Three SD cards all failing on my M9

[Frank Sprow]

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While not diminishing others' problems, every (11 of them, !GB to 32GB) brand name and no-name SD and SDHC card I have works perfectly in my M9.

 

Sorry, Frank

[Frank Sprow]

To add, after two weeks in Afghanistan and over 1000 images, the M9 worked perfectly and is undoubtedly the best digital (still love my M3 and M7 !) camera I've ever used.

[thrice]

I've been using two Sandisk 16GB Ultra (the newer ones without the 'II' after Ultra) SD cards with no issues except the other night the camera locked up and no amount of removing the battery would get it back on, it was saying bottom cover removed when it wasn't and the only way I could get it going was to remove and reinsert the SD card. It somehow erased about 10 pictures in doing so.

 

I did let a coworker look at the camera immediately before that happened so maybe he went nuts pressing buttons etc, he didn't seem to have any idea what he was doing (SLR shooter ).

[wlaidlaw]

I've been using two Sandisk 16GB Ultra (the newer ones without the 'II' after Ultra) SD cards with no issues except the other night the camera locked up and no amount of removing the battery would get it back on, it was saying bottom cover removed when it wasn't and the only way I could get it going was to remove and reinsert the SD card. It somehow erased about 10 pictures in doing so.

 

I did let a coworker look at the camera immediately before that happened so maybe he went nuts pressing buttons etc, he didn't seem to have any idea what he was doing (SLR shooter ).

 

Daniel,

 

Before handing your precious M9 to an SLR user you should hand him this notice;

 

Achtung

 

Das machine ist nicht fer gerfingerpoken und mittengraben. Ist easy snappen der springenwerk blowenfusen, und corkenpoppin mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fer gewerken by das dumpkofen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepen das hands in das pockets. Relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights!

 

Wilson

[fjmcsu]

Ultra II 16GB SanDisk works fine on my M9

[M9 Pete]

Hi All,

 

I've had an alternative look at this by looking on IT forums and the issue appears to be nothing to do with the cards we're all using (too much inconsistency to draw any real conclusions about card types).

 

From what I've read, the issue appears to be more to do with Card Readers (including the card readers in our Leicas).

 

The write protect tab on an SD card doesn't appear to make any difference to the electrical contacts inside the card. Rather, it mechanically triggers (or doesn't) something inside the card reader - whether the reader is in our cameras or anywhere else.

 

The solution appears to be no more complicated than sticking a small piece of electrical tape over the write protect tab on the card - this makes it stick out a bit more and therefore triggers the appropriate mechanical reaction inside the card readers built into our cameras.

 

See the following posts on other forums for a better explanation than I can provide here.

 

SD card "write protected" - Emuholic & Emuboards - All the latest homebrew and hacking news

 

SD reader (disk write protected)

 

I've just tried it on 2 cards - previously giving me "write protect" problems and they now seem okay.

 

If you try this, it's at your own risk, but I guess the general point is why does a £5K camera have a cheap / poorly adjusted card reader built in it?

 

Thanks,

 

Pete.

[jaapv]

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I would not relish getting sticky goo from the adhesive in my SD slot- which is sure to happen in warm weather.

[Steve Fines]

I just noticed this thread.

 

I posted some SD problems on another thread. I got the new Eye-Fi 8gb wifi card. Works in Nikon, Canon, Pany cameras. The M9 (fw 1.116) gives it a "No SD Card Inserted" error.

 

But, here's the goofy thing. I take off the bottom cover and take the card out. I then use a paper clip to push in the little button so the camera thinks the bottom plate is on. I then insert the SD card and don't get an error. Put the bottom cover back on and it then works like a normal SD card.

 

I think something is amiss with the M9 and its handling of SD cards. I've written Leica, but so far without response.

[M9 Pete]

I've also called Leica in Milton Keynes today - They told me they've never heard of this issue - (Yeah Right!).

 

They said they'd speak to Solms and get back to me . . . .

 

I'll let you know if I hear anything further, but the sticky tape thing is working at the moment although Jaap is right - need to be careful about getting sticky goo in our SD Card slots.

 

Pete.

[snaggs]

Im using 32gb Extreme III with no problems.

[gravastar]

There are two mechanical leaf spring switches in the card socket in the camera. One to indicate that a card has been fully inserted and the other to show that the write protect tab has not been set. Both are of the type where a contact has to be made to ground. If for a mechanical or reason of a dirty/poor contact a switch isn't closed you will get a "card write protected" or "no SD card" error. ..... so keep dust/dirt out of the socket and insert/remove cards carefully.

 

Bob.

[blatent liar]

Sorry to be so late to the party as usual, and in reply to another similar issue, I've remedied myself, I simply went to the SD Card Forum, linked in another post, and ran the Full format software which Matsushita makes for errant SD types, or ones which need true, SD parameter formatting. This easily fixed my cards, which were not recognized, and made them operate flawlessly in a Camera which I thought had an issue. So in short, dont throw the baby out with the bathwater, nor change the Camera firmware again, simply try the SD card software restore, and you should be good, I'll link it here again:

(I should mention that this Official Formatter is only operative with a PC or a PC/MAC runtime emulator such as VM Ware Fusion.

