Problem: K10D won't read images.

marcdsgn · 12-16-2007, 07:54 PM

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PROBLEM WITH IMAGE-READING ON CAMERA.

I purchased a new Pentax K10D recently and have been having trouble with shots that won't display on screen. Error message: CAMERA CANNOT DISPLAY THIS IMAGE.

Have also tried viewing these shots on computer, but they come up as corrupted.

Seems to be no consistent reason for this. I can been shooting away with no problems, then after a while the next few shots won't display (I'm making no changes to the settings between shots that work and shots that don't).

I am shooting in DNG format.

THINGS I'VE ALREADY TRIED (WITH NO SUCCESS):
1) Reformatting card
2) Changing to a new card (although the same brand and type - SanDisk 2.0GB)
3) Upgrading to latest firmware.

I had thought I might be exceeding card capacity, but the card is 2GB and I can have as few as 50-60 shots before the error occurs.

Any ideas? Anyone have the same problem?

**ChipB** · 12-18-2007, 08:39 PM

Bummer, I've not heard of anyone having this problem. Sounds like it's time to see if you can exchange it. Good Luck!

Mechan1k · 12-18-2007, 10:08 PM

I have only found this issue after I take the memory card out ... show people on a PC (and rotate some images on the PC) .... the altered images then do not show on the Camera LCD after that .... that's the only time I have seen this issue.

**Canada_Rockies** · 12-18-2007, 10:12 PM

Originally posted by marcdsgn

PROBLEM WITH IMAGE-READING ON CAMERA.

I purchased a new Pentax K10D recently and have been having trouble with shots that won't display on screen. Error message: CAMERA CANNOT DISPLAY THIS IMAGE.

Have also tried viewing these shots on computer, but they come up as corrupted.

Seems to be no consistent reason for this. I can been shooting away with no problems, then after a while the next few shots won't display (I'm making no changes to the settings between shots that work and shots that don't).

I am shooting in DNG format.

THINGS I'VE ALREADY TRIED (WITH NO SUCCESS):
1) Reformatting card
2) Changing to a new card (although the same brand and type - SanDisk 2.0GB)
3) Upgrading to latest firmware.

I had thought I might be exceeding card capacity, but the card is 2GB and I can have as few as 50-60 shots before the error occurs.

Any ideas? Anyone have the same problem?

Did you format on the PC? If so, try formating with the camera instead.

Duck Dodgers · 12-21-2007, 08:08 PM

What program are you using on the PC to display (and rotate? Ack.) the images? Some Windoze software does funky things on its own.

marcdsgn · 12-21-2007, 09:59 PM

Thanks for the brainstorming so far. Unfortunately none of the suggested scenarios apply. The issue of not displaying on-camera was showing itself up long before I got to any computer (BTW: I'm a MAC purist thankyou very much! "PC" pshaw!!)

When downloading, the SD card is always read straight from the camera (not a reader), and the card is always formatted in-camera.

Looks like I've posed a hairy one, eh?

Darn! Any resolution to the problem would be better than none at all, even if it is a camera fault.

Keep thinking guys, thanks!!

weaponx525 · 12-21-2007, 11:15 PM

I have two SD cards: a Panasonic SDHC and a Transcend SDHC. I had a "camera cannot display image" message on my camera as well and the resulting image did not show as well on the computer. The Panasonic so far has not given me any problems which so far has led me to believe that it is the Transcend memory stick that is doing this. I know that you have tried two different cards so far but maybe if you had a friend lend you an SD card of a different manufacturer and see if the same problem results ...

pshphoto · 12-22-2007, 06:22 AM

You mentioned you're shooting in DNG format. Have you tried plain old jpg just to see if they'll appear?

Tom M · 12-22-2007, 07:09 AM

I just love how it's immediately the camera... lol

Actually, my bet is on a faulty SD card.. Good luck.

marcdsgn · 12-23-2007, 04:45 AM

Originally posted by weaponx525

I have two SD cards ... The Panasonic so far has not given me any problems which so far has led me to believe that it is the Transcend memory stick that is doing this ... maybe if you had a friend lend you an SD card of a different manufacturer and see if the same problem results ...

