Nikon D50 and Burst mode and speed

flyingdutchieflyingdutchie Registered Users Posts: 1,286 Major grins
edited February 10, 2006 in Cameras
I just bought a D50 as a backup for my D70.
The SD card arrived later than the camera and i've been testing something and it surprises me:

If i do *not* insert an SD card, put the camera in Burst mode, put the image-quality on RAW/NEF, i can shoot 40 pictures in a row. And it goes pretty fast! (after the 40th, no more pics are taken: internal buffer is full)

If i do insert an SD card, i can shoot about 4-6 pics really fast, then it.. slows... down...........

Why is the camera much slower when inserting an SD card? After the 6th there is still enough room (about 34 more) in the internal buffer for fast shooting.

And: can one insert an SD/CF card in the D50/D70 while it is turned on (e.g. in the above case, where i have 40 pics in buffer that i want to move to the memory card)?

Anyone has an answer for that? .. just curious :scratch :D
Thanks!
I can't grasp the notion of time.

When I hear the earth will melt into the sun,
in two billion years,
all I can think is:
    "Will that be on a Monday?"
==========================
http://www.streetsofboston.com
http://blog.antonspaans.com

Comments

  • SCS_PhotoSCS_Photo Registered Users Posts: 112 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2006
    Bottlenecks. Do you have a fast SD card? When you're writing to an SD card, the writing does take time, especially with the non 'Ultra/Extreme/Pro/Elite' speed cards. The buffer can't empty until the data is on the card.
    Owner, Wax Photograpic LLC.
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited February 10, 2006
    There's no way in heck you can fill the buffer and actively insert a memory card to move photos off that buffer with the camera on.

    I would think your ability to shoot that much with no card is that you simply aren't recording anything at all. The camera knows there is no card, so it just lets you snap away to some limit - in this case 40.

    Also, the D50 only has a 9 frame buffer at 2.5 fps, so your results sound just right.
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • CrispinCrispin Registered Users Posts: 130 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2006
    I have wondered the same thing about mine.
    You can't really balme a bottleneck for this because it would then slow down only after 34. Not so?ne_nau.gif

    It is storing the data in the buffer (or somewhere) because you can browse through the pics. The have a fat watermark saying demo though.

    Maybe, when there is no card the camera changes down to the smallest files as there is no reason to have top quality raw floating in mid air.ne_nau.gif Just maybe...
    Edit: Can't remember, what's the buffer size for small / basic files? 40 maybe?
    Cheers,
    Crispin
    http://crispin.smugmug.com
    SQL Mechanic
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited February 10, 2006
    Crispin wrote:
    Can't remember, what's the buffer size for small / basic files? 40 maybe?
    If the number I quoted above is for NEF's, 9 frames, then about 40 basic jpg's sounds about right.

    I didn't know the D50 will show you the photos you took from the buffer with a watermark. Neither of my cameras will do that. I just have the custom function for shooting with no card set to off anyway, I don't want to think I'm actually taking shots when I'm not.
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • CrispinCrispin Registered Users Posts: 130 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2006
    Could be then that it is just shooting at smallest file hence the speed.ne_nau.gif

    It's not a watermark, more of a big white text top left I think, that says DEMO.
    Cheers,
    Crispin
    http://crispin.smugmug.com
    SQL Mechanic
  • flyingdutchieflyingdutchie Registered Users Posts: 1,286 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2006
    Crispin wrote:
    I have wondered the same thing about mine.
    You can't really balme a bottleneck for this because it would then slow down only after 34. Not so?ne_nau.gif

    It is storing the data in the buffer (or somewhere) because you can browse through the pics. The have a fat watermark saying demo though.

    Maybe, when there is no card the camera changes down to the smallest files as there is no reason to have top quality raw floating in mid air.ne_nau.gif Just maybe...
    Edit: Can't remember, what's the buffer size for small / basic files? 40 maybe?

    It kept bugging me a little (i'm an engineer)... why am i able to shoot 40 images, set on NEF quality without an SD card really fast, and with an SD card, it started slowing after the 6th! Writing from the buffer to the SD card is supposed to work in parallel.

    The 40 images shot without the SD card were not thrown away. I can review each one of them later.

    But if 40 images can be stored in the buffer in NEF, then the buffer must be around 200MByte big. 200MByte of fast RAM on a $550 camera.....? I doubt that....

    I think this is what happens:
    When you shoot RAW/NEF without SD card, no NEFs are stored in the buffer, but thumbnails (or low quality small JPEGs) instead. That explains why 40 of them fit in the buffer.
    Another hint is that without an SD card, you can review the 40 images in the buffer, but the word 'Demo' is shown in the top-left corner. Also, you can only zoom-in juuust a little... Nothing more.
    I can't grasp the notion of time.

    When I hear the earth will melt into the sun,
    in two billion years,
    all I can think is:
        "Will that be on a Monday?"
    ==========================
    http://www.streetsofboston.com
    http://blog.antonspaans.com
  • CrispinCrispin Registered Users Posts: 130 Major grins
    edited February 10, 2006
    Well that makes sense "You can only zoom out a little" On small, with a card, you can only zoom out a little as well.

    Question (If you have the camera with you): What does the EXIF say for the images?
    Cheers,
    Crispin
    http://crispin.smugmug.com
    SQL Mechanic
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