What CompactFlash card size will work in a Fujifilm FinePix S1?
Asked 12/25/2011
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I have a Fujifilm FinePix S1 and know the SmartMedia slot is limited to 64MB. What is the maximum usable size for the CompactFlash slot? Will a 4GB or larger Type I CF card work, or is the camera likely limited by its file system/firmware? Any guidance on CompactFlash compatibility for this camera would be helpful.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The file system for the camera (given the era, the cards available at the time and their price) is probably FAT (FAT16). There's no indication anywhere that the camera is capable of using FAT32. If that's the case, you won't be able to use cards bigger than 2GB, and may find that only 1GB is addressable.
While they're not nearly as commonly available as cards weighing in at 4GB and up, you can still find 1GB and 2GB cards at very reasonable prices (under $20). Don't worry about the speed ratings -- all of the currently-available cards will read and write faster than the cards of c. 2000 (except the microdrive, which was really rather snappy).
Unfortunately, Fuji's two non-JPEG formats are TIFF, so you won't be able to get very many shots on a card unless you use JPEG, and there is no RAW format. JPEG Fine should be good enough for most purposes, though, and the bit-depth limitation might actually help to learn about exposure, white balance, etc.
Originally by user2719. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user2719
14y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a camera of this age, the practical limit is likely much lower than modern CF cards. CompactFlash as a format can support very large capacities, but older cameras often only understand FAT/FAT16-era media and may not support FAT32. In practice, that usually means a maximum of about 2GB, and some cameras from that period may only reliably address 1GB.
One community answer also cited an old Fujifilm compatibility list showing much smaller tested CF capacities, which suggests the camera was designed around early-generation cards.
So a 4GB Type I CF card may physically fit, but it may not be recognized or may not work properly. The safest choice is to use a 1GB or 2GB CompactFlash card from a reputable brand. Card speed is not important here; even basic modern CF cards will be fast enough for this camera.
If you want the best chance of compatibility, stick to standard CF Type I cards at 1GB or 2GB and format them in-camera if the camera allows it.
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