memory card formatting question

[rbig]

Well, I'm getting closer to being able to use my Olympus D-220L digi cam my son gave me.

Initially, it seemed my camera worked OK. I took some sample pics with it, and all indications were OK, by the manual and the photo counter on the camera.

Problems developed when I went to try and upload the pics to my pc.

1. The camera cable hooks to my pc through a 9 pin D ring (serial?) connector. My pc doesn't have a port available for this. The one there is in use. So, I effectively don't have anyway to transfer the pics to my pc.

2. So, I went to Radio Shack and got an inexpensive (Dazzle) card reader, which handles two physical sizes of memory cards, including the SmartMedia my D-220L uses.

3. The card reader opens up drives G and H on my pc. My SmartMedia cards come up on H drive, when inserted.

4. When I insert the memory cards, I get a notice that the cards aren't formatted (this is wrong, because they wouldn't have worked in the D-220L if they weren't formatted). It gives me a formatting option. When I clicked on that option, I then got the notice that it couldn't format my memory cards.

5. When I tried the memory cards in my camera again, they didn't work. I tried reformatting the cards in the camera, which is supposed to be an option, according to the manual. This didn't work either.

I'm concluding that my camera may use a format that may not be compatible with my WinXP pc. Now I'm trying to figure out if I have a big problem or a minor problem.

Questions:

A. What format does my D-220L likely use on the memory cards (the manual makes mention of RAW in several places, but I have no idea what that might be)?

[almo]

Wow.

Ok I am going to take a wild stab in the dark here, but I recently had a simmilar problem with my oldest memorycard, a compact flash 256mb card. Worked ok in the camera. Stuck it in the card reader on the PC and boom, card not formatted. Put it back in the camra, boom, card error.

What this all boils down too is this: Memory cards get old and die. Simple fact of life. You will most likely need to get new cards. Not the easiest proposition when the max card your camera can take is 8mb.

I was able to find this one on AMAZON, I am sure you might be able to find some on ebay. I can say with 99.9999999999999999999% surity that you will not be able to find one that is not online.

[readingr]

I have a Fulji 4700zoom which uses smart media and have had a similar issue.

I found out that on occasions I have to put the card in and out several times in the card reader or the camera before it gets recognised. I have no idea why it happens but it works and the information on the card is ok.

As for the format used by most things on smartmedia is FAT16 which PC's understand, or the Fuji understands it.

Roger

[almo]

I have a Fulji 4700zoom which uses smart media and have had a similar issue.

I found out that on occasions I have to put the card in and out several times in the card reader or the camera before it gets recognised. I have no idea why it happens but it works and the information on the card is ok.


Roger

I had a lexar 64mb card that did the same thing, but, ironicly, only when I used my lexar cardreader. it worked fine in all other cardreaders, and everyother card I have works fine in my lexar reader.

Go figger'

[rbig]

I tried the in and out several times action, with no change.

Does WinXP read and write to FAT 16? I know it does to NTFS and FAT 32, but don't know about FAT 16.

This FAT 16 thing may explain why I can't use my pc to format the card, and why my pc won't read the card through the card reader.

Going to the "maybe my cards have just dropped dead theory, is there any easy way to check 'em when I'm at an impasse?

We have a camera repair shop here. Maybe I should just take the problem to them.

[almo]

FAT16 is the oldest file format used by WIN XP, so it should see it just fine if the card it good.

[readingr]

If the above didn't work then the camera shop may be able to advise or test to see if it works.

Roger

[masdog]

Its likely that the card is bad. Like Almo said, it happens from time to time.

[rbig]

How about my new Dazzle card reader from Radio Shack? Is it suspect? Any known issues with those?

[rbig]

UPDATE: Almo and Masdeq were right. My memory cards were both bad. Don't know if I induced the failures or what.

I got a replacement 8mb SmartMedia memory card this pm I bought via Ebay. Popped it in the camera and held my breath. The camera liked it, and formatted nicely.

Then I took a few test pics and put it in the card reader. The pics instantly came up when I went to drive H.

I put the card back in the camera and took a few more test shots, and those transferred fine, too.

Everything plays well together now.

Good ending.

[almo]

UPDATE: Almo and Masdeq were right. My memory cards were both bad. Don't know if I induced the failures or what.

I got a replacement 8mb SmartMedia memory card this pm I bought via Ebay. Popped it in the camera and held my breath. The camera liked it, and formatted nicely.

Then I took a few test pics and put it in the card reader. The pics instantly came up when I went to drive H.

I put the card back in the camera and took a few more test shots, and those transferred fine, too.

Everything plays well together now.

Good ending.

Glad to hear it!

I would love to see a few pics from the camera!

[rbig]

I'll post a couple tomorrow when I take the camera outside.

It was strange that both my previous cards failed at the same time. They had been idle for quite awhile, and they're both old. Not much telling what caused the simultaneous failures.

But, since the card I put in tonite works so hunky dunky, guess it's accurate to say both 2mb cards were bad.

[rbig]

I took one inside shot of my pc label in front of my keyboard. It was from approx 1'.

The rest were random outdoor shots around the neighborhood and my "junkyard".

I'm hoping I got the upload thing figured out. If not, I'll try again next post.

I do a lot of volunteer work on church, American Legion, and Elks Lodge lawn maint eqpt. I mow at those places as time is available. Plus, I take care of our yards at the house.

Love to take the boat and run out in the Gulf, close inshore, and fish.

[Erik Stiegler]

There is some information on reparing corrupt smarmedia cards on this page may be helpful:

http://www.jr-worldwi.de/photo/index..._recovery.html

[rbig]

Good reading. Thanks for posting that.

Looks like the thing to do is get an old Fuji camera as a formatter.

[almo]

I took one inside shot of my pc label in front of my keyboard. It was from approx 1'.

The rest were random outdoor shots around the neighborhood and my "junkyard".

I'm hoping I got the upload thing figured out. If not, I'll try again next post.

I do a lot of volunteer work on church, American Legion, and Elks Lodge lawn maint eqpt. I mow at those places as time is available. Plus, I take care of our yards at the house.

Love to take the boat and run out in the Gulf, close inshore, and fish.

Surprisingly nice pics from a camera that old.


Thanks for sharing!

[rbig]

Those were shot with the lowest quality setting. I think there are two more that are supposed to be better. As quality goes up, the number of pics the card will hold goes down.