Unable to format an SDXC card

[FLHTC]

My lens arrived today with two Sandisck Extreme 128G SDXC cards.  They are class 10, U3, 90MB Read, 3o min/60max write speed.  Camera is a Sony a7iii and when I installed one into slot 1, camera says unable to read SD card, reinsert it.  Did that several times, no good.  Tried to format it as directions say, but camera format is turned off, so it won't allow me to format it.  Both cards react the same, cards from Adorama, say made in China on back, and have grey locking tab.  Can't believe both cards are bad, maybe not compatible with my camera.   What am i doing wrong, or what do I need to do?

 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[tinplater]

Have you tried the cards in slot 2?

One wonders about counterfeit cards.  (adorama of course will refund without question).  I assume you have cards that do work in your A7III so it is not a camera issue?  Might try the card in a different camera if possible.

[FLHTC]

Tinplater:   I took your advice, and found an old 8 GB SD card with tons of pictures from a Nikon S100 camera.  I moved all the pictures to my computer, and formatted it on my computer.

I put this super slow, low capacity SD card into slot 1 of the camera, and it read it, so I then formatted it in the Sony camera, and took about 20 pictures last night.  I have not looked at them as I was trying to figure out what all the knobs do.  Today I will take the one of the two SDXC cards that currently don't work in the Sony, and format them in my computer and then put them into my Sony to see if they will work.  I find that the Sony instructions manual leaves a lot to learn elsewhere.  

For example, nowhere, that I have found, do they explain the mode dial markings.  My camera was on P, whatever that means, and probably should have been set to Auto.  I have been viewing a lot of youtube videos.

 

 

 

 

[Chrissie]

7 minutes ago, FLHTC said:

nowhere, that I have found, do they explain the mode dial markings.

You may have been looking in the wrong places. There is a good online manual, well structured, interactively searchable for keywords and so on. You will definitely profit from reading this in a systematic, top-down fashion all the way through. You don't have to remember everything on your first time around. But there is a fair chance, that you will recognize a keyword once a specific question pops up later on.

 

10 minutes ago, FLHTC said:

My camera was on P, whatever that means, and probably should have been set to Auto. 

Outch.

This particular question is, for instance, covered behind this link. Note, that at the bottom of almost every page in this online manual there is a bunch of links which connect to related, or more detailed, information.

[FLHTC]

That is good to know.  I see that I did no harm in shooting in P mode.  Thanks

[FLHTC]

I took one of the new Sandisk 128G SDXC cards, and formatted it in my computer, exactly like the 8G SD card from my old S100 point and shoot.  I then inserted it into slot 1 of Sony a7iii camera, and same message appeared, unable to read, reinsert SD card.  Did this several times on just the one new card, but to no avail. 

 

I know the camera works, but for some reason does not seem to recognize the SDXC card.   Any other suggestions.  

[FLHTC]

The plot thickens.  I drove to Best Buy and bought a 64-G Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC card, opened the package, inserted it into slot 1, and got the same message 'unable to read SD card, reinsert card". 

So now I am really frustrated.  Out of a whim, I put the Best Buy 64-G Extreme Pro into slot 2 and it recognized it, so I formatted it in the camera.  Removed it, put the 128 GB Sandisk Extreme into slot 2, and it recognized that one also, so I formatted it also in the camera. 

I then removed it from slot 2, and inserted the 128 GB Extreme into slot 1, and got the "can't recognize card, reinsert card' message.  I did the same thing with the Best Buy 64B Extreme Pro into slot 1, and got the "can't recognize SD card".  Yet it does recognize the Sandisk 8G Ultra Plus in slot 1, but it is an SD card, not a SDXC card.

According to the manual, slot 1 is the default slot, and can be used with both UHS-1 and UHS-II SD cards while the slot 2 can be used with UHS-1 cards. All my cards are UHS-1 cards..  Manual also reads that if only one card is used, use slot 1.

This does not seem normal to me, or is there some setting I need to turn on or off??

 

 

 

[tinplater]

2 hours ago, FLHTC said:

The plot thickens.  I drove to Best Buy and bought a 64-G Sandisk Extreme Pro SDXC card, opened the package, inserted it into slot 1, and got the same message 'unable to read SD card, reinsert card". 

