Largest Microdrive for 20d?

[jeffrey_douglas]

What is the largest Microdrive that can be used with a 20d?

 

Thanks

[bobatkins]

Cameras using FAT16 are limited to 2GB, but FAT32 goes up to 2TB in theory. The 20D uses FAT32

 

I suppose the 20D might not be able to address all 2TB, but can certainly address 8GB, which is enough for the largest available microdrives.

[skipd]

I would NOT choose to use a microdrive - they are too fragile in my opinion. I stick with solid state memory CF cards.

 

Also, it is much better to have several smaller cards than only one huge one. You are betting that it will always work and that you will always have it with you. Spares in the camera case saved the day for me once when I left the card from my camera in the reader at home.

[ralph_jensen]

I don't know about others' definitions of "large" or what size you're considering, but when

shooting RAW files with an 8-16mp camera I certainly don't consider

4GB to be "huge"; with the 1DsII on RAW + jpg, a 4GB microdrive (or CF card) holds only

180 shots, so it's no

problem to

fill up a couple of cards a day (don't have the 20D nearby so I don't know how many

images would fill a 4GB there; it's obviously a lot more but not thousands of RAWs or

anything like

that).

 

I have six 4GB microdrives that I rotate around among the 20D and the 1DsII. I have

traveled all over the world with them, in all kinds of conditions, with no problems. (Most of

those who call microdrives "fragile" have never had personal experience with a failure.)

[flirtynfun]

Damn Bob... 2TB theoretical...envisioning a connection to an EMC Clariion RAID box...kinda hard to carry though!

[jeffrey_douglas]

I have a 1GB IBM microdrive that I got with a used 300D that I use as a backup. I've used it many times with my 20D with no problems. It seems from other research I've done that there are a lot of misconceptions about microdrives.

[flirtynfun]

Hitachi makes a 6GB microdrive and I just found a link for a 10GB drive that's just been prototyped. Imagining just as technology increases...so will drive size and speed.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2005/06/10gb_microdrive.html

[dk.]

"I would NOT choose to use a microdrive - they are too fragile in my opinion. I stick with solid state memory CF cards"

 

I would agree with that statement if you plan on using them to juggle with instead of balls or the like. :o)

 

I have had a 4GB Hitachi microdrive for a long time now and have had no problems with it. I have a 1GB 80x Lexar Flash card as a back up, but I find that the microdrive is good enough for me. I have also had 1Gb IBM microdrive cards in the past with no problem too.

 

DK.

[jimstrutz]

I just put a reformatted 4Gig Microdrive into a 20D. I *says* that it will take 890 large fine jpg, 415 raw, or 282 raw + large fine jpg.

 

The failure rate of Microdrives might be higher than solid state CF cards, but other than initial failures, that failure rate is still quite small. The new design Microdrives are quite durable. Lots of people have had a CF card fail completely and unretrievably, and some of the newer Microdrives have as well, so there is no guaranty that you won't loose images with either. For many purposes the lower cost makes the (probable) slightly higher risk of the Microdrive a better choice.

 

For instance; I have CF cards, but for the few weddings I shoot, I might not have enough to shoot all day in raw. So I bought a Microdrive to cover the possibility of running out at the end of a long wedding. I think this is a good place for the added risk. It probably won't even get used, but if I need it...

 

Meanwhile, I've been using the Microdrive for personal shooting. Another place I'm willing to take the added risk.

[skip hansen]

The question should be: Why would you use a 4, 6 or 8 gb microdrive? They are fragile, they are a mechanical device, they are expensive. I would recommend staying with solid state CF cards (1gb or so). The likelihood of a micro drive going south is many times higher than a solid state CF card.

 

Do you value your photos?

 

I get about 75 shots of RAW, yes, RAW+Jpeg images on a 1 GB card. I wouldn't run the risk...so say most of the photography shop guys I have spoken with recently. It sounds cool (to have a huge micro drive), but it is not worth the risk.

[wes_baker1]

I've shot just under 10,000 pics on a 4G Hitachi drive since last spring. I never had one problem of any kind with that drive. Actually, since I always have the camera set to RAW+JPG, that's really closer to 20,000 pictures.

 

I read somewhere that Microdrives have trouble maintaining the critical gap between the head and disc at high altitude (due to lower ambient air pressure). So on the occasions when I'm over 10,000 feet, I switch to solid state compact flash. If anyone knows the technical details on high altitude Microdrive operation, I'd love to hear them

 

Wes

[jimstrutz]

Wes, Microdrives aren't the only hard drives having trouble at high altitude. The heads are designed to "fly" over the platter, on a cushion of air. If you've ever read about "ground effect" flying machines you will understand what's going on.

 

An airplane wing causes air pressure build up under it creating lift. If close enough to the ground, that pressure is stronger than normal due to the fact that the air can't dissipate farther downward. Ground effects flying machines use this to their advantage, gaining lift without increasing drag, and can get by with much smaller than normal wings & engines. Of course they are limited to a flying a few feet of the ground, so they are not all that practical. A hover craft traveling at speed sometimes are designed to take advantage of the effect.

 

A hard drive head does the same thing. Some air spins with the surface of the platter, and the "ground effect" allows higher than normal pressures to build up between the head and platter. This keeps the head close to, but not touching the surface. If the ambient air pressure is too low, there will not be enough pressure under the head, causing it to crash on the platter. So common hard drives are not recommended for high altitudes.

 

At least that's what I've been told.

