montsnmags@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Wayne Harridge wrote:
>
>> Yes, good point, the file system on the hard drive and the file system on
>> your memory card should be very similar and have similar relability.
>>
Not mechanically/electrically the same, and the file system may be
different. I don't know about Apple, but assume it's file system is
perfect. ;-) Recent versions of windows have abandoned FAT systems in
favor of NTFS, a more reliable system.
Flash memory has a failure rate with use. Cards with built-in
controllers, such as CF and SD(HC) have firmware that stores data in
such a way as to even out usage. So if you only ever use less than 50%
of your card's capacity, the usage of individual physical storage
locations will all be about equal.
The firmware also automagically keeps track of individual memory
location health and maps around those that go bad.
HDs and flash memory are electro-mechanically wildly different and
require different handling.
>> A question: why would the EOS 10D in-camera formatting of a card (1GB CF)
>> take a second, but the Oly 770SW in-camera formatting of a card (2GB xD)
>> take...well, possible a couple of minutes (I don't know precisely - I just
>> start it and let it do its thing while I do something else). Would this be
>> analogous to the difference between a format and a "quick format" of a hard
>> disk?
>>
I think the answer is probably implicit in what I wrote above. xD cards
don't have a built-in controller, but rely on controller functions in
the camera.
A CF card camera need only tell the card to format, and it's all handled
inside, over a fast internal bus - and involving the intermediary
housekeeping firmware. An xD camera actually has to send all the
individual, low level commands and read the responses from the card to
do formatting. I assume it also might do some of the wear leveling
functions, as well?
Chuck's right that xD is a poor design. I was only pointing out that it
works ok if one follows the rules and thus allows one to enjoy the
benefits of a unique camera like your 770SW or my F30. There's nothing
like either one that also uses CF or SD.
Moose
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