SDHC Overwrite

[hankski]

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First time poster here...

 

I have been using a C-lux 3 for digiscoping. This is my first experience with SDHC cards. The C-lux appeared to show 463 files left on a 4GB card shooting at 10 megapixels. The card recorded 266 shots and then, without warning, started to overwrite previous shots. My previous experience with an XD card gave me a warning when I reached capacity. The C-Lux gave me no warning and just wiped out some terrific images.

 

Anybody out there have any idea how I can prevent this from happening in the future? I can't find anything in the Leica manual or in the instructions for the SDHC card that gives any direction on this issue.

 

Thanks!

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[pop]

Have you tried looking at the card's directory with your computer? Have your tried another card instance?

[Photon42]

There might be a problem with the file directory written on the card. Has the card been formatted inside the camera with which you were using it?

 

Rgds

Ivo

[hankski]

Have you tried looking at the card's directory with your computer? Have your tried another card instance?

 

Thanks for responding.

 

I looked at the card using Windows Media Player (Vista Ultimate) and only found the 266 images. Based on your suggestion I did a direct check in the directory and found two folders labelled DCIM and MISC. The latter was empty; while DCIM contained two subdirectories,LEICA100 and LEICA101. LEICA100 was empty, and LEICA101 held the previously known 266 image files. I tried flipping attribute switches to show hidden and archive files without any change in viewable information. When I did this the system gave showed an Error Applying Attributes dialogue stating that the media is write protected. When I tried to ignore these attributes Windows did its thing and ignored me.

 

It is interesting to note that the total amount of data being held on this card is 1.42GB with 2.29GB of free space apparently available for use. My thought is that the card might need to be reformatted again for the C-Lux 3.

 

Regarding the second suggestion, I am using another 8GB card now. It'll take me awhile to get enough images to see how it reacts. In any case, I will report results of my efforts.

 

Thanks again for taking an interest.

[hankski]

There might be a problem with the file directory written on the card. Has the card been formatted inside the camera with which you were using it?

 

Hi Ivo,

I was responding to Philipp's post when your suggestion came through. As you can see above, I am going to try reformatting again per your recommendation.

Regards,

>Hank

[hankski]

There might be a problem with the file directory written on the card. Has the card been formatted inside the camera with which you were using it?

 

Good news (so far...)

 

I stored the remaining images on my notebook and then reformatted the card. Then I reloaded the 266 images back onto the card, inserted it back into the camera, took a few shots. It appears to be storing the new shots without deleting the images previously taken.

 

Reformatting appears to have resolved the problem. I will keep this forum posted if the problem reappears.

 

Thanks for your help,

>Hank

[Photon42]

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Thanks for the feedback

[hankski]

Has the card been formatted inside the camera with which you were using it?

 

I guess I never formatted the card in the first place. Thought these things were formatted already... Duh!

 

The message here is:

ALWAYS FORMAT NEW SD CARDS IN THE DEVICE IN WHICH IT WILL BE USED --or-

YOU RUN THE RISK OF LOSING DATA.

 

Now I will stop screaming.

 

>Hank

[pop]

So far, none of the explanations appear to satisfy the original problem. Cameras don't usually overwrite existing files.

 

Did you happen to remove the card from the camera while the camera was turned on? Did you happen to remove the battery from the camera while it was turned on? Did the camera shut down on account of the battery being empty? Did you put the card into a PC and remove it without giving notice to the PC?

[ho_co]

Hank--First, welcome to the forum! Sorry you arrive with problems. I hope the lost images aren't overly important.

 

 

... DCIM contained two subdirectories,LEICA100 and LEICA101. LEICA100 was empty, and LEICA101 held the previously known 266 image files. ...

That might be strange, depending on how you've used the card previously.

 

As I understand it, a properly-functioning camera should work this way:

 

LEICA100 was written by the camera to store your first 999 images. The camera writes files L1000001 through L1000999, then creates a new folder, LEICA101. Files L1010001 through L1010999 get stored there.

 

(You can, of course, create a new folder with a name not already present on the card, and you can delete images already stored.)

 

If you have two folders, the second one was created either by you or automatically by the camera when the first one got full. Since you say the first folder is empty, either you didn't use it and directed images to the LEICA101 folder instead, or the images it contained were deleted at some point, possibly by 'moving' (instead of 'copying') them to the computer, or via the camera's menu system. Either way, if the camera is working properly, the absence of files in LEICA100 would be due to user intervention.

 

Maybe there was a card problem, and the camera mistakenly read LEICA100 as being full and created LEICA101?

 

So I think it's a good idea to keep an eye on both the card and the camera, as you're doing.

 

I'm glad the combo seems to be working properly now. Let's hope that whatever the glitch was, it doesn't happen again!

[hankski]

I hope the lost images aren't overly important.

 

LEICA100 was written by the camera to store your first 999 images. The camera writes files L1000001 through L1000999, then creates a new folder, LEICA101. Files L1010001 through L1010999 get stored there...

 

If you have two folders, the second one was created either by you or automatically by the camera when the first one got full... Either way, if the camera is working properly, the absence of files in LEICA100 would be due to user intervention.

 

Maybe there was a card problem, and the camera mistakenly read LEICA100 as being full and created LEICA101?

 

Thanks for your insight.

 

The camera seems to be working well at the moment. I lost some really great images taken at J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA. It's disappointing, but I'll get back there with more experience in the future. I am finding the C-Lux 3 to be an awesome light weight system for getting wildlife shots when combined with the Leica Televid 62 spotting scope.

 

The SDHC card in my camera formatted with no subfolders in the DCIM folder. After the first shot it created a LEICA101 folder and inserted data into same. There was no LEICA100 folder.

 

I looked in the manual and found out how to reset the FILE NUMBER and the FOLDER NUMBER. I reset both,reformatted the card eliminating all store files in the process, and then took a picture. At this point this the camera made a LEICA100 folder.

 

Regarding how this mess got started: When I was at Sanibel I remember finding the SDHC had popped out under the closed door that houses it and the battery. I popped it back into the proper position and continued taking images. I wonder if this caused the camera to create a second folder?

 

I really do believe that the problem is resolved and that it was indeed due to human intervention.

 

Regards,

>Hank