Techsurvivors
Archives => 2003 => Topic started by: csonni on March 22, 2003, 01:37:00 PM
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Would anyone know if it's a bad idea to transfer files (other than images) on a Compact Flash card? I would copy it onto the card from my Pismo (PC card slot) and copy it over to my desktop via my FW CF Reader. Cheap way to go rather than spending $159 or so on a USB Pen Drive.
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Don't you have a network card in your desktop? get a crossover ethernet cable and hook up the machine. A CF-card doesn't hold that much (well depends on the size) and it's not the fastest media.
*IF* you choose to do it, remember to format the card in the camera before you use it or your images might get corrupted.
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The reason for the CF card for transfers is the convenience and ease of just carrying the card over and popping it into the reader. The transfers aren't that large, so there is no chance of the 256 meg card getting too full. I always format the card in the camera, so that shouldn't be a problem. Thanks.
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Most cameras format their CF cards using the DOS FAT16 format. Mac-specific files copied onto a DOS-formatted card may lose the resource fork, Creator and Type codes, and so forth. Depending on the file, this may destroy the file.
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Tacit,
That's a good point. However, Do you see any reason why one could not reformat the card to HFS+ on the mac, and then do as Csonni wants to do?
Of course, then it would need to be used exclusively with the macs and not in the camera.
Steve
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Sure, you can (probably should!) always reformat (twice!) , and it might not take too long, certainly not as long as the actual tranfer. But a $10 (or less) cable will save almost all that time. And you won't have to worry about the static build up walking back and forth! (or do you take your shoes and socks off on those trips?)
Jim C.
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I guess I'd rather fry a CF card with static charge than drop my Pismo going downstairs to my desktop. Airbusdriver- what's the cable you're talking about- FW for TargetMode? If so, that involves a reboot or two, which takes alot more time. I have a couple of spare CF cards, so there wouldn't be a problem reformatting them through my computer and keep it "Mac-specific."
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Think the cable they're referring to is a crossover ethernet cable. Of course, if you're always in different areas of the house and don't want to move the Powerbook, this isn't a great solution, unless you have some easy way of snaking cable through walls etc.
I would suggest getting a crossover cable though just so that you can use one machine to back up the other easily.
Of course, there's always the wireless solution, but that will cost considerably more. You can get a PCMCIA wireless ethernet card for your Pismo, buy a wireless router and set up a LAN. But we're talking well over $100 CDN (the wireless PCMCIA card being the expensive item these days).
If you're going to use CF cards, I'd suggest that you keep one card just for this purpose, rather than changing the format repeatedly, and having to remember to reformat depending on what you're doing.
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With this ethernet cable, is rebooting required or is it pretty much plug and go? Forgive me, but I'm quite illiterate when it comes to ethernet. I probably should go with it just to know how to use it.
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Well, I didn't understand that different floors and walls were involved!
But I was talking about a simple ethernet network. Two Macs are about as simple as they get, even having a printer to share is easy (assuming you are using the same OS on both machines). But it can be difficult running the wire between several walls and/or floors. Half inch bits and a recipricating saw are handy! I recommend giving your wife a couple of weeks vacation at her Mom's while you do the wiring!
Oh well, the CF sounds a lot easier (and cheaper) after all! And you will probably get some good exercise going up and down the stairs!
Jim C.
[ 03-23-2003, 04:03 PM: Message edited by: airbusdriver ]
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So far it doesn't seem to work, at least with AppleWorks documents. It's a generic icon, and I am asked to choose an app to open it with. AW is grayed out, and any other app (TextEdit, etc.) brings back a -08750(?) error. By the way, there is a folder on the card entitled Resource Fork. Images work, but that's it. I'll have to try something else. I did format the card with my Mac through Canon's ImageBrowser.
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Fromatting with Canon's ImageBrowser may not actually be any different than using the camera. If you really want to pursue this, try formatting directly from the Finder.
Jim C.
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Csonni, first of all, try selecting "all documents" - not just "Appleworks" documents - that usually does it.
As Airbus says, format the card using the Finder if you want to be sure it's got the correct formatting. I have no idea what Canon's software will do to it. Be aware though, that it may or may not be recognized by your camera after doing this, which is why I don't recommend using it for both functions.
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How exactly do you format via the Finder? Is there an "erase" in the menu when the card is selected? I don't have the card available right now, so I can't see what were talking about here.
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Oops...you're using X, aren't you? Go to your Apps->Utilities->Disk Utilities. You'll find the what you need under the "erase" tab. Just make sure you pick the correct disk (CF card!). Format it with Mac OS Extended format and it should now function as a transfer disk for your files. As noted though - your camera & the Canon software may or may not recognize it after you do this. You MUST reformat in the camera or with the Canon software before attempting to use it in the camera again.
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Yep, I'm in OSX. I just used Disk Utility to format the card in Mac OS Extended, but in the process, Disk Utility quit and left the card unmounted. Info told me it was DOS_Fat_12. Started up Disk Utility and tried again. Disk Utility didn't quit, but it again left the card unmounted in the same format. What goes?
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Oops. I guess I had my first crash since loading OSX. I put the CF card back in and everything locked up. I removed the card and that's when I had a pretty gray veil come over my screen telling me that I needed to Restart my computer, along with some gobbly-gook text at the bottom (was that a kernal panic??). I held down the power button for a bit and the Pismo shut down. Restarted fine, but now I hesitate to pop the card back in.
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Yup, sounds like a kernel panic. Hmmm...maybe it's trying to tell you something. Maybe that ethernet crossover cable IS the way to go?
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Disk Utility wasn't really designed for Compact Flash cards. Have you tried reformatting it with the Finder's "Erase Disk" command?
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I ended up sticking the card into my FW Reader on my Desktop and I was given the option to initialize it. I guess that worked, but I will still have to reformat it when it gets full. Tacit, where exactly to you find "Erase Disk" in the Finder? Forgive me for my ignorance.
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In OS Classic, it's under the "Special" menu. In OS X, I believe you find it by Control-clicking on the disk icon
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Er...tacit...unless you have an entirely different version of OS X than the rest of us, you MUST use Disk Utility to erase a disk. It's not a Finder function in X. That's why you can't find it csonni. (had me wondering if I'd missed something there too!)