Anyone having problems with SD Cards falling apart.

[Mary Anne]

I bought two SanDisk Extreme 80MB/s SDHC cards last January a 16GB and 8GB with my Olympus E-M1 camera and I have notice recently that pieces of the plastic is breaking off them, first it was on the top of the little metal strips and now the back is starting to break off on the left side where the slant is..

Today when I went to put the 8GB card into the card slot in the camera I noticed the front plastic is starting to separate from the back casing and its also starting to split below the lowest metal strip so I decided not to use it in case something else breaks off and it gets stuck in the camera to create more problems, searching on line I find many people have this same problem with SD cards breaking and not just the SanDisk brand.

What Brand of these cards do you use that don't give you any problems.

[Warb]

I use SanDisk cards and have never had a problem. I run Sandisk CF cards, SD cards and MicroSD cards in various machines, and can't remember having any issues with any of them.

With no disrespect intended, how do you store your cards? Plastic these days can be quite tough, but if the manufacturer didn't expect the card to be exposed to the light it may not have much UV protection and some glues can be heat sensitive. My experience is that the Australian summer can destroy, discolour or make brittle such plastics sometimes in only a few days. The cards are nicely protected when in the camera - and most people are careful not to leave their camera in the sun to cook - but once the cards are out it's a different matter. I know one person who keeps spare cards in the centre console of his car, and from personal experience that's not a good idea. A few years ago I cooked my iPhone (3!) when I left it in it's cradle in my ute. It was a very hot day, I was working on the farm and neglected to leave the ute windows open and shade/remove the phone. The result was a permanent discolouration on the screen.

There are also a lot of fake SanDisk cards on the market.

Having said all that, SanDisk Extreme cards all carry a lifetime warranty. If it's a genuine card, and you still have proof of purchase, email support@sandisk.com and see what happens!

[ameerat42]

Pretty much, too, M A. Can you claim warranty? (Kept the receipts - like I never do?)
(I wonder if they were really SanDisks!!??)

[ricktas]

I had a sandisk card many years (probably 4-5) ago that was fine one moment, I had used it in a card reader, taken it out and sat it on the desk, that when I went to pick it up, it came apart completely. Front and back separated. Stuck it back together with sticky tape and continued to use it for another few months, when I decided I really should buy a new one.

[Mary Anne]

I use SanDisk cards and have never had a problem. I run Sandisk CF cards, SD cards and MicroSD cards in various machines, and can't remember having any issues with any of them.


With no disrespect intended, how do you store your cards? Plastic these days can be quite tough, but if the manufacturer didn't expect the card to be exposed to the light it may not have much UV protection and some glues can be heat sensitive. My experience is that the Australian summer can destroy, discolour or make brittle such plastics sometimes in only a few days. The cards are nicely protected when in the camera - and most people are careful not to leave their camera in the sun to cook - but once the cards are out it's a different matter. I know one person who keeps spare cards in the centre console of his car, and from personal experience that's not a good idea. A few years ago I cooked my iPhone (3!) when I left it in it's cradle in my ute. It was a very hot day, I was working on the farm and neglected to leave the ute windows open and shade/remove the phone. The result was a permanent discolouration on the screen.

There are also a lot of fake SanDisk cards on the market.

Having said all that, SanDisk Extreme cards all carry a lifetime warranty. If it's a genuine card, and you still have proof of purchase, email support@sandisk.com and see what happens!

I guess you are one of the lucky ones then, I had a 16GB CF Card replaced by SandDisk a couple of years ago because the first time I used it it would not work after filling around 25% of the card.

I have CF cards in drawers here going back to my first P&S purchased in 2004, I still have the CF cards from my 20D, 40D, 5DMk11 and a newer one I use in my 7D MK11.
Considering the middle two Canons cameras have come very close to 150,000 clicks each, imagine how many times those CF cards have been in and out the camera and the two SandDisk card readers I have used over the years.
And not a thing wrong with them either..

One of my SD Cards is always in the camera except when I am downloading, the other card is in the house no Sun comes in this room as there is a Bullnose roof on the front of the house and block out drapes on both windows.
All the Media Cards sit in their plastic cases on a self in front of their cameras Battery charger and batteries every thing in its place here, though the other SD card used for the E-M1 is often in the Think Tank bag.
With three cameras in use all the time here one for Macro, one for Birds, and the E-M1 for anything else, they have to be where I can get at them easy.

Because of my age and health I dont go out very often and when I do the cards are zipped up in the Lowpro backpack or the Think Tank Bag.
I would not even think of leaving them loose in the car after all I live in Qld where the sun fades the colour of the clothes on your back, and your legs get sunburnt sitting in the front seat of the car.

I sincerely hope these are genuine SandDisk Cards seeing I bought them from a reputable Store here in Brisbane when I bought the camera to use them with.

I had already written to SanDisk on Friday received one reply instantly as we do, so still waiting for the next one.. Thank You for taking the time to look and reply.

Pretty much, too, M A. Can you claim warranty? (Kept the receipts - like I never do?)
(I wonder if they were really SanDisks!!??)

Yes and I have done it before. Always keep the receipts, always ask Photo Continental for a printed up receipt for the larger priced items as the ink on those other receipts fade.
Then when I get home I take either a photocopy or a photo of that receipt, which stay in a folder in one of my external hard drives.
Reckon they would be genuine Am as I bought them from the Store where I bought the camera.

I had a sandisk card many years (probably 4-5) ago that was fine one moment, I had used it in a card reader, taken it out and sat it on the desk, that when I went to pick it up, it came apart completely. Front and back separated. Stuck it back together with sticky tape and continued to use it for another few months, when I decided I really should buy a new one.

