The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

CF card size

Professional

Active member
Hi all,

I bought a CF card to use for my H4D, it is Kingston 32GB elite Pro card, but when i inserted the card the camera gave me an error message and i couldn't format the card at all, someone told me to format it by computer, it is a bull**** idea, and i tried to format it with a Canon/Nikon DSLR and it did work fine, then this person [just a friend not a photographer] told me that this card is fake or defective maybe, i don't take this point as well, i am not that kind of guy who judge randomly without test or facts to understand the whole situations.

So is that my H4D isn't compatible with large size cards such as 32GB or larger? I have largest card of 12GB before getting 32GB, that 12GB working flawlessly with my H system, so what is the maximum size i can use with my H4 system? Does a card brand has any affect on that or all brands working fine on same size card?


-Tareq
 

coulombic

New member
Formatting it in a computer is not a "bull**** idea." In fact, it's the only way to fully format a card -- particularly one that may have errors and possibly bad sectors.

If you use Windows, you'll need to format with the following process -- open a command prompt and type following: "format /FS:FAT32 X:” X, naturally, is the drive letter for the CF card you intend to format. It will warn you that proceeding will erase all data, etc. Hit "y," and press enter to continue. Shouldn't take more than 15-ish minutes.

If you use a Mac, it's actually much easier. Go into Disk Utility, under the "partitions" tab. Ensure the following options are checked:

Volume scheme : 1 Partition
Format: MS DOS (FAT)
Option: Master Boot Record

Formatting it in another camera may not work well for you; I know with Leaf backs, the card must be cleanly formatted only with a computer, then never used with any other cameras. They're delicate like that; your H4D might have a similar issue.
 

Professional

Active member
Formatting it in a computer is not a "bull**** idea." In fact, it's the only way to fully format a card -- particularly one that may have errors and possibly bad sectors.

If you use Windows, you'll need to format with the following process -- open a command prompt and type following: "format /FS:FAT32 X:” X, naturally, is the drive letter for the CF card you intend to format. It will warn you that proceeding will erase all data, etc. Hit "y," and press enter to continue. Shouldn't take more than 15-ish minutes.

If you use a Mac, it's actually much easier. Go into Disk Utility, under the "partitions" tab. Ensure the following options are checked:

Volume scheme : 1 Partition
Format: MS DOS (FAT)
Option: Master Boot Record

Formatting it in another camera may not work well for you; I know with Leaf backs, the card must be cleanly formatted only with a computer, then never used with any other cameras. They're delicate like that; your H4D might have a similar issue.
OK, i will give that a try and see.
 

Professional

Active member
I tried the steps or the tips you posted, didn't work as well.

The error message:

"Error Media 9008"
Restart Camera

I restarted the camera many times and no success :(
 

coulombic

New member
I tried the steps or the tips you posted, didn't work as well.

The error message:

"Error Media 9008"
Restart Camera

I restarted the camera many times and no success :(
Are you using a Mac, or a PC? Did your computer detect your CF card? If so, did it accurately state its size? If you weren't able to open the CF card in your computer, it's likely irrevocably corrupt.
 

PeterL

Member
Put the card in a USB card reader (out of the camera) and reformat as suggested by coulombic.

Cheers, -Peter
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
Formatting it in a computer is not a "bull**** idea." In fact, it's the only way to fully format a card -- particularly one that may have errors and possibly bad sectors.

If you use Windows, you'll need to format with the following process -- open a command prompt and type following: "format /FS:FAT32 X:” X, naturally, is the drive letter for the CF card you intend to format. It will warn you that proceeding will erase all data, etc. Hit "y," and press enter to continue. Shouldn't take more than 15-ish minutes.

If you use a Mac, it's actually much easier. Go into Disk Utility, under the "partitions" tab. Ensure the following options are checked:

Volume scheme : 1 Partition
Format: MS DOS (FAT)
Option: Master Boot Record

Formatting it in another camera may not work well for you; I know with Leaf backs, the card must be cleanly formatted only with a computer, then never used with any other cameras. They're delicate like that; your H4D might have a similar issue.
Why on earth should you need to use a command prompt in windows to format a card? Just right click on it in My Computer and select format. Not sure I agree with you as the adviseability of formatting with the computer vs camera either. That it shouldn't be necessary is a given, what if you're in the field and realise you'd forgotten to wipe a card?
 
The card should be formatted in camera on the H4D

I looked up the spec if this card and it is way underpowered at only 20mb/s.

It will be very slow to write the data and download.

Look to replacing it with a Sandisk Extreme Pro.

David
 

coulombic

New member
Why on earth should you need to use a command prompt in windows to format a card? Just right click on it in My Computer and select format. Not sure I agree with you as the adviseability of formatting with the computer vs camera either. That it shouldn't be necessary is a given, what if you're in the field and realise you'd forgotten to wipe a card?
This is only for the initial setup of a CF card. Leaf users generally have to go through this procedure. Naturally, after having correctly formatted the card, you can reformat the card to infinitum with the camera back itself. This process also forces the file system of fat32 and performs a more comprehensive format than "quick format," or the what the digital back can do.

Also, using the right-click functionality is not always successful with larger-capacity CF cards in Windows. For the sake of being pedantic, I prefer to do things as correctly and rigorously as possible as to eliminate the unknown.
 

Professional

Active member
Ok, to answer some questions here:

I use Mac computer, and i followed the instructions as "coulombic" said, and i use not USB but Firewire card reader and it was detected quickly by my Mac and the size is shown correctly and so, and formatted or reformatted many times as MS-DOS or whatever and and, nothing changed.
I bought the card from B&H, the read speed is 25mb/sec and the write is 20mb/sec, the rates is 133x speed, so if that is so slow or not enough then is it a problem of the camera or the card? So what is the minimum read/write speed of the card i need for that camera?
I will buy ScanDisk next time, but now what i have to do with this card? i can't send it back overseas and it will charge me more than the card itself to replace it with shipping, so i think i should keep it for something else [DSLR camera for normal shoot or just for transferring files by CF card reader].
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I use 16gb Sandisk Extreme cards. Not too expensive and the speed is very good , never any writing issues with my back. The Extreme Pros seem very nice but for shooting speeds not sure they would help any as the backs may not write that fast anyway. Downloading yes as they will be quicker in that area but you may hit a limit even so with USB 2 or Firewire 800. Never tested that so not sure.

In this area it is all about reliability more than speed. Last thing you need is losing data. For Hassy like Phase and others there maybe certain cards it likes better than others. I would think you want at least 60mb/s to work with.
 

Professional

Active member
OK OK, i just bought that card and thought it may work, but as long it didn't work for my Hasselblad then i have to buy another card, and i know it is not expensive, i have that 12GB CF of Sandisk Extreme IV more expensive that time than 16-32GB nowadays, i will get Sandisk cards then.
 
Top