Transcend 4GB SD

[JTL]

My cameras have a new best friend that just arrived today! I just love seeing that 1525 pictures in the bottom right of my S2's viewfinder! One caveat if you get this card...at least in the Canon S2, it will not work after a low-level format. After I unchecked the low level box and re-formeted, everything worked fine. I will let everyone know how this card works out!

[Rhys]

A low level format is FAT 16. This has a maximum disk size of 2GB. That was fine in Windows 3.1 days when most hard disks were no greater than 40mb. With the advent of Windows 95 and larger disks, FAT 32 was introduced with file sizes of 40GB maximum. I can't imagine it'll be more than 3 years before there are 40GB CF cards around. This means the next set of CF cards above 40GB will probably have to be either NTFS or eth format. NTFS has a maximum but I think it's measured in Terrabytes.

[JTL]

A low level format is FAT 16.

Ah ha! Somewhere in the back of my crowded brain I vaguely recalled that...thanks for clearing that up! It's good that we have computer savvy as well as camera savvy members like you around here! Thanks again.

[Clyde]

My cameras have a new best friend that just arrived today! I just love seeing that 1525 pictures in the bottom right of my S2's viewfinder! One caveat if you get this card...at least in the Canon S2, it will not work after a low-level format. After I unchecked the low level box and re-formeted, everything worked fine. I will let everyone know how this card works out!

I'm betting that for the price of that little matchbox sized piece of silicon, I could buy a brand new easel, set of high quality paints, and good brushes.

Or a Tammy 28-75.

Not that I'm jealous, or anything. Better buy some batteries if you plan on filling that thing...

Clyde

[extremefire]

Thats the thing, how many batteries are you going to go through?? I always like the idea of having no more than two charges worth of storage per card.

I was checking prices last night, and you don't save anything by getting the 4GB over the 2GB, let alone the 1GB version, and honestly you pay more. I'ld rather have 4 1GB cards than 1 4GB card personally. I was pricing that size of card out at $270, how much were you able to wrangle it in for??

[JTL]

Thats the thing, how many batteries are you going to go through?? I always like the idea of having no more than two charges worth of storage per card.

I was checking prices last night, and you don't save anything by getting the 4GB over the 2GB, let alone the 1GB version, and honestly you pay more. I'ld rather have 4 1GB cards than 1 4GB card personally. I was pricing that size of card out at $270, how much were you able to wrangle it in for??

You know you're right and I didn't really think about it...in daylight shooting, I'll go through a minimum of two battrey changes (most likely three) before I fill the card. But the way I figure, I'm off to the desert and the less opening and inserting, the better, plus less to keep track of....just one less thing to think about. Truth is, I filled a 2GB card on one outing on my last trip.

It cost $265...

[extremefire]

Your very right, and it all depends on what quality settings you are using for your pictures.

[cvicisso]

Hey JTL - how much video can you fit on that monster? Should be around 35 minutes at 640x480 30fps, right? To me, that's reason enough to opt for 4GB vs a couple of 2GB (everything else - like price - being equal).

Before you say it... I know, I know... there's a 1GB file size limit for videos on the S2. But still, having four 8.8 minute video files in one place is better than having them on two or four different cards (IMHO).

For me, the main selling point of the S2 was the hybrid-factor - having one device that I could take good video and great stills with. My 1GB SD card has VERY much limited this aspect for me, and I'm finding myself looking for other options (I'm shooting more video than I thought I would be). The 4GB card is one of those options, but I'm starting to see more and more camcorders that take great stills (5MP with full manual controls) - the opposite approach to hybridity (Yes, I made that up! ).

Anyway... getting too far off topic... maybe I'll start a new thread? Hmmmm... now which forum would I start a thread about camcorders that take great stills?

[JTL]

Hey JTL - how much video can you fit on that monster? Should be around 35 minutes at 640x480 30fps, right? To me, that's reason enough to opt for 4GB vs a couple of 2GB (everything else - like price - being equal).

Before you say it... I know, I know... there's a 1GB file size limit for videos on the S2. But still, having four 8.8 minute video files in one place is better than having them on two or four different cards (IMHO).

For me, the main selling point of the S2 was the hybrid-factor - having one device that I could take good video and great stills with. My 1GB SD card has VERY much limited this aspect for me, and I'm finding myself looking for other options (I'm shooting more video than I thought I would be). The 4GB card is one of those options, but I'm starting to see more and more camcorders that take great stills (5MP with full manual controls) - the opposite approach to hybridity (Yes, I made that up! ).

Anyway... getting too far off topic... maybe I'll start a new thread? Hmmmm... now which forum would I start a thread about camcorders that take great stills?

That's right...about 34 minutes is what I get. I've shot a couple of "movies" where I stitched four 8-minute videos together and it works great. The real benefit is that you don't have to stop to insert a new card...just press record again and you haven't stopped the action. I have had no problems whatsoever with the card...but the big scary thing is...you can't low-level format this card in the S2. The maximum size that can be low-level formatted in the S2 is 2GB (this is due to the FAT16 partitioning). So, I dread the day, which hopefully never comes, when the card gets corrupted. I guess if that happens, I'll try low-level formatting it outside the camera...hopefully the camera will still recognize it and then do a regular format in-camera...but somehow I doubt this will work...I just hope I never have to find out...

[cvicisso]

That's right...about 34 minutes is what I get. I've shot a couple of "movies" where I stitched four 8-minute videos together and it works great. The real benefit is that you don't have to stop to insert a new card...just press record again and you haven't stopped the action. I have had no problems whatsoever with the card...but the big scary thing is...you can't low-level format this card in the S2. The maximum size that can be low-level formatted in the S2 is 2GB (this is due to the FAT16 partitioning). So, I dread the day, which hopefully never comes, when the card gets corrupted. I guess if that happens, I'll try low-level formatting it outside the camera...hopefully the camera will still recognize it and then do a regular format in-camera...but somehow I doubt this will work...I just hope I never have to find out...

Good points... I didn't think about the low-level formating (before reading this thread).

Hey - I'm a moron for not knowing this already, but have you tried pushing the S2 videos you shot to DVD? I'm in the [grueling] process of trying to create DVDs out of my Digital 8mm tapes and it's killing me. I'm using Nero 6 for the conversion, and it turns out REALLY crappy... But anyway... I was wondering if the S2 videos need to be converted or not? Like I said - I should know this already. I know that the D8 tapes are in AVI-DV (25Mbps) and DVDs use MPEG-1/2 (~5Mbps), but I'm NOT sure what format the S2 (and other digicams) shoot in. MPEG-1 or 2 would be nice (no conversion required to dump to DVD).

Sorry for going WAY off topic again... can't resist.