experience with my 2GB cards on my R-D1

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rami G

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I keep on reading about the R-D1's ability to read only 1GB cards. I am using two Ridata 2GB pro 150x cards with my R-D1. I am getting exactly 200 Raw photos on each card. I believe it is exactly 2GB. BTW I found the Ridata cards most reliable and faster than my Lexar 1GB 32x. Not a scientific test, but I am not working for Ridata and I did I wouldn't promote their products in the forum of the minority group of R-D1 users ;>)
 
Would it be possible for R-D1 users who have tried 2 GB cards to post their thoughts and comments?

As far as I know, there are no appreciable differences between SD cards. Or are there? Shouldn't all SD cards behave in exactly the same way?

Users of 2 GB cards report a mix of outcomes: the full 2 GB used reliably (as here); only part of the card's capacity being available; unreliability - sometimes more than 1 GB is accessible, sometimes not.

I'm hoping that if R-D1 users pool their experiences with 2 GB cards, we can work out the circumstances allowing reliable use of 2 GB cards - if we can duplicate these conditions, then hopefully we can start to use 2 GB cards with confidence.

My immediate thoughts? Does use depend on the card model and/or make? Does formatting in-camera or on the computer make a difference - and, if so, what is the format type (Fat16 or Fat32)?

Here's hoping for a positive outcome! :)
 
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I have no answers for you Rich, but my experience with SD cards is that the faster cards are maybe not faster in writing in-camera but faster when reading the files to the pc/laptop.

I only use 2 1GB SanDisk Extreme III cards and they haven't let me down. One I've been using for 9 months continuously, the other I bought a few weeks ago as a "backup". I've found that even in the most serious shooting situation I don't need more than 1 cards, giving me 200 shots.

Furthermore, I find the 2GB cards very expensive.
 
RML said:
I've found that even in the most serious shooting situation I don't need more than 1 cards, giving me 200 shots.
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Oh, I agree - but (fingers crossed) I'm planning on going backpacking to India again this year, and the fewer SD cards I take, the less chance I have losing those tiny critturs! (I'll take my chances with a card dying - I think I'd have to be really unlucky!)

RML said:
Furthermore, I find the 2GB cards very expensive.
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In the UK, about GBP 70 for a Sandisk II- two 1 GB cards would cost a more (about GBP 90)
 
Yes, 2gb cards have gotten cheaper (if you figure cost/megabyte) than 1gb cards of the same speed. 4gb cards are still more expensive than 2 x 2gb cards, last I checked. This will eventually even out.

I just put a 2gb ADATA 150x SD card into my RD-1. Formatted the card in camera. When set at Jpeg "H" the needle goes to 500 (because at 3,000k/jpeg you'd get more than 500 per card) and when I set it to Raw the needle drops down to above the 100 mark.

I'll let you know how many frames I get once I fill up the card.

Regards, Charlie
 
Interesting. The math works out right vs. my experience, which is that I can get about 50 raw images on a 512mb card.

Do you know whether the Ridata cards are shipped with FAT32 formatting? We had a post sometime back from someone who said he had been able to get his R-D 1 to recognize 2gb cards by reformatting them with the FAT32 option, but I don't think we ever got him to explain exactly how he did this.

I also wonder if there are any differences between earlier vs. later R-D1s in this regard. Sure would be nice to pin this down, as a lot of us probably would like to use larger cards but don't want to buy them if they aren't going to work in our specific cameras.

I noticed in the Imaging Resource writeup on the R-D 1S that it's still shown as using the FAT16 file system, which I had inferred meant the 1gb limit was still in place.
 
RichC said:
In the UK, about GBP 70 for a Sandisk II- two 1 GB cards would cost a more (about GBP 90)
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Rich,
Probably about the best prices in the U.K. for good Sandisk cards are from: http://www.picstop.co.uk/Secure-Digital-(SD). Other makes even cheaper.

1G Sandisk Ultra II = GBP 41.90
1G Sandisk Extreme III = GBP 47.90
2G Sandisk Ultra II = GBP 64.90

So a two Gig card is only about 35% more expensive than a 1 Gig card here. Clearly worth getting if we can get them to work.

Jim
 
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Jim Watts said:
Rich,

1G Sandisk Ultra II = GBP 41.90
1G Sandisk Extreme III = GBP 47.90
2G Sandisk Ultra II = GBP 64.90
Click to expand...

