G2-CF Error !!

[kallisebbel]

I use a 128Mb Compact Flash ( Type II, some no-name ware ) card in my Powershot G2. Camera and card were working really reliable for 3 months now.
Now, at about 80% memory usage the card is not readable anymore,( CF-Error in the camera display) and all my pictures were gone.
After formating the card it seems to work properly again.

Has anybody heard of similar problems ?
Is Compact Flash really reliable, or do things like that happen quite frequently ?

Thanks for your participation

Carsten
-----------------

Frankfurt -- Germany

[dn7elson]

Have you reformatted the CF in the camera recently? This would be my first action if I had memory problems with a CF.

It is possible for any memory to go bad, but this is not a common thing.

I have used CF memory from a major manufacturer, Cricial Technologies, without incident.

[maple]

You are not alone on this one. I have 6 pieces of 128MB CF and one of them frequently acts up. I realise that whenever I excessively view pictures off the CF on the G2, that particular piece messes up and gives me the "CF error" problem.

Now, when you face that, immediately STOP using that CF completely. This way, you will still be able to salvage and download the previously recorded images. If you attempt to "fix" the "CF error" by turning off, restarting and reviewing the CF on the G2, you will completely corrupt the images and lose them all.

Formatting the CF allows it to be reused, but you of course lose the images. Since this does not happen to my other five pieces, nor my new IBM 1Gig, I figure it's not G2's fault but that the particular CF is malfunctioning.

Speaking of which, I haven't been very pleased with my IBM Microdrive because it can take about 1 sec more to write the image compared to CF. This can be a major minus when one has to take quick, successive shots. Viewing also takes much longer.

[21farms]

carsten, sometimes weird things happen to CF cards over time. for example, whenever i mount a card on a mac, it writes several folders onto the card which, if the card is full, can wreak havoc on the existing files. i used to get an occasional CF error message but not since i started reformatting the card in the camera instead of choosing to erase all the images. in the manual (page 99), this does not appear to be detrimental practice.

-norm

[iDan]

21farms wrote:

whenever i mount a card on a mac, it writes several folders onto the card

-norm

Hi Norm,
What are these folders? Folders created by an application/extension (like Norton File Saver)? Do you have some «esoterics» controls panels or extensions? What is your OS?

I don't have any problem with my 128MB Verbatim (slow) card.

When I insert my card in the SanDisk card reader, i see a DCIM folder. Inside it, I have randomly(?) 1 or 2 folders like «110Canon» containing my pics/avi, and a mysterious folder CANONMSC.

My OS are MacOS 8.6 and MacOS X.

Note: I never use the Erase All function of the G2; I always format the card inside the G2. I think you may have problems if you format the card using the Mac (inside the card reader).

Bye!
iDan, from Québec (Canada).

[WilburNJ]

I've had a Kingston 256MB card since my original purchase of the G2. Last week, all of a sudden, the card is giving my CF errors. I can take a couple/few pictures and then a error shows up. I tried formatting it in the camera as well as on my pc (both using the right-click + format option in the My Computer folder and using the format command in the command prompt window). Still doesn't work. I heard that maybe using the scandisk command might help, but Microsoft stopped using scandisk in WinXP. Error checking in the "tools" tab under "properties" for my card reader doesn't do anything -- it takes less than 1 second to report back that there's no error, so I assume the command just doesn't work on CF cards. Anyway, any thoughts on how I can salvage the card would be very appreciated. Otherwise, I'll need to ship the card to Kingston under warranty....

Thanks,
Will

[puttick]

Hi ~

take a look at these 2 sites, they may be of help or at least of interest, as they deal with recovery of images from corrupted CF cards, and restoring the card to a reusable state.

http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/

http://www.robgalbraith.com/diginews/2002-01/2002_01_23_cf_recovery.html

So far, I've had no trouble at all with my four CF cards (2x32, 128, & 256, mix of canon, dane-elec and integral) and have cleared images both by reformatting in the G2 and by using erase all. I have been careful not to reformat on the PC/card reader, but have successfully written files to the cards from the PC (but these are not viewable on the G2 LCD unless they were original G2 files)

[mikeysbistro]

Hi,
***THIS IS JUST A THEORY, PLEASE DON'T SPREAD IT AROUND LIKE IT'S A FACT *********

I notice that I seem to get CF Errors more often than not, when I switch from P mode to an Auto Exposure mode. I've gotten the error using my IBM 1GB microdrive.

This is totally anecdotal evidence, but I've lost quite a few pictures like that.

***ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A THEORY, PLEASE DON'T SPREAD IT AROUND LIKE IT'S A FACT *********

Here's what usually happens, I'm taking a picture in P mode, then somebody comes along and says, "hey let me take the picture for you", so I switch it into Auto mode so they don't have to do anything. Voila! CF Error, or later on when I try to download it, it crashes Breezebrowser.

The dumb thing is I can't re-create it all the time, it only seems to happen when I'm A. In a hurry B. In the picture ... go figure.

***ONCE AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A THEORY, PLEASE DON'T SPREAD IT AROUND LIKE IT'S A FACT *********

At anyrate, my prime suspect in the CF Error/Unreadable file issue is the switching of modes on the G2, like I said totally anecdotal, but it happens when I do that. Anecdotally, I never remember getting any errors at all when I stay completely in P mode. Nor do I remember getting errors when I stay completely in Auto mode, just when I switch. Just to be safe, when I switch modes now, I power down, switch modes and then power up. And I haven't gotten any since I started doing that. Interestingly, last weekend I had to switch modes because a bunch of people showed up to a gathering and I let other people take pictures in Auto mode, when I got home 4 pictures were totally un-readable.

So there you go.

***THIS IS JUST A THEORY, PLEASE DON'T SPREAD IT AROUND LIKE IT'S A FACT *********

NOTES: I have one of the original G2s, bought it in November 2001, I have applied the latest and greatest firmware update.

[clpratt]

Hi all,
I too have had G2 CF card errors. (I have only just joined the forum hence this post is a bit behind the times). I've had my G2 for just over a year now. I bought a 256MB Dane-Elec CF card for it. All was OK until about 4 months ago when I was taking many photos at disco. I was switching modes quite a bit between Movie, AUTO and P using the flash as well.
When I tried to review my pictures a few were "Corrupted" one or 2 were also visibly faulty. I got my good pictures off the camera ok using Zoombrowser and took a few more pictures. But I got increasing frequent messages of Corrupt data and eventually "No Image" even though there were pictures still on the card. I formatted the card but soon got more occasional ERROR messages. Eventually the camera refused to format the card and locked up whenever it was inserted. I sent the card back to my supplier and got a new identical Dane-Elec card. All was ok for a few weeks, then this new card gave a No Image message. Also the start up tune was distorted and the lens came out when on Replay! (My battery was OK and my original 32MB Canon card works perfectly). I cannot format it, nor can I read it in my PCMCIA card reader, which just acts as if there is no CF card in it.:~(
I think ** mikeysbistro** maybe on the right track when he says he thinks errors occur when the G2 is switched between AUTO and P as that's precisely what happened in my case. I tried using 2 file recovery programs but as I can't even access the card I didn't get any success.
I don't quite know what to do now, is it really the fault of the Dane-Elec card or is the G2 doing something nasty to it that some cards can tolerate and some not. I don't feel I can send it back again as faulty. My warranty is now expired on the card and the G2!!!
Should I just give up and buy anew card, any suggestions. A 256MB CF is well over £100 here in the UK. sob sob

Chris

[suemccartin]

Hmmmm.....what can it be about 128 cards in this camera???? I too had a problem with a 128 meg card in my g2. I'd had the card for about a year, when I first bought it I went on vacation and used it in my old digital had one bad image so I suspected maybe the card had a problem but never had any more problems until a year later when I was out shooting on a HOT day with my already electrically heated G2 (the bugger does get a big warm around the cf slot).

It started giving me cf errors and a corrupted data message when I tried to view the last picture on the card but other than that the 50 or so shots already on the card survived just fine. Perhaps this is a testament to the quality of Lexar cards, they fully guarantee their cards and after a chat with a tech on their support site they gave me an RMA for a repaired/replaced card without even a receipt. I would definetly buy another lexar product after that experience. I also have a Viking card which is also a company with a very good rep, no problems with it yet thank goodness.

[clpratt]

regarding my posting of 12-12-2002 about my dead Dane-Elec 256MB CF card, I e-mailed Dane-Elec and they said my card has a 5 year warranty so I can send it back for a replacement. :) I am very pleased.
Also I have upgraded my G2 firmware via the Canon site http://www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/PSG2/PSG2_Firmware-e.html

Canon say that the update helps to prevent occasional CF write errors when in Continuous Shooting mode, so I'm hoping it might save my new card from getting corrupted and going dead.

Chris Pratt

[nuntanat]

If your OS is windowXP, this link is really work.
My CF couldn't work at the first time I inserted, then I tried to format it. But still...not working. The tip (from this website) said that when you format, select FAT not FAT32. That's it, and it work now.

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/customer/windowsxp.html