Frightened of Flash Cards

Hi chaps ... I recently bought a refurb 400d on ebay. I won't go into details but when I first removed the flash card to put it in a reader and the re-inserted it into the camera I got an card error message. I sent it back to canon and they say the pins have been damaged. I'm pretty certain I didn't cause this as I'm pretty damn careful, however, could I have done ? just how easy is it to damage the pins - could it be the card itself (I've had a good look at it and it seems OK) ... could the card have been damaged by the card reader ... is it even possible to insert the card incorrectly and thus damage the camera - surely it should not be possible. I'm going to be very wary when I get it back ! Regards Roger

I've used the same compact flash card hundreds of times after having a problem with Lexar cards (which was later identified by them and Canon as being their fault!) and have had no problem, so I think it's very unlikely that wear and tear is your problem. Are there any scratches or other marks on the casing around the connections on the card that may indicate someone has messed around with it? With the cost of cards falling I would replace it completely if it were mine.

Pins can be damaged by incorrect insertion of the card, however you should feel a bit of resistance if it's catching on a pin so need to push it in more firmly than usual to actually do any real damage. Slightly bent pins can be straightened fairly easily, but if you force the card home it may bend one past the point of an easy fix.

Rule of thumb, make sure the card is correctly aligned before pushing it home. Do so gently and, if you feel undue resistance, DON'T force it but remove it and visually inspect the pins before trying again.

Card alignment in the slot is critical - and it's the slot that makes the difference. Big difference in alignment between the slot in my 300D and the one in my card reader.

I think it'd be difficult to bend a pin in my 300D.

We've seen several POTN threads about bent pins, and the ones I recall from the last few months have all been about 400Ds.

Interesting. Coincidence, just because the 400D is the newest Rebel?

I dunno...

-js

Cheaper cards can have less-precise guides too. I'd suspect that it's both that the 400D is newest and that new people with cheap cards are coming here after bending pins. Sort of like the new DSLR owners are the ones who most often complain about soft images.

ebay camera, say no more....

Thanks to one and all for your comments and advice. I guess it boils down to me taking a great deal of care. Yes ebay basroil (it was either that or no camera) but from the canon outlet refurb programme which is pretty impressive normally. Regards Roger