D7100...Second memory slot. Can I use it this way?

Nice folks,

 

Yes I searched but maybe I'm not asking right, well any way.

 

Just turned in my D80 for a D7100. Really enjoying it.

 

I typically use my camera for evidence in insurance defense work and I can go through a lot of photos (to me anyway). Shoot everything in .jpg.

 

Just wondering if I use the second slot as "Back-Up"...

 

I usually use a 16gb card, but I was wondering If I could put a much larger card like a 256mg in slot two. Can I just leave that larger card and keep swapping the 16gb out of slot one for each job and still have it backing up my photos in slot two without removing or replacing it after each job or card swap?

 

Kind of like making slot two as a mini SDD as a loose back up.

 

Thank you for the time.

 

Mike

 

Just wondering if I use the second slot as "Back-Up"...

 

I usually use a 16gb card, but I was wondering If I could put a much larger card like a 256mg in slot two. Can I just leave that larger card and keep swapping the 16gb out of slot one for each job and still have it backing up my photos in slot two without removing or replacing it after each job or card swap?

Mike

I frequently do exactly that, but with a 128G card, as I don't have any 256G.

 

I don't see why you can't do that with a good 256G card from the major brands such as SanDisk.

256mg in slot two. Can I just leave that larger card and keep swapping the 16gb out of slot one for each job and still have it backing up my photos in slot two without removing or replacing it after each job or card swap?

That's exactly what I do in my D810: 64GB card in slot 1, 256GB card in slot 2 as backup; both cards are SanDisk.

You of course can use it in the way you describe (I have a D7100 myself) by selecting the

'Overflow' option in the the 'Roled played by Card in slot 2' setting of the Shooting menu, in combination with

'JPG" (in whatever size) in the Image Quality' setting of the same menu

The SD cards I use are by far not as big as the 256G card you are considering, while in the manufacturer's manual

the largest SD card recommended is 64G, but in the past I used larger then recommended cards in older tpe

Nikn DSLR's without any problems

 

However, you of course will risk losing your 'back up ' archive when eg the camera together with the 'archive'

SD card is lost or stolen, or when due to some kind of malfunction the 'back up' SD card becomes corrupt or in some way unreadible

 

I personally use Eye Fi cards, which have a built in Wifi transmitter, to during a shoot send JPG's to my tablet

Admittedly in my case the JPG;s are of little real interest, as I also shoot in RAW as my main format, but being able to get

a impression of the pictures immediately after having been shot on a larger screen then the camera's LCD is very helpful

for eg stylists, MUA's models and editors ( I shoot a fair bit of fasion)

 

I suppose you could use a similar set up (although not with Eye Fi cards, as that company has unfortinately folded) with amother

brand of WiFi SD cards from eg Transcend or Toshiba

Shoot your pictures on a smaller SD card for your usual 'per job' routine, and also send copies of the images to the harddisk of your

taptop or computer, IMO most likely less prone to possible break down or loss then leaving the back up on a card in the camera

With JPEG even Large / Fine a 64GB which is what I use or certainly a 126GB will hold an Awful lot of images. It would be rare for a SanDisk to fail, but for safety's sake, I might use the smaller cards,and replace them and file them when they are getting full.

Overflow' option

That's precisely NOT the one the OP should use. It is my understanding that he was asking about backing up the card in slot 1, not having a second card that can take over once the first one fills up.

That's precisely NOT the one the OP should use. It is my understanding that he was asking about backing up the card in slot 1, not having a second card that can take over once the first one fills up.

 

You're absolutely correct, my mistake

 

I meant selecting the 'Back up' option, got a bit mixed up switching after languages in the menu's

First thanks everyone for the time and replies.

 

You are probably right on the 256. This is coming out of an issue I had with my D80.

 

In 15 years I have never lost photos. Well in the past month I have lost two jobs. One was easy to go back and take photos again. BUT the next time was of a one bite at the apple job. Through my D80 and all cards away. SO I'm kind of hoping that this might help with another layer of salvation.

 

I have the card, I have used ZAR for recovery but there a number of photos that are there but cannot be opened... you know what I'm taking about.

 

So you folks really recommend Sandisk over the rest, I have just use LEXAR Pro's. I do buy them from B&H.

 

Again thank you for the time.

 

Mike

When you mention "jobs," if you are referring to professional photography where clients pay you to photograph, it is way overdue to upgrade from the D80, which was introduced over a decade ago in August 2006.

 

Today, I wouldn't use a DSLR without dual memory slots with the backup mode.

+1 to using the 2nd slot as backup. The card in the 2nd slot need not be more than 2x the size of the primary card, since that gives you at least two jobs before you cycle back over earlier photos (assuming you fill up the primary card completely). You should know if the backup is needed by that point. On my D7100 I recently upgraded to the highest quality, fastest cards I could find, both SanDisk. I won't go back, though my older cards are in my bag "just in case".