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Photo

SDHC card problem

coolpix l22 sdhc memory contains no image transfer to new card

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22 replies to this topic

#1
RoxethRook

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I have a Nikon Coolpix L22 camera with a 4Gb SDHC memory card.
 
The camera and the computer have long since refused to talk to each other so, in order to transfer files, I have to first transfer the card to a card reader - a bit of pain.
 
I like to keep all images on the card in the camera - although they are copied off to the computer for safe keeping and backing up.  The card is now nearly full so I thought I would get a 8Gb card, transfer all the files and carry on.  However, the camera doesn't recognise the new card returning an error "Memory card contains no images".
 
I've run out of ideas trying to figure out the cause of the problem let alone how to fix it.


#2
Merco_61

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Have you formatted the new card in the camera?

Why do you want to keep images in the camera? The camera screen isn't an image viewer and does a lousy job of presenting photos compared to even the most basic of smartphones or tablets



#3
RoxethRook

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Yes,  I have formatted the card in the camera.

 

I keep images on the camera because I need access to them when out and about.



#4
Jerry_

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Hello,
While you could format the card, the card is correctly recognized by your camera.

Also the message "Memory card contains no images" is not an error, but an informal message.
Try taking one or more photos with the new card in and this message will disappear.

#5
RoxethRook

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OK,  I've taken a couple of photos.  They are the only ones I can see.

 

I have copied (maintaining the original folders structure) all the original photos from the 4Gb memory card to the computer and then on to the the 8Gb memory card where they can be viewed but NOT when the memory card is in the camera.

 

This does not seem logical!



#6
Merco_61

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There is a checksum in each jpeg that is generated from several parameters, one of which is the exact memory address the file is written to on capture. This will read as a fault on the card by the camera if a file is changed in any way outside the camera's control and the camera will not display it. Any disk operating system will ignore that information, which is why the photos can be viewed on a computer or tablet. The way you want to use your camera is too far outside the box for the Nikon engineers to even consider programming a more complex file viewer.



#7
Dogbytes

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If you desperately need access to all those old pics, and it has to be via your camera, looks like you'll just have to carry the old memory card and swap it over when you need to view them!



#8
RoxethRook

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Thanks.

 

As an aside to the main query what is the difference between formatting the card whilst in the camera and in a card reader connected to the computer?  Surely a FAT32 format should be the same whatever?



#9
Merco_61

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Yes, it *should* be the same. It isn't, however. This probably has something to do with the simplified file handler. It usually works, but sometimes it gives strange errors. Formatting in the camera gives peace of mind.



#10
RoxethRook

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Thanks for that.

 

Up to now I have looked at trying to resolve technical aspects as I see and understand them.  Perhaps I should have kept it simple.  How do I transfer files and folders from one SDHC card to another SDHC card and for that card to be usable in my camera?  A step-by-step guide would be most useful.

 

Thanks.



#11
Merco_61

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The answer to that question is easy. You don't.



#12
RoxethRook

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Just a thought.  Would a copy from SDHC to SDHC (both in card readers) do the trick?


Just another thought.  Is there any software which would 'clone' (everything) from SDHC to SDHC?  That may get around the issue you outlined in your message at 03:57

 

Apologies for being pedantic.



#13
Merco_61

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There is no difference between card to card and using the hard drive as an intermediate. It still won't copy every bit to exactly the same sectors on the new card.

 

Cloning to an identical card *might work* but the chance of it working with cards of different size is very small.



#14
RoxethRook

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Thanks for your comments.
 
I was sure that I had copied images to the 4Gb SDHC card and also defragmented that card (which would have changed the location of files to different sectors)and that all files were subsequently viewable on the camera.  I therefore formatted the 4Gb SDHC card (in the camera) and copied from my backup a working sample of the folders and files including NIKON.DSC (the original version not the version presumably created by the formatting process) to the root folder.  All files were viewable on the camera.  With all due respect that brings into question your statements "It still won't copy every bit to exactly the same sectors on the new card." and "if a file is changed in any way outside the camera's control and the camera will not display it." and render files unusable.
 
