amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Hi Al,

Well, your first mistake is not regularly formatting the memory card in your camera. It's okay to format it in your computer, if you wish (though it usually doesn't really accomplish anything)... but you should always follow up by formatting it again in the camera.

Personally I would NEVER use a 128GB memory card.... that's "putting all your eggs in one basket", should the card fail or be lost. At many shoots I use three cameras with twenty memory cards.... a mix of 16GB and 32GB Compact Flash and SD. The majority are 16GB, which hold approx. 500 RAW files per card. Most events I shoot at least 1000 images and some I shoot 4000 or 5000 in a day. So I change cards fairly frequently and I ALWAYS format the card in camera before starting to shoot with it (see below). I've done this for over 20 years with different memory cards and cameras and NEVER had a card "wear out". I've had two cards FAIL (out of more than 100), but one of those was "bad" right out of the package brand new (wouldn't format in my cameras or computer) and the other failed after the very first use (we were able to copy the JPEG images off of it, but after that it locked up for some reason and we could no longer access it to retrieve the RAW files). I've NEVER had a card that worked several times fail, even after dozens or maybe even hundreds of uses.

If I used a 128GB card like yours, I could capture 4000 or more RAW images (or far more JPEGs) on it. But if it failed (rare though that may be) or I misplaced it (more likely than a failure)... I'd lose the entire day's work! By instead using smaller cards that accommodate fewer images (250 to 500, which is still a lot compared to when I needed to change film every 12 to 36 shots), if one fails or goes through the laundry in a pants pocket or I drop it in the street and a car runs over it... or whatever... I will have only lost a portion of my day's work.

I've gotten fast at safely swapping memory cards and ALWAYS formatting them in-camera. I have "Format" set up as the very first item under my Canon cameras' "user custom" menu, so it only takes a few seconds for the entire process of removing a card, inserting a fresh one, using image review to check that any files on it are old ones, and formatting it before starting to shoot with it.

You must be "moving" the images off the card or "erasing" them somehow, to make room for new images. If "moving" them, that's another mistake. You should COPY images from the card to your computer instead. This leaves the original on the card until you can confirm that the copy on the computer was done properly and have safely backed it up. If you are copying then later "erasing" from the card, that's likely why you're seeing problems. There are likely to be fragments of old files remaining on the card, which hasn't been properly re-formatted in-camera, and the accumulate bits and pieces of old files are "confusing" the camera's read/write system (I ain't a computer geek, so am just using layman's terms, which might not be technically "correct").

The third mistake you've made is using an eraser to clean the contacts on the memory card. DON'T DO THAT! Usually when there's a problem with communication across this type of contacts, it's because of oils on them. Most likely, finger oils from handling the cards. The problem with using a pencil eraser is that they're made from vegetable oil! So an eraser won't do a very good job removing oils, might even make matters worse.

Using other types of erasers that have abrasives added is EVEN WORSE. To insure connectivity with the very low voltages involved, those contacts on memory cards and in the camera itself are GOLD PLATED. This is done because gold is the best conductor and is the only metal that's completely impervious to any and all types of corrosion (silver and copper "tarnish", any ferrous metal and aluminum "rust", etc.) The only problem is that gold is relatively soft and easily damaged, so abrasives should never be used on it.

Another danger with erasers is that they tend to shed particles which might get inside the camera and cause problems.

It actually should never be necessary to clean SD card contacts. By their very design, they're "self-cleaning". The sliding action as you remove or insert the card into it's socket essentially "wipes" both surfaces that are making contact. However, if you feel the need, you should clean it with a clean, lint free rag slightly moistened with isopropyl alcohol and carefully wipe the contacts with that (on memory card, as well as batteries and lenses). Plain, inexpensive "rubbing alcohol" works fine and leaves no residue. Other types of cleaners might be used, but be careful it's not something that would damage plastic.

Lexar is a good brand of memory card, but I'd recommend you replace that big 128GB with 4 to 8 smaller ones (four 32GB or eight 16GB would give you the same total capacity, if you need that much). Be sure they are a good brand, such as Lexar or Sandisk or a few other well-known (do a search for online reviews, if you wish).

When you download images, remove the card from the camera, insert it in a card reader and COPY the images off of it. If you want to format it in the computer later, that's fine - but only do so after checking that everything was copied correctly and have it all safely backed up. It's also fine to erase the images or just leave the originals on the memory card until the next time you go to use the card... But, regardless, you MUST then format it in-camera.

In fact, ALWAYS format a card in-camera before starting to use it (if it's not new, just be certain you've first copied off of it everything that you want to keep). You should especially make a point of doing the in-camera format if you've formatted the card in your computer or used the card in any other camera or device, where other files and structure might have been put on the card. There probably is some sort of file structure incompatibility or an accumulation of residual fragments of old files that are causing the problems you're seeing. Formatting the card in-camera before use would solve that. Note: the "quick format" that cameras normally do doesn't actually erase anything... it simply marks any old files as "okay to overwrite". But it also sets up a file structure on the card that's correct for the camera and insures the best possible compatibility and card performance.

If you do these things, you will probably never see another issue like you described. I've never seen one in 20+ years shooting digital with a couple dozen different cameras, more than a hundred different memory cards and probably several thousand downloads over the years.

EDIT: If you ever accidentally in-camera format a card with images on it that you didn't want to overwrite, it's still possible to recover them. Just don't start shooting with that card, which would add new data and overwrite the older stuff. You will need a file recovery software to retrieve the images after an accidental format.

