Compact Flash Card Issues!

[Keith]

I have just dusted off my Sigma SD1M with the intention of using it again after several years of storage. Back when I had my D700, which also used CF, I had issues reading cards on my iMac ... sometimes they would open and occasionally not but disconnecting and reconnecting the reader would eventually open them. Then it got to the stage where I couldn't get the reader to work at all and as I no longer had the Nikon I put the SD1M aside and gave up on it. Maybe the reader is kaput but I couldn't get a friend's one to work either when she was here with her Cannon which also used CF ... she had her reader with her but like mine it wouldn't open on the iMac. The computer is fine, the card reader for my D4 Nikon works perfectly and I have no trouble with SD cards. I'm thinking of getting another card reader but would appreciate some advice on this problem ... is it common for the Mac to be so fussy with CF card/multi card readers?

 

[GMOG]

I've never had trouble using a card reader for pulling images from a CF card on to my iMac (2013). I've not tried it using my newish MacBook Pro. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure where the old card reader is.

How about trying to connect the camera to the computer, and using Nikon Transfer 2 to copy the files?

EDIT: Nikon's software probably won't work with another company's camera. Your D4 has a CF slot, correct? Try inserting the card into it and then using Nikon Transfer 2. Might be worth a try, but it might not work because the card was not formatted by a Nikon camera.

 

[Austintatious]

You might take a look into reformatting the card. There are some types of formats that the Mac prefers. Use your card reader to hook up tp the Mac and use Disk Utility to format. Can also try reformatting in camera as well. Hope this helps.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Keith, I think you can use the USB cable provided with the camera to transfer data from the camera to the PC.

Look at page 126 of the user's manual.

All the best,
Mike

 

[Keith]

Keith, I think you can use the USB cable provided with the camera to transfer data from the camera to the PC.

Look at page 126 of the user's manual.

All the best,
Mike

You're a gem Mike ... I'd forgotten about that, thanks. I just went and found the box and the lead was in it ... slow file transfer but hey it worked and after all, it's a Merrill. Nothing happens quickly in Sigma land. I was using the HSM 50mm f1.4 to take some test shots and thought to myself 'that seems very long' and of course I forgot about the 1.5 crop factor of the sensor turning it into a 75mm. Did Sigma not make any actual SA mount lenses that were crop corrected in their designated focal lengths? I also have a 18-35 f1.8 ART and a 35mm f1.4 ART. The 18-35 in particular should be very useful (27-52). I'm looking forward to reconnecting with that camera but I had forgotten that the viewfinder is a bit average! It hasn't been used in five years. I'll probably pick up another card reader at some point ... I suspect the one I have has a fault in it, it was a cheapie and it's pretty old.

 

[Dogman]

The iMac mystery....

Several months ago my iMac failed to read a CF card from my D700 using a card reader. It was a weird set of circumstances. The pictures weren't important and I just assumed the card had become corrupted. I also had tried another card reader I had, new and still in the box. Same story. I tried another CF card fresh from another D700--I have four D700 bodies and I rotate them constantly. Got the same results. I shot a series of photos on all the D700s and none of the cards would read on either card reader. Going a bit nuts and getting a bit angry, I ordered another card reader. I use Sandisk cards so I ordered a Sandisk reader--the other readers were cheap models. When the new card reader arrived from Amazon, I tried the cards again and all went well. Things are working great now.

It's still a mystery to me why my computer would not read any cards from any of my D700s. It worked okay with SD cards from my Fujis and other CF cards from other Nikons. Maybe that first CF card was corrupt and it traumatized the computer. Maybe it was just a phase of the moon and movements of the stars. I dunno.

 

[Out to Lunch]

My guess...a re-format issue. I've had similar problems with my antique digital Epson rangefinders and found solace on YouTube. Cheers, OtL