Reformatting with ShotPutPro 5

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Level 1

40 points

Reformatting with ShotPutPro 5

I recently purchased ShotPutPro 5 (SPP). It is a great program. Just the speed boost it offers offloading the AVCHD files from my SDHC cards would make it worth its price. It not only offloads two multiple locations at the same time, but also seems to do the offloading to just one target faster. Add to that its ability to verify files, and I'm very happy with it.

I have a 27" iMac 11,3 with a 2.93 GHz Intel i7 with 32 MB or RAM. It also has two internal drives: A 256 GB SSD drive (Macintosh HD) and a 2 TB drive (Macintosh HD 2).

I do have one issue, though. I'd like to use SPP to reformat my SDHC cards when I'm done with them. I'm offloading AVCHD files from SDHC cards recorded on Canon HF10 camcorders. I'm using the internal SD card reader slot on the side of my iMac to do this. Offloading works great, but I can't get SPP to reformat the cards.

As shown in this screen capture, when I open SPP's format utility, it doesn't even show the SDHC card (which is labeled "Canon"):

So there's no way to format the card. I also noticed that in the "Attached Media" list in the SPP main window, the SDHC card does show up, but does not have an eject "button" to the right of it:

As you can see in the screen capture, the only other "drive" that doesn't have an eject "button" to the right of it is my internal Macintosh HD 2. Maybe that has something to do with why I can't format the "CANON" SDHC card? Because I noticed that the Macintosh HD 2 also doesn't show in the Format window drop down. Maybe SPP is seeing the CANON SDHC card as an internal drive because it is mounted in my iMac's side slot?

Anyway, I'd appreciate any information and advice. I'd like to know if there is any way to make the SPP Format utility work with my SDHC cards.

I thought about trying a USB external SDHC card reader, but I don't have one and I only have USB 2.0 slots, so something tells me an external reader might be much slower than the SDHC card slot built into my iMac.

iMac (27-inch Mid 2010), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), Two internal drives (one SSB)

Posted on Apr 20, 2013 11:03 AM

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Answer 1

pixnvid

Level 1

75 points

Apr 20, 2013 11:31 AM in response to JDLee

You should always format the cards within the camera, never in an outside app. The camera will set up the proper file structure and prepare the card for recording.

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Answer 2

JDLee Author

Level 1

40 points

Apr 20, 2013 11:45 AM in response to pixnvid

pixnvid--Yes, I understand that is usually the case and always the best recommendation.

But SPP offers the ability (at least with certain types of file structures) to reformat the card and put in the necessary file structure. If you or someone else has specific experience with SPP that would let you tell me whether this has worked or not worked for you, that would be great. Or if you have general knowledge about other types of third-part format options not working, that would be great.

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Answer 3

pixnvid

Level 1

75 points

Apr 20, 2013 11:47 AM in response to JDLee

I guess I just don't see any value in doing it that way. It's a simple operation to choose format in the camera's file menu and it's done. But no, I have no experience with this app.

Which camera are you using, by the way?

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Answer 4

JDLee Author

Level 1

40 points

Apr 20, 2013 2:14 PM in response to pixnvid

I'm using a Canon Vixia HF10 with class 10 32GB SDHC cards (SanDisk, if that matters).

The benefit would be that, if it works with whatever cameras and cards your using, you can set SPP5 up to reformat your cards automatically after it offloads. Since I shoot with seven cameras from different angles each time I shoot, it would save me a bit of time.

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Answer 5

JDLee Author

Level 1

40 points

Apr 22, 2013 7:41 AM in response to JDLee

Well, it looks my problem is resolved. SPP just released its latest update to SPP5 (and I mean just in the last day or two as I just bought SPP a few days ago).

I just bought it a few days ago and didn't know about the update. So I just updated it, and now the Canon SDHC card from my AVCHD Canon Camcorder does show up both in the "Attached Media" list and in the drop down menu for the Format utility.

When I select the SDHC card in the drop down menu, the Format window says "Detected Type: Panasonic AVCHD." My camcorders are all Canon, but SPP5's creator told me that doesn't matter because all AVCHD card types are the same.

I went ahead and tried to have SPP5 reformat the card, and it worked. I then put the SDHC card in one of my cameras and recorded some footage. I played back that footage, and everything seems fine.

I've always heard you should format in the camera. But, given that formatting with SPP5 seems to have worked fine, it seems like I can rely on it.

This makes me 100% happy with SPP5. The extra speed transfering files and the ability to offload to multiple places at once (with verification) is all I really wanted. Add to that the reformatting, and I'm very happy. And then there's the ability to copy files from drive to drive with verification. I would rate this software as excellent.

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