In 2009 I had trouble with SDHC memory cards with the LX3, and wrote: "8 GB Kingston SDHC memory card broke, a piece of plastic fell away from the edge". And this wasn't an isolated incident, a similar thing had happened earlier.
Well, since then I haven't had any such trouble, until yesterday when I noticed a funny sound when I removed the card from the LX5. And indeed, the edge of the SDHC card is broken, and it is only a matter of time until the card is completely broken and no longer works.
Earlier I had trouble with Kingston cards (two 8 GB cards were broken), and now I had an Integra 8 GB card, which broke similarly. I ordered a Verbatim 8 GB card as a replacement, but I guess there is a similar fate waiting.
I transfer my photographs from the LX5 to the iMac daily using a SDHC reader, which generates some wear of course. But it is surprising the the cards can't handle a few hundred insertions to the reader and to the camera - it should be thousands, I think.
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A moment of profound silence followed.
4 hours ago
7 comments:
Interesting. I make much less images than you, but I shoot daily and transfer the images daily. When I've not used the LX5, I have most likely used the E-P2, both with the same SanDisk card. Never had a problem.
Juha, I admit to be very careless with my memory cards, and with the old thick cf cards that never was a problem (one even went through a washing and drying process as I had forgotten it in my pocket, and it worked and works flawlessly after that). But I already damaged 2 cards in the pockets of my pants - and rescued them with minor drops of 2-component glue applied on the not completely brocken corner structure. It might be worth a try.
@Markus and Andreas: Maybe the winter cold has something to do with the durability, as we had a long stretch of -20 °C weather this year and it may affect the cards.
The edge seems to be the weak point, where the pieces are connected at the seam, and the cold may weaken the sealing there making the plastic flex more and more, and finally breaking.
After the previous broken card I replaced the card reader as well, thinking that maybe it was a culprit. The old card reader also had occasional problems with the speed of the transfer, and the new one has performed much better.
But anyway, with the way the prices of SDHC cards have gone down, broken cards are no longer a big matter, it is just a question of having a spare always available.
I've had a similar problem with three different Lexar cards--the locking tab breaks off, rendering the card useless, though the files on it can be read. I've put a great deal of wear on Delkin cards with no sign of the same problem. For the past two years I've used Macs that have a slot for SD, before that used a card reader.
@Carl, thanks for the hint on Delkin cards, I may try them next.
How about trying one of the new wireless cards, like an Eye-Fi? It seems like that would be very convenient and allow you to leave the card in the camera and not even bother to hook up a cable.
@Eric: Well, Eye-Fi seems to be a reasonably good idea - but how fast is it? With the card reader transferring the photographs, about 200 per day on the average, takes a minute or so, but I would think Eye-Fi would be much slower.
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