So now I am really frustrated.  Out of a whim, I put the Best Buy 64-G Extreme Pro into slot 2 and it recognized it, so I formatted it in the camera.  Removed it, put the 128 GB Sandisk Extreme into slot 2, and it recognized that one also, so I formatted it also in the camera. 

I then removed it from slot 2, and inserted the 128 GB Extreme into slot 1, and got the "can't recognize card, reinsert card' message.  I did the same thing with the Best Buy 64B Extreme Pro into slot 1, and got the "can't recognize SD card".  Yet it does recognize the Sandisk 8G Ultra Plus in slot 1, but it is an SD card, not a SDXC card.

According to the manual, slot 1 is the default slot, and can be used with both UHS-1 and UHS-II SD cards while the slot 2 can be used with UHS-1 cards. All my cards are UHS-1 cards..  Manual also reads that if only one card is used, use slot 1.

This does not seem normal to me, or is there some setting I need to turn on or off??

 

 

 

Your experience makes me believe this might be a slot 1 problem in your camera.  I would contact Sony for guidance or exchange camera.

[FLHTC]

Tinplater,  Did just that.  Called their customer service, and Josh said Sony knew of a problem with Sandisk SD cards, and told me to get a Sony 128GB SF-M series UHS-II U3 Class 10 SDXC ($86.91) for slot 1, and use my Sandisk 128GB Extreme in slot 2.

I mentioned that their user manual does not specify using Sony SD cards for their camera to work.  I just ordered one, so now I currently have two Sandisk Extreme 128GB SDXC cards, one Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB SDXC card one Sony (in the mail.  Just doesn't seem right does it.  

Edited October 17, 2018 by FLHTC
clarification

[tinplater]

On 10/17/2018 at 2:11 PM, FLHTC said:

Tinplater,  Did just that.  Called their customer service, and Josh said Sony knew of a problem with Sandisk SD cards, and told me to get a Sony 128GB SF-M series UHS-II U3 Class 10 SDXC ($86.91) for slot 1, and use my Sandisk 128GB Extreme in slot 2.

I mentioned that their user manual does not specify using Sony SD cards for their camera to work.  I just ordered one, so now I currently have two Sandisk Extreme 128GB SDXC cards, one Sandisk Extreme Pro 64 GB SDXC card one Sony (in the mail.  Just doesn't seem right does it.  

Well at least you will be able to enjoy your camera and slot 1!  I don't know from your thread if you have been able to get the Sandisc card to work in a different camera...if yes then sell it on Ebay if you can't get a refund but I would be certain the card does work with some cameras before reselling.

[FLHTC]

19 hours ago, tinplater said:

Well at least you will be able to enjoy your camera and slot 1!  I don't know from your thread if you have been able to get the Sandisc card to work in a different camera...if yes then sell it on Ebay if you can't get a refund but I would be certain the card does work with some cameras before reselling.

I am waiting for my Sony SD card to arrive, probably tomorrow.  Then I should be ok.  I guess what bothers me most, is that I have not heard this from anyone else, yet Sony cust service said they are aware of the problem.  

[tinplater]

Just saw this at DPReview:

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/0675878868/sony-users-reporting-issue-using-128gb-sandisk-extreme-sd-cards-with-a7-iii

[FLHTC]

13 hours ago, tinplater said:

Just saw this at DPReview:

 

https://www.dpreview.com/news/0675878868/sony-users-reporting-issue-using-128gb-sandisk-extreme-sd-cards-with-a7-iii

So I am not alone or crazy.  I await their fix, but in the interim, I await my new Sony SD UHS-II card that hopefully will arrive today.

Thanks

[FLHTC]

My Sony SDXC UHS-II card arrived yesterday, put it into slot 1, and it worked as it is supposed to work.  So now I have a 128GB card in both slots.  Going to Gdaughter's house today and take some pictures.  

[tinplater]

You are all set to take a lot of photos/video!!!

[FLHTC]

Just an update, I finally updated the software on my Sony A7iii camera to the latest version and now the SanDisk cards that did not work in slot 1 before, now do work in slot 1.  .  Looks like the Sony software upgrade did the trick.

[faderfactory]

Updated my A7III to v2.1 and now it works fine ... Had the same issues