 

Cheers

 

Max:)

 

End User License Agreement - SD Association

[hoppyman]

So far, knock on wood, my M9 has been working great (unlike my first M8).

 

But I will second the notion that Leica really should have worked with Panasonic on the electronics instead of recycling the M8 and therefore compromising speed etc as the M9 has almost twice the info too move. Really not sure what they were thinking other than they weren't.

 

Charles, I think that what they were thinking was that they had finite resources and a short time frame to get the M9 to market. The project was run concurrently with that of the S2 and Leica decided to continue with the lower risk/lower development cost of staying with Jenoptik as their partner and using largely proven components. In the case of the DSP, two of the ones used for the M8. As already acknowledged by Stefan Daniel the data volume is much higher and processing is not as fast as they would like (at least with the 35MB DNGs that I am now shooting vs. 10MB from my M8).

Leica have already said that their intent is to use derivatives of the S2 technology (esp the Maestro processor) in future cameras.

 

Their Panasonic cooperation seems unlikely to be involved for M cameras. That's not the direction that Panasonic appears interested in anyway. Neither does Panasonic have any track record with unique 18Mp CCD sensors as still sourced from Kodak nor electronics for processing multiple 35MB Raw files (nor DNG support).

 

Speculation:

That is not to say that we may not see some interesting new developments from that relationship. Consider what Herr Spiller appears to have recently hinted about (and Stefan Daniel previously obliquely mentioned). What are the big new trends in must have features? Any bets on a Photokina announcement?

 

Meanwhile, the M9 is here now.

 

As mentioned by others Sandisk cards are notoriously counterfeited and it is POSSIBLE that the OP has some sub-standard ones.

Ultra 11's & Extreme III's (20MB) work fine in my camera pre and post FW update. Interstingly, a fellow shooters Lexars here worked fine in his pre FW update M9 (grey from B&H) but had write fails with uncompressed DNGS in my camera even after an over-write. I think you just have to establish what is reliable for you. Following the testing reported here, I'll be buying all Ultra II 16GB's from now on.

[wilfredo]

Hello...

 

I got my M9 this week, and have tried three SDHC cards:

 

1. SanDisk Ultra2 8GB (from Costco) -- never recognized. Error is always "No SD card"

 

2. SanDisk Ultra2 8GB (2nd card from the same Costco pack) -- recognized, but 50% of the time, it says that the SD is locked.

 

3. Off-brand 16GB class6 card -- recognized as always locked.

 

The crazy thing is that for the Ultra2 8GB in #2, I can turn the camera off and then on, and the "Locked SD" will suddenly work -- all without removing the card! Then, it'll stop working again.

 

I've never inserted anything backwards or jam anything in the slot. But at this point, this thing basically can't take any pictures...

 

Firmware is 1.002. What can I do? Or do I have to send in my brand-new M9 after less than a week?

 

I had a similar problem with my M8. I mailed the camera to Leica in N.J. for repair and when it came back to me the "Card Locked " message still appeared periodically on the LCD and of course, the camera would not work. It was hit and miss so I finally sent it back to New Jersey for the second time, and they have informed be that they have sent the camera to Germany for repair. If the problem persists, I suggest you send your M9 to Leica for repair.

[Epimetheus]

Transcend 4GB and 8GB class 6 won't work on my M9 with latest firmware. Ultra II 16GB works fine.

[Steve C]

Have there been problems with standard Sd cards (2Gb and smaller)?

I prefer these and use keep a half dozen or so with me.

 

Steve

[brainiac37]

Wilfredo, so, nothing I did (and no cards I tried) worked. The SD cards were always intermittent. I ended up returning it and exchanging it for another M9, and I have had no problem since with any of my cards. (This is even with the old 1.002 firmware.) Took the camera on vacation through Asia, and not a single failure...

 

So, I know you already know this, but for the benefits of others on the forum -- it's NOT because of the SD cards. (Especially to those people who almost chewed me out for using Ultra2 SD cards...)

[M9 Pete]

Hi.

 

I promised an update on this issue and Leica in Milton Keynes have been extremely helpful. They said they'd exchange my M9 as soon as they received stock. They called me two days ago to say that they had a replacement for me. They organised a courier company to collect it the same day. They then called next day to say they'd received it and to confirm that they had sent out a replacement - which I received today.

 

I removed the small strip of tape that was required to make the SD cards wotk in my old M9 and the new one (so far) hasn't had any difficulty on reading these cards.

 

In summary - two key points.

 

1. As I've said in an earlier posting, and as has been said by others, the issues I've encountered appear not to be caused by duff SD cards.

 

2. The customer service from the Leica people at Milton Keynes has been outstanding - I really can't remember when I've come across anything better from anyone. Thank you!

 

Hopefully all is resolved now.

 

Thanks,

 

Pete.

[ho_co]

Thanks for the update, Pete!

 

Glad that it worked out so well.

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Hallo,

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