increasing fragmentation, and thus slowing the camera down over time. (I don't know whether the camera is capable of storing an image broken between two or more fragments -- it all depends on the file system firmware in the camera. Hmm ... that might be the explanation for the camera not being able to put anything more in the card somewhere upthread from here. I *always* format the CF card in the camera, and with fast cards (e.g. the 80X 1GB Lexar, and the 133X 4GB Lexar ones), the amount of time (and thus power) taken is minimal. And I then *know* that the camera is presented with a filesystem which it knows how to handle. If I were to format in the computer, I would have to select the appropriate form of FAT filesystem to match the camera (which might not be the default in the computer). When the *camera* does the formatting, you know it will use the filesystem format which it knows how to handle. IIRC, there have been mentions of the D50 being unable to format anything larger than a 2GB SD card, but being able to work with a larger one formatted in a Windows box -- but that might lead to problems at some point. Enjoy, DoN. SignatureEmail: <dnichols@d-and-d.com> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564 (too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero --- > According to Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net>: >> Jeff Heyen wrote [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > Enjoy, > DoN. Not to worry; I've defagged my CF card in my computer. DoN. Nichols wrote (in article <e999j601p9q@news3.newsguy.com>): > According to Randy Howard <randyhoward@FOOverizonBAR.net>: >> Jeff Heyen wrote [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > two or more fragments -- it all depends on the file system firmware in > the camera. If there are no FAT table entries, what is to fragment? If you deleted some of the images, but left others, over time, sure. But if you delete them all, no. > I *always* format the CF card in the camera, and with fast cards > (e.g. the 80X 1GB Lexar, and the 133X 4GB Lexar ones), the amount of > time (and thus power) taken is minimal. And I then *know* that the > camera is presented with a filesystem which it knows how to handle. the camera knows how to handle FAT. period. > If I were to format in the computer, I would have to select the > appropriate form of FAT filesystem to match the camera (which might not > be the default in the computer). Wrong. The proper "form of FAT" depends upon the capacity of the CF card, nothing more. > When the *camera* does the formatting, > you know it will use the filesystem format which it knows how to handle. Sorry, but that's just bogus. SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw >> Harry, FWIW both Nikon and the retailer from whom I purchase my D70 >> (National Camera, Minneapolis/St. Paul) strongly recommend you format [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >I don't ever reformat them either. I just delete the files and >go back to shooting again. Same here. I've never formatted a card. I use the format that came on it when purchased. I've never had a problem. And I do switch them around between my cameras, which are all Nikon. Back to the OP. If you have a D200 and you want to take a lot of pictures rapidly, best that you get a fast card. One being the Sandisk Extreme III. Other vendors have similar under different names. Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom). > Back to the OP. If you have a D200 and you want to take a lot of pictures > rapidly, best that you get a fast card. One being the Sandisk Extreme III. > Other vendors have similar under different names. Of the reviews I've read, all seem to suggest that there is really little significant difference between Extreme III and Ultra II in camera. Where there was a bit of a difference was in a card reader attached to a PC. So unless someone has a relatively new camera with a really fast CF bus that can take advantage of the difference, why pay the premium for the Extreme III? > Jeff Heyen wrote > (in article <lYQtg.76$252.17@tornado.rdc-kc.rr.com>): [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I don't ever reformat them either. I just delete the files and > go back to shooting again. Okay, but that's the pattern a number of other people who *have* had trouble use. "Still -- if what you're doing works, feel free to keep doing it; if you have a problem, reformat the card in the camera" is not bad advice for somebody who already has habits. SignatureDavid Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/> RKBA: <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/> Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/> Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/> > I reformat the cards on my computer, figuring doing so doesn't waste > camera battery power. Cards should be formated in the camera they are used in, sometimes you can fudge between cameras of the same make. The format lays down the file structure the camera wants to see. On the cameras I use regularly it never takes more than a couple of seconds to format. The computer format has little to do with what happens in the camera, I'm curious are you still getting the two folder structure on my D200 it is \Dcim\100D200 the picture files are in the second folder. Tom Thanks for all the info. Yes I am getting the same file structure on the D200. I just ordered a 2G Lexar professional that I will use exclusively with the d200 and see how that works out. Dave >> I reformat the cards on my computer, figuring doing so doesn't waste >> camera battery power. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Tom tomm42 wrote (in article <1152900649.581364.6400@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>): >> I reformat the cards on my computer, figuring doing so doesn't waste >> camera battery power. > > Cards should be formated in the camera they are used in, sometimes you > can fudge between cameras of the same make. Please. This is such an urban legend. > The format lays down the file structure the camera wants to see. The "format" is FAT or FAT32, which have been around for a very long time, and are not subject to camera vendor variation. All the camera does afterward is create some folders, which it will also create on a card formatted elsewhere if they're not present. SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw > tomm42 wrote > (in article [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > also create on a card formatted elsewhere if they're not > present. There might, however, be bugs in some one camera's implementation of FAT[32]. Those bugs might not cause problems writing in the camera on cards formatted in the camera, or reading elsewhere, but might show up when writing to a card formatted elsewhere. However, you can make "might be" arguments favoring *any* sequence that works, so that's not dispositive. Still -- don't assume perfection in any part of the system! It's not a safe assumption. SignatureDavid Dyer-Bennet, <mailto:dd-b@dd-b.net>, <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/> RKBA: <http://www.dd-b.net/carry/> Pics: <http://dd-b.lighthunters.net/> <http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/> Dragaera/Steven Brust: <http://dragaera.info/> David Dyer-Bennet wrote (in article <87lkqvqy65.fsf@gw.dd-b.net>): >> tomm42 wrote >> (in article [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > There might, however, be bugs in some one camera's implementation of > FAT[32]. FAT32 is trivial. There are reams of open source code around. Formatting is the simplest part of supporting FAT32. It's a wive's tale told by those that have had a flaky problem. CF is not perfect, it will degrade over long periods of time, and pretending like formatting in the camera is a fixall for that sort of thing might be comforting for some, the same way not walking under a ladder comforts the superstitious. > Those bugs might not cause problems writing in the camera on > cards formatted in the camera, or reading elsewhere, but might show up > when writing to a card formatted elsewhere. I'd love to see a single documented case of a camera with "FAT32 bugs" that are magically fixed when you format the CF card in that camera, but do not work when formatted on a PC. Not "I think that was the problem", but reproducible failures with steps to reproduce the problem. I won't hold my breath. SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw DS wrote (in article <mVMtg.353$OI5.318@fe07.lga>): > Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? There is a site somewhere that publishes performance data for various cards on different camera bodies (sorry, can't find the link right now). Although some of the newer cards are very fast (and expensive) they often aren't any faster in a given camera body than a cheaper card. > I am using 1G > Lexar Professional 80Xs and just had an issue with one where it thought it > was full and I could not delete from camera. I was however able to delete > the files off the PC and the card seems to be working again. I have used a lot of different ones over the years, but have sort of standardized on Lexar just because I can usually get a good deal on them, and the pro cards have a lifetime warranty (although I've not had a reason to test the warranty). I have been using Lexar 80X 1GB, 2GB and more recently 4GB cards in a D70 without any problems at all. > Also, should > I be hesitant about switching cards between both cameras (D70 and D200)? I don't have a D200 (yet), but I can't think of an obvious reason why switching back and forth would be a problem at all. SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw > DS wrote > (in article <mVMtg.353$OI5.318@fe07.lga>): [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > I don't have a D200 (yet), but I can't think of an obvious > reason why switching back and forth would be a problem at all. You still didn't answer, why not format in the camera, faster than formating on a PC (maybe not but infinitly faster at work where our IT staff doesn't let you format anything). Deleting on a PC seems counter productive, formating is easier and doesn't leave the former file structure. Onthe D200 I just press menu (the shortcut takes longer on my camera) have it set for format two down arrows and enter, the format on a 2 gig card is finished before I look at the top LCD. I'm using San Disk Ultra IIs and a 2G Kingston Pro. Also if you read the manual Nikon strongly recommends formating in the camera. I would imagine that if you have a read-write card error it would be one of the first questions they would ask. Never had a card failure (knock on wood). Tom tomm42 wrote (in article <1153060340.232246.172900@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com>): > You still didn't answer, why not format in the camera, I see no reason to format at all. The cards come formatted, ready to go. Unless they develop bad blocks later, no need ever to reformat. I wonder if formatting in camera can even handle bad block marking, as formatting on a computer can? > faster than formating on a PC Nothing is faster than not doing it at all. > (maybe not but infinitly faster at work where our IT > staff doesn't let you format anything). I'm sorry you have a typically incompetent IT department. They are so commonplace now though, I doubt we'll ever see good ones again. > Deleting on a PC seems counter productive, How could it possibly be counterproductive? It marks the blocks as unused, very, very quickly, and you keep shooting. > formating is easier and doesn't leave the former file structure. I think you need to read up on FAT. You are missing how trivially simple it is. > On the D200 I just press menu (the shortcut takes longer on > my camera) have it set for format two down arrows and enter, the format > on a 2 gig card is finished before I look at the top LCD. On my D70, I never format at all, so I push no buttons, no arrows, and don't need to look at the LCD. YMMV. > Also if you read the manual Nikon strongly recommends formating in the camera. Yes, they also recommend taking your camera in to be serviced to remove dust bunnies. Sometimes the manual is written to make life easier on tech support by having people all use a common method, even when it doesn't serve any other real world purpose. > I would imagine that if you have a read-write card error it would be one > of the first questions they would ask. If I had a card error, I would try formatting with verify turned on with a PC and see if it marked any blocks bad. I wouldn't call Nikon first. > Never had a card failure (knock on wood). I have, but it was one of the very first CF cards, years ago. SignatureRandy Howard (2reply remove FOOBAR) "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who have not got it." - George Bernard Shaw >I see no reason to format at all. The cards come formatted, >ready to go. Not all. The last two cards I purchased (Sandisk 4Gb Extreme IIIs) needed to be formatted upon initially inserting them in either my D200 or D70. -- Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com) http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html >Are there a best or better CF cards for the Nikon D70-D-200? I am using 1G >Lexar Professional 80Xs and just had an issue with one where it thought it >was full and I could not delete from camera. I was however able to delete >the files off the PC and the card seems to be working again. Also, should >I be hesitant about switching cards between both cameras (D70 and D200)? If you have need to shoot in continuous high speed mode and worry about filling the in camera buffer causing you to lose a shot you might care about how fast the card is. Ratings can be found at: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-8197 As to switching, since the default directory structure for the D70 and D200 are different, I wouldn't think there would be any problems with the numbering sequence from one being picked up in the other, though I have not confirmed this in mine. -- Ed Ruf (Usenet2@EdwardG.Ruf.com) http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index.html |
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