topic Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 06:26:07 GMT

I bought a 7D mark II and have had an ongoing problem. I have it set to write to Card 1 (CF Card) first and when full to card 2 (SD Card). Several times I pulled the CF Card and put it in my computer but it was blank. When I put the SD card in the card reader my photos are on it. I sent it to Canon and they said there was nothing wrong with it. When I got it back I double checked the settings (correct) it was OK for awhile but then reverted back to writing to the sd card and ignoring the CF card. Having spent $30 to UPS it to them I'm reluctant spendvanother $30 to send it back again.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

RobertTheFat — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 13:30:06 GMT

@kitmos wrote:
I bought a 7D mark II and have had an ongoing problem. I have it set to write to Card 1 (CF Card) first and when full to card 2 (SD Card). Several times I pulled the CF Card and put it in my computer but it was blank. When I put the SD card in the card reader my photos are on it. I sent it to Canon and they said there was nothing wrong with it. When I got it back I double checked the settings (correct) it was OK for awhile but then reverted back to writing to the sd card and ignoring the CF card. Having spent $30 to UPS it to them I'm reluctant spendvanother $30 to send it back again.

I think you may have tripped over a problem I've complained about several times. With the setting you describe (failover to the other card when the current card is full), if you remove the current card, the camera switches to the other card and stays there, even if you put the original card back in. I've seen it happen on my 5D3, even with the camera turned off. You have to go back to the menu and set it up again.

My wife has a 7D2, and it does have the same issue. I haven't bothered to verify that its behavior is identical to that of the 5D3 in all circumstances, but I strongly suspect that it is.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 16:21:17 GMT

Thanks Robert. I'm going to call Canon today and I'll mention this.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 17:38:23 GMT

Hi Robert,

I just talked to Canon and was told that if I have it set to Auto Switch from Card 1 to Card 2 and then pull the 1st card out to download photos the 7d will switch to Card 2. It will stay on card 2 even when you put Card 1 back in. So you have to reset the menu pref each time or set on Standard. If you turn your camera off before pulling the card this is not supposed to happen. However I always turn my 7d off when changing cards etc.

Seems like a really stupid design to me that should be fixed in firmware. I assume that this applies to all dual card Canons...

Cheers, Kit

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

RobertTheFat — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 20:06:21 GMT

@kitmos wrote:
Hi Robert,
I just talked to Canon and was told that if I have it set to Auto Switch from Card 1 to Card 2 and then pull the 1st card out to download photos the 7d will switch to Card 2. It will stay on card 2 even when you put Card 1 back in. So you have to reset the menu pref each time or set on Standard. If you turn your camera off before pulling the card this is not supposed to happen. However I always turn my 7d off when changing cards etc.
Seems like a really stupid design to me that should be fixed in firmware. I assume that this applies to all dual card Canons...

Cheers, Kit

I have definitely had it happen to me (on my 5D3) with the camera turned off while the card was out. However, I can't swear that it's happened every time when the camera was off. It certainly happens every time if the camera is on. The behavior is counterintuitive, and I agree that it should be fixed.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 18:20:05 GMT

So now I'm pissed. I've set it to standard so that it doesn't autoswitch from card 1 to card 2. After shooting yesterday I pulled card 1 out and it's blank. Card 2 has my photos and the menu has changed to writing to card 2. And I'm the only one to use this camera.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

RobertTheFat — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 22:00:14 GMT

@kitmos wrote:
So now I'm pissed. I've set it to standard so that it doesn't autoswitch from card 1 to card 2. After shooting yesterday I pulled card 1 out and it's blank. Card 2 has my photos and the menu has changed to writing to card 2. And I'm the only one to use this camera.

Did you actually set it to Card 1, or did you assume that it would default to using Card 1 first? In the menu there should be an arrow pointing to the card it intends to use.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 05:22:45 GMT

I definately set to card 1. I've had to do this several times now. It's so frustrating because it doesn't happen everytime.

Calling Canon again tomorrow.

Cheers, Kit

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

ebiggs1 — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 13:10:12 GMT

I no longer have any 5 series or any 7 series cameras as I have sold all of them in favor of 1 series. But I strongly suggest you never remove a CF or SD card while the camera is still in the "on" position.

I don't remember now about the 5 or 7 series but a 1 series shows which card it is writing to on the lower LCD of the camera. Easy to tell what is what. Sorry I am of no more help but do make a habit of turning the camera off before removing the cards.

I am surprised Canon didn't make that admonishment when you talked with them.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 18:17:33 GMT

I'm talking to Canon now and he is able to duplicate the problem but says that is just the way it is. But I still maitain this is a really stupid design flaw in the 7d mkii firmware.

I can't believe that no one else has complained about this.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

Waddizzle — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 18:45:16 GMT

@kitmos wrote:
I'm talking to Canon now and he is able to duplicate the problem but says that is just the way it is. But I still maitain this is a really stupid design flaw in the 7d mkii firmware.
I can't believe that no one else has complained about this.

