T4i Isn't accepting any memory card.

[namesiwharas]

Hello. I've had a T4i for over two years now. The camera has been completely unusable for more than 6 months beause it won't read any SD card I insert. I keep getting an error that says: card cannot be accessed. Reinsert/change card or format card with camera. However, I have tried multiple cards and when I attempt to reformat I get this error: Cannot format. Change Card. I'm at my wits end and really can't afford to repair the camera. Is there anything else I can do?

[TCampbell]

Have you physically looked in the slot to see if there's some debris inside?

SD cards have tiny plastic fins between each gold contact at the end of the card.  The fins make it difficult for something to short across two hold contacts (e.g. if you stick the card in your pocket and there also happens to be some coins in your pocket.

HOWEVER... I have seen these fins get damaged if the card is inserted the wrong way (e.g. label facing front of camera instead of back of camera).  It makes a bit of a mess and some of the bits of plastic can get stuck in slot.

If anything is preventing the contact pins in the slot from being able to make contact with the card, you'd probably get this error.  If you do see anything stuck inside and it doesn't want to fall out on it's own with a few taps, then you might use something non-conductive (like a tooth-pick) to see if you can work it free.    Be gentle.

[Mykolas]

Hi namesiwharas!

If what Tim suggested does not resolve the issue, the camera will need to be repaired.  To start the repair process, you'll need to complete a Repair Request on our website.

[mark2ther]

I had this same problem a while ago.  It was still under warranty and I sent it in, but they made me pay for it anyway.  Now it has happened again.  I have hardly used the camera in between these two failures - obviously there's some problem with it.  I can't imagine spending another $300 to get it repaired again just to see it fail a few months later.  I am really upset with Canon and can't see myself ever buying another Canon camera again after this.

[ebiggs1]

If it is just a few months, your "warranty" paid repair is probably still under warranty.  IMHO, $300 bucks to repair a T4i is ridiculous.  You should be furious.

[mark2ther]

I should correct myself.  I was so upset about my camera not working that I posted before double checking the details.  The first time, the SD card wouldn't lock into the slot, whereas this time it does but the camera won't recognize any of the cards I tried to put in it (so it's not the exact same problem).  I had it repaired in February, so perhaps it was more than just "a few months."  And they only charged me $200, not $300, to fix it.  Nevertheless, they should have repaired it for free the first time, and the fact that the same part is failing again does not inspire confidence in the product or the customer support.

[maximvsv]

I have a variation on this. My T4i will only work with one specific microSD adapter card. It will not work with any full size SDcard. It will not work with a microSD card in another adapter. The adapter is from SanDisk, and no other SanDisk microSD adapter will work. But every microSD card put into this specific SanDisk adapter will work. The firmware in the body is not out of date. I went through a settings refresh. I tried formatting cards in the body and formatting working cards on a computer or in other Canon bodies. I can't see any debris in the card slot, and nothing on the working adapter indicates that a contact is out of place or corroded. What could cause something like that?

[Waddizzle]

What are the capacities of the micro-SD cards you are trying to use with the T4i?

The T4i is not compatible SDXC memory cards, which are 64GB and larger.  You need to SD or SDHC memory cards, 32GB or smaller.

[maximvsv]

I did try one 64GB and 128GB, just to see whether they would even register. I have tried cards from 2GB to 32GB, and full size SDcards and microSD cards with adapters. Just as a stroke of luck, I had one 16GB Sandisk Ultra A1 98MB/s microSD card with adapter that I tried in the camera, and it worked. Afterward, I put that same microSD card into a different adapter (four different adapters, actually, including two other Sandisk brand adapters), and it did not work. I put it back into the original adapter, and it worked again. I put other microSD cards into the original Sandisk adapter from the 16GB card, and the other microSD cards worked. When I tried those microSD cards in other adapters, they did not work. I got a duplicate 16GB Sandisk Ultra A1 98MB/s microSD card with adapter, and that did not work. I swapped the duplicate 16GB Sandisk Ultra A1 98MB/s microSD card into the original Sandisk adapter, and then it worked with the camera. 

So far, it really is only this one adapter that will work with the camera.

[Waddizzle]

“So far, it really is only this one adapter that will work with the camera.”. 

That pretty much sums up the issue.  Doesn’t it?  Micro-SD cards and adapters are problem.  They are not recommended for use in Canon DSLRs.

You need to stick to using full-size SD cards with a maximum capacity of 32GB.