 

Skip, one thing Microdrives are not is fragile. At least the new designs aren't. They are surprisingly robust and durable. I understand this is all relative, and that compared to a solid state device like a CF card, they are easier to trash. They are mechanical devices, and parts are a spinning & shaking in there, but they are able to withstand being dropped & other such destructive behavior. Some of the early designs would fail if you just squeezed them a bit, or if you fumbled one out of your hands, but rarely the new ones. Being an old fragile design is why MagicStore 2.2 Gig Microdrives are NOT recommended.

 

Microdrives are also not expensive. Still talking relative, they are about 30-50% less cost. That's why the attraction.

 

"The likelihood of a micro drive going south is many times higher than a solid state CF card." -- I know that's the commonly accepted wisdom, but do you have any data backing this up? I keep asking this, because I keep seeing statements like this bandied about as if they were fact, when no one really seems to know. I'm not denying that it might be true, but if we don't know that it is, why do we keep saying it as if it were fact? It would be very interesting to see the warranty period failure rate of all the above, but I doubt we could talk the manufacturers into divulging it to us.

[doc_nickel]

""The likelihood of a micro drive going south is many times higher than a solid state CF card." -- I know that's the commonly accepted wisdom, but do you have any data backing this up?"

 

-I doubt it. First off, something like three million Apple Ipods using CF-format microdrives tends to put the lie to the old and outdated saw that microdrives are "fragile". Ipods, after all, tend to be treated considerably more roughly than digital cameras costing over a grand.

 

Second, there was a brief article shortely after the release of the Nano, which uses built-in solid-state CF cards. The first release of Nanos had something like twice the failure rate of the microdrive-equipped Ipod Minis.

 

Now, this was down in the small fractions of one-tenth percent range, but the issue holds; the solid state chips are not necessarily more reliable or durable than the latest microdrive designs.

 

And right now, MDs are still considerably cheaper per GB than solid state. That's important for, as mentioned, those with 1Ds or 5D's, which fill quickly when shooting RAW+jpg.

 

I have 3.5Gb of CF cards for my XT, for which I paid a total of roughly $350 retail. At the time, I could have bought a 6GB microdrive for $290. Right now, I can get 4GB drives for $150.

 

Sometime this coming year, I hope to get a new or used 1DMkII (or N) and I'll most likely supplement the existing cards with a 4 to 6GB drive (plus the SD cards that the 1D's take.)

 

Doc.

[wes_baker1]

Jim,

 

So what altitude starts to cause problems? I only use mine up to 9,000 feet, but I have no documentation to support that particular figure.

 

Wes

[dcheung]

What's the transferspeeds of microdrives these days?

 

When I went with CF instead of microdrives, it was because CF cards had higher transfer rates. I was annoyed how when i shot burst for sports or parties that i'd get down time due to the buffer filling up.

 

My 2nd question is what is the fastest supported transfer speed on the 20D? I'm just wondering when there will be no point in buying a faster card for me.

 

thanks

[mbb]

Making long story short: I have three 4GB Hitachi drives and use them intensively on 20D (10D before) for couple of years now. There were few hundred thousands files saved on them. I dropped them, they were expose to intensive heat, I carry then in my pocket in shaky environment etc. So far they never failed. My 1GB CF failed once and I lost all images. Another reason, for me to use MD on 20D - transfer rate is significantly faster then CF (at least on mine). And they are much cheaper. So personal preferences, believes and experience play a role here as well.

[jimstrutz]

I don't know what's a safe altitude. I did read once that 14,000 feet was considered too high for a standard computer hard drive, but they were sometimes used as high as that by making sure that no one moved anything while it was operating. Microdrives might be better or worse, I don't know.

 

As far as speed, I know that with my Hitachi 4 Gig MD card in a 20D, it is considerably faster than standard Sandisk 512MB cards, but not quite as fast as Sandisk Ultra II 512MB cards. It is closer to the Ultra II's and the standard speed. There are other cards even faster.

 

I just did a quick test to measure this. I tried the 20D in Large Fine JPG mode, filled the buffer, and then measured how long it took to clear the buffer completely. The Sandisk Ultra II took 14 seconds to clear. The Microdrive took 17 seconds to clear. A 2GB Kingston Elite Pro took 20 seconds to clear. The Sandisk standard card took 28 seconds to clear. So while the Microdrive is not amazingly fast, it's no slouch either, and quite good for cheap memory.

[jimstrutz]

The second paragraph should read, "It is closer to the Ultra II's *than* the standard speed card."

[gaetano catelli]

i have 3 6GB Hitachi microdrives. i have shot 3 weddings and one 50th birthday celebration with them, but not much else (the 20D isn't my idea of a walkin' around camera). in total, just over 8500 shots. yesterday, one of them failed (in retrospect, there were warning signs). i don't how to recover the (fortunately non-critical) shots still on the drive.

 

i have a wedding to shoot on friday. these babies cost about $200 (after rebate).

 

ugh.

[danny_dhan]

My Canon EOS 20D can not post the Hitachi 4 GB CompactFlash+ Type II micro drive. It continuosly indicates "CF Error" I have reformatted card FAT32 etc: I also have similar problems with the Seagate 5GB MD. I have the latest firmware updates etc: Any ideas.

[nicolas_boislard]

According to a couple of web site, microdrive that come from ipod and some other mp3 players are not compatible with Camera. They have been locked in a certain way by the manufacturer. But those you can by for using with camera are 100% compatible

[eldritch48]

Hey, I just got a Hitachi 4 gig microdrive, and my computer will read it, but my 1DmkII says it can't format the card...any ideas?