Same card shared by two cameras

[yakman]

Hi,

I have both EOS M and 70D. I'm thinking whether I can share cards among them.

Google search seems suggesting it will be fine.
But I'm curious, both camera by default store CR2 files into same card and both would be IMG_xxxx.CR2
What happen if the 70D trying to write a CR2 with a same name already on the card?

Thanks

 

[Chisox2335]

You could reset both counters on the cameras and try it. For the low cost of a second card Id buy another so you don't have to worry. They can be had for very little money nowadays.

 

[Maui5150]

You are fine to share cards, IF you reformat the card each time. Besides the naming/numbering format, you are just better off having a dedicated card in each camera. That does not mean that card X is only used in the 70d and card y in the EOS M, but rather, you should build up a supply of cards and everytime you will go to shoot with the camera, have a freshly formatted card FOR that camera.

When I shoot races, or things like that where I am using multiple camera and expect to have to change cards, I decide before hand what my swap cards are for each camera, and before everything, I will format the cards in each of the respective cameras

This will also save you from having the agony of starting to shoot, realizing the card you just swapped is loaded with pics from a previous shoot and now you have to do sorting.

So in short... If you mean to have a batch of cards and use them between both cameras, formatting each time, no problem.

If you mean just having one card and shooting some in one, pulling start shooting in the other, pulling and back to shooting in the first? I think that should work, though the risk of an issue probably discourages it.

 

[yakman]

Thanks for the above replies.

I have 3 cards, each camera has its main card and the third one is used as a backup for both.
I'm also considering bring all cards with one or both cameras while travelling. I don't want to format every time I change cards.

Just did my experiment, without resetting counter, I made a copy of IMG_1234.CR2 into IMG_1235.CR2 and put back the card. When another picture taken, it was named as IMG_1236.CR2.

So my worry wasn't there.
In fact, I can select another folder to store the photos on the same card. So even the file names will still be continuous. But I'm lazy to have to do that every time after a format: )

 

[danski0224]

Hi,

I have both EOS M and 70D. I'm thinking whether I can share cards among them.

Google search seems suggesting it will be fine.
But I'm curious, both camera by default store CR2 files into same card and both would be IMG_xxxx.CR2
What happen if the 70D trying to write a CR2 with a same name already on the card?

Thanks

Each camera will create a unique folder under the DCIM folder and save images in that location. Unless you change the file format, it is not "IMG" by default so the naming sequences will be unique.

Given the relatively low cost of memory cards, it would be easier to buy another one.

 

[danski0224]

Just did my experiment, without resetting counter, I made a copy of IMG_1234.CR2 into IMG_1235.CR2 and put back the card. When another picture taken, it was named as IMG_1236.CR2.

There may be an "overwrite" yes/no option in the menu and if so, it is "off".

 

[yakman]

Each camera will create a unique folder under the DCIM folder and save images in that location. Unless you change the file format, it is not "IMG" by default so the naming sequences will be unique.

Given the relatively low cost of memory cards, it would be easier to buy another one.

My observation is different. Both my 70D and M save photos into DCIM/100Canon by default, unless I set it to other.

It is not the cost of cards matter that much. I just want to rule out the possibility picking a wrong card then old file been overwritten.

 

[Valvebounce]

Hi yakman.
I don't think you need to worry about duplicate file naming as the cameras pick up the last file name and go from there, this can lead to very rapid increase in file numbers if you use continuous numbering scheme. Take a hundred shots put card in camera 2 take another 100, return card to camera 1 image number starts at 201 despite only taking 101 shots.
This May or may not bother you or you may set manual reset or auto reset on card change.

Edit, I meant to add I keep mine separate by using larger cards in the camera with the larger file sizes!

Cheers Graham.