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04-15-2010, 08:20 PM   #1
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Pentax K-X eats memory cards

Hello,

I bought a nice kit about 3 weeks ago. Pentax K-x, 15-55 and 55-300. But I have been plagged with memory card issues. I'm on my fourth memory card. Every time after some time, I end up with a "corrupted" memory card that the camera won't either read or format. I can fix it on a computer. But it doesn't explain it failling like this. At first, my retailer thought it was a incompatibility with the bundled memory card and kindly switched it for a better faster model... Still, after about a week... the problem comes back.

Anyone had this sort of problem?

Thank you for your help.

04-15-2010, 08:28 PM   #2
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This is a new issue to me. I think the card reader/writer in the camera must have some sort of issue. You might want to send the camera back for a replacement. But before you do that, what are you using for batteries?
04-15-2010, 08:56 PM   #3
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You didn't indicate what brand of SD card that you are having a problem with.
Stick with known and proven brands like Sandisk, Kingston, etc.
Don't format the SD card using the computer. Always format the card with the camera.
How do you go about copying and erasing the images on your computer? My guess is that could be the source of the problem.
04-15-2010, 08:58 PM   #4
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Just a thought

When I fist got my K-x I was looking for high capacity cards on e-bay. Came to find out after doing some research many of these are knock-off's and some are finding their way to big box stores. Do a Google search on your issue and I think you will find your not the only one and it is not your K-x.

I dropped the cheap idea went to Fry's and got a CAT 10 with 8GB; smaller than I wanted but very fast and no crashing problems.

04-15-2010, 09:56 PM   #5
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By coincidence, I've had a rash of card errors a couple of weeks ago. They would read in the computer, but the camera indicated an error.
Doing a full format in the computer and then formatting in camera seems to have solved it for the cards that failed.
The cards that failed were genuine Sandisk, an Ultra 4gb, an Extreme 8gb and an ultra 16gb.
04-15-2010, 10:21 PM   #6
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While I'm inclined to agree that this is probably a card reader issue in the camera, I should mention that I've seen a lot of borked cards due to people trying to force their cameras to shoot/record to a card while the camera is indicating a low battery.

I work in a photo lab and we see a lot of Canon cameras that complain about a card needing to be formatted. When we put the card in a computer with a reader (without formatting the card) files appear, but upon reading various images they appear to be scrambled, as if cut in half with portions offset but 25% of the total height or width. I don't know about other camera brands, but after a few questions to the photographers we often hear that they were running low on battery power, often having the camera shutdown mid-shot.
04-15-2010, 10:30 PM   #7
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I'm moving this to the DSLR forum, as it doesn't appear to have anything to do with lenses.

04-16-2010, 12:01 AM   #8
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QuoteOriginally posted by md98504 Quote
I dropped the cheap idea went to Fry's and got a CAT 10 with 8GB; smaller than I wanted but very fast and no crashing problems.
I suppose if your smart about it a larger card is ok, however I hate seeing people get the largest card possible... take their entire vacation all on the same card, then come crying to us when they loose all their photographs.
I personally won't use anything larger than 2gigs, and swap cards frequently so it's harder for me to loose a full days worth of pic's.

QuoteOriginally posted by LowVoltage Quote
I work in a photo lab and we see a lot of Canon cameras that complain about a card needing to be formatted. When we put the card in a computer with a reader (without formatting the card) files appear, but upon reading various images they appear to be scrambled, as if cut in half with portions offset but 25% of the total height or width. I don't know about other camera brands, but after a few questions to the photographers we often hear that they were running low on battery power, often having the camera shutdown mid-shot.
I also work in a lab, and I've never noticed Canon's being any less reliable than any other system.
04-16-2010, 02:31 PM   #9
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First of all, thank you for your replies. Didn't expect so much information. Sorry about posting in the wrong forums.

The brand of the memory is..."No name". The store gives it with the camera. After the first 3 memory card failed, the store did give me a Transcend memory card. Which also failed, but after 2 weeks.

Today, they changed my Kx for a new one. And guess what? The memory card just failed again. Maybe it's something I'm doing... I'm not quite sure. I format the card from the camera. and took a few picture of my living room. After about two dozen shots, the red light indicating the camera is writing to the memory card was on for a very long time... and a memory card error appeared. There are a few "unable to read" images on the card.

Battery are brand new and come from the new kit.

What would be optimal write performance for the memory card? 15mb/sec ? 30 mb / sec?

Thank you again
04-16-2010, 05:06 PM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by Frundock Quote
First of all, thank you for your replies. Didn't expect so much information. Sorry about posting in the wrong forums.

The brand of the memory is..."No name". The store gives it with the camera. After the first 3 memory card failed, the store did give me a Transcend memory card. Which also failed, but after 2 weeks.

Today, they changed my Kx for a new one. And guess what? The memory card just failed again. Maybe it's something I'm doing... I'm not quite sure. I format the card from the camera. and took a few picture of my living room. After about two dozen shots, the red light indicating the camera is writing to the memory card was on for a very long time... and a memory card error appeared. There are a few "unable to read" images on the card.

Battery are brand new and come from the new kit.

What would be optimal write performance for the memory card? 15mb/sec ? 30 mb / sec?

Thank you again
My K200D is fairly picky about cards and I have found that Sandisk are the most reliable.
04-16-2010, 05:28 PM   #11
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If formatting your card is NOT what you do after moving files to the computer... ie: you copy the files then DELETE them, try instead formatting the card in the camera each time after you transfer the files...

Please keep post results... hope this helps.

woof
04-16-2010, 06:46 PM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by Frundock Quote
The brand of the memory is..."No name".
I qouted your problem.

Go get any brand name class 6 memory card and you will do fine.

Go here, newegg is the best place for anything computer or electronics related (they are particularly great for memory cards):

8GB: Newegg.ca 8GB

16GB: Newegg.ca 16GB

Patriot, kingston and transcend are all reputable, reasonably priced brands, with sandisk being the biggest name (and most of the fastest cards). You dont need to worry about speed with any of those brands though, just make sure it is class 6 and you will be fine.

Run from the store no name card as fast as you can.
04-16-2010, 06:59 PM   #13
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I have the same problem with my k200d, mine happens maybe once every couple of months, i have 3 or 4 different brands of cards, one brand doesn't seem to make it better or worse in my case, all i do is format the card on the computer then format it on the camera.
11-06-2010, 06:55 PM   #14
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Hello everyone.
I've been having a similar problem, Today I brought a new k-x, used it all day, unloading videos and pictures from it multiple times. Then suddenly it tells me that the memory card is full when I've just completely emptied it. I have checked multiple times and the card is indeed empty, yet the camera still thinks its full.

I have been deleting pictures on the computer rather than on camera, unaware that it would make a difference.
11-06-2010, 07:03 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by Solid No Quote
Hello everyone.
I've been having a similar problem, Today I brought a new k-x, used it all day, unloading videos and pictures from it multiple times. Then suddenly it tells me that the memory card is full when I've just completely emptied it. I have checked multiple times and the card is indeed empty, yet the camera still thinks its full.

I have been deleting pictures on the computer rather than on camera, unaware that it would make a difference.
Moving files on a memory card to the trash (or recycling bin) may not delte them from the card. Be sure to actually empty the trash/bin.
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