Card error?
Aug 26, 2019 00:43:37 #
I was shooting a home interior and the camera suddenly said "card error" and would not take another picture nor would it show the images on the card.
So I marked it on the back with a big X and put it back in the bag and started over with a new card.
Tonight I put it in the card reader to see if it would be readable and at first it would not come up in explorer. So I unplugged the card reader from the USB port and reinserted it and the card came up. I was able to read the files with no problem.
So I inserted the card back into the camera and the camera read the files no problem. So I took some frames and the camera wrote them to the card and displayed them.
So I formatted the card, and took some frames. Again, no problem.
Do I trust it? Or should I throw it away? The card is a Lexar 400x 32gb UDMA CF
So I marked it on the back with a big X and put it back in the bag and started over with a new card.
Tonight I put it in the card reader to see if it would be readable and at first it would not come up in explorer. So I unplugged the card reader from the USB port and reinserted it and the card came up. I was able to read the files with no problem.
So I inserted the card back into the camera and the camera read the files no problem. So I took some frames and the camera wrote them to the card and displayed them.
So I formatted the card, and took some frames. Again, no problem.
Do I trust it? Or should I throw it away? The card is a Lexar 400x 32gb UDMA CF
Aug 26, 2019 01:19:12 #
fotoman150 wrote:
I was shooting a home interior and the camera sudd... (show quote)
Personally I would format it in the computer, then reformat in camera and hang onto it as a backup card, but not a primary card anymore.
It could have just been a read/write glitch that will be fine, or it could be the first sign of a fatal error. Lexar 400X CF is an older card now, but what you feel comfortable doing with it will be your own decision.
Aug 27, 2019 08:02:21 #
Throw it away. It's good you had a backup card, but there may come a day when the card will act up again and you have no backup card available.
Aug 27, 2019 09:05:31 #
Aug 27, 2019 09:26:08 #
bamfordr
Loc: Campbell CA
khorinek wrote:
Throw it away. It's good you had a backup card, but there may come a day when the card will act up again and you have no backup card available.
Or (more likely) when you are taking a once-on-lifetime shot!
Aug 27, 2019 12:10:22 #
nadelewitz
Loc: Ithaca NY
Did you fill-up the card completely in the camera, or try to? Can't do that. Some empty space is needed on the memory card (just like on the hard drive or SSD in a computer) for the system to work with it.
Aug 27, 2019 12:56:42 #
khorinek wrote:
Throw it away. It's good you had a backup card, but there may come a day when the card will act up again and you have no backup card available.
Well I have many cards. But yeah I’m seriously considering tossing it.
Aug 27, 2019 13:07:15 #
nadelewitz wrote:
Did you fill-up the card completely in the camera, or try to? Can't do that. Some empty space is needed on the memory card (just like on the hard drive or SSD in a computer) for the system to work with it.
No there was a ton of available space when it failed. I have heard of the “leave space” advice before but have never experienced a problem filling a card up. I usually don’t look at the count especially if I’m shooting a wedding. I have shot hundreds of thousands of shots since 2001 but have never experienced a card failure until now. I feel I have been christened. LOL
Most of the time when people tell you not to fill a card up they are telling you not to leave pictures on the card that are not immediately downloaded to the computer. This is because most people generally don’t fill up a card every time they go out to shoot like I do. But Scott Kelby says not to fill up a card because the amount of space that the last image takes may be more than what’s available on the card. I never heard him say that until many, many years after I had filled many cards to capacity without a problem. Of course there’s a first time for everything.
Aug 27, 2019 13:18:26 #
bikerguy wrote:
Toss it, cards are cheap and images cannot always be replaced so simply.
Aug 27, 2019 14:11:55 #
Check the electrical contacts on the card. If they are not shiny, try cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip. I read an article online that also suggests gently rubbing them with a clean pencil eraser after the alcohol.
Aug 27, 2019 14:36:17 #
Donwitz wrote:
Check the electrical contacts on the card. If they are not shiny, try cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol and a q-tip. I read an article online that also suggests gently rubbing them with a clean pencil eraser after the alcohol.
Not sure how you propose to do that on a CF card???
Aug 27, 2019 14:44:20 #
MT Shooter wrote:
Not sure how you propose to do that on a CF card???
You are correct, I missed the CF. I googled cleaning CF card contacts and got a thread from UHH from several years ago- https://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-341509-1.html
Aug 27, 2019 14:51:49 #
fotoman150 wrote:
I was shooting a home interior and the camera sudd... (show quote)
If you are having a card problem it is better to put the card away. Buy a new one. I buy mine when they are on sale. I never format them I just use a new one each time.
Aug 27, 2019 19:43:18 #
Better to be safe than sorry. Buy a new card and toss the other one. I've had that happen - infrequently to be sure - but the security is worth it. And ... I know I'm gonna get blasted for saying this ... buy several cards that hold a respectable about of photos. I always carry six or so 32GB cards. If one craps out, I'll put in a new one. The 64, 128 and 256 cards are nice but if one of the smaller capacity cards have a malfunction, you won't have lost your entire catalog. Just sayin'
Aug 27, 2019 22:43:03 #
fotoman150 wrote:
I<snip>.... Do I trust it? Or should I throw it away? The card is a Lexar 400x 32gb UDMA CF
This is a personal/financial decision.
A few questions for you to help decide.
Is this the first time this had happened? Has it happened before with other cards? Is this error only happening with this card?
My D750 occasionally gives me a “card error” message not related to any one card. I have learned that removing and reseating the card resolves the issue.
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