OT Moving files from Canon G20

Kit wrote on 8/30/2015, 7:15 PM
Does anyone have any experience with this camera - what is the best way to move and store files from the built-in memory and cards to a computer. Should I use Windows Explorer? Are there any folders that must be kept or can I just move or copy/delete everything? I don't fully understand the directory structure. Thanks

Comments

Steve Grisetti wrote on 8/30/2015, 7:47 PM
As I show you in my course on lynda.com, the easiest way to get footage from an AVCHD camcorder is to attach the camcorder to your computer via USB cable, set the camcorder to Play and then, in Vegas, go to the View menu and select Device Manager.

The Device Manager will show you the video on your camcorder. When you select the video clips you want to add and click Import, the video will automatically be copied from the camcorder to your computer and added to your project.
Kit wrote on 8/30/2015, 8:24 PM
Thanks, but my question is not about adding video to a project but rather about clearing space on the camera. Can I just delete everything? Will the camera recreate the folders it needs. Apologies if the question is trivial but I don't get how the camera directory structure works.
wwaag wrote on 8/30/2015, 8:37 PM
Can I just delete everything?

I don't have a Canon, but on Sony and Panasonic, all you need to do is Format the memory card INSIDE the camera--not on the PC. In this way, all the file structures will be re-created and all of the previous video files deleted. I'm pretty sure that Canon will work the same.

wwaag

AKA the HappyOtter at https://tools4vegas.com/. System 1: Intel i7-8700k with HD 630 graphics plus an Nvidia RTX4070 graphics card. System 2: Intel i7-3770k with HD 4000 graphics plus an AMD RX550 graphics card. System 3: Laptop. Dell Inspiron Plus 16. Intel i7-11800H, Intel Graphics. Current cameras include Panasonic FZ2500, GoPro Hero11 and Hero8 Black plus a myriad of smartPhone, pocket cameras, video cameras and film cameras going back to the original Nikon S.

PeterDuke wrote on 8/30/2015, 10:16 PM
My camera has both a delete-all and a re-format facility. The re-format option is about 10 times quicker.
stbo wrote on 8/31/2015, 5:17 PM
I have a G30 and I use the format facility on the camera all the time. Once I have transferred and ingested into Vegas and I am happy that the files are intact I use the format option on the camera and it works absolutely fine - creating all the necessary directories.
ushere wrote on 8/31/2015, 7:16 PM
as a sort of aside to this topic...

doesn't constantly reformatting a cards lessen it's life? i thought simply deleting clips removed the file headers (whatever) and allowed them to be over written?

lost in 0's and 1's
GeeBax wrote on 8/31/2015, 7:53 PM
A format does much the same, either way there is not much risk in losing life on the card.

Deleting a file means that the first character of the filename in the file allocation table is replaced by a question mark (query for those who call them that), and that tells the system reading it that the file is up for grabs and can be over-written.

Formatting, at least the quick kind, simply removes the entries in the file allocation table, giving the impression to the system that there are no files on the card, but in reality, the files still exist.

Full formatting goes the extra mile and writes nulls to the entire disc, this process, if used often, can result in reducing the life span of the disc/card, but you would have to do it a lot.
Kit wrote on 9/1/2015, 8:15 PM
Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.. After several attempts I managed to download the manual from Canon's website. They seem to use the term initialise for format. Initialising a memory card wipes it completely but after initialising the built-in memory they say extra files are restored. I guess I will find out.