Hitachi Microdrive in 20D

I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB card
reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest firmware (v2.0.3)
in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB microdrives.
I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and card reader with no
success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Peter

"Peter" wrote in message
...
I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB card
reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest firmware
(v2.0.3) in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB
microdrives. I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and card
reader with no success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Peter
Does the Microdrive have a blue label or a white label? White label drives
are for embedded systems (MP3 players) and do not include the interfaces
used by most cameras. They will work with many card readers.

Bill Frank
CompactFlash Association

I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB
card reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest firmware
(v2.0.3) in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB
microdrives. I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and card
reader with no success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Does the Microdrive have a blue label or a white label? White label
drives are for embedded systems (MP3 players) and do not include the
interfaces used by most cameras. They will work with many card readers.

OK, so it's white. Any chance of making it work with the camera?

thx!
Peter

"Peter" wrote in message
...
I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB
card reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest firmware
(v2.0.3) in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB
microdrives. I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and
card reader with no success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Does the Microdrive have a blue label or a white label? White label
drives are for embedded systems (MP3 players) and do not include the
interfaces used by most cameras. They will work with many card readers.

OK, so it's white. Any chance of making it work with the camera?

thx!
Peter

White just means that it is an OEM drive (all three of my white label,
removed from the original Muvo2 MP3 players, work fine in my Nikon dslrs).
FWIW, the P/N on mine is HMS360404D5CF00. You do need to know that Hitachi
makes two different OEM versions of this drive, one with a compactflash
interface and one with a micro IDE interface. I am thinking that from your
P/N that yours might be the 6GB version w/CF interface. As to formatting, I
can't say about Canon, but Nikon requires FAT32 formatting...you're not
trying FAT16 or NTFS are you?

George

On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:06:36 -0500, "george"
wrote:


"Peter" wrote in message
...
I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB
card reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest firmware
(v2.0.3) in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB
microdrives. I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and
card reader with no success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Does the Microdrive have a blue label or a white label? White label
drives are for embedded systems (MP3 players) and do not include the
interfaces used by most cameras. They will work with many card readers.

OK, so it's white. Any chance of making it work with the camera?

thx!
Peter

White just means that it is an OEM drive (all three of my white label,
removed from the original Muvo2 MP3 players, work fine in my Nikon dslrs).

Yes, I've owned several of these, worked fine with a range
of cameras. The later Muvo drives (still 4GB) don't work
because the CF compatibility is deliberately disabled, so
there are two different 4GB "White label" variants only one
of which works in cameras. All "blue label" drives work of
course.


--
John Bean

"John Bean" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 15 Mar 2006 17:06:36 -0500, "george"
wrote:


"Peter" wrote in message
...
I'm unable to get Hitachi 4GB microdrive to work in Canon 20D. It's
HMS360604D5CF00 model (a.k.a. 3K6-4) which according to Hitachi is
compatible with 20D:

http://ssddom01.hgst.com/hddt/situdt...neral?Openview

Yet camera consistently throws CF Error. Microdrive works fine in USB
card reader so I know it's not damaged. I'm running the latest
firmware
(v2.0.3) in 20D. Canon specs also say camera is compatible with 2GB
microdrives. I've tried formatting the microdrive both in camera and
card reader with no success.

What gives? Any recommendations?

Does the Microdrive have a blue label or a white label? White label
drives are for embedded systems (MP3 players) and do not include the
interfaces used by most cameras. They will work with many card
readers.

OK, so it's white. Any chance of making it work with the camera?

thx!
Peter

White just means that it is an OEM drive (all three of my white label,
removed from the original Muvo2 MP3 players, work fine in my Nikon dslrs).

Yes, I've owned several of these, worked fine with a range
of cameras. The later Muvo drives (still 4GB) don't work
because the CF compatibility is deliberately disabled, so
there are two different 4GB "White label" variants only one
of which works in cameras.

You should have read my entire reply...I said that it came in both CF and
IDE variants. Also, don't believe that all blue label ones will work...I
have seen retail MDs (both Hitachi and Seagate) available either way. You
have to make sure you get the right one. I think the OP probably does have
the right one from the "CF" embedded in the model number.



--
John Bean

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 06:40:54 -0500, "george"
wrote:
You should have read my entire reply...I said that it came in both CF and
IDE variants.

I did read it. All Microdrives will work in IDE mode but
only some work in CF mode simply because they have the
feature disabled. It may seem a pedantic point but it's an
important one.

Also, don't believe that all blue label ones will work...I
have seen retail MDs (both Hitachi and Seagate) available either way.

Sorry to be pedantic (again), but I'm using "Microdrive" in
it's correct sense - IBM/Hitachi, not Seagate or any other
lookalike. Retail Micridrives work in both CF and IDE modes.


--
John Bean

"John Bean" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 06:40:54 -0500, "george"
wrote:
You should have read my entire reply...I said that it came in both CF and
IDE variants.

I did read it. All Microdrives will work in IDE mode but
only some work in CF mode simply because they have the
feature disabled. It may seem a pedantic point but it's an
important one.

Also, don't believe that all blue label ones will work...I
have seen retail MDs (both Hitachi and Seagate) available either way.

Sorry to be pedantic (again), but I'm using "Microdrive" in
it's correct sense - IBM/Hitachi, not Seagate or any other
lookalike. Retail Micridrives work in both CF and IDE modes.


That contradicts Hitachi (unless they only mean their OEM drives w/o saying
that) who says CF II or IDE:
http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/suppor...icro3k6_ov.htm

And yes, you are correct in that Microdrive is a registered trademark for
Hitachi drives so only Hitachis are "Microdrives". But, even the technical
press calls the Seagate version a Microdrive, too (but Seagate would get
sued if they called it that). Something tells me we may be witnessing the
next "Kleenex" here.

BTW, pedantic can be good here. g Lots of people wound up buying the
wrong Muvo2 MP3 players and OEM MDs can be a pain to sort out. Also, for
the OP, you can get a Seagate 4GB CF II for about $75 and the 8GB for about
$150...maybe that is less hassle?


--
John Bean

White just means that it is an OEM drive (all three of my white label,
removed from the original Muvo2 MP3 players, work fine in my Nikon dslrs).
FWIW, the P/N on mine is HMS360404D5CF00. You do need to know that
Hitachi makes two different OEM versions of this drive, one with a
compactflash interface and one with a micro IDE interface. I am thinking
that from your P/N that yours might be the 6GB version w/CF interface. As
to formatting, I can't say about Canon, but Nikon requires FAT32
formatting...you're not trying FAT16 or NTFS are you?

It's 4GB... vendor sez it's IDE interface. The interesting thing is that
camera will actually make a partition on it and name it EOS_DIGITAL. I've
tried formatting it in computer, FAT32 - no luck.

Peter

On Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:00:54 -0500, "george"
wrote:
BTW, pedantic can be good here. g Lots of people wound up buying the
wrong Muvo2 MP3 players and OEM MDs can be a pain to sort out. Also, for
the OP, you can get a Seagate 4GB CF II for about $75 and the 8GB for about
$150...maybe that is less hassle?

My thoughts exactly. But I used the early Muvo one when
prices were much, much higher than that ;-)

--
John Bean