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Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
If a fine jpg is approx 5MB and a CLL NEF RAW is approx 42MB why does 4GB CF hold 46 frames and 16GB SD hold 178 frames and yet camera display shows 199 frames and not 46 as per the manual (the display shows the card with the least exposures available) AND (the shutter release will be disabled when ONE card is full)?? - Page 89
The camera recorded 30 RAW and 80 jags ??

This is of course using SD as primary card (RAW) and CF as backup (jpg-fine).
I do not understand and having just lost 20 RAW exposures I would like to before another shoot is B******D

I set to default before investigating and the only things that changed was the jpg size and quality.

All I want to do (not my usual set up - hence confusion) is have the shoot in jgs to send immediately by internet rather than conversion in PS....

Kind Regards

Sharkey
 
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kallisti

macrumors 68000
Apr 22, 2003
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If a fine jpg is approx 5MB and a CLL NEF RAW is approx 42MB why does 4GB CF hold 46 frames and 16GB SD hold 178 frames and yet camera display shows 199 frames and not 46 as per the manual (the display shows the card with the least exposures available) AND (the shutter release will be disabled when ONE card is full)?? - Page 89
The camera recorded 30 RAW and 80 jags ??

This is of course using SD as primary card (RAW) and CF as backup (jpg-fine).
I do not understand and having just lost 20 RAW exposures I would like to before another shoot is B******D

I set to default before investigating and the only things that changed was the jpg size and quality.

All I want to do (not my usual set up - hence confusion) is have the shoot in jgs to send immediately by internet rather than conversion in PS....

Kind Regards

Sharkey


I'm a bit confused by your post, but will try to answer. I'm assuming that CLL means compressed lossless. I have a pair of 32GB cards in my D810. In 12-bit compressed lossless NEF I get ~508 images. So I'm also assuming that you have your NEF files set to 14-bit which would give me 393 on a 32GB card and ~196 on a 16GB card. This is roughly in line with the 199 you say your camera display is showing.

Not sure at all where the 46 number is coming from, assuming your storage is set up appropriately as you describe.

My suspicion is that your primary slot selection and secondary slot function isn't set up the way you want them to be.

Assuming you want your larger (SD card) to store the NEFs and your smaller (CF card) to store the fine JPEGs, make sure the primary slot selection in the shooting menu is your SD card and then make sure the secondary slot function (right below it in the menu) is set for RAW primary - JPEG secondary.

This will show up as a rectangle with RAW in it followed by a + sign and a second rectangle with a J in it. The secondary slot function menu item should show this before you even get into the submenu. If it is showing two rectangles separated by a plus sign, then your cards are set up as backups (and if you are shooting NEF you will be limited by the smallest card). If the menu item shows two rectangles separated by a forward arrowhead, you are in overflow mode where it writes to one card in NEF and then the other.

It is very easy in Nikon menus to think you have set something without actually setting it. Press the OK button once you have highlighted your choice in a submenu, otherwise it may not take.

Confirm that your Secondary Slot Function in the Shooting Menu is displaying a rectangle with RAW followed by a plus sign followed by a second rectangle with a J in it. Also confirm that your Primary Slot Selection in the Shooting Menu (the item just above it) is displaying your largest card (in your case, SD).

I would also think about changing your RAW setting to 12-bit from 14-bit as you don't gain anything useful from those "extra" bits except larger files ;)
 

mofunk

macrumors 68020
Aug 26, 2009
2,421
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Americas
Cards are cheap. You should sell the cards that you have and get a 32GB or 64GB cards. The difference in capacity for using jpeg and RAW is that the RAW files have more info, pixels, and isn't as compressed verses the JPEG files.

I'm using a D750 with the wifi in camera. I shoot RAW and then upload them to my phone. On my phone I can edit the photo before sending to the web.

or to answer the first question? I think this is what you are asking? On my D750 the file size of the first card is always displayed. Or also it depends on what you have turned on that will be embedded in the EXIF. So If you have the copyright info on, or WB adjustment, etc. that will also fill up the card.
 

kallisti

macrumors 68000
Apr 22, 2003
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Cards are cheap. You should sell the cards that you have and get a 32GB or 64GB cards. The difference in capacity for using jpeg and RAW is that the RAW files have more info, pixels, and isn't as compressed verses the JPEG files.

I'm using a D750 with the wifi in camera. I shoot RAW and then upload them to my phone. On my phone I can edit the photo before sending to the web.

or to answer the first question? I think this is what you are asking? On my D750 the file size of the first card is always displayed. Or also it depends on what you have turned on that will be embedded in the EXIF. So If you have the copyright info on, or WB adjustment, etc. that will also fill up the card.


No, no, no, no, no. Nikon bodies with dual cards display the number of available shots based on file size and how the dual cards are setup to function (i.e. overflow from one card to the next, backup where images are copied to both cards, or NEF + JPEG). They don't ever display "just the first card" (unless that is the rate limiting step based on the above parameters). Also EXIF data is tiny and has zero impact on card storage capacity and will not "fill up the card." Never. Not under any circumstances. EXIF data has *nothing* to do with storage capacity.
 
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Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
Thank you for replies.
Firstly the 46 is the number of frames available on the CF in RAW. Apparently the frame counter takes the primary choice so RAW..
The rest of my confusion has been cleared by a reboot to default and some test shots today. What happened is completely unclear as of now.
Kallista, I have checked your list of checks against mine and all seems well. I will be out tomorrow so will report back in the evening. The tests placed Raw on the SD and the jpg on the CF. I will have to wait and see how many images before the display gives me a warning.
Its probably what is known as a "glitch"!
 

mofunk

macrumors 68020
Aug 26, 2009
2,421
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Americas
No, no, no, no, no. Nikon bodies with dual cards display the number of available shots based on file size and how the dual cards are setup to function (i.e. overflow from one card to the next, backup where images are copied to both cards, or NEF + JPEG). They don't ever display "just the first card" (unless that is the rate limiting step based on the above parameters). Also EXIF data is tiny and has zero impact on card storage capacity and will not "fill up the card." Never. Not under any circumstances. EXIF data has *nothing* to do with storage capacity.



Sorry you didn't read or understand what I posted.

First, I'm only going off what I see on my D750. On my D750 I have the FIRST card for photos and the SECOND card is for videos and overflow. Both cards are 32GB and shooting RAW. So on the top LCD screen, with both cards inside, it says 586 (something like that) in the space for available photos. When I take out one card and the TOP LCD screen says, 586. Oh if you checked your source before commenting then you would know that on the D750 "If two cards memory cards are in inserted, the display shows the the space available on the card in slot 1" D750 manual pg. 31


Now possibly on the D800 it functions differently but on my D750 it only shows the amount of space on the first card only.
(let me check that manual) According to the manual on the D800 pg. 89 it says when you use these settings.
“Backup” and “RAW Primary, JPEG Secondary”
The camera shows the number of exposures remaining on the card with

the least amount of memory. Shutter release will be disabled when either card is full.


Which is why I said on my D750...But on pg.38 of D800 manual it says that the display will show "the space available on the primary card". Which I guess is confusing?? especially if you change it to what is mentioned on pg. 89. You set the 16GB SD card to backup JPEG and it says


Second, I mention the EXIF because there is a lot of info there. I mentioned the EXIF because you can look and see what you have added. Like a reference check.

@OP Maybe if you have the same size cards in each slot that would be best.
 

kallisti

macrumors 68000
Apr 22, 2003
1,751
6,670
Sorry you didn't read or understand what I posted.

First, I'm only going off what I see on my D750. On my D750 I have the FIRST card for photos and the SECOND card is for videos and overflow. Both cards are 32GB and shooting RAW. So on the top LCD screen, with both cards inside, it says 586 (something like that) in the space for available photos. When I take out one card and the TOP LCD screen says, 586. Oh if you checked your source before commenting then you would know that on the D750 "If two cards memory cards are in inserted, the display shows the the space available on the card in slot 1" D750 manual pg. 31


Now possibly on the D800 it functions differently but on my D750 it only shows the amount of space on the first card only.
(let me check that manual) According to the manual on the D800 pg. 89 it says when you use these settings.
“Backup” and “RAW Primary, JPEG Secondary”
The camera shows the number of exposures remaining on the card with

the least amount of memory. Shutter release will be disabled when either card is full.


Which is why I said on my D750...But on pg.38 of D800 manual it says that the display will show "the space available on the primary card". Which I guess is confusing?? especially if you change it to what is mentioned on pg. 89. You set the 16GB SD card to backup JPEG and it says


Second, I mention the EXIF because there is a lot of info there. I mentioned the EXIF because you can look and see what you have added. Like a reference check.

@OP Maybe if you have the same size cards in each slot that would be best.

Apologies. Yes if you have the dual cards set up for overflow, the display will show the capacity of your primary card. An odd choice on Nikon's part since the point of setting the two cards up this way would be to maximize storage between the two cards and you would thus want to know what your total remaining shot capacity would be. Should have done that test before I posted. Mea culpa.

The D800 and the D810 don't have options for putting photos on one card and video on the other. The D500 does (and from your post the D750 does as well). The behavior seems to be that for backup or NEF + JPEG, the displayed available shots reflect available space on the rate limiting card. For overflow, it is the primary card. Never saw a use for the overflow set up (and still don't for my shooting needs), so I learned something and stand corrected.

I've had an individual card fail and was glad for the backup. I can see uses for NEF + JPEG if you normally use JPEGs out of the camera, but having a NEF file to work with could salvage a shot. Overflow...never really saw the appeal, though I guess if you shoot photos and video it might be nice to store them on discrete cards. Not an option on the D800 or D810 however.

I stand by what I said about EXIF data. While there can be quite a bit of info there, it takes up almost zero space in the files. It is never going to reduce the number of shots you can take to fill the card. I'm not aware of an option to turn off EXIF data even if you wanted to. EXIF data *isn't* what's filling up your card.
 

Reality4711

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 8, 2009
738
558
scotland
The D800 and the D810 don't have options for putting photos on one card and video on the other. /QUOTE]

Page 70 in Manual "
Destination" Choose the slot to which movies are recorded.

Sorry I started this. All entirely my set up error - tiredness :-(

Many thanks

Sharkey
 
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