Is it possible to change the SD storage path on my Canon XSi Rebel 450D?

Question

Is it possible to change the storage path for a Canon XSi Rebel 450D?

The reason for this is I recently purchased a Camera Connection Kit (CCK) for my iPad. It would well with 2 of my cameras, but will not work when I attempt to load pictures from the SD cards used in my XSi.

I have read a bit on the use of the CCK and the only difference I can find on the SD cards from the other cameras is the storage directy path. When you view the card on a PC these cards show 2 folders DCIM and MISC. When you open the DCIM folder the pictures appear in that folder. On the XSi, there are the same 2 folders DCIM and MISC but when I open the DCIM folder, there is another folder 100CANON and the pictures are stored in there.

So, it appears that in order to work, the CCK requires the DCIM folder to contain the pictures and will not work with any nested sub-folders.

Answer 1

You can't change the folder structure so that the Canon EOS 450D, or any other Canon EOS camera for that matter, doesn't use subfolders named 100CANON, 101CANON, 102CANON, etc. inside the DCIM folder to store image files. This is fully compliant with the industry standard outlined by the Design rule for Camera File system. This standard was adopted as the de facto standard for storing digital image and sound files in memory devices by the digital camera industry to insure interoperability from one brand to the next.

If others are successfully using the Camera Connection Kit (CCK) with any Canon EOS camera, and indications are that some Canon users have successfully transferred files via the CCK, then the file structure is not your issue.

From wikipedia:

Design rule for Camera File system (DCF) is a JEITA specification (number CP-3461) which defines a file system for digital cameras, including the directory structure, file naming method, character set, file format, and metadata format. It is currently the de facto industry standard for digital still cameras. The file format of DCF conforms to the Exif specification, but the DCF specification also allows use of any other file formats.

Answer 2

I have read a bit on the use of the CCK and the only difference I can find on the SD cards from the other cameras is the storage directy path.

That shouldn't matter. AFAIK, all Canon EOS cameras (as well as other Canon product lines like PowerShot) use subfolders with names like 100canon. If that caused a problem with the Camera Connection Kit, there'd be a lot more complaining about it online. I think your problem lies elsewhere. One of the most common problems people have with the CCK SD adapter failing to read the card is that the card isn't fully seated in the slot. Try pulling the card out and reinserting it with gentle pressure.

It's not just Canon that uses subdirectories to group files in the DCIM folder; many other manufacturers do the same thing. Nikon cameras store their images in folders named 100nikon, 101nikon, etc., and Sony uses 100MSDCF, 101MSDCF, etc. And Apple itself does the same thing in iOS devices: 100APPLE, 101APPLE... This isn't just accepted practice, it's actually an industry specification and, according to Wikipedia: "it is currently the de facto industry standard for digital still cameras."

The XXXcanon subfolders inside the DCIM folder are not the problem here.

Answer 3

I cannot answer whether it's possible to change the path on Canon cameras (and I doubt it's possible), but I have some other ideas:

1. To test whether the Apple support's claim is correct, simply do this: Use a PC to move the images from the 100CANON subfolder into the DCIM folder and then see if you can read the images using the iPad. If it still doesn't work, the issue is somewhere else, clearly.

2. In which format are those images? If it's a RAW format, then it may well be that the iPad simply can't read that format. If they're plain JPGs, then try copying one of them using iTunes onto your iPad and see if the Photos.app can view the image. If it can't, then there's something wrong with the image files - you could then try changing the image saving options on that camera, but that would probably fit better into a new question.

3. Have you tried reformatting the SD card on different systems before using it with that Canon? E.g, try all of these: Format the card in that camera, format it in one of your other cameras, and format it on your PC (if you're using a Mac, format it as "FAT" with with the "MBR" option so that the camera can access it).