Can one crash a CF card by switching off at the wrong time?

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:00:42 GMT, in rec.photo.digital "Keith Hobbs via
PhotoKB.com" <forum@PhotoKB.com> wrote:

>I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
>I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
>res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
>formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
>when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
>cards.
>
>Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?

How did you format the card? Reformat in the camera.
----------
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 (Usenet@EdwardG.Ruf.com)
See images taken with my CP-990/5700 & D70 at
http://edwardgruf.com/Digital_Photography/General/index...

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In article <726e42a08229463598b17f186b7e07b3@PhotoKB.com>,
"Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com" <forum@PhotoKB.com> wrote:

> I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
> I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
> res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
> formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
> when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
> cards.
>
> Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
> incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?

It's probably a bad card. The power switch on cameras is a software
control, not a real power switch. The camera will remain on until the
memory card is in a safe state.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com wrote:
> I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
> I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
> res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
> formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
> when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
> cards.
>
> Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
> incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?
>
The answer to the the subject is a definite yes.
Make sure that you format the card IN THE CAMERA, and not on a card
reader attached to a computer. If it still doesn't work in your camera,
then it may well be defective. Check with the manufacturer about a
replacement.


--
Ron Hunter rphunter@charter.net

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Kevin McMurtrie wrote:
> In article <726e42a08229463598b17f186b7e07b3@PhotoKB.com>,
> "Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com" <forum@PhotoKB.com> wrote:
>
>
>>I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
>>I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
>>res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
>>formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
>>when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
>>cards.
>>
>>Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>>incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?
>
>
> It's probably a bad card. The power switch on cameras is a software
> control, not a real power switch. The camera will remain on until the
> memory card is in a safe state.

Not all of them, unfortunately, and then there are those people who
remove the card while it is being written to.... BAD KARMA


--
Ron Hunter rphunter@charter.net

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Hi,
1) You must format the CF card in the camera, before you use it the frst time.

2) Never touch any of the camera controls while it is writing to the card.

Good luck.

Morton

"Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com" wrote:

> I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
> I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
> res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
> formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
> when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
> cards.
>
> Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
> incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?
>
> --
> Message posted via http://www.photokb.com

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

mort wrote:

>Hi,
>1) You must format the CF card in the camera, before you use it the frst time.

While a good idea, it is by no means required. Most cards are
pre-formatted and you can usually just drop them in and start shooting.

Having said that, it is possible certain cameras use a slightly
different file system and needs to format the card itself.

>2) Never touch any of the camera controls while it is writing to the card.

How does one get a burst of several shots if the camera is writing the
first shot to the card?

The on-board controller for the flash card will process tasks as needed.
There is no reason to worry about any functions related to the card
reading or writing data. The only caution is to not physically remove
the card or remove the batteries during a write operation.

>> Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>> incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?

It's likely just a defective card. Like most electronic devices, the
first 24-48 hours of actual use is the most common period where a device
that is going to fail, will do so.

Return the card and get it replaced.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Bill wrote:
> mort wrote:
>
>
>>Hi,
>>1) You must format the CF card in the camera, before you use it the frst time.
>
>
> While a good idea, it is by no means required. Most cards are
> pre-formatted and you can usually just drop them in and start shooting.
>
> Having said that, it is possible certain cameras use a slightly
> different file system and needs to format the card itself.
>
>
>>2) Never touch any of the camera controls while it is writing to the card.
>
>
> How does one get a burst of several shots if the camera is writing the
> first shot to the card?
>
> The on-board controller for the flash card will process tasks as needed.
> There is no reason to worry about any functions related to the card
> reading or writing data. The only caution is to not physically remove
> the card or remove the batteries during a write operation.
>
>
>>>Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>>>incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?
>
>
> It's likely just a defective card. Like most electronic devices, the
> first 24-48 hours of actual use is the most common period where a device
> that is going to fail, will do so.
>
> Return the card and get it replaced.

Most cameras have a ram buffer that will hold a few pictures. The
larger that buffer is, the more pictures you can take before you must
wait for the pictures to be written to the card. The write speed does
become a limiting factor when the buffer fills up as the camera will not
take another picture until the buffer has emptied, at least one picture
to the card. This is the case whether the camera is an inexpensive P&S
or the most expensive DSLR you can buy.


--
Ron Hunter rphunter@charter.net

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 11:38:55 -0800, Kevin McMurtrie
<mcmurtri@dslextreme.com> wrote:

>In article <726e42a08229463598b17f186b7e07b3@PhotoKB.com>,
> "Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com" <forum@PhotoKB.com> wrote:
>
>> I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
>> I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
>> res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
>> formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
>> when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
>> cards.
>>
>> Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>> incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?

>It's probably a bad card. The power switch on cameras is a software
>control, not a real power switch. The camera will remain on until the
>memory card is in a safe state.

It would be possible to corrupt the card by removing it or the battery
while the card was being written to. But it should still be possible to
reformat the card and start again. If you can't do that, it does sound
like a bad card. The most likely time for a card to fail is the first
few hours of use (that is true for most electronic and mechanical
apparatus).

--
Stephen Poley

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

On Sat, 26 Feb 2005 19:00:42 GMT, "Keith Hobbs via PhotoKB.com"
<forum@PhotoKB.com> wrote:

>I recently bought a 256MB CF card for my Nikon Coolpix4300. The first time
>I used it the camera stopped storing pictures after taking about 40 high
>res pics. I could not download the photos and I eventually gave up and re-
>formated the card. Now I get a message saying "cannot save this picture"
>when I take the first picture. The camera still works fine with other
>cards.
>
>Could I have done anything to cause this? Could the camera and card be
>incompatible? ...or did I buy a duff card?

It is certainly possible (though unlikely) to corrupt the card that
way. I think it is much more likely that you have a bad-off-the-shelf
card. I had a 256mb SD card that did exactly the same thing out of
the package. The replacement card has been just fine.

I would try re-formatting the card in the camera and if it won't
re-format or if it still acts up then I would go get it swapped for
another.


Drifter
"I've been here, I've been there..."

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I tried to reformat the card in the camera so I assume it was a duff card.
I have returned it to PQI for their comments but, as I bought it cheap on
the internet, I only got a two week guarantee which expired before I took
the 40th photo.
Thank you for your help. It is the first time I have seen PhotoKB and am
gobsmacked by the responses!

--
Message posted via http://www.photokb.com