Hi weaponx525. Good to hear it's happened to someone else. Yes, I have only tried two SanDisk brand cards so far. The fact that you've found discrepancies between brands gives me some hope, although I've been told by other Pentax-ers that there shouldn't be a problem with SanDisk, and the chances of having purchased two faulty SanDisk cards seemed unlikely. Otherwise I would have assumed it was a card issue from the start and gone ahead and bought another brand to test out. In light of your experience, I'll do that anyway.

To the other poster's suggestion to try out JPG format: Yes, I've tried it and the problem didn't repeat itself (although the testing period was short), so that may at least prove to have some relevance to the problem, but unfortunately one of the deciding factors in purchasing the K10D is that it is supposed to support RAW-DNG format which is necessary for my line of work (I need to work with highly editable images that are compatible with industry-standard reproduction - JPG format doesn't cut it quality-wise).

**ChipB** · 12-23-2007, 10:47 AM

Depending on where you purchased the Sandisk cards, you could have fakes. It's a huge business on eBay - Sandisk has had to put warnings on the site and post guides to spotting fake cards - try this link: eBay Guides - FAKE SanDisk Ultra Secure Digital Cards Exposed for more info.

Martin · 12-23-2007, 11:42 AM

This happens to me too. Mabey I have a bigger problem... All of a sudden pics I took earlier don´t display. There is a bunch of black squares with an ?. My card is an Transcend SD HC 4GB class C6. This problem is BIG

Martin

marcdsgn · 12-23-2007, 01:17 PM

Hi ChipB,

Well ... this is sounding like a definite possibility then. The cards were purchased via an online retail outlet through eBay. I avoid buying this sort of item from private sellers in the hopes of avoiding scams, and I usually have a good browse around retail sites to see if I get any bad vibes, but I guess we're going to get diddled once in a while regardless of precautions ... or perhaps the outlets themselves aren't aware that they're stocking fakes (hoho, always the diplomat!)

Martin,

Yep, the black screen and question-marks are what I'm getting in place of images, and some previous image also seem to be lost. So it sounds as though we have similar issues. Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes an image will display for a split second, only to be replaced by the image of a previous shot - as if the two images are occupying the same space in the memory and are fighting for position.

Oh well, here's hoping we got diddled with fake cards rather than fake cameras!

weaponx525 · 12-23-2007, 07:47 PM

Yes I definitely have the same black ?? marks on my images. I am pretty sure that I was shooting RAW at the time, but I do not think this is related. One thing to test your SD and it's memory is to hook it up to your computer via USB and try to fill that card right up to the max and see if you get Read/Write errors. The thing to try is find as large files for this "transfer test" ie 16 Meg if possible. This would be the most fair test for the size of a RAW file. I have yet to do this test with both of my cards but it sure beats the heck of taking hundreds of pictures just to fill the card up (not to mention wear and tear on your shutter )! Yes I agree that the likelihood of two Sandisk cards being faulty is low but my Pentax has been so reliable so far that it can't be at fault ... can it ...? If you can try this test out let me know. I'll also try this test ASAP !

Nels · 12-23-2007, 09:01 PM

I too purchased a 2gb card from ebay and just threw it in the trash as it gave the same issues as you. I have no problems from ones purchased from reputable retailers locally. I could have returned it, but was not interested in the hassles of returning it at my expense to maybe get another faulty one. I just chalked that one up to "experience" and go on down the road.

