Canon Camera Hackers Manual

Contents

A.1 Using cards with more than 4 GB capacity 237AppendixA.1 Using cards with more than 4 GB capacityUsing very large memory cards can sometimes be necessary when doingvideo or time-lapse work where the camera runs unattended, and it is in-appropriate to change the card frequently.The simplest option is to launch the CHDK manually after each camerastart with the function Firm update… as outlined in section 3.4. This shouldwork for most cameras.The trouble begins, however, if you want to use the AUTORUN feature.Partitions with more than 4 GB size MUST be formatted with FAT32, andthe CHDK does not boot from FAT32. The trick here is to run two partitions.The first partition is formatted with FAT16 and is quite small: 2 MB is suf-ficient. This partition only contains two files: DISKBOOT.BIN and PS.FI2. Allother files and folders are stored on the second partition that occupies therest of the memory card and is formatted with FAT32.Unfortunately, only a few cameras support multipartitioned cards. Forsupported cameras, you will find the two entries Create card with two parti-tions and Swap partitions under ALT > MENU > Miscellaneous Stuff. Withthese menu functions, you can format a large card with two partitions1:1. Install the CHDK on the card in the usual way. Load the CHDK with thefunction Firm update… as outlined in section 3.4 and make a backup ofyour card.2. Now invoke the function ALT > MENU > Miscellaneous Stuff > Create cardwith two partitions. This will create a FAT16-formatted partition of2 MB.3. Copy the files DISKBOOT.BIN and PS.FI2 to this small partition.4. Load the CHDK again using the function Firm update…5. Invoke ALT > MENU > Miscellaneous Stuff > Swap partitions to hide thefirst partition and make the second partition visible.6. Now format the card again. This will only format the second, large par-tition. Because this partition is larger than 2 GB, it will be formattedwith FAT32.1 The process reminds me a bit of the wolf-goat-cabbage-riddle: You have tobring all three safely to the other shore, but your boat will only take one ofthem.