I have Lexar's Image Rescue installed for this purpose. But it also includes a "card test and repair" utility. What that does is inspect all the sectors of a memory card. If it finds any "bad" sectors, it will mark and map around those, so that they won't be used. (Someone told me that ALL memory cards have a few bad sectors right from new, that the cards are tested and mapped this way during the manufacture process and that cards are actually made with some extra space as "headroom" which can be allocated so there's no reduction in the card's size when this is done.)

To avoid doing accidental formats while "juggling" a bunch of memory cards, I do two things.

First, I use card cases to store them. When a card's images have been safely downloaded, I put the card back in the case face up. And when I remove a card full of fresh images from my camera and put it in the case, I put it face down. Really simple. (By the way, write your name and email address and/or phone number on the back of all your memory cards, in case you ever lose one... maybe someone will find it and get in touch to return it.)

Now, I don't erase old images from my cards or format them in-computer. So the other thing I do whenever I insert a card in my camera (which often will give me a "card full" message), is first tap "image review" and look at the date of the shots on the card, to be sure they are old files and not ones I just took. Once I'm sure of that, I do the in-camera format. This is just an extra safety precaution, but I've never accidentally overwritten new images.

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

Two years and many load/download cycles is a very long time to go without diagnosing and reformatting a memory card in any use. And I agree with the instructions here for a computer format. The in-camera format is not capable of identifying and mapping around sectors that may have developed bad bits. If these should happen to be in the FAT or directory area, the results could eventually be traumatic. Here is my suggestion:

1) In computer diagnostic & check for errors (in Windows File Explorer by right-clicking on the drive ID.

2) In computer format. This should be a Long or Full Format, and may take 30 minutes or more for a card this size. The Long Format physically writes to every location on the card, then reads that location and verifies accuracy of the write.

3) In camera format. This will set up the file system needed by the camera, but will preserve any necessary remapping identified in Step 2.

Good luck with all this.

rcarol

Are you implying that Lexar is an inferior SD card?

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Possibly.
I had to replace a Lexar in my phone after six months. The only Lexar I've purchased.
I've had Sandisk cards for eight years.
So guess what brand I'm partial to.

Brokenland

It is what it is and I'll not get into any debate about my reasonings or experiences with any products. Simple, short and sweet answers without debates, then move on.

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

You'll likely need to replace it. If you do remember to get a genuine Sandisk.

Under years of use, Sandisk's have only really let me down once. That was when I dropped it at a football game and a person walked on it and cracked the housing before I picked it up. (Duh!)

Otherwise the only consistent problem that occasionally happens is when I put it back in my camera and accidently push the "lock" to the on position. (Another DUH moment.)

rcarol

Well, I choose to question both your original statement about whether Lexar is an inferior product and also your followup response which is a blatant attempt to blow me off. You can have an opinion about a product but it is only that, an opinion, not fact.

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Always have more than one SD card. A 128gb card would only be necessary if you are shooting a tremendous amount of RAW files, or shooting upwards to 29 minutes on your DSLR, more than once. You would have been better off buying two 64gb SD cards, or four 32gb cards. That would give you the opportunity to not put all your eggs in one basket. I generally shoot with 16gb or 32gb SD cards. I use 16gb in two of my JPEG only cameras. And 32gb for my Nikon DSLR, that shoots RAW. Lexar and SanDisk are generally trusted Brand names.

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

From your descriptions I think you might have some bad connections inside your camera. Cleaning the card helped however contaminations from the card might be still on the contacts inside the camera.

Also you should always foremat the card in your camera. The reasion for this is that some models add additional files to the card that your PC won't do and they may be needed.

I wish you luck.

Charles

sv3noKin51E

alh41, we've never had much luck with Lexar cards; have you considered using Samsung or SanDisk cards?

Murray Loc: New Westminster

Now that Makes perfect sense.

hookedupin2005 Loc: Northwestern New Mexico

"If the card is new or was previously formatted by another camera or computer, format the card with this camera." This is out of the basic instruction manual for the 80D. (getting started section)

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

Don't mess around, new card, new high speed, a little smaller, like a 32 or 64gb. Format in camera. If you want to, with card out of camera, spray some 91% isopropyl alcohol into the card slot in the camera ( don't hose it down, just a good misting), take a Q-tip, dip it in the alky, clean the card contacts with the wet Q-tip, with camera off, insert and remove the wet card several times (this is way better than an eraser, no abrasives, no no no). Blow dry the card slot, then put in the card and turn on the camera. Should be ready to go.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

It is entirely possible that all of the cleaning via eraser has damaged some of the contacts. If you can get all of the pictures off, do so and scrap the card.

DJphoto Loc: SF Bay Area

I've had my 80D for a little over two years and have never had an SD card problem. As others have suggested, I would try to get your photos off of your card and not use it again. Have you trid a different card reader? Perhaps that's the problem. A large card is convenient, but I subscribe to the "don't put all of your eggs in one basket" philosophy, as others do. I have settled on 32 GB cards as a reasonable choice of getting enough photos on one card, but not losing too much in the rare case that it fails. I also believe in buying good quality cards and have 8 SanDisk Extreme class 10 cards that I "rotate" as I take photos. At the end of a day's shooting, I transfer my photos to at least one back up device, preferably two if I can. Congratulations on your grandson!