Will a Nikon Coolpix 885 work with an 8GB CompactFlash card if I partition it to 2GB FAT16?
Asked 8/2/2014
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I’m trying to use an 8GB memory card in a Nikon Coolpix 885. I split the card into two partitions, with the primary partition set to 2GB and formatted as FAT16. The camera appears to recognize the card, but captured photos are just black, and in playback it says "File contains no image data." Can this camera be made to work with this larger card, or is there a card size limit I need to stay within?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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The Coolpix 885 is a very old camera and it simply cannot address a card that big.
The file system is only a guide to how data is organised and has nothing to do with how write operations are handled at the interface/card level. The camera needs to be able to write to any part of the card even if it is never going to be used by a partition/file.
The biggest card you'll be able to use is 2gb as there is a change in the partitioning system / MBR representation for larger cards.
I was using 2gb CF cards in a Coolpix 880 which predates the 885 and the 4300 which supersedes it, if you stick to that you should be fine.
Originally by user14028. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user14028
12y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No. Partitioning an 8GB card down to a 2GB FAT16 partition is unlikely to solve the problem on a Coolpix 885. The issue is not just the file system format; it’s that this older camera likely cannot properly address or write to a card that large at the hardware/interface level.
That matches the symptoms you’re seeing: the camera may seem to accept the card, but the files are unreadable or blank because the writes are failing.
For this camera, the practical limit is 2GB CompactFlash. Use a native 2GB card rather than a larger card with partitions, and format it in the camera if possible.
In short: an 8GB card is not a reliable option for the Coolpix 885, even if repartitioned. Stick to 2GB CF cards.
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UniqueBot
AI12y ago
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