Using Micro USB with Apple Mac computers (compatibility issues)...

[Thealien]

I wouldn't say I am very computer savvy but I format the card in my old desktop running windows 7 (fat 32) stick it in either my Spark or zoom and when I am done my 9.7 Ipad imports the pictures with a USB/card reader plugged into the lightening port, Then I put it back in my computer to back up the pictures and video. Format repeat? I wish I could help but I am glad mine just works?

 

[JD2020]

I wouldn't say I am very computer savvy but I format the card in my old desktop running windows 7 (fat 32) stick it in either my Spark or zoom and when I am done my 9.7 Ipad imports the pictures with a USB/card reader plugged into the lightening port, Then I put it back in my computer to back up the pictures and video. Format repeat? I wish I could help but I am glad mine just works?

Hi - Thank you for weighing in. Could you say what brand and model of card are you using (and what size)?

 

[Thealien]

This is my latest but I have a cheap 64gb no name and another 128gb nothing special.

 

[Wibster]

My Mac computers (both an iMac and a Mac Pro) are unable to read the 128GB microSD card from my Mavic 2 Zoom.

I was trying to offload the video I shot with my Zoom, and my Macs would not even recognize/mount the microSD card. When I inserted the card, I a window popped up that said the device (meaning the card) was not recognized. The window had three buttons that said "Initialize", "Ignore" and "Eject". However, if I left the card in my Zoom and connected the Zoom to either of my Macs via the USB C cable, the memory card appeared in Finder as a hard drive and I could access and transfer the video files with no problems.

I don't want to have to connect my Zoom to my Mac every time I want to offload footage from the microSD card, so I called Apple tech support. After an hour with a representative, we solved this problem. It comes down to how and where you format the microSD card.

TWO OPTIONS:

(1) If you want to be able to read your microSD card directly from your Mac (without using your Mavic 2), you must format your card in your Mac. When you format your card in your card in your Mac, you must choose "MS-DOS (FAT)" in the "Format" drop-down list. Then you can put your card back in your Mavic 2 and your Mavic 2 will be able to write videos files to it. When you're ready to offload your video, take your micro SD card out and insert it in your Mac (with some sort of reader or adapter, of course). It will appear as a hard drive in Finder and you will be able to transfer and delete the video files on your microSD card.

(2) If you want to connect your Mavic 2 to your Mac and access the files on your microSD card that way, you must format your microSD card in the Mavic 2 using the option in the in the DJI Go app.

The Apple tech rep said this is likely the case because something about the way the Mavic 2 formats the microSD card is tailored to PCs. So, when formatted in the Mavic 2, the only way to get a Mac to recognize the microSD card is to leave it in the Mavic 2 and connect the Mavic 2 to the Mac using the USB C cable. I find this to be a hassle because you have to remove the gimbal cover, unfold the legs and power on your Mavic 2 to read the card. I'd rather just pull the card out of the Mavic 2 and stick it in my Mac.

This seems very strange to me since many other devices I use to create videos, that people will also presumably use mainly with PCs, aren't like this. I can format the cards in the devices, record video to them, plug the cards into my Mac and offload the videos with no problems. This is true of my Panasonic Lumix cameras, my Canon camcorders, my GoPro, my Blackvue Dash Cam and my Amcrest IP security camera. I don't know why DJI is using some formatting method in the Mavic 2 (and presumably other Mavics) that is not compatible with Mac.

If anyone has any further information about this, please reply in this thread.

I use a Samsung Evo Plus 128gb microSD and also use a MacBook Pro and, put the microSD into a Samsung SD card adaptor and my MacBook has no problem in mounting the card when inserted

 

[SteelFlyer]

I'll just add to the chorus here. I have a Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic 2 Pro and formerly a Mavic Pro. I have always formatted the cards in the drone and have never had any trouble at all reading on any Mac including iMac 5K, Macbook Pro Retina 2012, and Macbook Pro with touch bar. I have used numerous different card readers as well as directly into the Mac with an SD card adapter. Cards are Sandisk Extreme Pro, Sandisk Ultra and Lexar 633x. Mac operating systems include Sierra, High Sierra and Mojave.

This really sounds like something else is going on. I wonder if something is corrupted in your Mac OS. Perhaps a clean install of the OS? (added benefit - your Mac will run faster).

