Maximum CF card size with G2?

[Scandal]

I bought G2 today (yes, wise decision, I know ;) but found something strange from the manual - the manual doesn't say anything with >128 MB CompactFlash cards. Can I safely buy a 256 MB card if I want to or is 128 MB really the maximum size? :O (Yes, I know IBM's Microdrives, don't have enough money and/or usage for those.)

[dialdn]

I've been using a SanDisk Ultra 256 since I bought the camera (2 months) and have had no problems.

Dialdn

[Braveheart]

I have a 256 card as well, no problems.

[dn7elson]

If money is a factor, make sure that you check the $/MB of each size. There is currently a premium for 256MB CFs over 2-128MB, and a greater premium for a 512MB vs. 4-128MB.

If you get one of the hard case CF wallets, they will hold 4 CF modules and make carrying multiple CFs easy. I put the unused CFs in the holder label up, and the used ones label down. That way, in an instant I can grab another and swap it with the one in the camera without having to check to see which one it is and whether it is full or not.

If the 256MB is cheaper per MB in your area or with your vendors I would not hesitate to go with it. Make sure that you also check on CF memory speed as regular vs. high speed CFs exist, and at significantly different price points.

[Scandal]

Thanks for the information :)

Kingston CF cards seem to be quite reasonably priced here and quite fast, too, so I'd thought buying one of those. 128 and 256 MB cards are both about 0,53 euros per megabyte (about the same in USD), so there isn't any difference. Now I just have to decide is 128 MB enough or do I actually want (or need) more... There's anyway ~75e between the cards and that isn't a small amount of money for me (...especially when an usb CF reader + CF/PCMCIA adapter have to be bought aswell).

128 MB card is usually enough, since I take photos mostly for web use and thus there isn't much need for resolution over 1600x1200 - though I know I may need to take max resolution photos occasionally :/ 128 MB card eats ~50...60 photos with the best quality JPG and with usb CF reader, PCMCIA adapter and a laptop there won't be any problems transferring the photos from the card if & when it fills up :P

How about additional battery, is there need for it (as with Powershot Pro70, Ixus series etc., where the second and even third battery is "a must") or is G2's battery really _that_ good as said?

[Morden]

Refering to Scandal's original post, surely a 1GB Microdrive isn't *that* much more expensive than a 256MB CF card nowadays? Just a thought.

Neil D.

[Scandal]

Quick check on local prices:

128 MB CF: 70e
256 MB CF: 135e
512 MB Microdrive: 280e
1 GB Microdrive: 380e

Yes, comparing the largest microdrive to the CF cards it seems to be some 30% cheaper per megabyte. But then again, 380e is quite huge pile of cash, especially if there's no "real need" for 1GB ;(

[Canonman]

Just to say that I have been using 256Mb Fujifilm CF card and there is no problem.

[ajax]

We went on a vacation several months ago and I used two 128 MB cards....we came home and in a moment of sheer stupidity, I accidentally deleted all the files from one of the cards. I was sooo thankful I had split the vacation onto two cards, so I could salvage photos from half the trip. :-/

Had I used one 256 card, I would have been sunk.

I also have two batteries; I am glad I have two, but one would probably suffice, especially with a car charger.

[suemccartin]

Walmart.com has viking cf cards for about 104.00 (USD) for a 256 card, free shipping. TigerDirect has a no name card that they claim is 12x for about 80.00 for a 256 card. My viking 8x card works great in the G2.

Hmmm. I think I'd almost rather have a couple of solid state cf cards than one microdrive; it does have moving parts afterall. I bet if you drop a microdrive it goes bye, bye, real fast. I've dropped my cf cards several times with no ill effects. For me I'll stick with the solid state technology, I'm betting it's more dependable. CF cards in a gigabyte sizes are becoming available, expensive as hell but they are there.

[jakespeed]

I use a 512mb Sandisk and an Archos Jukebox photo with 20gb HDD.
On a recent trip to Europe each night I would dump the CF card onto the Jukebox. At the end of the holiday I had used only 6gb of HDD, but seemed to be shooting as much as I wanted. The only limit then was the battery which sometimes didnt allow me to fill the CF card.

[suemccartin]

About this jukebox photo you use? Do you shoot stitch and movies? Do you have any problems getting the canon software to stitch or make the movies when you load your stuff off the jukebox?

[jakespeed]

No problem. It works as a hard drive. You dump all the pics on to the Jukebox, then you connect the jukebox to a USB port on the puter, and you see it as another drive. It might be e: drive or f: or whatever, depending on your setup.
You can then use photostitch to stitch the files, etc.
Personally I transfer all the images/movies across to my pc hard drive first then play with them.

[suemccartin]

Yeah but you have to do it all manually that way. i.e. if you stitch something you have to open each image then hit stitch whereas if you take it off the cf card the canon software displays the images with the green stitches on them and you just have to right click for stitch and it auto loads the images for you to the stitch software. I just don't get why canon's software can't be as automatic when the shots are already off the card--silly if you ask me. Ew, it must take a long time to download a lot of shots off your jukebox over usb 1 interface, they need to come out with a firewire interface version.

[jakespeed]

USB2 interface available as an optional extra.
Also, the photostitch is automatic. I use 3.1 and it works automatically no matter where the files are.

[dsmith]

Just to add yet another opinion and get my feet wet with posting... I recently purchased a G2 and immediately ordered a Lexar 12x 128MB CF card. I'm glad I did. It works great and cost about $45 USD. I would recommend researching the various CFs out there, lots of info and opinions about Viking, SanDisk, Lexar, etc. Different ones work better/worse with different cameras.

As previously mentioned, it holds about 60 pics at full-res JPG. That's a lot considering how anxious I am to get them over to my computer (I rarely have more than 20 at a time!).

Advantages of 128s over 256+s: safety (don't put all your eggs in one basket), plus, it also nice for me to have one CF and my wife another so we can easily switch them out. Similarly, if you're working on different projects at the same time, multiple CFs might be handier. As a side note, I haven't heard too many good things about the microdrive's at this point.

I'm certainly enjoying my G2!

-D

[rubysue]

I have a 1gig microdrive.