Bob and I have polar opposite schools of thought on this issue. From a user perspective, the issue is a legitimate, and nagging inconvenience. If you properly remove a card, and then properly re-insert it, it seems like it should pick up where it left off. But, that simple seeming behavior is really not quite so simple.

From a programmer's perspective, like myself, it makes perfect sense, because the camera should not ever make any assumptions about what your intentions are. How is the camera to know that you re-inserted the same card? The argument is made that which card that is re-inserted shouldn't matter. But, the counter argument is the same, how is the camera to know that you intend the same behavior for the newly inserted card? It forces you to confirm the desired behavior, completely ignoring the card until you do.

I think the firmware developers have simply "erred" on the side of safety, and not allowing the camera to be accidentally overwriting image files. Besides, writing code that "figures out" what your intention are actually takes programming space away from the code to run the camera and produce images.

Would you rather that they sacrifice performance for sake of an occasional convenience?

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

ebiggs1 — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 19:36:19 GMT

Well so much for that theory. I just tried it with one of my 1 series cameras. An action I never do normally, BTW, and it does not change cards. It remains on the card I selected. I still maintain, you should always turn the camera off before removing the card(s).

IMHO, the camera should honor your selection and keep it there.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

Waddizzle — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 20:08:04 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
Well so much for that theory. I just tried it with one of my 1 series cameras. An action I never do normally, BTW, and it does not change cards. It remains on the card I selected. I still maintain, you should always turn the camera off before removing the card(s).

IMHO, the camera should honor your selection and keep it there.

You're comparing apples to oranges, 1 series to 7 series.

Like I said, it would consume additional memory in code to give the camera the smarts to do what may seem like a no brainer. But, actually it requires more code because now the camera must accomodate at least two initial conditions when a card has just been inserted, instead of just one.

Like I said, and as you noted, it is not something that many people would normally do. "The good of the many, outweigh the needs of the few, or the one."

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

jrhoffman75 — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 00:53:59 GMT

Since the 1D series seem to do what folks want the code already exists.

It also seems strange that the higher level camera has a more foolproof system than a lower level device.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

Waddizzle — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 01:05:45 GMT

@jrhoffman75 wrote:
Since the 1D series seem to do what folks want the code already exists.

It also seems strange that the higher level camera has a more foolproof system than a lower level device.

There is nothing strange about designing your product line so that the sales of the flagship products are not usurped by lesser big ticket models. If you want the start of the art, intuitutive conveniences, there will be a price to pay.

Am I saying that engineers will purposely cripple a model, so as not to hurt sales of a more expensive model?

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. Don't blame the engineers. There like the Steve Wozniaks of the world, let everybody have it for free. Unfortunately, the bean counters, marketing, and sales conspire against such ideas. PROFIT.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 03:39:35 GMT

Waddizzle,

I understand your point but hardly think Canon would bother to cripple a 7d Mark ii which sells for $1500 in order to sell more 1D's that sell for $4000-$6000.

Cheers, Kit

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

kitmos — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 03:57:10 GMT

So I talked to Canon again today. I'm frankly dissapointed in the quality of advice I have been getting from Canon. Everytime I've talked to them about this problem I get a different answer.
Today they bumped me up to a senior tech and she said that even though the camera is turned off If I close the card door the camera thinks it is activated and finding no card in slot 1 it switches to card 2. I can see this possibly being true in Auto Switch but shouldn't be true in standard setting. So, in theory, if I leave the card open I won't have this problem.
As I understand it from the comments here, the 1D does NOT have this problem so it is a fixable issue.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

ebiggs1 — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 06:40:23 GMT

"... the 1D series seem to do what folks want the code already exists."

I really don't know why I argue with him. He makes so little sense sometimes. A weakness in my character I suspect.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

Waddizzle — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 10:52:11 GMT

@kitmos wrote:
Waddizzle,
I understand your point but hardly think Canon would bother to cripple a 7d Mark ii which sells for $1500 in order to sell more 1D's that sell for $4000-$6000.

Cheers, Kit

Guess what? That's how it works in the real world.

Blame it on Sales and Marketing. The big ticket items need carrots that makes them more attractive over lower priced models. If not, the lower price offerings will usurp sales of the big ticket items. This applies to most any product, in any field. Luxury cars have available heated seats, while economy models do not.

Whether or not this card issue was planned or unintentional is another story. I am just saying that it requires more program code to implement the feature the way you want. I have no idea how much program space is available in a DSLR, but I can guarantee you that if there is space available, then engineers will put it to use.

If they 140 characters available to write a program, then they are going to cram as many bells and whistles into the space as they can. It takes far less code to make the camera dumb, than to give it smarts.

Re: 7D Mark II writes to wrong card

ebiggs1 — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:05:44 GMT

"Luxury cars have available heated seats, while economy models do not."

Our econo-box Ford Focus has heated seats!