Why does a Canon Rebel XT format a 16GB CompactFlash card down to about 8GB?
Asked 12/17/2012
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I’m using a 16GB Lexar CF card in a Canon Digital Rebel XT. When the card is brand new, the camera shows roughly the full capacity, but if I format it in the camera, the available space drops to about 7.8GB. If I format it on a computer, the card shows the full size there, and the camera may show around 14.7GB again until it’s reformatted in-camera. I’ve seen the same behavior with two identical cards. Is this a camera limitation, and can the card still be used at full capacity if it’s formatted on a computer instead?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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This is a known limitation of the Canon Rebel XT. You can only format up to an 8GB card in camera, but should not have a problem using other commonly available cards in it(as long as they are formatted outside of the camera). I had a Rebel XT and can attest to also encountering this issue.
One may also suggest that above 8GB in the Rebel XT is too big. You can fit around 900 RAW images on the Rebel XT on a 8GB card. If you are putting over 1,000 images on a memory card, some people feel that you are putting too much trust or risk in that single card. What if on vacation you lost 1,000 images, someone could steal the card or it could get dropped and break, etc. They also do fail sometimes. This is just something to keep in mind, it is an opinion, but some people spread images across multiple cards because they feel that limits the risk. You might want to try that anyways since you have found the cameras limitation with cards over 8GB.
Further - I'm not up to date on the Rebel XT's available firmware, but you could double check that you have the newest version. This might remove the limitation that you have with your current firmware.
Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — based on user experience, this is a known limitation of the Canon Rebel XT. The camera’s in-camera formatting appears to only create an approximately 8GB usable partition, so a 16GB card drops to about 7.8GB after formatting in the camera.
The card itself is not necessarily faulty. If you format it on a computer, the full capacity can be available again, and the Rebel XT should still be able to use the card without issue as long as it’s formatted outside the camera.
The difference between numbers like 16GB, 15.6GB, and 14.7GB is normal and comes from how storage capacity is reported by manufacturers, computers, and cameras, plus space used by the file system.
Practical note: on a Rebel XT, even 8GB holds a large number of photos, so some photographers prefer smaller cards to reduce the risk of losing too many images if a card fails or gets lost.
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