I recently purchased a Nikon D80 camera and a 2GB SD card but when I
attached the SD card to the reader port on my Epson RX425 printer I get the
message to say that I need to format it before I can use it. How do I read
the photos off the card so as I can print them at will. I have a lead that
allows me to do this but it proves a little inconvenient to pull the PC out
of it's enclosure to access a lead around the back.
If stuck will I have to copy the photos using the lead and format using the
computer. Will the Nikon then recognize the card as this one's already
formatted for Nikon use.

TIA

Robin

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:33:29 +0100, Dumbo <robingg (AT) gotadsl (DOT) co.uk> wrote:

They are usually not formated for a particular manufacturer. They
simply have a microsoft FAT16 file system on them.

The printer is basically telling you that it can't access the file system
on the card at all.

You need to get a usb card reader for your computer and try to get the
files onto your computer. Otherwise, you're out of luck.

"AZ Nomad" <aznomad.3 (AT) PremoveOBthisOX (DOT) COM> wrote

To Dumbo:
Did you format the card in the camera before using it?
Most new cards are not formatted when you buy them.

You have to format them in the Camera before you can put pictures on the
card.

Never format a card that is used in digital cameras on the Computer. The
format that the computer uses is not compatible with the camera.

--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

On Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:28:24 -0500, CSM1 <nomoremail (AT) nomail (DOT) com> wrote:
You can't put pictures on a card if you haven't formated it.

"AZ Nomad" <aznomad.3 (AT) PremoveOBthisOX (DOT) COM> wrote

This is true, but I have seen cameras that will act as if the image is being
stored, then when you look at the card there are no images.


--
CSM1
http://www.carlmcmillan.com
--

Thanks folks. I have got the answer I wanted that the PC format and camera
format aren't compatible. I thought that they could both use a standard
format like my old Fuji digital cameras but alas the Nikon format seems to
be different.

Thanks

Robin

On Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:28:04 +0100, Dumbo <robingg (AT) gotadsl (DOT) co.uk> wrote:
They're still microsoft file formats, but the file system has been updated over
the years. Some of the formats out there are FAT16, FAT32, and VFAT (long
filenames)

CSM1 added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

without a memory card in the camera. I suppose that an unformatted
card or one that's full of flaws might look to the camera as if no
card were present at all and still shoot. But, there'd be some
kinda notification somewhere on the camera body that would say how
many pictures are left and if it's zero, that'd likely mean no card
or corrupt card.

I would think a D80 has the feature I talk about above. I looked
again at the OP's message and don't see anything about whether the
camera can see pictures supposedly on the card or not. I agree that
a USB SD reader would be helpful in getting images to a PC but if
the card is OK any printer should also be able to print directly
from the card if it supports that feature.

--
HP, aka Jerry

Don't be a fop or a blooter, make only pithy comments on Usenet

Dumbo added these comments in the current discussion du jour ...

not "see" images that have been altered in any way on a PC and then
copied back to the card, at least not without some utility
software. Thus, right out of the box it usually isn't possible to
view images that have been edited or simply renamed on a TV unless
it has a card reader.

I didn't see anyone mention this: instead of deleting the images
either on a PC or on the camera, you will likely find that simply
formatting the memory card in the camera will be much faster and
also more reliable.

I imagine if modern instruction manuals weren't just literal
translations from Japanese to English but were really written for
English-speaking people, new users would be able to come up to
speed much faster, especially on the more complex DSLRs. That
shortcoming was very apparent when I first got a Rebel XT and is
still present in the manual for my newer XSi, except that by the
time I bought it in the spring this year I at least knew where to
look to find out what I needed to know about the new features.

--
HP, aka Jerry

Don't be a fop or a blooter, make only pithy comments on Usenet