 

[JD2020]

@SteelFlyer @Wibster @Thealien @Eugenious99 @mcsenerd @addysmith97 @Kilrah @WWK888 @ac0j @sar104 @DanMan32

Well, the plot thickens. I bought a Samsung EVO Select 128 GB microSD card (photo attached). I formatted in my Mavic 2 Zoom, recorded some video, put it in my iMac, and my iMac recognizes and reads it just fine.

This is the same iMac that won't read my Blackvue 128 gb microSD card when it is formatted in my Mavic 2 Zoom. I should note that this Blackvue 128 GB card does work fine in my iMac when it is formatted by my Blackvue dash camera.

I'm using the same iMac and the same card reader with both cards. I know the Blackvue card works fine in my iMac, but it just won't work in my iMac when it is formatted in the Mavic 2 Zoom.

Can anyone explain this? This has to come down to a difference between the two microSD cards.

 

[sar104]

Those Blackvue cards are non-standard as far as I can tell - possibly one of the reasons why they work better with the Blackvue 4k dash cams than anything else.

 

[JD2020]

Those Blackvue cards are non-standard as far as I can tell - possibly one of the reasons why they work better with the Blackvue 4k dash cams than anything else.

I do believe they are somehow different (somehow more able to take the continuous writing that dash cams do, and the extreme temperature). But how should that make a difference? If I format this Blackvue card in my Mac and then use it in the drone (without formatting it in the drone), the drone will write video to it and my Mac is able to read that video.

 

[sar104]

I do believe they are somehow different (somehow more able to take the continuous writing that dash cams do, and the extreme temperature). But how should that make a difference? If I format this Blackvue card in my Mac and then use it in the drone (without formatting it in the drone), the drone will write video to it and my Mac is able to read that video.

I can't answer that. I only use the Blackvue card in their 900S.

 

[JD2020]

I can't answer that. I only use the BlackVue card in their 900S.

That's what I have (the BlackVue DR900S-2CH). I didn't really want to keep using the BlackVue card in my Zoom, anyway, as it is much more expensive than the EVO card.

There are other mentions of issues like the one I experienced (presumably with other cards because I doubt many people even own BlackVue cards), I believe. I guess maybe some microSD cards just won't work in a Mac when formatted in a Mavic. I can't imagine why, though.

 

[Kilrah]

Has nothing to do with brand, I had the issue with my Evo as well.
And I CAN format it in the aircraft - it jsut needed to be formatted in the computer once.
Format in aircraft first time - not readable on computer. Format in computer, then format in aircraft again - works on computer.

The Mavic Air and Mavic 2 just have a weird/broken formatting routine, end of story.

 

[JD2020]

Has nothing to do with brand, I had the issue with my Evo as well.
And I CAN format it in the aircraft - it jsut needed to be formatted in the computer once.
Format in aircraft first time - not readable on computer. Format in computer, then format in aircraft again - works on computer.

The Mavic Air and Mavic 2 just have a weird/broken formatting routine, end of story.

That's interesting. Mine does not work that way. Even after I've formatted it on my Mac, if I then format it in my Zoom, it won't work in the Mac. The only way my Mac will read it is if I format it on my Mac and use it in the Zoom without formatting it in the Zoom.

 

[Eugenious99]

Blackview not even a card manufacturer , they not reliable , only God know what they use in there .

 

[sar104]

Blackview not even a card manufacturer , they not reliable , only God know what they use in there .

They seem to be extremely reliable in the Blackvue cameras, which is what they are intended for.

 

[JD2020]

Blackview not even a card manufacturer , they not reliable , only God know what they use in there .

@Eugenious99: I'm sure you're right about BlackVue not manufacturing them. However, @sar104 is right in that they are very reliable in BlackVue dash cameras. Dash cameras constantly write to the card whenever you are driving (and sometimes even while you're parked, depending on your settings). Being on or right behind the windshield, dash cams are also subjected to very high heat. BlackVue cards are made to withstand all of that. They are recommended by the BlackBoxMyCar website, and they seem to be the experts.

 

[RicGPDX]

For what it's worth, I find formatting the card using Disk Utility to be the easiest for my workflow. (I don't have to remember to reformat the card the next time I fire-up the drone.) When I erase the card, I use ExFAT, generally best for large files and storage devices.

I discovered that it's fine to simply erase the card in the Mac. When the Mavic goes to write to it, it will create the folder hierarchy that it needs automatically.

Ric