Cannot format card! Help!

[Woodland55]

Hi guys,

I just purchased my first DSLR today, the Canon 80d (on special at JB-HI-FI). I also purchased a "Lexar High-Speed microSDHC 32gb UHS-1 300x 45mb/s" memory card. I've read online that SDHC memory cards are compatible with the 80d.

When i turned my DSLR on, it says "card cannot be accessed. Reinsert/change the card or format the card with the camera".
When I selected "format card" it says "cannot format - change card".

I don't understand what's gone wrong, is the card not compatible with the camera? Or is the card faulty?
Note both the camera and memory card are brand new.

Thanks for your help, any assistance would be highly appreciated!
Cheers.

[Hawthy]

Do you have another card that you can try? If not, maybe go back to JB Hi-Fi and see if they can help.

[ricktas]

Yep, take it back to JB Hifi and show them. It could be that card is faulty, or the camera is faulty. Do you have a card reader in your computer, can you access the card via the computer

[Mary Anne]

Perhaps a faulty card, maybe even the camera.. I had problems with a new Compact Flash Card in my 7D MK11 when they were both new.
Hawthy advice is best if you dont have another card, take them both back to JB Hi-Fi and if its the camera ask for a new one..
Not nice for a new camera.. Oh and Welcome to AP.

[arthurking83]

The easiest thing to look for is the small write protect tab on the edge of the card.
SD cards have one edge that has a corner cut, and the opposing edge is straight from corner to corner-top to bottom.
That long edge has a small tab up near the top that can easily be slid downwards to lock the card.

If that tab is down, the card is locked and you can't write to the card(ie. format or write or whatever.)
Make sure the tab is in the 'up' position.

[Mark L]

Is a microSDHC different to a SDHC??

[tandeejay]

can you post a photo of the card, and (as it is a microSDHC according to the 1st post...) a photo of the adapter your using in your camera?

[arthurking83]

Is a microSDHC different to a SDHC??

Doh!! .. missed that bit o:

'spose it begs the question: why get a micro SD card type when the camera holds SD card types? :confused013

I can think of one reason: in that it'd be easy to transfer the photos from camera to phone/tablet (if the phone/tablet can accept microSD cards).

BUT! .. be aware. microSD cards are small, and they are easily lost! (trust me on this, I've 'lost' two of them now, and that was in the house so I had to eventually find them .. which I did)
You want to minimise the fitment/removal of these card types.

I reckon tandeejay on on the right track .. I'd be inclined to suspect the adapter.

First things first, I'd recommend to get a proper SD card.
1. harder to lose! :p
2. uses the native format of the camera

If it transpires that you did get a microSD card for transferring camera images to a phone/tablet/or something, and you still want this option, then you're better off getting what's called an OTG adapter for the phone that has an SD card reader.
Cheap and easy to get off Ebay (OTG = On The Go), I got one for a couple of $'s and works a treat.

[Warbler]

I can think of one reason: in that it'd be easy to transfer the photos from camera to phone/tablet (if the phone/tablet can accept microSD cards).

The 80D has built-in WiFi, so no need to transfer cards between devices.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_x-S_-Ef0&ab_channel=ChrisWinter

[arthurking83]

The 80D has built-in WiFi, so no need to transfer cards between devices.

.......


LOL! ... how many weeks does one allow to transfer a card full of raw images to the destination device! :p

Of course I do get the point tho .. possible mobile device could be the destination, hence smallish jpgs are most likely the files to be transferred, etc, etc.

But I'm stumped as to why the OP is using a microSD via an adapter tho.
Until they come back and enlighten us .. we'll never really know the full story.

[Warbler]

LOL! ... how many weeks does one allow to transfer a card full of raw images to the destination device! :p

It's spec'd as 802.11 /b/g/n with NFC, so at least 54Mbit/sec. They'd be JPEG, I suspect, but 32Gb is still 32Gb, no matter whether the files are RAW or JPEG. What's your home wifi run at, and can you stream HD movies on it? I personally wouldn't be using a MicroSD and adaptor, but if the OP is, I guess that is their choice. I have an adaptor, but only because it came bundled with the Sandisk MicroSD I bought at the time. Haven't tried it in the camera at all yet. I have a couple of Toshiba FlashAir SD cards I use when I want JPEG images immediately available to photo editors at the media outlets I work for from time to time. They are very quick to load onto the phone because it happens whilst I'm taking the photos rather than waiting till I've finished. It's a matter of workflow. ;)

[ricktas]

Considering the OP has not been back on the site since 4 minutes after posting this thread, we will probably never know the outcome of this one.

[tandeejay]

I made this comment on another forum recently regarding people who sign up, and ask a question, and then never to return...

Do people do forums like they do photography? Spray and Pray....

[Cage]

I made this comment on another forum recently regarding people who sign up, and ask a question, and then never to return...

