50D Sandisk 8GB III CF card and odd behaviour

[daniel flather]

<p>Hi.</p>

<p>This is what happened:</p>

<p>1. Shooting images.<br>

2. Battery dies and the camera saves the last image.<br>

3. Replace battery with my other original Canon battery. <br>

4. Shoot more images.<br>

5. Connect 50D to iMac via USB.<br>

6. EOS utility fails to open after about a minute.<br>

7. Switch the CF card for another identiacal CF card; EOS utility opens.<br>

8. Format other "bad" CF card and switch it back into the camera<br>

9. EOS utility opens —sans images because I formatted :(</p>

<p>Now, is this just a freak thing? What I want to know is this: can I trust this CF card, or should I toss it? I bought the card at BH, so I'll assume it's a legitimate card. I bought it in September; it's a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s 8GB. </p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

[lornesunley]

<p>Generally speaking, when a write fails to a FAT32 disk (format of CF cards etc) the on-disk directory is corrupted. On your PC a CHKDSK can be run to recover the disk. There are also recovery utilities available from SANDISK to do the same thing, and you would be better off to use those. You will have to have a CF card reader to use them. The utilities will probably also allow you to "unformat" the card and recover your images.</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>Sometimes when I connect my 50D up to my computer via USB I don't get any response either. But what I have found that works is to turn off the 50D's switch, unplug the USB, reconnect the USB and turn the 50D on again, and wa la, the EOS utility opens.</p>

<p>I always download via the USB as you describe. I also use a Sandisk Extreme card. Only difference is that I only use one CF card.<br>

I very often drain my batteries while shooting and change to freshly recharged during the shoot.<br>

I expect it was just a "glitch" and not the CF Card, but one never knows! Do what your "gut instinct" tells you to do, and you'll feel better about it, and worry much less.</p>

[daniel flather]

<p>Thanks Lorne, that's good info. The images were not important; I was try a new lens and shooting just stuff. Do you think the card is reliable? It's only $35 to replace. I'd hate to loose anything important from an upcoming special event this January.</p>

[daniel flather]

<p>James, I've had the same experiences as you with the 50D, USB, and EOS utility. I think I'll buy a few new cards. Maybe something larger that will suit the new EOS 5D Mark III...... :)</p>

<p> </p>

[jaydesi]

<p>Why chance it? For $35, replace the card and keep the potentially bad one as an emergency spare. Write on it with a sharpie so you know it may be bad and don't get your two cards mixed up. Running a CHKDSK utility isn't a bad idea, neither is having a card reader available just in case.</p>