An Expensive lesson: A few days ago I powered up my Sony A57 and pressed the shutter button: What I got in the viewfinder was the message :Card locked". Well I'll just unlock the card...

Streets Loc: Euless, TX.

A few days ago I powered up my Sony A57 and pressed the shutter button: What I got in the viewfinder was the message :Card locked". Well I'll just unlock the card with the little slider on the side. Uh oh, the slider is in the proper position. After some feeble attempts to correct the problem, I called a fine camera repair shop in Richardson, TX. and explained the situation. He told me that erasing data from the card while it's in the camera will choke up a device on the main camera circuit board and the fore-mentioned message will occur and tell you that you will need to get new guts for your camera. The gentleman also said that most cameras will eventually have this problem if you erase the card in camera. To avoid this from happening, one must format the card to erase data. Well, I always did want a 24 MP camera and what better reason could I have for getting one.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Ouch.
Erase the whole card or just an image or two?
I occasionally delete individual images in my (Canon) camera. I've not had a problem in eight years.

hassighedgehog Loc: Corona, CA

Did you try and just replace the card with another one? I haven't formatted a card and have erased in camera since 2002, my first digital camera purchase. That is six camera's ago. Never had that problem. Much more likely to be a card problem.

Math78 Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Streets wrote:

....He told me that erasing data from the card while it's in the camera will choke up a device on the main camera circuit board and the fore-mentioned message will occur and tell you that you will need to get new guts for your camera. The gentleman also said that most cameras will eventually have this problem if you erase the card in camera....

I doubt this is true. You should probably stay away from that camera store.

The camera may be toast, but there are things you can do.
- Try a different SD card.
- Reset the camera, or remove the battery for a few minutes, and then try a different card.
- Remove lens and clean all the contacts, maybe something weird electrically is happening.

Good luck.

Streets Loc: Euless, TX.

Math78 wrote:

I doubt this is true. You should probably stay away from that camera store.

The camera may be toast, but there are things you can do.
- Try a different SD card.
- Reset the camera, or remove the battery for a few minutes, and then try a different card.
- Remove lens and clean all the contacts, maybe something weird electrically is happening.

Good luck.

It was NOT a camera shop. It was one of the most respected camera repair shops in Texas. He also told me that no one will touch a Sony for repair including him. Just to let you know, I have an M.A. in aeronautical engineering, and a B.S. in electrical engineering, and I am a persistent little S.O.B. when things break.

BebuLamar

Which store is it may I ask? I an in Sachse.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Streets wrote:

It was NOT a camera shop. It was one of the most respected camera repair shops in Texas. He also told me that no one will touch a Sony for repair including him. Just to let you know, I have an M.A. in aeronautical engineering, and a B.S. in electrical engineering, and I am a persistent little S.O.B. when things break.

If it's so well respected, why don't you want to share the name?

Streets Loc: Euless, TX.

I didn't know that it was ethical to name commercial businesses. The name if the place is Archinal Camera Repair Inc.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Streets wrote:

A few days ago I powered up my Sony A57 and presse... (show quote)

Now there’s a technical explanation: “choke up” a device on the the main circuit board and you will need to get new “guts” for your camera. Seriously? If you’re reporting this accurately, then it it’s the biggest bunch of BS I’ve heard in a long, long time. Now the camera may (or may not) need repair, but if I heard this explanation, I’d run, not walk to a different repair facility. But first, return the camera to factory defaults (remove ALL batteries, wait 30 seconds, then reinstall), put a NEW card in the camera, format the card in-camera, and see if you have the same issue. If you do, send the camera to a Sony approved repair facility.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Streets wrote:

A few days ago I powered up my Sony A57 and presse... (show quote)

You're joking, right?
That's the biggest load of Texas BS I have heard this year!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

TriX wrote:

Now there’s a technical explanation: “choke up” a ... (show quote)

Even with my degree in electronics I cannot imagine what would cause a software process to bugger the guts of a camera, unless it erases its own code... In which case it would be a very poorly written program. I'd surely ask for a better explanation!

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Streets wrote:

I didn't know that it was ethical to name commercial businesses. The name if the place is Archinal Camera Repair Inc.

It's good to know the name, positive and negative, so others can avail or avoid the company.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

MT Shooter wrote:

You're joking, right?
That's the biggest load of Texas BS I have heard this year!

That pretty well sums it up

BebuLamar

Mac wrote:

It's good to know the name, positive and negative, so others can avail or avoid the company.

I go by that place often. I never deal with them though.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Streets wrote:

It was NOT a camera shop. It was one of the most respected camera repair shops in Texas. He also told me that no one will touch a Sony for repair including him. Just to let you know, I have an M.A. in aeronautical engineering, and a B.S. in electrical engineering, and I am a persistent little S.O.B. when things break.

Were you persistent enough to call and talk to Sony Tech? They DO have a Tech, don't they??? LoL
SS