12-16-2007, 07:54 PM	#1
marcdsgn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery Posts: 265	Problem: K10D won't read images. Staff note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means Pentax Forums may earn a small commission if a visitor clicks through and makes a purchase. If you would like to support the forum directly, you may also make a donation here. PROBLEM WITH IMAGE-READING ON CAMERA. I purchased a new Pentax K10D recently and have been having trouble with shots that won't display on screen. Error message: CAMERA CANNOT DISPLAY THIS IMAGE. Have also tried viewing these shots on computer, but they come up as corrupted. Seems to be no consistent reason for this. I can been shooting away with no problems, then after a while the next few shots won't display (I'm making no changes to the settings between shots that work and shots that don't). I am shooting in DNG format. THINGS I'VE ALREADY TRIED (WITH NO SUCCESS): 1) Reformatting card 2) Changing to a new card (although the same brand and type - SanDisk 2.0GB) 3) Upgrading to latest firmware. I had thought I might be exceeding card capacity, but the card is 2GB and I can have as few as 50-60 shots before the error occurs. Any ideas? Anyone have the same problem?

12-23-2007, 11:42 AM	#12
Martin New Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 8	Same thing here This happens to me too. Mabey I have a bigger problem... All of a sudden pics I took earlier don´t display. There is a bunch of black squares with an ?. My card is an Transcend SD HC 4GB class C6. This problem is BIG Martin

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12-18-2007, 08:39 PM	#2
ChipB Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eau Claire, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,701	Bummer, I've not heard of anyone having this problem. Sounds like it's time to see if you can exchange it. Good Luck!

12-18-2007, 10:08 PM	#3
Mechan1k Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,891	I have only found this issue after I take the memory card out ... show people on a PC (and rotate some images on the PC) .... the altered images then do not show on the Camera LCD after that .... that's the only time I have seen this issue.

12-18-2007, 10:12 PM	#4
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by marcdsgn PROBLEM WITH IMAGE-READING ON CAMERA. I purchased a new Pentax K10D recently and have been having trouble with shots that won't display on screen. Error message: CAMERA CANNOT DISPLAY THIS IMAGE. Have also tried viewing these shots on computer, but they come up as corrupted. Seems to be no consistent reason for this. I can been shooting away with no problems, then after a while the next few shots won't display (I'm making no changes to the settings between shots that work and shots that don't). I am shooting in DNG format. THINGS I'VE ALREADY TRIED (WITH NO SUCCESS): 1) Reformatting card 2) Changing to a new card (although the same brand and type - SanDisk 2.0GB) 3) Upgrading to latest firmware. I had thought I might be exceeding card capacity, but the card is 2GB and I can have as few as 50-60 shots before the error occurs. Any ideas? Anyone have the same problem? Did you format on the PC? If so, try formating with the camera instead.

12-21-2007, 08:08 PM	#5
Duck Dodgers Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: in the 24½th Century! Photos: Gallery Posts: 439	What program are you using on the PC to display (and rotate? Ack.) the images? Some Windoze software does funky things on its own.

12-21-2007, 09:59 PM	#6
marcdsgn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery Posts: 265 Original Poster	Thanks for the brainstorming so far. Unfortunately none of the suggested scenarios apply. The issue of not displaying on-camera was showing itself up long before I got to any computer (BTW: I'm a MAC purist thankyou very much! "PC" pshaw!!) When downloading, the SD card is always read straight from the camera (not a reader), and the card is always formatted in-camera. Looks like I've posed a hairy one, eh? Darn! Any resolution to the problem would be better than none at all, even if it is a camera fault. Keep thinking guys, thanks!!

12-21-2007, 11:15 PM	#7
weaponx525 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 138	I have two SD cards: a Panasonic SDHC and a Transcend SDHC. I had a "camera cannot display image" message on my camera as well and the resulting image did not show as well on the computer. The Panasonic so far has not given me any problems which so far has led me to believe that it is the Transcend memory stick that is doing this. I know that you have tried two different cards so far but maybe if you had a friend lend you an SD card of a different manufacturer and see if the same problem results ...

12-22-2007, 06:22 AM	#8
pshphoto New Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 22	You mentioned you're shooting in DNG format. Have you tried plain old jpg just to see if they'll appear?

