D70 files

[OnyimBob]

Sometimes when I download from camera to computer there are .xmp files from earlier shots still on the Extreme 3 1gb card, and sometimes from the current shoot.
Question is : why are they there in the first place? and why are there only some?
The camera is a Nikon D70, and the data in these xmp files (exif data I think) doesn't seem to be lost.
Is it perhaps that I don't reformat the card after use, just delete the files? After deleting "in camera" the camera certainly indicates that the card is empty???
Appreciate some help here.
Bob.

[Richowens]

Bob,

I always format the card in the camera, after I have copied to the computer and confirmed a good copy.

Rich

[OnyimBob]

Okay, after a bit of research I understand what the xmp files are for and how they work.
But, .... I'm still not sure what's happening with my camera to computer transfers. Presumably the camera creates these files and stores them along with the nef files, but they're not visible. Why for example, out of a shoot of 40 or 50 shots, will only one have it's xmp file listed in the folder after transfer.
Rich, I'm sure you're right and that I should be reformatting after each use (already had that advice from someone else recently) and from now on I will. Perhaps that's all it is, the card is getting a bit scrambled??
Anyone else got some clues??
Bob.

[john beardsworth]

Okay, after a bit of research I understand what the xmp files are for and how they work.
But, .... I'm still not sure what's happening with my camera to computer transfers. Presumably the camera creates these files and stores them along with the nef files, but they're not visible. Why for example, out of a shoot of 40 or 50 shots, will only one have it's xmp file listed in the folder after transfer.
Rich, I'm sure you're right and that I should be reformatting after each use (already had that advice from someone else recently) and from now on I will. Perhaps that's all it is, the card is getting a bit scrambled??
Anyone else got some clues??
Bob.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=66524\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's not your camera that creates the xmp files, it's Bridge or perhaps Photoshop when you point it at the camera, as if your camera were a drive, and then make some raw adjustments or enter metadata. I doubt there's anything wrong with the cards. Reformat them so you have a fresh start, do another shoot, and see if it's still an issue.

[Lisa Nikodym]

To clarify the previous post a bit:  It sounds to me like you're opening the images in your raw converter when the image files are still on your CF card (plugged into the computer via your camera or card reader).  When you do that, it saves a xmp file on whatever drive (in this case, the card) the raw file is on.  Could this be what you're doing?  In that case, you can avoid the xmp files on the card by copying the raw files to your computer's hard drive *before* opening them in the raw converter.  I haven't heard of anyone working with images while they're still on the card; I'm not sure what exactly could go wrong (other than excess xmp files where you don't want them), but it sounds like an unwise idea to me...

Lisa

[OnyimBob]

I'm glad there's no one here to catch the egg on my face! Thanks Lisa and John. You're exactly right about what I've been doing! Sloppy, sloppy! Promise I won't do it again.
     

Cheers, Bob.

[Raw shooter]

Yes,
The XMP files are the edits (image corrections) you applied to the RAW files.  Just like Lisa said above.
BTW, the XMP files are very valuable to your workflow -so keeping them in the transfer folder on your hard drive will save all the editing info for future needs.  In other words, you will not have to edit then again.  
When you view them in Adobe Bridge, the thumbnails will have the edits (image corrections) applied by the XMP file - so they will look great.