HELP!! What causes this?

[PolynesianMedic]

I recently saw a thread about this but I can't find it now. I have a brand new memory card that I formatted before using. These are from the first batch of pics since the new card is in and I am still getting these. I looked at the photos' on the camera then reuploaded them after deleting the first batch. I am at a loss. PLEASE HELP!! Also is there a way to fix images that are already like this?

[FlyingPhotog]

You formatted the card IN THE CAMERA, correct?

[PolynesianMedic]

yes, I did

[deadpass]

your cf card is corrupted.

[PolynesianMedic]

It's brand new, and I have two that are doing this, How can it be corrupted already?

[jra]

Could be the camera if not the card. Do the pics show up on the camera lcd ok?

[Grentz]

Did you buy both CF cards at the same time? It might have been a bad batch or something.

Do you have any other cards you could try in the camera?

Also try taking out both camera batteries (the main one and the small button battery in the main compartment) and letting it sit over night. Then put the batteries back in and see if it helped at all. Note this will totally reset the camera and lose any custom settings.

[PolynesianMedic]

The cards were bought at different stores months apart. The first one I was using was bought with the camera in May. The second card I just bought last weekend. Both are having this issue. These are my only two cards unfortunately but since they were bought so far apart and at different places I wouldn't think it was a batch issue.

The pictures on the camera look fine. I even tried taking the card with the pics on them out of the camera and putting it in my card reader. They still looked fine. I transferred them and then they go to hell. My computer is new, about 2 months old now, and the external hard drive I store my photo's on is only a year old. I was having this same problem with my old point and shoot camera before it died, and that was before either piece of equipment was being used. Both drives are scanned weekly for spyware, viruses and such, and there are never any problems.

[H20boy]

I have heard of this 'problem' before. Are you using a card reader? If so, try the camera->computer transfer. Most often I have seen this symptom, it is because of a bad reader. good luck!

[jbrown1]

Corrupted CF. Looks like the photos may be lost, but the card should be ok if you format it.

[Fabrian]

I even tried taking the card with the pics on them out of the camera and putting it in my card reader. They still looked fine.


I was having this same problem with my old point and shoot camera before it died, and that was before either piece of equipment was being used. Both drives are scanned weekly for spyware, viruses and such, and there are never any problems.

You described enough that there aren't many possibilities left. From what you describe, it sounds like you're getting failure during or after the image transfer. IMO, this is most likely your card reader. It could be the data cable from your reader to computer or the usb port you're using. On a not so likely point of view, it could be that your image transfers are being scanned by a spyware/virus application in which it's being corrupted by, but like I said - I say reader. Go pick up a cheapy today and give that a go..

BTW, what machine is this you're using (and OS) and by what means are you transferring data between the reader and your machine?

[PolynesianMedic]

I have a new HP Pavilion a6230n with Vista Home, and an AMD 64x2 chip. I mostly used the camera cable to transfer images. I tried removing the card from the camera for the first time last night. I have tried different USB ports on the machine also. The card reader is built into the computer.

[Fabrian]

Well go pick up a cheap external reader and try that before anything else, unless you have a friend with an external reader whereas you can try that on a different PC and rule both of them out while you're at it. I still say try the new external reader. Let us know how it goes..

[Tee Why]

I think if you can see the images without this effect on the camera's LCD, then it's probably not the card as I think corrupted images on the card won't show up on the camera's LCD either. It may be something in the uploading. You mentioned that this occurs regardless of the USB port, so I'd assume a bad cable from the camera to the body. I think you mentioned that using a card reader was fine, which would make me think more that it's your cable you are using to hook up the camera to the computer.

Good luck.

[S.Horton]

Run the diagnostic on your PC's video card.

[Fabrian]

You mentioned that this occurs regardless of the USB port, so I'd assume a bad cable from the camera to the body.


I thought this at first too, as well as the camera corrupting the image before the cable internally (during transfer), but the OP is still leaving out some fine details. Either it's failing transfer between camera and PC or from reader to PC. I get the impression that he can view the images on his PC via camera connection or reader connection, but has failure after transfer which still could be software he's running or the rig itself, which is why I suggested earlier to try someone else's reader and PC. Either way, it should be something fairly simple to resolve.

