Are you saying that Vista and some Canon cameras will format a 4GB card
as FAT16 without being directed to? Any Windows OS from NT onward will
format a 4GB CF card as FAT16 if directed to do so but I would be very
surprised to find that Vista or any Canon camera would do so. Using it
if pre-formatted that way and stuck into the camera, yes. But creating
a 4GB FAT16 I don't think so. On the other hand they should. Microsoft
denigrated NT's 64KB cluster size (that's what allows 4GB) because it
was inefficient. It is on a small hard disk of the year 1999. But for
images on a flash card and which tend to be written sequentially it
would be much more efficient than FAT32.
I'm glad to know that the Fujis and Canons are smart enough to create
their required directory structure on the fly if needed. But I wouldn't
assume the same is true of other cameras nor that all are equally smart
in handling the FAT32 file system. FAT32 is still under patent
protection for long names and extended attributes and some may prefer to
roll their own rather than pay MS royalties.
Large storage cards using FAT32 along with unformatted media make life
difficult and time consuming for the storage allocator because the
directory is fragmented too.
Chuck Norcutt
Moose wrote:
> Chuck Norcutt wrote:
>> What Moose said.
>>
>> His comments about file system trickery with the A650 are proper
>> FAT16 and FAT32 behavior but depends on the camera having a proper
>> and full implementation... something I'd check before trusting.
>>
>
> Well, of course. I tested, it worked, and continues to do so. I
> wouldn't do it with another camera without testing.
>
>> FAT16's normal limits are 2GB except on Windows NT
>
> And Vista and some Canon cameras.
>
>> .... Also, your computer knows nothing of the specially named
>> folders that are supposed to be on the card and are created by
>> formatting in the camera.
>>
>
> If you use the software for the camera, it should know that stuff,
> mine does. And if you look at the card contents, it's pretty obvious.
> On my Fujis and Canons, the only directory structure they seem to pay
> any attention to is the first level subdirectory DCIM
> (DigatalCameraImageManagement?) and its subdirectories that use the
> manufacturer's naming conventions.
>
> I've never found formatting is required by Canon's camera OS. When I
> open a new card, I just stick it in and start shooting. The camera
> creates the needed directory structure if it isn't already there. I
> know I've put data on a card with images on it too. The camera just
> ignores them, other than their effect of capacity. I haven't
> reformatted a card in ages. I just don't see the point or need.
>
> I just tried it with an SDHC card in the A650. I took a card which
> has never been in a camera, nor formatted since I got it. I've used
> it as a temporary back-up for an old notebook, so it has over 2GB of
> multilevel directories, data, programs, OS, etc. on it. I put it in
> the camera, turned it on and it showed the number of images for which
> space remained. Took it out and checked - no change to the card. Put
> it back in, took a picture, took it out and checked. There is now the
> DCIM sub-directory with a 100CANON subdirectory under it with the
> image I just took in it.
>
> I don't know about other makers, but the Canon storage card handler
> is not in the least delicate or fussy. Early xD card Oly P&Ss are the
> opposite.
>
> Moose
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