Having proved that copying files onto a SDHC was a practical possibility it is a reasonable and logical expectation that if I replicated the same procedure on either an 8Gb or 16Gb SDHC all files should be viewable on the camera.  I ensured the switch position was the same on both SDHCs as on the 4Gb SDHC.  Neither 8Gb of 16Gb SDHC would format in the camera so I security wiped the 8Gb SDHC to remove every last bit of information.  It would still not format in the camera (as the files previously copied to the SDHC in the computer were still viewable on the computer).  This suggests the camera cannot read / write either the 8Gb or 16Gb SDHC.  That is contrary to information in the 'User's manual' (page 110) which states the NIKON Coolpix L22 may be used with SDHC with a capacity of up to 32Gb..
 
Where do I go from here please?


#15
Jerry_

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The manual for the Coopix L22
http://cdn-10.nikon-...2/L22L21_EN.pdf
Says indeed at page 110 that 8GB SDHC cards are approved from
SanDisk, Toshiba, Panasonic and Lexar. The 16GB card is however not approved from Lexar.

This being said, what I would like to reconfirm is that according to previous postings you have already succeeded in formatting the card (post #3 in this thread).

#16
Brian

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I would look to see if there was a firmware update available for the camera. Also- check that the drivers on your computer have not gone bad, the camera should be able to communicate with it.

 

What you are doing by copying the files to a new, larger capacity card is "fooling the camera's firmware". It may or may not work, it may work for a while, it might cause side-effects after continued use causing data to get lost. This is not a procedure that is in the manual, and the firmware may not account for the difference in card-capacity after the directory files have been over-written.

 

On my Ricoh RX-1: I was able to format an 8GByte card in the camera and copy all the files from the 4GByte card I normally use to it. The camera could view the images on the 8GByte card, and even registered the additional space as being available. BUT: I would not use it for any photos that I care to retain. Too many variables, and I don't have the documentation for the inner workings of the camera. Without that detailed knowledge, you have no way of insuring data integrity.



#17
RoxethRook

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Thanks.

 

Nikon does not give the version number of the latest firmware.  I could download it anyway just in case - but how do I get it onto the camera?

 

Similarly with drivers I could download and install anyway just in case.

 

You say "the firmware may not account for the difference in card-capacity after the directory files have been over-written."

This sounds as though the camera will work ONLY with the card (or at least one of the same capacity) that was in it when FIRST used.  That is born out by the fact that it is resolutely refusing to acknowledge any card of a higher capacity.  Is it possible to trick it into 'thinking' it has just come from the shop and doesn't yet have a card so will accept the 8Gb card?  Is the file NIKON0001.DSC anything to do with this?



#18
Brian

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The firmware should be able to use larger cards than the very first one used with it. It will have an upper limit as set by the current firmware version. Most cameras have a way of checking the firmware version of the camera via the menu. Check the manual for loading firmware: some require a connection to the computer, some require that the Firmware File be moved to the SD card.

 

I'm not sure what is in the ".DSC" file, but several cameras use files such as this to control how data is written to the card.



#19
TBonz

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I would suggest there are many better ways to have the photos handy than worrying about a difficult (if not impossible) option of trying to get the camera to recognize images in places it did not put them.  Since you already have the images on your computer, transfer them to your phone or tablet and they will be easy to share with others any time you want to.  Bonus is that both of those probably have better screens for viewing images than the camera.  You can also choose which images (including all of them) you want copied.



#20
Brian

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At least on the older Coolpix L10 the Card ID is a field stored in file "transmrk.njb" in the MISC folder, part of the card format process. The nikon001.dsc is a hidden file, and has nothing but '20'x in it: ASCII Spaces when created, 512 bytes. I used DOS command "attrib -s -h -r" to make it visible.  I'll bet they change as the card fills up, some sort of marker. Embedded systems play tricks like this. It's just not possible to state what exactly will happen when these files are altered. I only fired off 3 test shots with the camera, it is very power hungry and wants expensive Lithium batteries to run. I used a computer running DOS to HEX dump the files. You would not believe what it takes these days to make a computer run DOS on a 512GByte SATA drive...and not phony DOS, REAL mode DOS with no WINdoze..







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: coolpix, l22, sdhc, memory contains no image, transfer to new card