New Nikon D3400 Won't Format SDHC and Won't Save Burst Settings

[mm1664886050]

Hi,

 

My two-week old Nikon D3400 has two issues I need your help with.

 

First, it reads and formats all SDHC cards, including SanDisks, EXCEPT for my 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro U3, C10 card. I bought this card specifically for the camera, based upon on-line reviews that not only said it worked, but was very fast.

 

My computer reads, formats, and benchmarks this 64GB card without problem or bad sectors.

 

Second, after turning on the camera, it defaults to single picture mode. I change that setting to burst, but the camera will NOT save burst mode the next time I turn on the camera. Please advise.

 

thanks!

[Ed_Ingold]

Are you formatting the card in the computer in a manner compatible with your camera, typically FAT32 or ExFAT?

 

Do you also format the card in your camera before attempting to use it?

 

Did you buy your card from a reputable dealer? There are a lot of counterfeits offered on the internet for "unbelievable" prices. Many are factory rejects, smuggled out.

 

Nikon's approved list does not mention UHS 3 cards.

Edited August 14, 2017 by Ed_Ingold

[mm1664886050]

Thanks.

 

Yes, I tried FAT32 formatting on computer before putting it into the camera, as I did with the other cards that works.

 

I bought a refurbished card, but my other SanDisks that work are also refurbished. The card I'm having problems with is manufacturer refurbished and seller has a good reputation on Ebay.

 

I could easily blame the card as being defective, but it reads, formats, and benchmarks fine on my computer.

[mike_halliwell]

I sold my D3200 after finding

 

A) it couldn't be tethered

 

B) It never remembered I wanted to use the self timer. It needed to be reselected EACH and EVERY time.....for every frame... STUPID!.. it made tripod group shots utterly awful.

 

Regarding cards, I've never tried anything like that in my d3200 before I sold it, so can't help.

 

The 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro U3 is a standard UHS I card, so should be quite happy.

[mm1664886050]

Thanks. I'm new to digital SLRs, so please help me understand what tethering is. Thanks

[Dieter Schaefer]

Have you tried formatting the card in camera?

What's the firmware version on your D3400? Maybe you need to upgrade to a newer version?

[mm1664886050]

Thanks.

 

The D340 repeatedly says, "the memory card cannot be used. Card may be damaged. Insert another card." This happens on different days and before and after other similar cards are inserted and work without problem.

 

Is it possible that the 64GB size of the SDHC card is the problem?

 

As to updates, the only firmware update *.exe files only open up *.bin files

[Dieter Schaefer]

You seem to have the same issue as the person in this post; the issue was solved by updating the firmware of the camera.

Nikon D3400 not reading SD card

 

To check the current firmware version of the camera and to update the firmware, follow the procedures described here: Nikon | Download center | D3400 Firmware

[mm1664886050]

Thanks.

 

My camera came with firmware version 1.11.

 

Per your suggestion, I just downloaded the newest/current firmware version, 1.12 and confirmed that the camera updated it (I used a working SDHC card). However, the camera still says the 64GB SDHC can't be formatted.

[Dieter Schaefer]

I suspect that the card is faulty and suggest to return it (if possible). You could try it in another camera but that won't solve the issue that the card doesn't work in your D3400.

I have never tried to format any of my cards on my computer, I always format them in camera. And if that won't work, then rather than fiddling around endlessly, I would just return the card as faulty. I also never purchased a refurbished one; didn't even know they were offered.

[mm1664886050]

Thanks. I put the card into my old point-and-shoot Sony digital camera. It couldn't read the card, but let me format it. I then put it back into the D3400, but got the same error message.

 

Anyone have success with 64GB or higher SDHC capacities in their D3400s?

[ShunCheung]

The D3400 is recent enough that it should be compatible with 64G SDXC cards. Most likely that particular card is defective. If your D3400 works with other cards, just don't use that problematic card. Edited August 15, 2017 by ShunCheung

[mike_halliwell]

Tethering is where you can control most camera functions via a USB cable from a PC or Mac..or wifi. The D3000 series isn't even supported by Nikon's own software! Crazy crippling.

 

Same with the design choice to not remember settings.

 

Is there someone you know who has a 64Gb SDHC card to see if it's a card or camera issue?

