Coolpix S1: HELP! "This card cannot be used"

Bill Weaver , Feb 24, 2006; 02:30 p.m.

Hi. I just got this camera (CP S1) and a 1GB Sandisk Ultra II a week ago for my fiance. Worked okay (light usage) until yesterday. Turning the camera on without a card results in "This card cannot be used." Turning the camera on with a card looks okay, but taking a picture results in the flash/charge light flashing for a few seconds, then "Warning!! This card cannot be read."

Menus can be accessed only when SD card is in the camera and no shot has been taken. Menu items are unusual - black text with no cursor indicating which item is selected. However, they seem to function. Formatting card looks okay, then taking a shot works, then pressing Review button causes the screen to go black (still on, though) and require removing the battery to turn it off. I.e. it's locked up at this point.

Calling Nikon just asked me to (a) reset defaults (nothing different), then (b) format the card, which I did with above results. They said return it.

Before I do, are there any tricks or advice as to what could have happened? I'm puzzled. I've got an N90, D70, CP950, CP4300, and never had weird problems like this.

I thought it might be the SD card installed backwards, but nope -- won't fit that way. She's used it a couple times to take maybe 30 shots. Until yesterday and it was dead. She said something else about the screen looking "split, or double" but I can't duplicate that or figure out what she saw.

Thanks!

Responses

1 | 2 | 3 Next Last

Constance Cook , Feb 24, 2006; 03:20 p.m.

Check to be sure the card didn't get locked. Also that the little 'card inserted' icon comes up in the upper right-hand corner. If it doesn't, the card is locked or not completely pushed in and locked in place (not the same as having the slider locked on the card itself). If the icon isn't in the upper right-hand corner, then there is a problem with the card or its insertion.

Conni

Bill Weaver , Feb 24, 2006; 03:32 p.m.

Response to Conni

Thanks Conni. Unfortunately, the problem seems worse than that. I get an error without a card (though the S1 has built-in memory), but also after taking a picture. With an SD card inserted, the card icon shows up. Taking a picture, however, flickers the charge light as if it's writing to the card, then I get the cannot-be-read error. Pressing the review button blanks the screen and locks up the camera.

Thanks again.

Lee Hamiel , Feb 24, 2006; 05:13 p.m.

Battery freshly charged?

Never know - could be a bad battery

Good Luck

Luis Rojas , Mar 03, 2006; 11:26 p.m.

Hi there I can fix your camera for a LOW price. I do works on all Nikon Digital cameras, If your interested you can contact me at best_camera_tech@msn.com

Felix R , May 05, 2006; 07:14 p.m.

Same problem! Coolpix S1: HELP! "This card cannot be used"

Dear Bill and everyone,

Did you solve the trouble with your S1 Coolpix camera? I am having the same problem with my S1 Coolpix since yesterday I am desperate. I am getting "This card cannot be used" messages without card and after attempts of taking pictures, unusual Menu items, and black screens when I choose some settings.

I got my camera in US last November, but I moved overseas and is harder (and pricer!) for me to get in contact with Nikon. I really appreciate if someone could help me to fix it.

I have a 250Mb Sandisck card. Problems started just after I copied some pictures from the card to my computer and put the card back at the camera.

Olivier Masdebrieu , May 19, 2006; 09:37 p.m.

I also have exactly the same issue so would be happy to learn of any fix. I have sent a question to Nikon but don't expect anything different than Bill.

Felix R , May 23, 2006; 06:32 a.m.

I wrote to Nikon Tec Support on May 5th and I did not get an answer until the May 17th:

"Response 05/17/2006 Dear Felix, Please send us the camera and well have a look at it for you. The link below well give you complete directions on where and how to send the camera in..."

If they spend 12 days to answer an email, how much time I would have to wait until I get my camera back?

Now I am waiting, but I am also starting to look for cameras of other brands.

Bill Kozenko , Jun 04, 2006; 04:29 a.m.

I got the same message with a new 1gb card. I replaced it and after 300 pictures the same message appeared on the new card, causing me to lose all of the pictures taken on a trip to Italy.

Kristin Young , Aug 31, 2009; 07:55 p.m.

Hey guys, I just got this same message and all I had to do was format the card. My camera prompted me to format it, so I did and now I don't have that error and pics are saving fine to the card on the cam.
--Kristin

1 | 2 | 3 Next Last

Notify me of Responses