CF Card Reader

[mgerdes]

I have recently been having issues with my CF cards not mounting. they work fine in the camera but when I go to un-load them on to the computer they will not mount. I have to unload them from the camera and it has slowed down my shoots. has anyone here run into this and come up with a solution or fix for this?

Thanks
Mitch

[Rokcet Scientist]

I have recently been having issues with my CF cards not mounting.

You mean: not mounting when in the card reader, I assume?

they work fine in the camera but when I go to un-load them on to the computer they will not mount. I have to unload them from the camera and it has slowed down my shoots. has anyone here run into this and come up with a solution or fix for this?

First you gotta determine if the prob lies with your card reader or with your PC, since the card, when in camera, seems to have no issues.
Can you borrow someone else's card reader to test whether or not it has the same issue with your cards? If they mount fast, the prob is probably your card reader. If they mount slow, the prob may be in your PC.
Since card readers' complexity isn't NASA technology, the likelyhood that it is 'broken' is small, imo. Consequently I'm guessing it's a software prob in your PC.

[dc2]

I suggest you check with a maginfying glass to see if any of the pins are bent inside the reader . If they are it will need replacing.

[Rokcet Scientist]

Yeah, that too.

[mgerdes]

Well I bought a new card reader at lunch today and that did not work either. out of 5 cards only one will mount on the computer. Three of the cards are brand new as well. The one that does mount is my oldest card. I have even tried on a different computer and I get the same result. Any more ideas I should try

[Mark McCall]

Are you formatting the card in-camera before your sessions?

Formatting lays down a new File table that your camera needs to file the images as they're shot.

[mgerdes]

yep I reformat before every set

[Max@Home]

Hi Gerdes Photo!

Is your cardreader of the 'build-in' type, or connected with a separate external USB-cable?

If the latter, this procedure is a little easier to execute...

Power down computer, disconnect reader, start computer, power down computer, start computer, hot-insert the external cable again, or: power down, connect internal reader again, power up.

Insert card, should be recognized now?

Success not guaranteed, but it *did* help some others who had the same problem, so perhaps worth a try?

If you succeed, please inform us of the solution! (as that's how I was able to offer you this procedure )

And: reformatting in-camera is different than a total re-format on the computer. The latter clears the cards better. When you get it working again, I advise you do a 'thorough' format in-computer, and then a reformat in-camera.

...*my* €.02 worth of assistance in solving your problem...

Kindest regards!

Max@Home

[dc2]

Do you mean the card will not fit the reader any more? or the computer dose not read the cards once there in the card reader?

[mgerdes]

Max@Home, thanks for the idea yet it did not help. Also this maybe because I am on a mac that the reboot didn't work. I do have one card that works which leads me to believe that is the cards them self.

dc2, the card is not read by the computers anymore. the camera will read and write to the card and I can download images off the cards by leaving them in the camera and connecting the camera to the computer in download mode.

[Rokcet Scientist]

I am on a mac

Are you using iPhoto to download the cards? Or is iPhoto active when you download?

[mgerdes]

No I don't use iPhoto for downloads I manually pull the images from the drives to my folder and then use Adobe Bridge to sort and view the images. iPhoto makes to many copies of the image I have found. ie thumbs and duplicates of originals. I have found that building my own library works best for me.

[Rokcet Scientist]

No I don't use iPhoto for downloads I manually pull the images from the drives to my folder and then use Adobe Bridge to sort and view the images. iPhoto makes to many copies of the image I have found. ie thumbs and duplicates of originals. I have found that building my own library works best for me.

It is also unstable. I've had two different installations, on different Macs, lock up on me. I've heard of 2 others. When, trying to find a solution, I discussed it at length in http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa I got banned...
Still, you'll find plenty of iPhoto horror tales there (http://discussions.apple.com/search....h=Go&q=lock+up).
It's shoddy software, really. The worst I've seen from Apple in 21 years.

[Jon]

you're not dreaming, it's not your Mac, and it's not your card reader.

I've had two cards refuse to mount via Lexar Firewire card reader on two different iBooks, two different iMacs, and a G4 tower, and via PCMCIA card reader on an Epson printer and a Powerbook 1400. One month old cards with less than five load/unload cycles on them. They mounted instantly when plugging the camera in.

Trade them in for new cards, the card firmware itself is bad.

(were they cheap?)

[Blacklynx]

I am using sandisk extreme 3 2gig cards and a sandisk ultra pcmcia card reader and have never had one issue with it i would definetly recommend these.

[Paul Shields]

I've yet to have problems with the cards but I've had two card readers fail in me on the last few months.* I'd love to find a robust (and heavy!) USB card reader that can withstand the knocks it gets around the Paul household...

[Max@Home]

Paul,

May I recommend a Kingston FCR-HS215-1 external 15 in 1 cardreader?

Kindest regards,

Max@Home

[Paul Shields]

Certainly cheap Max, but is it heavy and robust? . The problem I've had is they just fall apart after a while (attacked by rabid children and other small animals). I've yet to find one that stays in place when gently tugged on the usb cable, and I can't do internal due to how my desktops are set up (hidden away).

[Max@Home]

Originally Posted by Paul

Certainly cheap Max, but is it heavy and robust? .

...it's a cardreader, how heavy and robust do you think they make those? NOT... unless you pour them in concrete?

The problem I've had is they just fall apart after a while (attacked by rabid children and other small animals). I've yet to find one that stays in place when gently tugged on the usb cable, and I can't do internal due to how my desktops are set up (hidden away).

again, pouring them in concrete (cardreader OR rabid children and other small animals ) might be your best bet...

... I don't think this helped much, *my* €0.02 worth...

Regards,

Max@Home

[Paul Shields]

Maybe I'll tie a brick to it .