Feature Suggestion: Behaviour on memory card full

[Matthew]

HI Guys,

 

I was getting used to my new, IR modded and cooled Canon 40D when I made a beginner mistake last night taking a long series of dark frames.  I didn't realise the 500 MB memory card wouldn't have the space to hold all the many shots when I went to bed.

 

Might I suggest two things BYE could do to alleviate this situation:

 

1. If its possible - if the user has ellected anything other than save to PC, then warning them if they are about to take 100 shots of 10MB each that there is only 100MB free of space on the camera - so they won't be happy
2. Have an override if the setting is save to PC and Camera - if you run out of space allow the user to set the behaviour to change to only save to PC and continue the run, rather than aborting the run

Must say I am really liking this product more and more as my familarity with it increases and my gear improves!

 

Matthew

[astroman133]

Those suggestions make sense, but why save anything to the memory card?

[s3igell]

There's a Feature Suggestion Box section at the Main Support Forum level - perhaps Guylain can move this Thread for you.

[s3igell]

I believe from previous Forum Threads that we've learned the Canon SDK doesn't provide much of any Functionality for Accessing Files on the SD Card while BYE is Connected.  This is common for the USB Protocols, as they usually either provide a Connection as a "Media Device" or as a "Device" and it is the latter that the SDK needs but the former that allows access to Files on the Card.

 

That said, I'd agree that the #2 Suggestion might be a Useful Compromise...

[astroman133]

The Canon EOS SDK does provide access to the necessary information via the EdsGetVolumeInfo method call.  Among the information returned is the Maximum size (in bytes) and the available capacity (in bytes).  However, it is more involved than that.  Some cameras have 2 memory cards and these cameras can be configured to use those memory cards in different ways.  For example, the camera can be configured so that the images can go to card 1 until it is full and then they are stored on card 2.  Another supported configuration is that JPG images go to card 1 and RAW images go to card 2, or vice versa.  There is also some interaction with BYE that for those cameras, and when BYE is in charge, images are only saved to card 1.  Along with the fact that the images files are not always the same size, it is somewhat problematic to predict when a given card will be full.  There is also a property that BYE could read (kEdsPropID_AvailableShots) which may be easier. It is difficult, but perhaps not impossible, to provide the requested functionality.

 

While I don't see much benefit to storing images to the card as well as the PC, I do see the sense that it would be good if BYE could continue to download images after filling up the memory card.  Whether this is easy depends on how the camera reacts when the memory card fills up and whether BYE is able take advantage of that to switch to PC only save destination and continue capturing images.

 

None of my comments are in any intended to provide any information about whether Guylain and Chris WILL provide the requested functionality only that the SDK would provide support for such an effort should they agree to add the functionality to BYE.