More or less the same thing happened with my card Rick, shame though for two cards that I dont use very often..
May get Tony to have a go at putting a drop of some kind of adhesive where its peeling apart then wrap with a paper tape if SanDisk dont replace then.
I have only used the SanDisk Brand. Do you use another brand now Rick or still the same one.

[livio]

Hi Mary-Anne I think what warbler says is right. WHen you buy sandisk they warrant them for life part of the reason you pay a premium for them. I use sandisk and lexar on the premium cameras anything else on the other as long it is class 10 tried kingston on the D4 and the firmware says nope I don't recognise this card yet it works perfectly well in the computer and other cameras.

Kind Regards
Livio

[ameerat42]

Livio, that's Warb, not warbler. They're different users.

[Mary Anne]

Hi Mary-Anne I think what warbler says is right. WHen you buy sandisk they warrant them for life part of the reason you pay a premium for them. I use sandisk and lexar on the premium cameras anything else on the other as long it is class 10 tried kingston on the D4 and the firmware says nope I don't recognise this card yet it works perfectly well in the computer and other cameras.

Kind Regards
Livio

Thanks Livio I have only bought SanDisk Cards though I do have a Canon CF card here 16MB would you believe a freebie that came with my first Canon Point and Shoot camera

Some life times are 30 years and some are 10 years as you will see on this link > http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk...arranty-table/

[ricktas]

I still use Sandisk Mary Anne

[Mary Anne]

Thanks for that Rick as I dont really want to change brands.

[davsv1]

sandisk and lexar here Mary-Anne and never any trouble with cf or sd

[Mary Anne]

Good to know David and Thank You.

[griffljg]

I also use SanDisk and Lexar cards, both SD and CF, and have never had problems with either brand.

I used to use Olympus xD cards on my old Olympus P&S and in the xD slot of my old Olympus E-3. One of them failed on me. - A 1GB card.

[Mary Anne]

Interesting and Thanks for the Reply Larry.

[arthurking83]

I've had one SD card do similar self destruction years ago.
Back then(1Gb was a big deal), and the card was used for storage on a PDA(it had CF too).

Card still worked tho, but I never removed/installed it all that much .. maybe once or twice every few months.
Even that, it never fully fell apart. I think I still have it, but it's under so much junk. It was more of a non name brand(back then anyhow) and I used to use their writeable CD and DVDs.

Apart from formatting and hence use problems .. I've had problems mainly with Sandisk SD and microSD cards, and a couple of CF cards .. all gone to God now.
But I've had at least one issue with Samsung micro SD cards failing too.

I don't totally avoid Sandisk cards now, but I do prefer other brands as a priority(Lexar/Toshiba/Samsung/etc), if I'm in need of a card urgently and only Sandisk are available, then I'll still get them.

If there is a risk of any hassle in getting the card replaced, I'd just do the adhesive thing. (proper) Superglue will do the trick.
Remember it's not a high stress device, so the glue doesn't need to be super strong, but super strong glue will make sure it doesn't come apart again.

I've superglued my kids DSi alternative card devices. These devices come in various types, and basically allow fitment of a micro SD card in what is an adapter that fits the proprietary DSi game card slot. Of course the trick is not to overglue them, and only use small droplets.
If you've had kids, you'll know that that they can destroy the most resilient devices with the utmost ease.
These adapter cards never came apart again in the year or two of high usage, but now they lie totally dormant as new devices have replaced the old ones

[Mary Anne]

Seems you have had a lot of problems with different cards Arthur interesting to know its not only me.
I am beginning to think that the reason my two SD Cards are falling apart is because I use them often so they are in and out the camera and Card Reader on a daily basis at times.
Perhaps I should leave the card in the camera and transfer the images to the computer which I have never done before and using the second card every other week.
Wondering now if the 32GB SD card I use in my new Canon camera will go the same way as that camera is used daily shooting the Birds, at least I have a New CF card to fall back on.
OK Superglue it is if I dont get those two SD cards replaced and Thanks for all that.

[JJM]

Funny you bring this up, I just had a Kingston 16GB SD card fail on me, seems the read/write lock tab has broken in the read only position....

[Mary Anne]

Sorry to hear that, it's not good at all
I am surprised that it has not happened to my cards them being so flimsy, hopefully that does not come next.

[davidtran]

Edited to remove product endorsement by a member with under 50 posts and 30 days membership as per the site rules.

[bitsnpieces]

What the? Someone using my name and location right in Ho Chi Minh city (where I just came back from and will be going to again next week) - no way it's a coincidence. lol
I wonder if I can get a copy of the original post email, or IP sent - interested to see who tried to be me. lol

Eitherway, back on topic, I'm with what Warb was saying, plastic these days are pretty tough. It's the glue that sometimes just doesn't hold it together, and maybe there was an assembling mishap or something.

I have a Sandisk that separated and plastic bits where the pins are have all broken off, or so - so I just keep it there with the photos it had taken now (already backed up photos onto other devices just in case the card decides to go one day)

Had one where the lock wouldn't stay in the unlock position - it didn't click in. So when inserting the card into anything, the slightest bump would push it just enough for it to be locked (even though it hadn't clicked into the lock position), so I used tape to hold it up.

So I've generally just gotten over it all and just buy any cheap card now. I probably know I should be chastised for this because you never know when a cheap card could die in a middle of a shoot or what not, but I usually bring a backup I guess, and as briefly read in these thread, it just so happens to be a Sandisk that is breaking apart. So...

I think it's just the luck of the draw.