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10-19-2008, 02:13 PM   #16
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A strange development. I tried the faulty 16GB Adata card in my Canon A720 and in my K100D Super, and it performs normally in both. It will not format in the K20D and will not record an image. The other 16GB Adata, a 4GB Sandisk and a 1GB Kingston all work fine in the K20D.

10-19-2008, 07:46 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by tybeck Quote
I tend to keep my cards < 4 GB to decrease my chances of losing a large number of photos due to a stupid card read/write error.
Coming from an imaging and IT background we tend to regard all data as precious. Large media tend to be a riskier option unless you have backups or nice striped RAID file servers! So where possible, backup often. If not, use smaller media but more of them so that ALL is not lost when one fails.

We've had a number of near misses over the years and usually with high capacity (for the time) media. Most failed due to physical issues like tracking or head misalignment. Some were physically damaged by dropping. In all cases, recovery was possible, but expensive.

Newer electronic media like flash don't have those issues, but they do have issues of static charge, corroded contacts or data rate/clocking (eg mismatched RAM in a PC causes no end of trouble). Heat/humidity can affect any electronic device as well.

And testing out of the factory may not always be perfect - I have one retail contact who sold a fairly cheap non-brand name DVD player that had a 70% failure rate. It was made on the same line in China as the equivalent brand name device, but the brand name device had a 1% failure rate. Reason - the brand name added a rigorous QC step that picked up the fault.

Correct handling is also important, and its may not be you! Many retailers haven't got a clue about handling these devices, so they'll touch the contacts with their greasy fingers, leave them lying about on their bench tops, and generally ignore some basic rules. We don't mistreat out lenses that way, and we certainly treated film with more respect.

So Tybeck's suggestion of <= 4GB cards is sound - you reduce your risk of data loss and are more likely to keep all those images perfect. And the brand name is also important - SanDisk make most of the worlds flash memory.
10-19-2008, 08:39 PM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by MoiVous Quote
Coming from an imaging and IT background we tend to regard all data as precious. Large media tend to be a riskier option unless you have backups or nice striped RAID file servers! So where possible, backup often. If not, use smaller media but more of them so that ALL is not lost when one fails.
That makes sense, except that I needed a 16GB card to download the K20D firmware updates. And the price was comparable to a 4GB card from a local shop. I tend to download my photos at least daily, but it's nice to be able to shoot all day and not worry about filling the card. K20D files are quite large.

QuoteQuote:
SanDisk make most of the worlds flash memory.
Which means they make cards that are labelled by other manufacturers. Adata and Sandisk cards look pretty darn similar to me.
10-20-2008, 08:04 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
That makes sense, except that I needed a 16GB card to download the K20D firmware updates. And the price was comparable to a 4GB card from a local shop. I tend to download my photos at least daily, but it's nice to be able to shoot all day and not worry about filling the card. K20D files are quite large.



Which means they make cards that are labelled by other manufacturers. Adata and Sandisk cards look pretty darn similar to me.
The firm ware update is 6 Kilo bytes range, not gigabytes so even a 128 KB card should work fine.

As for the card working in other cameras but not the K20D, it sounds like a contact issue, either on the card or the camera. If it works with one, it should work with all unless the contacts aren't, well, contacting.

10-20-2008, 08:25 AM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tom S. Quote
The firm ware update is 6 Kilo bytes range, not gigabytes so even a 128 KB card should work fine.
From Pentax Canada website, Pentax Canada - K20D:

Preparation of update

Blank, formatted SD/SDHC card (16MB or more)
10-20-2008, 08:35 AM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
From Pentax Canada website, Pentax Canada - K20D:

Preparation of update

Blank, formatted SD/SDHC card (16MB or more)
I was going by the file on my computer, which is listed as 5,666KB, so you are right about MB, but not about GB. You were confusing 16MB with 16GB.
10-20-2008, 09:14 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by Tom S. Quote
You were confusing 16MB with 16GB.
Doh! It's so obvious now.

10-20-2008, 01:35 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by audiobomber Quote
Doh! It's so obvious now.
Don't feel bad - a lot of us made this mistake!

As for cards themselves, I have been using Transcend 16GB for my camera and my daughter's camcorder with no problems at all. They are cheap and come with a USB plug in reader.
10-24-2008, 11:18 AM   #24
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My A-Data card has worked problem free - 4GB Class 6. I also use Sandisk Extreme III, no problems there either. It is possible that you got counterfeit cards?
10-24-2008, 01:18 PM   #25
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I had a 1GB A-Data card that just simply fall apart. The case split and now I have just the inside (naked but working). Since then I do not buy A-Data cards. I have other ones like Kingston and Trandscend and they are working fine even they are 1-2 years older than A-Data.
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