Camera SD Card Not Working? Try These 5 Fixes
A spare camera SD card will help minimize disruptions if one stops working. But what if you don’t have one and notice that your card no longer lets you transfer images across different devices?
Camera SD cards can fail for several reasons, such as accumulating dust and debris or suffering from water damage. Sometimes, however, the situation is easy to fix.
Today, we’ll reveal why your camera SD card might no longer be working—before discussing potential solutions for the issue.
Reasons Why Your Camera SD Card Might Not Be Working
Before we look at how you can get your camera SD card to work again, let’s look at some of the main reasons why you might be encountering this problem in the first place.
Incorrect Formatting
Formatting your SD card is crucial when using it across more than one camera. If you don’t, you might encounter problems where your files aren’t saved correctly. As a result, you might not be able to use these later—and your hours of hard work could go down the drain.
Most modern cameras will let you format your SD card, and the process doesn’t take too long. You should alsochoose the right SD card for your devicebefore getting into photography or videography.
If you have to purchase new equipment for your photography endeavors,buying and selling used gear with MPBis one potential option. You can save some money on your next purchase by trading in your old camera bodies and lenses, along with reducing waste.
Physical Damage
SD cards might also stop working if they sustain physical damage. A common but often overlooked issue that can arise, for example, is where the plastic bits between the reading chips become loose.
Often, your cards won’t sustain physical damage while in your camera. Problems often occur during transit, such as when you leave your card in your backpack. You can stop the issue in the first place by using the plastic case that came with your card (or buying a new one if you’ve lost that).
Water Damage
If you’re interested in rainy-day photography or taking pictures in other kinds of extreme conditions, you need to take extra precautions to keep your equipment safe. You’ve probably heard of weather-sealed cameras and lenses, but keeping in mind that potential risks exist for your SD card is also essential.
Moisture can seep into your camera if you aren’t careful, and you can—in some cases—encounter problems where your SD card stops working as it should. Reading about theessential gear to take with you for rainy-day photographycan help you protect your equipment better.
How to Fix Your Camera SD Card Not Working
Now that you know some of the reasons why your camera SD card might not be working, let’s look at how you can fix the problem. Below, you’ll find some of the best solutions for this issue.
1. Format Your SD Card on Your Camera
If your SD card isn’t working, reformatting it might solve that problem. But note that doing so will delete all stored images and videos, so you should—if possible—transfer these elsewhere. For example, even if your SD card has physical damage, you might be able to transfer JPEGs via your manufacturer’s camera remote app.
How you format an SD card depends on the camera manufacturer, but you’ll usually need to go into theSettingsmenu on your device. There, you’ll see an option to format your card. Confirm your decision after selecting it once, and you should be all set.
2. Test Another SD Card
You can also try testing another SD card to see if there really is a problem with your specific card. In some instances, the issue could be with your camera’s SD card reader instead.
Format the other SD card and experiment to see if everything works as it should. If you still encounter difficulties, contacting your camera manufacturer might be a good idea.
3. Leave Your SD Card Out for a Few Days
If your camera SD card has suffered from water damage, or you know that moisture has seeped into your device, you might not need to replace anything just yet. Sometimes, leaving your card out of your camera for a few days can help solve the problem and you can begin using your equipment like normal again.
When leaving your SD card out of your camera, choose a room with a stable temperature. Ideally, you should place your card in a place that it’s not susceptible to physical damage—such as on your window sill.
Once a bit of time has passed, insert the SD card back into your camera and check to see if it’s begun working like it should again.
4. Check for Physical Damage
You should also check your SD card to see if it has sustained physical damage. Doing so is especially a good idea if you’ve recently been on a long trip and had your SD card outside your device for extended periods.
Your card might stop working as it should if parts of it have been chipped at, and you should also look for scratches on the area where your camera will read your card. Either of these can cause functionality issues.
5. If All Else Fails, Buy a New SD Card
If you’ve tried to fix your SD card and nothing has worked, you’ll unfortunately need to purchase a new one. Prices for SD cards vary, and you’ll pay more for those that have more storage and are capable of processing more megabytes per second.
For many photographers, basic SD cards should be more than enough for your needs. It’s worth choosing something with larger storage space, though, as you’ll be able to take more pictures each time you go out.
you may find SD cards at many electronics stores, but you should also consider checkingsecond-hand photography websitesto see if you can get a better deal.
You Might Not Need to Buy a New SD Card for Your Camera
Considering that taking pictures without SD cards is nigh-on impossible on most cameras, you should keep your tools safe at all times. Sometimes, however, you might encounter problems where these stop working. And when that happens, fixing the problem as soon as possible is critical.
You can try the tips we’ve included in this guide if your SD card has stopped working. Hopefully, something should work. But if not, you can always look in different places to get a better deal on your next card.
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