My first SD card failure (Page 3): I have had three SD card failures. One was devastating. I will only use XQD cards from now on.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

lamiaceae wrote:

I've never had a card failure yet, since 2009. But coincidentally I happen to have that same camera, a Pentax K-3 (and K-5, K-20, K-100D), and have had some confusion using its card slots settings and seating. Are you positive your card is at fault? Have you tried it since in another camera or just tried re-seating that one. Does a different (third) card work in the questioned first slot?

I have had three SD card failures. One was devastating. I will only use XQD cards from now on.

cyclespeed Loc: Calgary, Alberta Canada

I wonder if the OP will check back with us to confirm the card was not in a lock position. I found one slightly physically mangled card that didn't work but that included the inability to be formatted. As already posted, chimp regularly. In my case all is well for the last 17 years with too many SD cards and numerous cameras.

StevenG Loc: Long Island, NY

Bison Bud wrote:

I've been using SD memory cards since they first c... (show quote)

BigDaddy Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

gvarner wrote:

Don't know how many shots I took with my film camera without a roll of film in it, or I loaded a roll and it didn't feed. Hate it when that happens. 😜😜

This used to happen to me routinely in the 70's and 80"s. Being a cheap SOB, I would try to get the most pics from a roll, and sometimes didn't get the roll feeding right. Often I would think I re-wound the roll, and pay to get zero pics developed.

I've had 1 SD Card failure since 2008. Actually 2 half failures. The first would read intermittently in my PC, so I copied several thousand MP3's to it and stuck it in my cars SD radio slot. The second happened this summer and after taking a bunch of photos my camera wouldn't read it. I later loaded it in my PC and it read it no problem, and then the camera had no problem with it either. I'm still using it until I get a replacement, which
after 3 months looks like that won't happen until it fails again. My pictures just aren't all that important I reckon, or at least I don't earn a living from them. If I did, I'd go for the double slotted camera...

Orson Burleigh Loc: Annapolis, Maryland, USA

gvarner wrote:

Don't know how many shots I took with my film camera without a roll of film in it, or I loaded a roll and it didn't feed. Hate it when that happens. 😜😜

That sparks a memory: It was at some point in 1971 that the experience of a seemingly extra-long roll of film engendered momentary elation at having somehow been given a few freebies when a 36 picture roll hit 40. It all turned to ashes when it was noticed that the rewind lever was not turning. I had not given the Quick Load mechanism enough leader to ensure that the take-up sprocket engaged the film

camerauser78

rook2c4 wrote:

I absolutely do not want a camera with a second memory card slot.
First, the camera needs to be bigger to accommodate the second slot. This also adds to the cost of the camera. And for the second slot to be useful, I'd need to have two cards in the camera at all times, requiring more elaborate card management on my part. Losing a few images now and then is not the end of the world. How often do SD cards fail anyway?

"How often do SD cards fail anyway?" Once is enough.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

I have only had 2 SD card failures. Both occurred on generic, non-brand name SD cards. . I now only purchase brand name SD cards from well-known providers, such as, Adorama , B&H. I'm sorry that I messed this up dictating on a cell. End Xmission.

=Bison Bud]I've been using SD memory cards since they first came out and for more than just photography. Frankly, I had heard of failures, but considered these cards to be nearly bullet proof since I had never had a problem. That all changed last weekend after coming home from a local event and finding out that I could not read or write from one of the two cards in my Pentax K3. Thankfully, the K3 has the dual card system and the other card was fine, but I had no idea that there was any sort of problem while shooting and there were several shots that I considered to be rather important from this shoot.

