What do you do when you get a write error?

[wkadruje]

This is a cross-post from a facebook group. I hope to get more replies here that the single one I got there. Also I'm kind of testing the waters in different Fuji communities

 

I got two write errors (as in the pic from the manual) on my x-S10 within around 10-20 seconds of each other and I'm trying to figure out what the problem might have been. Also I'm on firmware 3.01 - I like to wait a bit before upgrading to see if there are any complaints. I'm writing it all up mostly out of curiosity, I'm not getting paid for photos so in general it's not a big deal.

 

The first error happened when I had exactly 999 shots in the image transfer order (Bluetooth off in camera). I know this is the max number for one order, so I was expecting the next photos not to be in the order but still get normally saved to the card.

 

I was shooting RAW + JPEG (Normal) and the last photo in the folder (and most likely the last one before the error is the XS109999.RAF and .JPG (XS10 is the custom I set for this camera). The time between the first - XS109002.JPG and last photo in the folder is a bit under 1.5 hrs (it was a dance event) so the camera was busy, running almost constantly on a second battery in a row and getting quite warm (even with screen flipped closed, EVF activated with eye sensor, and IBIS off).

 

I rarely shoot bursts, but had the 5 fps turned on, so it's possible I pressed the shutter for more than one pic and the camera needed to put one raw+jpeg pair in the old folder (139_FUJI), then create the new folder on the card and put the next raw+jpeg there while cleaning the buffer, and at the same time somehow react to reaching the order limit.

When I got the first error I switched the camera of, pulled the battery out and back in (I actually wanted to switch cards but realized the next one is in my bag so it would take long to get it), turned the camera on and took the next shot This is saved in the new folder (140_FUJI) with 0001, the next one is 0003 (there's no 0002 - which is probably when I got the second write error). Then I have all the other photos up to 0100 from that performance. Between performances I switched to another card and kept shooting for another hour or so and another 1000+ photos without any problems.

 

The card I had in when the error happened was a 64GB SanDisk Extreme Pro (big electronics store so most likely original, no problems with it before). The jpgs were using Classic Chrome but no custom recipe/processing. Trying to recover the data from the card only showed some old photos (I formatted the card in this camera before the event). Activity and FFDB folders on the card only show data for the next day when I was fiddling around with data recovery.

 

Anybody running into a similar issue? Would you blame it on X-S10 not being in the T-one-digit or X-H flagship line so actually my fault because it's not meant to shoot a thousand photos in an hour? The coincidence that it was actually 9999 (not just 0999) number? Something to do with the transfer order?

 

[MCPepsh]

I actually have a pretty similar error on my X-S10 as well. I regularly run into write/read errors with all of my 3 different SD cards.

I've done some tests today and got an interesting discovery: I can take 1001 photos without any problems and then get a write error . If I restart the camera I can take another 2 photos just to get the next write error. From then on, the problem is there to stay. Only formating the SD card fixes the issue ""permanently"" (it of course comes back after I take more than 1001 photos 🙄).

Since I can take 2 photos without an error after the first error occured, I think the actual breaking point is at 999 pictures, not after 1001. That would fit to your case.

Anyway, it does not matter, which folder the photos are in. In my experiment I crossed the folder limit once and it kept working for quite a while. Only after hitting >999 pictures in total (spread over the two folders) the first error occured.

I already contacted Fujifilm support and they told me to try an officially compatible SD card first. Before both my cards where from a brand called "Peter Hadley" which seems to be a private label of some kind. So I got a SanDisk Extreme Pro 128 GB now but still get the exact same error. I think I will send it in to Fujifilm in hopes that they offer me a repair that I can (and want to) afford.

[Ceci]

I have an X-T5 and am having the same problems with write errors in both SD slots. I'm using Lexar Pro cards that have been formatted for the camera. Any suggestions other than sending it back (at great expense) to Fuji Canada?

 

[George_P]

I don’t have the S10 and also I don’t shoot so many pics in one go, so I can’t comment on the “1000 shots error”, sorry. Please let us know if you get some more information on this.

But, @Ceci, if you are talking about write errors other than that, I would definitely try other cards before sending the camera for repair. I use Sandisk Pro and I have never seen a write error in my X-T10, X-T2, X-T5.