[Wilt]

1. Can you see a complete picture without issues, when examing photos on the LCD of the camera. If you can, it is not the CF!!!!!

2. Can you download directly pictures from your camera to the PC via USB cable, and see a complete picture without issues, when examing photos on the computer. If you can, IT IS NOT THE PC video nor camera USB output!

IF 1 and 2 are possible without problem, it could only be the CF reader which is built into the PC. If you can transfer successfully via cable (camera thru USB cable), get yourself a USB reader that accepts CF cards and try that way.

This chart shows all the possible points of failure (read numbers). Your task is to evaluate and rule out the points, to narrow the problem down.

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i63/wiltonw/videofault.jpg

[eelnoraa]

I have the similar issue with my Lexar Pro 133x 8GB card. After many times of trying diagnose the problem, I found it is the CF card.

In your case, you mention you only have this kind of problem with one of your CF but not the other. This is a good inidcation the CF is bad.

1. Can you see a complete picture without issues, when examing photos on the LCD of the camera. If you can, it is not the CF!!!!!

This is NOT so true. Even if the LCD of camera looks OK, but the actually image can still be corrupted, especially if you shoot RAW. I have seen this many times myself.

[Wilt]

I have the similar issue with my Lexar Pro 133x 8GB card. After many times of trying diagnose the problem, I found it is the CF card.

In your case, you mention you only have this kind of problem with one of your CF but not the other. This is a good inidcation the CF is bad.



This is NOT so true. Even if the LCD of camera looks OK, but the actually image can still be corrupted, especially if you shoot RAW. I have seen this many times myself.

I could understand a corrupted RAW but undamaged JPEG. But viewing a JPEG that is fine on the LCD, but the JPEG is corrupted on the computer can only mean that the transfer of the JPEG out of the CF to computer is the location of the corruption.

[EnronRocks]

I would first have taken it to a Kodak kiosk deal at say Wal-Mart and seen if it works there, if so I would just buy another card reader.

I wouldn't of tested the USB port, in my years of messing with computers, when a USB port decides to stop working in area, it stops working in all of them. A video card diagnostic wouldn't do anything, if that was the case ever picture/screen you look at would be messed up.

[PolynesianMedic]

ok, Sam, I'll try that when I get home in the morning. I'm going to send the camera to Canon and see what they find anyway, just in case. Besides I am not far from the Jamesburg site.

[S.Horton]

^^ That's a very good idea.

You might also attempt loading the files to another PC entirely, if you have the time.

[PolynesianMedic]

I just had a thought. I have a set of photo's from my recent trip to Disney that are all ok. I was wondering two things.

First, I transferred these photo's from the camera to my ipod while on the trip, and then once home, from the ipod to the computer. Doesn't this eliminate the CF as a problem? I would think that it would also eliminate some of the other options as well.

Second, I was using a rented lens. Can the lens be creating these images?

I just realized these two things, and thought I would throw them out there to see what you all thought. Thanks for the great info so far, and I will let you know what happens when I get the camera back from Canon.

[Wilt]

I just had a thought. I have a set of photo's from my recent trip to Disney that are all ok. I was wondering two things.

First, I transferred these photo's from the camera to my ipod while on the trip, and then once home, from the ipod to the computer. Doesn't this eliminate the CF as a problem? I would think that it would also eliminate some of the other options as well.

Second, I was using a rented lens. Can the lens be creating these images?

I just realized these two things, and thought I would throw them out there to see what you all thought. Thanks for the great info so far, and I will let you know what happens when I get the camera back from Canon.

You already transferred the images to another digital device, so that proves


the camera is lens is portraying them correctly to the sensor,
the sensor is grabbing the images properly,
the image processing circuits in the camera are working correctly to create JPG files,
the data write circuits and software in the camera are working,
the CF itself is reading and storing and writing the data correctly.
What it does not prove is whether or not the

CF card reader of the PC is functioning properly
the USB port of the OC is functioning properly
We know the computer processor and the computer video card and the harddrive and controller are fine, as anything else you do on the computer is without problem! The only thing that can be wrong is Item 1, since you do not have a reader that plugs into a USB port!

[S.Horton]

...Gonna bet the iPod transfer smoked it somehow.

[MischiefK9s]

What brand of CF are you using?