What are the extra folders and files on a Panasonic camera memory card?
Asked 12/24/2010
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My Panasonic DMC-FT2 memory card contains more than just JPEGs. Alongside the image files in the DCIM folder, there are folders such as PRIVATE/AVCHD with files like .MTS, .CPI, .MPL, .BDM, and thumbnail/index files, plus MODELINF.DAT and an empty MISC folder. What do these files and folders do, especially for video recording, and is there a reference for this card structure?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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The AVCHD directory is for video files. I asked a similar question on another site (can't find it at the moment though). But it looks like you've gotten the gist of what they do. Wikipedia's page on AVCHD lists this structure as well:
Not sure where there is an official reference though.
Originally by user530. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user530
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. On Panasonic cameras, those extra files are mainly part of the AVCHD video recording structure, not still photos.
DCIM/100_PANA/*.JPG: your photo files.PRIVATE/AVCHD/...: standard AVCHD folder tree used for movies..MTS: the actual video streams..CPI: clip information files, typically one per movie clip..MPLand.VPL: playlist-related files that can group clips.INDEX.BDMandMOVIEOBJ.BDM: small index/control files for the AVCHD structure.AVCHDTN/THUMB.*: thumbnail/index data for browsing movies.MODELINF.DAT: camera model information.MISC: often empty or reserved.
So your interpretation is basically correct: most of the non-JPEG files support playback, indexing, playlists, and compatibility with AVCHD devices/software.
For reference, look up the AVCHD directory structure; general AVCHD documentation and summaries such as the Wikipedia AVCHD page describe this layout.
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