Sandisk 8GByte Extreme Pro: will not work with my EP-2, CX-1, or WIN7 machine.

[Clovis]

I have a feeling you have a bad card. I would personally get it exchanged for a new one, especially as you have done a quite thorough test for functionality.

 

[kuzano]

Source for the Card?

Source for the Card?

Counterfeit cards have been a big problem for some time. How reputable is the source you purchased from. I'd seriously get the card to Sandisk and find out if it's even their card.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Bought the card from Amazon, supplied by Beach camera.

WIN7 Pro properties shows the card as FAT-32, 4096 Bytes per sector.

I tried reformatting as exFat, NTFS, after attempting as FAT-32.

The utility from the SD Card organization will not work with the card at all.

The packaging looked legit, not some cheap label.

The card could be used in the M8, and files could be read into the WIN7 pro machine until I attempted to format the card on the WIN7 machine. After that, the M8, EP2, and CX-1 could no longer use the card even after attempting to reformat with the cameras.

My M9 did get within 1 foot of this card. I'm sure some will blame proximity of the M9 to the Sandisk SD card as being the problem.

If it is a case of a bad card, strange that it would work in the M8 until being formatted on the WIN7 machine. After that, formatting in the M8 did not make it usable. Originally I figured to buy the card, see if it failed in the M9. I would just use it for the EP2 if it could not be used in the M9. Never got that far. This card can not be used at all.

I'll call Sandisk this week.

 

[RobVinc]

Did you try the card on a linux/unix system and had a look if the bootblock or partition table maybe bogus?

 

[Sonnar Brian]

No Linux/Unix system at home.

I can bring it into work and ask a co-worker do perform that task.

At this point I'm convinced that the Leica M9 firmware is not an issue.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Seems like Leica and the M9 are taking it on the chin for something the Sandisk Extreme Pro SD card is doing or not. A quick google seems to indicate people are having trouble with the Extreme Pro, SD and CF cards, in a few different camera makes.

Bob

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I have requested an RMA from Sandisk and sent them an Email with the steps taken to attempt to use their card. Either they have a design problem, or a counterfeit problem.

I will report the results back. If they send a replacement card, it will be direct from SanDisk and i will give it the same test. That would rule out Counterfeit.

So what set me off with this "Hammer"- one person losing some files from his M9 and immediately assuming it was the fault of the M9.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Brian, your card sounds like a lemon.

On the other hand, although these cards are supposed to work on all systems, my protocol for camera cards is this:
- Format in the camera that will use it
- Camera is the only device I let write to the card
- Computer only reads; don't even try to write files to card, erase files, etc.
- Then, when ready, reformat card in camera

I use this conservative protocol in the hope of avoiding problems.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Brian, your card sounds like a lemon.

On the other hand, although these cards are supposed to work on all systems, my protocol for camera cards is this:
- Format in the camera that will use it
- Camera is the only device I let write to the card
- Computer only reads; don't even try to write files to card, erase files, etc.
- Then, when ready, reformat card in camera

I use this conservative protocol in the hope of avoiding problems.

This is exactly the same as my own approach.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

That is typically what I do, in this case the exception was to test if formatting the card using WIN7 Pro would allow the card to mount in the HP Pavillion. The latter was the first indication that the card had problems. It is the only card used that the HP was not able to detect, even after rebooting the computer.

 

[ampguy]

check compatibility first

check compatibility first

newer SD cards aren't necessarily downwards compatible with prior devices, or card readers, check here:

https://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/sdxc/using_sdxc

For example, if you stick an SDHC non UHS-1 interface card into an original Epson RD-1, it won't work.

If you upgrade the RD-1 firmware, a non UHS-1 (e.g. Class 2,4,6, or Class 10) card will work.

But, that card will not necessarily be readable by computer unless it has also been upgraded with a card reader compatible with the interface spec, and formatting method that the device utilized on the card.

I still have several devices that are SD only - readers, computers, cameras, card readers. SDHC and SDXC devices will not work in them, although they physically fit just fine.

For camera use, I would stick with SDHC non UHS-1 cards (class 6, and class 10), unless I had a Nikon D7000 that explicitly utilized that interface, and I had the supporting card reader(s) and OS support.

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/content_page.asp?cid=7-11133-11187

Brian, your card sounds like a lemon.

