Somehow Managed to take pix without a CF card....how?

[SengaB]

Heres a strange one.
Not too long ago I went to SFB to shoot a Ryan Air 737. I took the shot and saw the image on the LCD screen. Unfortunately I didn't have a CF card in my Canon 10D as I found out later. I was glad I got it but then when I went to reset the camera the LCD displayed "no CF card".
Does anyone know how how the camera was able to take and process the image and display it on my LCD screen WITHOUT a CF card? After I pressed the view button it displayed "No CF Card" message.
Did it some how get stuck in limbo in the buffer or something?
I haven't been able to replicate the senario.

Senga

[Mellyrose]

I do this all the time (on the 10D)! I'm not exactly sure why it happens, but it's not just you!

[SengaB]

Oh ok..
Have you heard of a way to salvage a shot when this happens (Ghost image)?

Senga

[Mellyrose]

Don't think so....I know that some point and shoots have a tiny bit of internal memory but I don't know about DSLRs. :(

[SmAlbany]

I have had the same thing happen several times with the Dreb. I think that you see the image on the lcd when the image is in the buffer. The camera then tries to transfer to the CF card ...

I guess if there is no card, the image gets discarded :-(

[emshighway]

I have had the same thing happen several times with the Dreb. I think that you see the image on the lcd when the image is in the buffer. The camera then tries to transfer to the CF card ...

I guess if there is no card, the image gets discarded :-(

Yep, it's the buffer. Similar to RAM in a PC, once it's dumps it's gone. Gets rid of the shutter lag by writing to the buffer first instead of straight to the card.

[GrummanFan]

This is why I have my camera set to not shoot when no card is inserted. No use in taking a picture you will never see again.

[pgengler]

For Canon cameras, there's an option on the menu that, if set, will let you snap a picture without a CF card in. I'm not really sure what it's useful for, except for screwing around, so I leave it off just so I don't make the mistake of snapping away without saving anything. For my 30D, it's "Shoot w/o card" and I leave it set to "Off".

As others have mentioned, this works because of the camera's internal buffer (where it holds the image before writing to the CF card anyway).

[lijk604]

For Canon cameras, there's an option on the menu that, if set, will let you snap a picture without a CF card in. I'm not really sure what it's useful for, except for screwing around, so I leave it off just so I don't make the mistake of snapping away without saving anything. For my 30D, it's "Shoot w/o card" and I leave it set to "Off".

As others have mentioned, this works because of the camera's internal buffer (where it holds the image before writing to the CF card anyway).

There are some (even in this forum I believe) who use their cams at times hooked right to their PC, so there would be no need for a CF card in that instance. That's why the feature is there.

[PhilDernerJr]

Unless you';re doing what lijk604 just said, it's good to turn off that function. Any shutter actuations that are of no use just contribute to the wear and tear of the camera.

[Tom_Turner]

Yes. It wasn't aviation and luckily nothing important, but spent a half hour shooting one day - and later discovered.. No Card.

Tom

[pgengler]

There are some (even in this forum I believe) who use their cams at times hooked right to their PC, so there would be no need for a CF card in that instance. That's why the feature is there.

Ah, right, I'd forgotten about tethered shooting. Makes sense now.

[SengaB]

Thanks for the suggestions. I figured it had something to do with the Buffer. I do wish they would have a small amount of on board memory on the"better" cameras for situation like his. Or at least give you a warning when you power up the camera and give you an audible warning message or a message on the LCD. On the 10D the only indication you get without trying to take a picture is that the number of shots that can betaken is 0. This doesn't really stand out as you as a problem.
Senga