[Ed_Ingold]

You said it was UHC-III. I never tried one. I use 128 GB SDXC cards, but all UHC-1.

 

There are at least three levels of formatting.

• Quick - The disk directory is cleared but all the data left untouched. Old data is overwritten from the top down. This is all the camera does, plus add a directory or two and start catalog files.
  
• Regular - Clears the first record in each string and checks for bad sectors.
  
• Deep - Clears and writes over each record, searches for bad sectors and restores good ones which might have been marked bad. This will take about a day for a 64 GB card.
  

I've had cards go south on several occasions. I have recovery software that can read them even if the FAT is corrupted. Yours is new, so recovery is not needed, but repair might be in order.

 

In a PC, right click on the disk name in File Explorer, and look through the Tool options.

In a Mac, go to the Disk Utility app.

[Dieter Schaefer]

You said it was UHC-III.

He didn't. There's no such thing as UHC anyway. There are three BUS Speeds: UHS-I, UHS-II, and the recently announced UHS-III. Only a few cameras make use of UHS-II (two rows of contacts), the card in question here is in all likelihood an UHS-I.

 

What the OP said was U3 - which is the UHS Speed Class (30MB/s); there's also U1 (10MB/s). In addition, there's Speed Classes C2, C4, C6, and C10 (2, 4, 6, 10 MB/s).

 

What is confusing: the OP refers to SDHC card but a 64GB card is SDXC. And SDXC are formatted exFAT not FAT32: Capacity (SD/SDHC/SDXC) - SD Association

 

Yes, I tried FAT32 formatting on computer before putting it into the camera, as I did with the other cards that works.

And herein may lie the problem - try exFAT instead of FAT 32.

[rodeo_joe1]

I have never heard of "refurbished" SD cards. New, used or useless are about the only categories that you can put a flash-memory card into.

 

Send the card back for a refund and buy a new one; not "refurbed". I recommend Samsung cards. They're better made than Sandisk and they don't cost a lot.

 

I paid around £25 UK ($35US) for the last 64GB 70MB/s SDXC card I bought.

 

BTW. No such thing as a 64GB SDHC card. SDHC only goes up to 32GB; beyond that it's SDXC.

Edited August 15, 2017 by rodeo_joe|1

[heimbrandt]

It seems you have a defective card. Return it under warranty and get a replacement. I always format the memory card in the camera.

 

A couple of years ago I decided to test one of Samsung's faster cards to see if it still was worth the extra money for Sandisk Extreme cards. That Samsung card is still (knock on wood) the only memory card to have ever gone wrong on me. I could only save a couple of pictures, mostly thumbnails. The vast majority of the files were so damaged that even several types of recovery software failed to salvage anything useful from it. To this day it is the only non-Sandisk card I have bought. I do know Samsung is a great company and that they make many excellent products, including memory for computers , but I would advice against their memory cards.

 

While I am aware that I was unlucky and that others surely have had problems with Sandisk cards, I have not and therefore stick with Sandisk, regardless of use.

 

What happened to the C mode, burst setting, after you upgraded the firmware?

[rodeo_joe1]

Conversely; the only card I've ever had go bad was a Sandisk. I have several Samsung and Transcend cards that have lasted me a few years now, and price-for-price well outperform Sandisk.

 

I always run the cards through a free benchmarking program called "H2testw" before using them. It tests their speed and capacity thoroughly.

 

My other thought is that if you're of a mind to counterfeit or fake a card, then you're going to target a popular brand like Sandisk that does little to ensure the authenticity of its products.

 

Transcend, OTOH, give each card an individual serial number, which is duplicated on the packaging.

Edited August 19, 2017 by rodeo_joe|1

[Matthew Currie]

The only card I've ever had fail was also a Sandisk Extreme. It keeps reporting lost formatting. I got a couple of Samsung 64's on sale a year or so ago, and theyve been fast and reliable.

 

As for tethering, although full tethering may not be supported, I found that the freeware Digicam Control worked pretty well with the D3200 on basic functions.

 

I do find that the self timer setting is annoying. But for group shots and the like an inexpensive infrared remote works nicely, and stays enabled for multiple shots although it resets when you turn the camera off.