SD CARD problem: 8 MB JVC SD card in Pentax K50: When I try to shoot, the camera tells me the card is full. If I try to view the card the message is “no image available. This happens...

Dannj

8 MB JVC SD card in Pentax K50:

When I try to shoot, the camera tells me the card is full.
If I try to view the card the message is “no image available.
This happens if the card is locked or unlocked.

Any suggestions as to why I’m getting these mixed messages?
Tnx

twowindsbear

First off - 8 mega bite? Are you SURE about that?

Next - have you tried using a different card?

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

This 8MB model seems to have existed in the past. But, for a digital camera in 2021, it's reasonable to be using a card measured in Gigabytes (GB) rather than Megabytes (MB) that are the file size measures of typical digital cameras. When trying another larger card, be sure to format the card in the camera before trying to take a new image. With a 16MP sensor, its possible the largest JPEG setting on the K50 produces files in the 7MB or larger size, possibly not even one image can be written to this tiny card, demonstrating why a GB-sized card is needed (1GB = 1000MB).

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

Have you reformatted the card? even try formatting it to anther device, like a computer, then moving it back into your camera and formatting it there.

Formatting checks the card for bad sectors and maps around them. Cards have bad sectors from day one, in the factory...so this in itself is not alarming. The 1's and 0's are little magnetic switches that flip back and forth, and a sector has a life span, some go bad at any time.

So each time you take photos off a SD card, you should reformat. After a time, the card will become unusable, I can't tell you how long that will be, but there is a life to them. It is a long time though.

I suppose if the card was exposed to a strong magnetic field...

BTW 8mb is tiny, and cheap to replace. I take 36MB single photos... you sure its big enough to start with?

Dannj

twowindsbear wrote:

First off - 8 mega bite? Are you SURE about that?

Next - have you tried using a different card?

It’s definitely 8mb….and very old. Other cards work fine.

Dannj

RichieC wrote:

Have you reformatted the card? even try formattin... (show quote)

It’s an old card…and I know how small it is. I just wanted to find out what’s on it. I’ll try reformatting on my pc.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

Dannj wrote:

It’s definitely 8mb….and very old. Other cards work fine.

Since one photo can be larger than 8 MB on a good modern camera, it is just too small for modern use.

twowindsbear

Dannj wrote:

It’s definitely 8mb….and very old. Other cards work fine.

OK Thanks Now, use a working card and capture a single image. Look at the file and determine the size of that image file. That value will give you an idea how many images the 8mb card will hold.

Good luck

twowindsbear

Dannj wrote:

It’s an old card…and I know how small it is. I just wanted to find out what’s on it. I’ll try reformatting on my pc.

Keep in mind that reformatting the card will remove what was on the card.

Dannj

PHRubin wrote:

Since one photo can be larger than 8 MB on a good modern camera, it is just too small for modern use.

I understand that. I’m trying to determine why, in shooting mode, the camera tells me the card is full and in viewing mode it says there’s no image available.

Dannj

twowindsbear wrote:

OK Thanks Now, use a working card and capture a single image. Look at the file and determine the size of that image file. That value will give you an idea how many images the 8mb card will hold.

Good luck

I know the card is small…I have no idea how old it is and I’m not concerned about its capacity. What I’m trying to find out is why, in shooting mode, the camera says the card is full and in viewing mode it says there’s no image available.

MDI Mainer

Dannj wrote:

It’s an old card…and I know how small it is. I just wanted to find out what’s on it. I’ll try reformatting on my pc.

If you reformat it you might loose anything that's on it. I'd try running something like RescuePro first, in case there are any images or files extant.

twowindsbear

Dannj wrote:

I know the card is small…I have no idea how old it is and I’m not concerned about its capacity. What I’m trying to find out is why, in shooting mode, the camera says the card is full and in viewing mode it says there’s no image available.

Well, here's my WAG on this. When you try to record an image, the camera 'looks' at the card & sees that there is not enough room on the card, so it says 'card is full,' and the camera won't record the image. But, when you ask a computer to display the image, the computer says the card is empty.

Dannj

MDI Mainer wrote:

If you reformat it you might loose anything that's on it. I'd try running something like RescuePro first, in case there are any images or files extant.

Tnx. I’ll give that a try. The card’s most likely backed up. I’m mostly concerned with the mixed messages the camera is giving me.

User ID

Dannj wrote:

8 MB JVC SD card in Pentax K50:

When I try to shoot, the camera tells me the card is full.
If I try to view the card the message is “no image available.
This happens if the card is locked or unlocked.

Any suggestions as to why I’m getting these mixed messages?
Tnx

The card is enormously too small.