On the other hand, although these cards are supposed to work on all systems, my protocol for camera cards is this:
- Format in the camera that will use it
- Camera is the only device I let write to the card
- Computer only reads; don't even try to write files to card, erase files, etc.
- Then, when ready, reformat card in camera

I use this conservative protocol in the hope of avoiding problems.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

If you post a rambling comment on Microsoft's site and Facebook page that they are are at fault, and yell down anybody who tries to reason with you, you just might get enough traffic to your blog. If you have a blog. I mean, how else can you be taken seriously. Anybody who will point out that this may be an issue with the super-reputable can't-be-at-fault-Ever SanDisk brand is clearly a Microsoft apologist.

Shame On Leica!




Oh, wait, you're a reasonable person who won't go down screaming down the Intertoobes that this must clearly (and without a single doubt) be Microsoft's and Leica's fault.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

You know, I have not tried the card with my CP/M computer.

I wrote my own disk driver for it. Did all up my I/O using direct writes to the sectors on the disk. It was much faster than the operating system. At this point, those 5.25" disks are much faster than THIS Sandisk card.

Sandisk screwed this card up royally. I will post back the results after getting the RMA for it.

 

[dave lackey]

You know, I have not tried the card with my CP/M computer.

I wrote my own disk driver for it. Did all up my I/O using direct writes to the sectors on the disk. It was much faster than the operating system. At this point, those 5.25" disks are much faster than THIS Sandisk card.

Sandisk screwed this card up royally. I will post back the results after getting the RMA for it.

Thank you for all this work, Brian.🙂

This is very important for me to see how it goes as I hope to move toward an M8 in the near future.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

https://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/sdhc/

This card is an SDHC UHS-I card, and according to the SDCARD.ORG, is a FAT-32 format disk. That is what WIN7 reports. SDXC cards us exFAT format.

So: this card should work as a FAT-32 disk, and was originally formatted that way.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I will find out soon enough: I supplied the alpha-numeric product code from the back of the card. The card had to be held at an angle to read it.

The package contained a code for a 1-year trial of a utility reader/recovery program. I am not going to try it, though.

If it is counterfeit, then Beach Camera and Amazon will be next on my list to contact.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

First thing out of the box, The card did work in the M8, no files lost. I formatted the card using the M8. The SD card would not mount in the HP Pavillion G7, but did in the Dell., after using with the M8.



The problems started After formatting in the WIN7 Pro machine. After that, looks like the sector mapping was lost.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I checked the Sandisk list of trusted resellers: Beach Camera is on the list. I would be surprised if this card is counterfeit. The trial period voucher for the file recovery program was in the box, but you never know.

We'll see what Sandisk does for the RMA.

 

[raid]

Good work done, Brian. I am still with Sandisk 4GB cards on the EP-2.

 

[ampguy]

Hi Brian

Hi Brian

I am aware that is what Sandisk says, but there are some reports of win7 users only being provided an exFAT format options when an SDHC (> 2GB) UHS-1 interface card, is detected. The usual error message is that the card can't be read, and do you want to format it, and if you proceed, it will format in exFAT mode.

But there are too many variables going on to determine what is wrong. Here is what I'd recommend you do:

1. Swap the card. Beach camera is known for selling refurbs as new, and open box stuff. Since your card is obviously not working as a proper SDHC FAT32 card with just your M8, the card is broken. (Takes and stores photos, but then needs battery ejected and card removed?) You do have the latest M8 firmware, right?

2. When you get a known good Sandisk card, checkout your 3 machines: a) your HP card port does support SD, SDHC, and SDXC, - not sure about your Dell and XP machine, check - I can link you to utils if you need to.

3. Check the firmware for your computer, supporting the USB to SD cart interface. Some need updating to support SDHC and/or SDXC. Again, utils can show this.

4. Check your interface when using an external reader. Just because your reader is made by Sandisk, it might not be compatible with your particular Sandisk card. I have a Sandisk card reader that won't even read SDHC cards, it's just an old one.

5. Your XP machine will likely need some patches to read this card, even when your firmware and hardware are up and running.

6. If you do any benchmarking with the card, please, use a USB3 card reader, or > USB2 reader that supports the USH-1 mode of your SDHC card.

You might want to create 2 threads - 1. The M9 and Sandisk cards, and 2. Sandisk SDHC/XC UHS-1 card performance in general.

Good luck, and again, of all the variables, the Beach Camera one stands out the most to me.

https://www.sdcard.org/developers/tech/sdhc/

This card is an SDHC UHS-I card, and according to the SDCARD.ORG, is a FAT-32 format disk. That is what WIN7 reports. SDXC cards us exFAT format.


So: this card should work as a FAT-32 disk, and was originally formatted that way.