# Digital Camera Media: Q & P **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 31, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886 "2002-12-31T16:38:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hrdygrdymn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hrdygrdymn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrdygrdymn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/1 "2002-12-31T16:38:40Z")
About 8 months ago I bought a digital camera that uses those tiny little wafers to store pictures on (SmartMedia). When choosing a camera I looked briefly at the options: skinny wafer, slightly thicker wafer, stick, etc. Six of one half dozen of the other I thought. I chose the camera for different reasons. The **Problem** Now my 64MB Verbatim SmartMedia memory card is error ridden, causing me to lose some nice Xmas pics. Erased the card and gently cleaned the surface but it still won’t take pics properly. My **Questions** are: 1. Any hope for reformatting or salvaging the card? 2. Is it likely that the card just got over-used (filled it maybe 15 times)? Do they have a life expectancy? 3. Next time should I choose a camera with a more reliable storage system or is this just a freak occurrance? ---
**Author:** ![Hrdygrdymn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hrdygrdymn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrdygrdymn)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/2 "2002-12-31T16:58:04Z")
for some reason this thread appeared twice. please ignore/delete this one ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/3 "2003-01-01T16:40:39Z")
Did you store the camera near a large powerful magnet like a stereo speaker per chance? Guess what happens? Anyway, you can often use it as a HD in Windows XP & transfer files to it & test it that way instead of using the camera card functions. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/4 "2003-01-01T17:04:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hrdygrdymn \* > \*\*About 8 months ago I bought a digital camera that uses those tiny little wafers to store pictures on (SmartMedia). When choosing a camera I looked briefly at the options: skinny wafer, slightly thicker wafer, stick, etc. Six of one half dozen of the other I thought. I chose the camera for different reasons. > > The **Problem** > > Now my 64MB Verbatim SmartMedia memory card is error ridden, causing me to lose some nice Xmas pics. Erased the card and gently cleaned the surface but it still won’t take pics properly. > > My **Questions** are: > > 1. Any hope for reformatting or salvaging the card? > > 2. Is it likely that the card just got over-used (filled it maybe 15 times)? Do they have a life expectancy? > > 3. Next time should I choose a camera with a more reliable storage system or is this just a freak occurrance? \*\* 1: Sure just try and re-format it via Windows Explorer as if it was a floppy. (select drive - right mouse click - format) If it won’t take the card is likely shot. 2: Not likely. Maximum Write-Rewrite cycles for digital media are typically in the tens of thousands. 3: I have had this same thing happen with Compaq Flash cards and SM cards and both had to be returned to the manuf for replacement, so I doubt one form of digital media is inherently more stable than the other. Most cards have a fairly long warranty up to lifetime in some cases so I would guess your card is probably still under manuf’s warranty and could be replaced for a shipping cost. Having said this, however, digital media cards are pretty cheap now it might be simpler to just get a newer card. Some cameras using SM cards have built in BIOS limitations on how big a card they can handle, so check your manual for max memory card size before buying a new one. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/5 "2003-01-01T17:18:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*Did you store the camera near a large powerful magnet like a stereo speaker per chance? Guess what happens? > \*\* Umm…handy, digital data storage cards are **not** a magnetically based storage media. Even strong magnets will have little or not effect on them. They’re essentially solid state IC chips. (see below) [Airport x-rays effect on SmartMedia cards](http://www.binbooks.com/books/photo/i/l/54C96AFAB8) > [@](#): > > Compact Flash or any memory card does not use any form of magnetic bits. They store the bits in an isolated gate of a transistor the level of the charge determines whether it is a one or a zero. Because of its isolated construction the charge does not bleed away the stored the information. Basically the bits are stored in a transistor not any magnetic media. Your hard disk of course does use magnetic media to store data, so IBM microdrives can be corrupted by a strong magnetic field. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/6 "2003-01-02T01:47:41Z")
astro, that’s news. So is there any machine he could have put it by that would effect it? ---
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/7 "2003-01-02T02:49:18Z")
If the gold part was scratched that could damage the card, but I have smart media cards that have some visible scratches, not deep mind you, that work perfectly fine. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/8 "2003-01-02T03:16:40Z")
Other than hardware component failure a sufficiently powerful static shock or voltage surge would probably give the chip a bellyache. [Airport x-rays and compact flash cards](http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0016sX) > [@](#): > > You should probably be much more concerned about static electricity when handling any memory device that has exposed or exposable contacts. Inadvertent electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause latent or immediate failure of components. I don’t know what kind of prcautions are built into the various camers or cards or their packaging but don’t pick them up by contacts or handle them carelessly such as carrying them loose in a camera bag or in other situations where the contacts could be exposed to a static shock. “Dangerous” voltages are present long before you would be able to feel even the smallest sparks. ---
**Author:** ![Hrdygrdymn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Hrdygrdymn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrdygrdymn)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/digital-camera-media-q-p/145886/9 "2003-01-02T05:34:06Z")
Thanks for the advice folks. I reformatted the disc and it seems to be okay for now though I lost my Xmas pics. Also called the place I bought it and they said they’d replace it. I guess at this point I’d like to know why it happened (rhetorical question).