EOS Rebel SL3 says SD card is locked but it's not

[galiapakar]

Hey folks,

Beginner having trouble formatting their SD card. I've made sure that I'm inserting my memory card correctly and that it's in the "unlocked" position, but even so, when I go to the menu to format it, the camera says it's locked. Any idea what's going on? Have already tried locking and unlocking, and the camera battery is new + fully charged.

Maybe it's just the wrong kind of card for the camera? Although online I've read that they are compatible. The camera is a new EOS Rebel SL3, and the card is a SansDisk 128GB "Extreme Pro," if that's helpful.

Thanks 👍

[BurnUnit]

Try using a smaller capacity card if you have one available. Have you tried formatting the card in Windows first, then formatting it again in the camera? And avoid using a micro SD card with an adapter. They can be troublesome when used in a camera designed for full size SD cards.

[galiapakar]

By smaller capacity, do you mean less than 128 GB, or do you mean smaller in some other sense?

[BurnUnit · Accepted solution]

Smaller than 128gb, like 32 or 64gb.

[BurnUnit]

It appears that maybe you've got the issue sorted out. But what exactly seemed to be causing the trouble? Someone else looking here for a solution to a similar problem night find the information helpful.

[galiapakar]

Seemed to just be a smaller capacity card that was needed. Thanks so much!

[BurnUnit]

Well that seems simple enough then. But it does sound a bit strange since the SL3 user manual does show that SD/XC cards should be compatible and they have capacities of up to 2TB! Maybe the "Extreme Speed" feature of your card is what was causing the glitch.

By the way, most everyone around here will recommend using 2 or 3 smaller capacity cards instead of one gigantic one. That way, if a card fails you don't necessarily lose everything you've shot.

[Waddizzle]

“ But it does sound a bit strange since the SL3 user manual does show that SD/XC cards should be compatible and they have capacities of up to 2TB! “

I totally agree.  It is strange.  But that is the reality of it.  The entry level DSLRs and SDXC memory cards do not agree with one another.  But, this is a first that I can recall someone having the issue with an “SL” Rebel body.  

The Canon DSLR lineup is comprised of four major families: Entry Level (xxxxD), Beginner Level (xxxd), Midrange (xxD), and Advanced (xD).  The “SL” series of Rebels most definitely entry level cameras, even though they have an international model name, 100D or 200D, that would normally fall into the beginner level range of cameras.

To sum it up.  The entry level Rebels like the T3, T5, T6, and T7 do not play well with SDXC memory cards, 64GB or larger.  It is strongly recommended that owners should use SDHC memory cards, 32GB or smaller.

The beginner level Rebels like the T3i, T5i, T6i, T7i, and T8i, do not seem to have any issues with the SDXC memory cards.  

Of course, it goes without saying to never use micro-SD memory cards.  These are the memory cards that require the plastic adapter case in order to fit inside Canon DSLRs.

[Tronhard]

Please also note that you should never use micro SD cards with an adapter, they often cause issues with cameras.  Always use full-size SD cards.