12-22-2007, 07:09 AM	#9
Tom M Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lincoln Park, NJ Photos: Gallery Posts: 780	I just love how it's immediately the camera... lol Actually, my bet is on a faulty SD card.. Good luck.

12-23-2007, 04:45 AM	#10
marcdsgn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery Posts: 265 Original Poster	Originally posted by weaponx525 I have two SD cards ... The Panasonic so far has not given me any problems which so far has led me to believe that it is the Transcend memory stick that is doing this ... maybe if you had a friend lend you an SD card of a different manufacturer and see if the same problem results ... Hi weaponx525. Good to hear it's happened to someone else. Yes, I have only tried two SanDisk brand cards so far. The fact that you've found discrepancies between brands gives me some hope, although I've been told by other Pentax-ers that there shouldn't be a problem with SanDisk, and the chances of having purchased two faulty SanDisk cards seemed unlikely. Otherwise I would have assumed it was a card issue from the start and gone ahead and bought another brand to test out. In light of your experience, I'll do that anyway. To the other poster's suggestion to try out JPG format: Yes, I've tried it and the problem didn't repeat itself (although the testing period was short), so that may at least prove to have some relevance to the problem, but unfortunately one of the deciding factors in purchasing the K10D is that it is supposed to support RAW-DNG format which is necessary for my line of work (I need to work with highly editable images that are compatible with industry-standard reproduction - JPG format doesn't cut it quality-wise).

12-23-2007, 10:47 AM	#11
ChipB Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Eau Claire, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,701	Depending on where you purchased the Sandisk cards, you could have fakes. It's a huge business on eBay - Sandisk has had to put warnings on the site and post guides to spotting fake cards - try this link: eBay Guides - FAKE SanDisk Ultra Secure Digital Cards Exposed for more info.

12-23-2007, 01:17 PM	#13
marcdsgn Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Queensland Photos: Gallery Posts: 265 Original Poster	Hi ChipB, Well ... this is sounding like a definite possibility then. The cards were purchased via an online retail outlet through eBay. I avoid buying this sort of item from private sellers in the hopes of avoiding scams, and I usually have a good browse around retail sites to see if I get any bad vibes, but I guess we're going to get diddled once in a while regardless of precautions ... or perhaps the outlets themselves aren't aware that they're stocking fakes (hoho, always the diplomat!) Martin, Yep, the black screen and question-marks are what I'm getting in place of images, and some previous image also seem to be lost. So it sounds as though we have similar issues. Another thing I've noticed is that sometimes an image will display for a split second, only to be replaced by the image of a previous shot - as if the two images are occupying the same space in the memory and are fighting for position. Oh well, here's hoping we got diddled with fake cards rather than fake cameras!

12-23-2007, 07:47 PM	#14
weaponx525 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 138	Yes I definitely have the same black ?? marks on my images. I am pretty sure that I was shooting RAW at the time, but I do not think this is related. One thing to test your SD and it's memory is to hook it up to your computer via USB and try to fill that card right up to the max and see if you get Read/Write errors. The thing to try is find as large files for this "transfer test" ie 16 Meg if possible. This would be the most fair test for the size of a RAW file. I have yet to do this test with both of my cards but it sure beats the heck of taking hundreds of pictures just to fill the card up (not to mention wear and tear on your shutter )! Yes I agree that the likelihood of two Sandisk cards being faulty is low but my Pentax has been so reliable so far that it can't be at fault ... can it ...? If you can try this test out let me know. I'll also try this test ASAP !

12-23-2007, 09:01 PM	#15
Nels Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Collinsville, Ok. Photos: Gallery Posts: 218	I too purchased a 2gb card from ebay and just threw it in the trash as it gave the same issues as you. I have no problems from ones purchased from reputable retailers locally. I could have returned it, but was not interested in the hassles of returning it at my expense to maybe get another faulty one. I just chalked that one up to "experience" and go on down the road.