HELP! My memory card is saying its full but it's not!?

I use a Nikon D70s and my memory card is a Sandisk Ultra 2 GB card.

 

I am photographing ,y best friends wedding tomorrow and now my card won't work.

 

I shoot a lot, maybe a few hundred shots a week, what I've been doing recently is coming home, opening

the browser in photoshop and looking at the images then copying the images into a folder then copying

the images into the bin on my laptop. I've then been putting the card into my camera and formatting the

seemingly empty card.

 

Over the last few weeks I've noticed times when the camera acts as though there are images on the disc

but when I hit the play button it tells me it's empty. Even after then formatting it the camera tells me there

are images on it by telling me there are less free spaces than there should be.

 

I have no idea what to do now-can anyone please help me?

If you're on a mac, I would try viewing the contents of your card via a card reader. The go to

Disk Utility and try erasing the card and then reformatting it with Disk Utility.

Peter

Emma,

 

You're not THE photographer for your best friend's wedding are you? If so, you've both got some serious problems. You may have a bad card. Or you could have a problem with your camera. I'd try the card in a different camera if you can-maybe take it into a camera store if you don't have access to another body. You'll need another card to shoot the wedding anyway-actually many more if you're THE photographer, so I'd buy some more and see if they'll work. Also a complete second set of gear for back-up.

 

Paul

Hi, Emma, I'm not a photographer but a software developer. See if you can use the disk utility which came with the card and your computer, not your camera, format the card making sure the entire 2GB is being formatted.

However you may format that card (buy more now anyways!), format again before using in the camera. A card formatted in other cameras or other machines may work but may have compatibility/readability problems. If the format in the other machine clears it, fine, but still reformat. I had a card used in one camera, slipped it into another and couldn't download any images even though they were visible on the card and via readers, etc. I was able to down;oad them after getting home from vacation on a different machine reader but neither the local camera store (printer kiosks or computer/readers) nor my laptop could grab them.

-- "Even after then formatting it the camera tells me there are images on it by telling me there are less free spaces than there should be."

 

This can be caused by different things ...

 

... there are camera settings that influence the estimated number of images that will fit on the card ... Imagesize (large medium small) ... ISO-setting ... filetype (Raw vs. jpg).

 

... but a dying card can cause this effect as well.

 

So, if you're going to photograph something important tomorrow, my advise is to get a new card immediately ... just to make sure you have one if you need it.

Nikon's 'images left' number are inaccurate. Format it in the camera you'll be using it with. It

will reclaim the maximal amount of usable space on the card (there may be bad 'sectors' that

are getting mapped out, for instance)