Anyway, my reason for posting this is to point out how important that second slot can be as a backup, as I would have been really upset if I had lost the photos from this shoot. It really makes me wonder why any manufacturer would bring out a new camera body or system without a dual slot available. I personally will never own another one without the backup slot, lesson learned! By the way, the defective SD card appears to format normally, but will not otherwise read or write in either my camera or on my computer system and I have no idea what might have caused this failure. Good luck and good shooting to all.[/quote]

LA Loc: Little Rock, AR

If you cannot read your sd card, it is not necessarily the end of the line. I had this happen several years ago, took it to my local store (Bedford's) and for a pretty paltry sum they recovered all but one or two pics. I assume I could have used the same, or some other, software but did not know what was possible back then. It might be a mistake for this thread to morph into a one- or two-slot camera debate. Things are not that dire.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

MT Shooter wrote:

I cannot transfer from on my laptop, but can from my desktop when locked. Can read the files on either system though.
But I haven't even used SD cards for over a year now. Only XQD

Are you talking about MOVING files from a locked SD card, or COPYING from a locked SD card?
There is a difference. Copying is just reading the card. Moving is changing the card.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

rook2c4 wrote:

I absolutely do not want a camera with a second memory card slot.
First, the camera needs to be bigger to accommodate the second slot. This also adds to the cost of the camera. And for the second slot to be useful, I'd need to have two cards in the camera at all times, requiring more elaborate card management on my part. Losing a few images now and then is not the end of the world. How often do SD cards fail anyway?

It is if a customer is expecting a certain shot, or the defective cards contain images from your 'once in a lifetime, never to be repeated' trip to some exotic foreign land.

I have used a slew of CF cards back in the day, and even more SD cards currently and never had a failure, but I wouldn't bet the farm that it will never happen. I HAVE had two external hard drives used for backups fail, both W.D., coincidentally. Thank goodness for my obsessive nature and multiple backups.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Alafoto wrote:

It is if a customer is expecting a certain shot, or the defective cards contain images from your 'once in a lifetime, never to be repeated' trip to some exotic foreign land.

I have used a slew of CF cards back in the day, and even more SD cards currently and never had a failure, but I wouldn't bet the farm that it will never happen. I HAVE had two external hard drives used for backups fail, both W.D., coincidentally. Thank goodness for my obsessive nature and multiple backups.

I have had three SD card failures(and they were all very trusted name brand expensive ones). One was devastating. I will only use XQD cards from now on.

kmpankopf Loc: Mid-Michigan; SW Pennsylvania

TriX wrote:

I completely agree with you - it is a rarity. I’m coming from 25+ years specializing in data storage where the very worst crime you could ever commit was to lose a customer’s data. Not only would that cost you the client, but news of the failure would be propagated across the industry, not only by the user, but especially by your competition (in a very competitive business) so I believe in redundant EVERYTHING.

Cheers,
Chris

Chris - Agree with you completely. (We're in the same business, data hosting.) The key to your argument is that the data belongs to is someone else. I can see for professional reasons requiring a second slot. IMO as an amateur shooting for fun it might be a nice to have, but not a requirement. I have second slot in D7200 I use for overflow. Only hit it once. I'm looking to move up to D500 or D7500 and the slot count is a point of discussion. But it's not a deal breaker for me. I haven't lost data yet. I don't touch my cards, all downloads are by cable. I try to minimize my risk that way. And the $700 difference will go a long way to adding a lens.
Of course, the minute I lose a card, my opinion will change.

Alafoto Loc: Montgomery, AL

billnikon wrote:

I have had three SD card failures(and they were all very trusted name brand expensive ones). One was devastating. I will only use XQD cards from now on.

I'm aware that the odds will get me one day, but since I no longer shoot professionally, nor do I have the wherewithal to travel to exotic locations, I will just keep chimping and carrying extra cards and charged batteries, just in case. Have to confess that I have no idea what an XQD card is, but will google immediately.

PH CIB

With seemingly everyone backing up their computer,,,it only makes sense to have the safety of a second card slot to back up your photos in camera before they ever get to a computer,,,even if not for backup a second card slot for overflow, or raw to one and Jpeg to the other, or photos to one and video to the other,,,it makes no sense for manufacturers to produce cameras with only one card slot...except for maybe then producing a pro model with two card slots at a slightly higher price and selling both models...

rcarol

TriX wrote:

I dunno. Not much extra “card management” except inserting the 2nd card. If you’re an amateur, then losing a card full of shots may be merely inconvenient, but if you’re a working pro shooting one-time events like a wedding, it can be a catastrophe, both financially and in lost business when your reputation suffers...

The SD card is not the only single point of failure in a camera. If your truly a pro, you will be shooting with two camera systems, alternating between the two. Only an amateur would shoot an event with one camera.