EOS 7D CF card recommendations

[redfootranch]

Hi, coming from a Kodak Easyshare I am very new to DSLR cameras! I picked up a 7D recently that came with an 8GB SanDisk Ultra card and I'd like more storage. When I tried installing the 128GB Extreme Pro from my 7D Mark ii it didn't seem to want to seat onto the pins so I didn't force it. All pins are intact and straight.

I am unable to find online info regarding Canon's recommendations on compatible card or  card classification types. I'd like at least 64GB of storage with this body being it's single card type.

Any help/insight would be greatly appreciated. Have a great day!

[Tronhard]

I have owned the 7D for many years, it is an old but good camera.
You might want to download the Advanced User Guide for the 7D from: 
gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/0/0300002580/02/eos7d-im2-en.pdf

Information I have read suggests that while the 7D will shoot to 128GB cards, you can only update firmware and certain other functions with the 32GB cards.   Given the small size of the images, I would suggest keeping to 32GB CF cards to be on the safe side, and get only brand names such as SanDisk, Lexar and Prograde.

[redfootranch]

Thanks, I got a factory copy of the manual with this camera.

[Tronhard]

I recommend downloading the soft copy of the manual and putting on a portable device such as a pad, phone or even laptop, so you can refer to it when you on the road.  It also allows you to search for specific word strings, as opposed to the hard copy version.

[normadel]

The pin configuration is not different for different-capacity CF cards. If a card does not fit, SOMETHING is wrong. A pin in the camera is bent, the card is being inserted the wrong way, it is slightly crooked in the slot, there's a broken-off pin in the card . . . 

Look in all the card holes, and look again at the pins in the camera. See if something got into the card slot.

[Tronhard]

One of the benefits of getting a pro-grade camera is the ability to create to a redundancy in case one card fails - thus, I would encourage you to get a Full-size (never micro with adapter) SD card, of a similar capacity to that of the CF card.  Given the 7D's modest file generation size (18MP), if you copy, then format the cards clean after each shoot, you should be able to function with a 32GB card and thus not run foul of some of the more obscure update issues I referred to.

As regards the desire for a very large card capacity, you are far better and safer to copy the files from your  card onto a computer for backup and processing.  The simplest, fastest and most reliable method is to use a card reader attached to a computer.  Cards are not designed as archival media and are relatively easily compromised.
The process for Windows (Apple in brackets) is:
1. Turn off the camera and remove the card
2. Place the card into an SD card reader attached to your computer.  The computer file manager should recognize it as a removeable drive
3. Go to the DCIM folder and use Ctrl+A (CMD+A) to select all files, and Ctrl+C (Cmd+C) to copy them
4. Go to whatever folder you desire on your PC hard disc and press Ctrl+V (Cmd+b) to paste the files
5. Confirm all files have been copied
6.  Right+Click (secondary+click) on the icon for the SD card and select EJECT from the pop-up menu.  The computer will break its connection with the card. If it cannot, it will generate a warning message.  Don't remove the card until you have resolved this - usually an app needs to be closed, at worst a reboot.
7. Remove the card and return it to the camera
8. Using the camera's format command, format the card(s) clean.  There is a reason for this.  The file management system of a camera is a relatively primative one compared to that of a computer.  As such, to make sure a card works reliably with the camera cards should be formatted on the camera, as per P45 of the Manual.  Furthermore, simply deleting images creates complex entries into the camera's File Allocation Table, which become ever complex and create an increasing risk of compromising the card.