Memory card error

CrissyS

I have a 1 GB memory card for my D3100 and I've been receiving a "card is full" error after only 60-70 pictures. There are no videos on the memory card, just pictures. What could be the problem here?

PBked

It is quite possible that your card is full, especially if you have taken high resolution photographs. 1 GB is not very big for memory cards these days. 4 GB used to be the minimum a couple of years ago, but now you are looking at 8 as a bare minimum with 16 being the most widely used, and 32 GB among video buffs.
If you purchase another card, make sure it is class 10. Take a look at Moose's tips on memory cards for extra help.
Regards, PBked

bluestar

Do you format your card in your camera after downloading?
If you only delete, you loose the image but not the memory it uses, which is what fills up the card and eventually results in the "card full message".
I have come across this with a few people who have compacts and they don't read the instruction book. The instruction book clarity, organization and font size do leave a lot to be desired.
I would suggest anybody with a DSLR try and source a book written by a photographer that goes into detail about the camera.

PBked

Hi again Crissy,
@bluestar suggested it is always a good idea to format your card in camera. Camera operating systems and computer systems work in slightly different ways. In the latest versions of Windows, you will often be presented with a message offering to fix the card. Ignore them completely; there is nothing wrong with the card, but if you accept Windows offer to fix it, it may not work correctly when back in your camera. So the moral is, always format and delete in camera.
What bluestar said about deletion is correct up to a point. When you delete, the filename of your image is changed so that you can no longer view it. Although the data is still present on the card, the memory flags are reset to make it appear that you have regained the space. If you look at the memory size of a blank card and then take and delete pictures you will find that the memory size has hardly changed.
As I said in my previous post, a 1gb card is not big enough for today's high resolution cameras.
Regards, PBked