I know SanDisk cards are of good quality (I have an Ultra II 2GB CF), but I decided to go with the following for my (oh-please-let-it-be-soon) shorty-to-arrive R-D1:

2 x A-DATA 1GB SD Card - 150X = GBP 70

These were £35 a piece from buzzmemory.com. When you consider that the Sandisk Ultras are 66x and the Extremes 133x, I think this is a pretty good deal (unlike shipping, which was £17 - ouch).
 
Yup, that's exactly what I use, the pink Adata 1gb 150x. No problems in my Epson RD-1 and no problems in my Canon EOS 1n Mark II (which is probably much more demanding on the card at 8fps)

Regards, Charlie
 
saxshooter said:
Yup, that's exactly what I use, the pink Adata 1gb 150x. No problems in my Epson RD-1 and no problems in my Canon EOS 1n Mark II (which is probably much more demanding on the card at 8fps)

Regards, Charlie
Click to expand...


Also, I feel that two 1GB cards is a better solution than one 2GB card. This way you split your data between cards. Positives:

In case of card corruption/theft/damage, reduce the potential loss.
In case of the above, you can still shoot with the other card.
In case of shooting a lot of images, you can shoot with one card while the other is uploading images to a photo store.
And...changing cards will bring back floods of nostalgia over the days when we all had to change film.....hmmm maybe not ;)

Just my view...
 
It Works Fine!!!!

It Works Fine!!!!

Ok, just spent the weekend shooting on a 2gb MyData ADATA 150x card which I bought of the big auction site a few weeks ago.

Formatted the card in camera. I shot High Jpegs until the card filled up. I got 610 files out of it with a total capacity coming in at 1.84 GB (I believe all 2gb cards top out at 1.84gb?) Everything played back as normal on the camera.

So with my 45xx serial numbered RD-1, I seem to have no problems with this 2gb card. Just copied everything off the card onto my computer.

Your mileage may vary?

Regards, Charlie
 
axshooter, I also format my Ridata in camera. Never shoot Jpegs but getting 200 Raws.
btw, I don't understand all the arguments in favor of 1GB cards. I use 2GB cards, so I can always use switch, I can feel the card half way when I feel like etc. 2 is better than 1, for most practical purposes, unless, of course, we are talking about spanking or something.
 
I've got 2 1gb cards and 1 2gb card. On a weekend of heavy snapshot shooting, like this past weekend, I almost got through the entire weekend with 1 2gb card. And having been a compact flash card user for years (and having more than a few go through the wash) I have to admit that these tiny SD cards are easy to lose (although I haven't lost one yet -- knock on wood). So the less you are swapping cards from the camera, less chance of losing them?

Regards, Charlie
 
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jlw said:
We had a post sometime back from someone who said he had been able to get his R-D 1 to recognize 2gb cards by reformatting them with the FAT32 option, but I don't think we ever got him to explain exactly how he did this.
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I reckon that was probably me, I do recall explaining how to do it tho ;)

Basically I just formatted in on my Mac. OSX's Disk Utility has an option for MS-DOS format which is FAT32. When I get info on the card on my mac it tells me its FAT32. And the R-D1 has no problem reading/writing to it. I'm imagining on Windows its just a straight forward format job.

RD-1's in-camera formatting, however, is FAT16.

I do recall being able to fit more pics in the card in FAT32.
 
rogermota said:
I reckon that was probably me, I do recall explaining how to do it tho ;)

Basically I just formatted in on my Mac. OSX's Disk Utility has an option for MS-DOS format which is FAT32. When I get info on the card on my mac it tells me its FAT32. And the R-D1 has no problem reading/writing to it. I'm imagining on Windows its just a straight forward format job.

RD-1's in-camera formatting, however, is FAT16.

I do recall being able to fit more pics in the card in FAT32.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reminder. I also use a Mac - just didn't know that the MS-DOS option defaults to FAT32. Think I might try to get the camera-store guys to let me test a 2mb card before buying, though, just in case my early-production R-D 1 doesn't like it.
 
btw, I use the Ridata 2GB (getting 200 Raw files) and I only format the card on the camera (quick format option).
 
I use Sandisk Ultra II 2GB cards, and they work just fine in the R-D1. Indicator goes to what might be 200. I haven't tried formatting in the Epson yet, though...
 
rvaubel said:
Has anyone NOT had a 2 GB card work?...
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No problem with a 2 GB Transcend 150x card so far either formatted by Mac OS 9.2 or in the camera.
BTW my R-D1 is an 'old' SN # 0015** copy.
Best,
LCT
 
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