S10-IS Write to SD Card Problem

[imjay]

My wife just received her new XS10-IS. She installed and new formatted a Extreme III type 4Gig SD card.

The new camera is taking a realtively long time to process images to the card often giving her a black screen with the message "busy" in her EVF.

The older S5 she has been using is never "busy" and processes captured to the card as extra fine jpeg files as quickly as she can shoot. We expected the newer image processor to be better and faster than the older versions in the S5-IS so maybe she is doing something wrong.

Does anyone have any idea why the new Digic4 processor is taking so much longer to process a file to the card? Are there camera settings she is not aware of that she should change?

I called Canon Tech support and the guy advised that, if anything, the brand new XS10-IS should be faster or at least as fast as the S5 writing jpeg images to the Extreme III sd card.

If the camera is defective she can send it back but she is missing quite a lot of shots due to this delay and is thinking maybe she should just go back to the S5 and return the S10. I think something may be wrong.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or experiences from anyone else who might be using the new S10 point-and-shoot.
Jim

[Jon]

What settings is she using? Is she using flash? High ISO? Low light?

[MaDMaXX]

Yup, sounds very wrong, can you try the card from the S5 in the SX10?

[imjay]

Hey
Thanks for the quick response and I should have given more information.

Cathy is a backyard and daytime wildlife shooter. Her primary targets are birds but also some insects and occasional snakes. She shoots3 to 6 hundred shots each day. She manually turns off the flash and turns off lcd review.

Beyond that she mostly uses auto - as in focus, apeture, shutter and etc. The "busy" seems to occur mainly in lower light but still daytime and outdoor settings. The S5 just never took so much time to process and store an image.

I think the "auto" setting she is using causes the camera to step up ISO and invoke noise reduction and etc. when the light gets a little lower and she is most often at or near max. zoom.

Thanks again - all suggestions appreciated.

[Jon]

Yep, noise reduction for low light/long exposures may slow things down. If she's really shooting a lot of wildlife in low light she might really be better off with a DSLR and long zoom. In2Photos (Mike), one of the other mods here, really likes his Sigma 150-500 IS, and on an EOS XS she'd have good reach and better high ISO performance.

[strmrdr]

format the card several times then test it under controlled conditions and try another card would be the first step.

[imjay]

She bought the Xsi SLR with "L" series 100-400 zoom with 1.4 zoom extender. The problem is a bad wrist that couldn't handle the 3 lb. lens weight and specs for the recommended Sigma show it to be even heavier so that's not an option.

We'll try several re-formats of the cards and I don't mind buying new ones. Just wondering if the problem (if it is a problem) continues does it mean that she should send the camera back or to Canon for warranty check out.

In all the same outdoor lighting situations the S5-IS never once showed "busy" during rapid shooting like the new XS10.

Thanks for the suggestions. We'll try them and open to any other suggestions.

[Jon]

Is using the XSi with a monopod an option for her? You really want to be supporting the camera using your left hand under the lens rather than your right hand clutching desperately to the grip for best results too.

[lyvyoo]

Hey, imjay!
Congratulation! You are the first user of SX10 that I see...
Is possible to upload some SX10 shots, with the ISO 200,400, 800, 1600? I'm very curious because google don't find any review of SX1/SX10!
Thank you,

[imjay]

My bride sometimes posts some of her backyard pics at - though it sounds odd for photography - the weather undergound and her most recent pic posts are with SX10 and the older ones are via her S5.

Most people can find her amateur wildlife pics by doing a simple google search for icmoore.

[imjay]

Re the Xsi that is probably a closed book re my bride. Expensive lesson - we plunked down nearly $3k for the Xsi plus BG-E5 grip/power module plus 4 extra batteries plus extra charger plus L Series 100-400 plus matching 1.4Extender and she decided she couldn't use the camera about two weeks after the allowed return date.

I keep telling her that $3k could have bought us a really, really nice pinball game.

Anyway, I was able to sell the BIG lens for $1100.00 to a REALLY happy buyer so now I am left with the Xsi - the listed accessories and the 1.4 zoom extender. The only thing she decided to use was the Extreme III 4Gig SD card I bought for her.

I keep staring at the Xsi and, sadly, it just stares back at me!! LOL - Expensive lesson - nice camera going to waste (bought a new pin game anyhow!!)