EOS R6 Mark II SD card can't be read error

[grimstadkarisa]

I ran into an issue the other day where some of my Ultra 120mb,San Disk 64gb cards I had shot on all wedding season long started showing errors that the card could be read. I do photography, not video. I've never had an issue with shooting these cards. They're legit cards. I only ever low level format in camera.

So I systematically tested the cards in both of my r6ii cameras and also took out my EOS 6D for testing.Some cards worked in one R6ii and not the other. Some worked in one slot and not the other in a camera and worked in both slots of the other camera. Some worked in both cameras. Some did not work at all. The 32gb worked in both cameras.

I then tested each card in my Canon EOS6D and the were all able to write the image file.

After taking that photo I ran each card through the same process in each camera, in each card slot and EVERY CARD WORKED. 

I just updated the software from 1.5.0 to 1.6.0 and the cards still work. 

Does anyone think I should be concerned that these will have issues again? I will test some scenarios of shooting. Use my card reader. Etc. I do need to purchase new cards, but I really would rather not buy UHS2 per the expense. 
Thank you for any advice.

[deebatman316]

Hi @grimstadkarisa welcome to the foums. How many pictures are you trying to take at once? The cards you have may NOT be fast enough for the camera. There’s a reason why most R series cameras recommend them. It’s not only for video mode but for stills too. Where were these cards purchased from and how long have you had them for. There have been cases of counterfeit memory cards in the forum. Are these full sized SD Cards or Micro SD Cards in an adapter. Adapted Micro SD Cards cause all sorts of problems. I highly recommend discontinuing the use of them. They are NOT designed for use in Canon cameras. I’ll reach out to my colleague @March411 he owns the EOS R6 Mark II.

[March411]

Grimstadkarisa

Sorry to hear you are having challenges. It sounds like the firmware update to Version 1.6.0 resolved the challenge but since these SD cards support your livelihood I would do a little more testing to make sure they are 100%.

For your case in particular Grimstadkarisa, I would upgrade my cards to the v60. They are faster and it would be best to add some new cards to your gear; it sounds like the others have been around a while.

While the v60’s are $60 more than the v30 missing wedding photos can result in a much larger expense when the bride insists on compensation for lost memories. I tried shooting weddings for a bit for additional revenue. People believe it’s easy cash, it’s not even close and when you get a bridezilla they can’t pay you enough.

Anyway, I did have some buffering challenges with my R6 Mk II. I don’t shoot video, ever, so I was using SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD cards. I moved to the same card but V60, 6K, 4K UHD and also updated my firmware. The challenges were resolved, I haven't had a single problem since but I changed two components at the same time, I'm not sure if the firmware resolved it or the upgraded cards. .

Also, and I sorry if this is redundant but if you are moving SD cards to different camera’s always format the card in the camera you are shooting if it’s empty. It doesn’t happen often but when I have moved cards, which are clean,, empty but formatted in my R6 Mk II to my R3 I get a card full error. I’ve never tried to move a card with images on it from one camera to another since I didn’t know the outcome and didn’t want to risk images on the card.

[grimstadkarisa]

Thanks for the response. I am not use micro SD's in an adapter. I have used these for 2+ years. Looking back at my amazon purchases I did not buy them from Sandisk directly, but third party. I will purchase new cards directly through Sandisk!

[grimstadkarisa]

Thanks for responding. Looking back at my amazon purchases I did not buy them from Sandisk directly, but third party. Your advice on quality and assurance of working cards compared to the cost of losing wedding photos for a client paying XXXX is sound! I'll look it up, but why the V60 vs the V90? 

[March411]

Strictly price, I bought one V60 card and tested it full burst and it gave me what I needed, the buffer only hung up after very long bursts. If you can swing better cards the V90's it's always a plus but guys that normally shoot video pick them up, not the guys shooting stills. 

Shooting weddings the other thing to consider is several cards. Shoot the ceremony, make sure you have the images you need and pull the card, place it into a protective case and load a freshly formatted card for the reception. This way you are protecting the assets from the ceremony.

BH photo has the SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC Memory Card for $110 and is a very reliable source.

Also, when shooting weddings are you recording to multiple, Writes the same file to both cards simultaneously, ensuring a backup. Also a good idea when shooting weddings. If you are sorry for stating the obvious but I wanted to check. Losing images is always a drag.

[grimstadkarisa]

Thanks Marc! Just ordered 6 new 64gb UHSii V90s from B&H. I don't shoot many bursts at a wedding. The r6ii shoots so fast on single shot I hardly need it. I do record to multiple every wedding on two camera and the goal is to stay under 64gb anyways for less post culling headaches! haha. Thank you for checking! I'll have to check and add more cards for my second's/associates cameras.

[March411 · Accepted solution]

Sounds like a great plan, glad we could help out. The R6 Mk II is a real nice camera so I'm glad you've resolved the challenges. Good luck on future shoots and don't be a stranger, come back and let us know how it works out, to shoot the breeze or help out other members.

Have a good weekend!