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I have been using my Nikon D200 for a few years now and using ScanDisk Extreme III 4.0 Gb CF cards.
Until a few weeks ago I could store 176 photos on a CF at the highest setting. Then something strange happened now the maximum amount of pictures are 154. I have not touched any settings and it goes for both cards What gives???

Cheers

Have you ever done a base level format on those cards? In other words put them in a computer and format them? It may be that the file index needs rewriting. After you do a format with a PC or a Mac, you can then do a in camera to get the nikon file system back. I usually format my cards on my Mac once a month to make sure they are clean. I was told that the in camera format doesan't always get all the old data.

Hi prinothcat
No I have never done a base level format. Don't have a card slot on my PC and only transfer photos from camera to PC via USB cable. I'll go buy a CF card slot (which I have wanted to do for a while any way), but for this base level formatting - do I need any particular software?

Cheers

nope you just need to use which ever disk utility you normally use. Windows will use a format command, you'll need to find/figure that one out, I'm a Mac user. I just use the built in disk utilities.

When you install the card reader your computer recognizes it as another drive. For example on my Windows PC, the CF
slot is recognized as Removable Drive H. Go to "Your Computer". When open select the appropriate drive and then go to FILE on the menu bar. When file opens, select the drive in question and then choose Format. No special software needed.

Prinothcat + wagonnerphotos

Thanks!

hawkyey1 wrote:Hi prinothcat
No I have never done a base level format. Don't have a card slot on my PC and only transfer photos from camera to PC via USB cable. I'll go buy a CF card slot (which I have wanted to do for a while any way), but for this base level formatting - do I need any particular software?

Cheers

Have you formatted the card in your camera or do you "Erase" the photos after downloading? If you don't format them with your camera I strongly suggest you do. It's much easier to erase all the photos that way and gets rid of folders that the camera makes to store files in. A Nikon can only store 999 files in a folder, so when it reaches that point it starts a new folder. And erasing the photos doesn't clear the number for the folder, so it keeps adding up.

Also, over time sectors of a cards directory system can become corrupted, formatting the card clears that all out.

I wouldn't recommend formatting a card on the computer. In theory it should be fine, but I've heard several people who created problems for themselves doing that. SO just format in camera and you should be fine. If you format the card and it still won't hold as many as it used to I'd suggest you have a card with some damaged memory sectors on it. When the card is formatted it marks those sections as bad and won't allow write to that area, so it reports less capacity.

sthuman wrote:I wouldn't recommend formatting a card on the computer. In theory it should be fine, but I've heard several people who created problems for themselves doing that.

I neglected to add an important (though intuitive) step above. That would be to do an in camera format after the format on the computer. I do this constantly and have yet to have an issue. None I know of using this technique has yet mention any problems either. Failing to do an in camera format, will leave the card without the file index the camera needs to store images properly. It would also not display the correct info regarding card capacity. So you are correct, using a computer based format only, will cause problems.

prinothcat wrote:

sthuman wrote:I wouldn't recommend formatting a card on the computer. In theory it should be fine, but I've heard several people who created problems for themselves doing that.

I neglected to add an important (though intuitive) step above. That would be to do an in camera format after the format on the computer. I do this constantly and have yet to have an issue. None I know of using this technique has yet mention any problems either. Failing to do an in camera format, will leave the card without the file index the camera needs to store images properly. It would also not display the correct info regarding card capacity. So you are correct, using a computer based format only, will cause problems.

No harm then in wiping it out on computer. I don't know if there's any advantage but it won't hurt. Bottom line is that a card should be formatted at least from time to time. I do it after each download, but some people prefer to keep photos on the card awhile or erase them from the card using the "Erase" feature of the camera. That's fine too, but they should still format the card at least monthly.

Steve T (Also a D200 shooter)