Do people do forums like they do photography? Spray and Pray....

You are possibly right.

The OP has probably bought their first DSLR camera, likely from a salesman who had no clue about cameras, taken it home and it didn't work. :(

What to do? Hit every camera forum you can find, and hope someone answers you. Possibly has no clue about forum etiquette either, like acknowledging those who took the time to help. May have come back as a visitor (can you do that :confused013), read the replies, and disappeared into the night.

Then again they may have other priorities in their life and haven't had the time to check for answers. Who knows, they may return and become a valued member.

[hanro]

Hi,

I had a similar issue with a Lexar card I bought for my D810 although it was a recommend one. I changed over to a Scandisk and have had no issues since.


Kind Regards,

Peter

[mongo]

Mongo has had nothing but trouble with Lexar. Will never touch them again after getting rid of the useless ones he had temporarily. Stick to Sandisc .

[Filter]

How ironic of this post to pop up. I had finished transferring photos to the desk top, went format the card in the camera & it said it could not format. Replace or use another card it said. I put it back into the computer & it popped up with card needs formatting, then of course windows could not do it. When I dig into disk management it says the format is raw?? My other SD card says it's fats32, I don't know how or when this could of happened or if this is the issue. The card is an Extreme 45mb/s UHS1 10, 32gb. I have ordered a replacement hopefully all good.

Now I think of it, this card was the one I was using when I was having what I thought was camera issues. The review of photo's taken were like half exposed, I'd cancel review then look again the the exposure was good, maybe the the card was having data transfer issues then..

[Fedgrub]

Might seem silly, but try turn the lock on and off again. Sometimes I find the lock can be in place but appears to be off when you're looking at the exterior of the switch.

[ameerat42]

Well, at least the rest of us may benefit from this, if not the OP:cool:

[ricktas]

Well, at least the rest of us may benefit from this, if not the OP:cool:

Yep. posted at 4.32, they logged off at 4.36 and have never been back online to read the answers, or thank everyone for kindly replying.

:rolleyes:

[bricat]

I learnt something though. There is a lot of people. On here willing to help........and don't use Lexar cards :)

[Warbler]

........and don't use Lexar cards :)

Actually, I use Lexar cards and don't have a problem with them. I also use Sandisk and don't have a problem with them either.

[arthurking83]

I learnt something though. There is a lot of people. On here willing to help........and don't use Lexar cards :)

Actually, I've found the opposite.
Of all the cards I've had trouble with .. they have almost all exclusively been Sandisk cards .... and one Samsung micro SD card that went bang.

Over the years I've had tons of CF cards(mainly) for the cameras. Very few SD cards, and many micro SD(for phones and various other devices).
micro SDs seem to be very fragile, or the devices that use them may be causing issues :confused013

I still have many of the CF cards of various brands from about 10+ years ago, Adata, Patriot(back when they were a noname company!) RiData!! :eek: a real cheapie many Sandisks and so forth. Lexar is the only one that works in the D800, but D70s and D300 can all use any of the CF cards I have, even the really old 1G cheapie versions.
Whether it's a good idea to do so, especially with the D300!!, is something to think about tho, as speed is very important on the way this camera operates.

My two best cards are definitely the Lexar and the Patriot cards.

I'm down to my last 4Gig Sandisk CF card(from having about 6 of them) and I don't use it. Too many times it's corrupted images on the D70s(my son uses it) and I won't risk it in the D300 or D800.
So, one of the AData cards is permanently set in the D70s now, with the Patriot and the other AData card for the D300.

[bricat]

[QUOTE=bricat;1386688.......and don't use Lexar cards :)[/QUOTE]

i did say that with tongue in cheek however there was one card used in my gps that continually failed and when swapped to a new brand there was no further problems. All brands have difficulties at times but some fix them quickly

[ameerat42]

Well, (back to the card) see what it does in a computer. If it works there and not in a camera,
then there might be a compatibility issue.

[Mark L]

Over 5 years ago I got my first DSLR.
I bought a SanDisk Extreme card for my camera.
I have been taking the card out of the camera and placing it into computer to transfer images. Obviously I've also then placed the card back in the camera. I'm still using the first card I bought. I formatted that card once at the start of my DSLR journey.:confused013
I'm happy with SandDisk and wish it was this easy for others.

[Ross the fiddler]

Over 5 years ago I got my first DSLR.
I bought a SanDisk Extreme card for my camera.
I have been taking the card out of the camera and placing it into computer to transfer images. Obviously I've also then placed the card back in the camera. I'm still using the first card I bought. I formatted that card once at the start of my DSLR journey.:confused013
I'm happy with SandDisk and wish it was this easy for others.

That's great, but I would (& do) format my cards in camera periodically. I only use Sandisk cards myself (CF & SD).