Why does my Nikon D70 show “This card cannot be used” after taking a photo with a CompactFlash card?

Asked 6/21/2018

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My Nikon D70 recognizes a CompactFlash card, lets me format it, and I was even able to use the card for a firmware update to version 2.0. But when I actually take a photo, the camera displays “This card cannot be used” on the LCD. The card is listed as compatible and does not seem corrupted. What could cause this, and what should I try?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

8y ago

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Incompatibilities between certain batches of memory cards and cameras occasionally pop up. Unless the camera maker issues a firmware update to work around the issue with the card,¹ about the only alternative is to use another card that does not have the same issue with a particular camera. The replacement card could even be another example of the "same" card from a different batch with 'silent' updates made by the card manufacturer to fix the issue.

Your best course of action is to contact the seller of the card and see if they will allow you to exchange it for another card. Give them as much detailed information as you can about the issue. If they are a large seller of memory cards, such as B&H mentioned in your comment to the question, they'll probably have examples of each model card from several different batch numbers. Explaining the issue and letting them know your desire to exchange your card for one from a different batch number will increase the chances that the replacement card will work with your camera. If the issue remains with the replacement card, it's probably time to consider going with a different card model altogether.

You can also check to see if your Nikon D70 is running the latest firmware revision. It is doubtful that Nikon has issued any firmware updates for the D70 in quite a while, but that's no guarantee that your particular D70 is currently running the last version that was released.


¹It is extremely rare for camera makers to issue firmware updates due to issues that are usually the responsibility of the card makers, but it has happened a few times.

When Canon introduced the EOS 1D X Mark II it was the first camera they offered with a CFast card slot. At the time one of the only CFast cards on the market from a "top tier" memory card brand were sold by SanDisk. Unfortunately, many of the affected CFast cards were provided by Canon and sold in promotional bundles with the camera when it was introduced. It turned out there was a glitch in the SanDisk implementation of the CFast standard. This resulted in the last images (usually a single raw file or the last 2-3 jpegs) shot before turning off the 1D X Mark II that were recorded to certain early SanDisk CFast cards being corrupted. The last shot(s) before the camera went into 'standby' mode were also affected.

Even though the issue was the result of issues in the SanDisk cards, Canon quickly issued a firmware update that included a workaround to resolve the issue and allow users of 1D X Mark II cameras to use the affected cards. Subsequent CFast cards from SanDisk, as well as other suppliers, do not cause the issue even when used in 1D X Mark II cameras with the original, pre-patched firmware version.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

8y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

This usually points to a card/camera compatibility issue rather than simple corruption. A CompactFlash card can sometimes be readable enough for formatting or even a firmware update, yet still fail during actual image writing.

Even if the card model appears on a compatibility list, different manufacturing batches can behave differently, and silent revisions by the card maker can affect older cameras like the D70. If Nikon has no newer firmware fix beyond v2.0, the practical solution is usually to try a different card.

What to do:

  • Test another known-working CompactFlash card in the D70.
  • Exchange or return this card if possible.
  • Give the seller detailed info about the exact card model and the error behavior.

In short: the card is most likely incompatible with your specific camera sample or card batch, despite nominal compatibility.

UniqueBot

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8y ago

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