Formats

Concerning memory cards such as the Secure Digital, could I switch from shooting Raw to Jpeg and back or do I have to stay with Raw until the card is full?

Thank you for your help.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

I don't know about SD cards, but with CF cards you can switch from RAW to jpg, change iso, change image size and quality...basically do whatever you want.
I don't think you'd want to switch cards containing images between cameras though.

Mix and match file formats to your heart's content on one card, CF or SD. I'm getting kinda fond of SD cards for lots of reasons.

Thank you, Rod and Hank. Hopefully the image storage device (Epson P5000) will handle such mixed and matched cards. I am close to getting my DSLR and I am getting excited.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Just to clarify Will, those cards are simply storage devices, just like a hard drive. They have no idea about what you're putting on them, what formats it's in, or what information it contains. So any other generic storage device capable of reading them (like a computer hard drive, or portable drive of any kind - presumably including your P5000) shouldn't care what the files are either. I know people who have mixed MP3's, videos, and pictures on SD cards.

I can switch back and forth at any time with my SD cards, Will. I normally shoot in RAW, but if I start running out of memory and need to shoot more (doesn't happen often with 4-5 cards on hand!), it's an easy switch to Jpeg. The only glitch you will run into is if you use RawShooter Essentials for processing the RAW images, only the RAW images show up in the program.....but the Jpegs can simply be opened in PS.

Thank you, David and Toni and all.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

Mix and match works fine with my older Epson P2000

Once concern with something David said. Yes, you can store different things on a card. But if you use that card in the camera, it can get confused.

I lost images, and had wierd malfunctions when I used a card (CF) that had other data on in in my 20D a couple years ago. Format the card in the camera after using it for anything else.

I don't know if other DSLRs would have the same problem as the 20D; it's not something I've ever tried to test. Basically, what happened is the camera calcuates how much free space is available before trying to write a file. If there's not enough, it'lll give a CF FULL error. But, at least on my 20D, the camera seemed to calculate the free space based only on the data in the Canon-made directory structure, rather than from the FAT. So a couple of large files I had manualy placed on the card were not considered. The camera thought it had enough room to write several more RAW files, but there really wasn't. This caused some serious confusion within the camera--I forget exactly what the symptoms were, but it was not nice to have happen when a snowy owl was flying by me...

But in agreement with everything else said here, there's no problem at all in changing the camera settings in the middle of a card--so long as it's only the camera that's writing to the card!

-Paul

Thanks for the warning, Paul. I do not plan to use the card in anything but the camera and in the Epson P5000 so there should be no confusion. For you the camera and card confusion could not have happened at a worst time.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada

CF cards (and SD cards too) are an easy and convenient way of taking files to London Drugs, Superstore, or Costco for printing. Better than burning a CD! There's nothing wrong with doing this, either, so long as you format the card in the camera before you try to use it for taking pictures again.

-Paul

I really appreciate this, Paul. You are saving me a lot of finding it out the hard way.

Will
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada