Canon S10 and CF card problem.

ASAAR wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:58:11 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:
>
>
>>I have a vintage 1999 Canon S10 2MP camera.
>>I use it mainly as a loaner to friends who visit without a camera.
>>Until just recently it worked well and produced very good 8x10s
>>Now when I insert a CF card, the camera flashes the message,
>>"CF card error". I tried 4 different CF cards, all of which work fine in
>>my Canon S45 4MP camera. They all failed in the S10.
>>Also, images on the card taken by the S45 do not display on the S10.
>>The Troubleshooting Section of the Canon Manual says that if you get
>>that error message it means that your CF card is faulty. But I know that
>>the cards are fine because they work normally in my S45.
>>Any Ideas .....Anybody?
>>Or is it just time to say goodbye to my venerable S10?
>
>
> I had an S10 until it became a Christmas present to a young
> relative last December. (I still have my slightly younger S20
> though). As nice as the little bricks are, it's probably time to
> say goodbye. There are two things I'd try before getting rid of it.
> First, with a good light, check the camera's card socket for debris
> or a bent pin or two. Second, remove the batteries, both the main
> battery and the button cell. You want to keep them out long enough
> to allow the S10's CPU to completely reset itself when the batteries
> are reinserted. Replace the batteries after 10 minutes. If the
> time and date and all memory settings haven't been completely wiped
> out, the batteries need to be kept out longer. In this case, or if
> it appears that everything was wiped out but the camera still hasn't
> recovered, try once more, but this time keep the batteries out for a
> day or two. If the camera now works, it's a keeper. If it doesn't,
> it's a goner, and should be given a dignified burial.
>
Could also be something as simple as a "type 1 vs type 2" CF card
issue.. your camera may be too old to read the type 2 stuff..

I only bring it up because I remember it being a selling feature of the
G2, so your camera might simply not read the newer format.

My 2c
P.

--
Unless otherwise indicated, anything I write is either garnered from
experience or pulled out of my ass, depending on situational needs..
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:23:11 GMT, Philippe wrote:

> Could also be something as simple as a "type 1 vs type 2" CF card
> issue.. your camera may be too old to read the type 2 stuff..
>
> I only bring it up because I remember it being a selling feature of the
> G2, so your camera might simply not read the newer format.

Possible but unlikely in this case, since the OP tried so many
cards. The best test of your theory would be to try the original
card that was supplied with the camera if it's still available
(4MB?). When I gave away my S10, I included a 256MB card with it,
and if I'm not mistaken, it also worked with an even more recent
512MB card.
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

Philippe wrote:
> ASAAR wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:58:11 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:
>>
>>
>>> I have a vintage 1999 Canon S10 2MP camera.
>>> I use it mainly as a loaner to friends who visit without a camera.
>>> Until just recently it worked well and produced very good 8x10s
>>> Now when I insert a CF card, the camera flashes the message,
>>> "CF card error". I tried 4 different CF cards, all of which work fine
>>> in my Canon S45 4MP camera. They all failed in the S10.
>>> Also, images on the card taken by the S45 do not display on the S10.
>>> The Troubleshooting Section of the Canon Manual says that if you get
>>> that error message it means that your CF card is faulty. But I know
>>> that the cards are fine because they work normally in my S45.
>>> Any Ideas .....Anybody?
>>> Or is it just time to say goodbye to my venerable S10?
>>
>>
>>
>> I had an S10 until it became a Christmas present to a young
>> relative last December. (I still have my slightly younger S20
>> though). As nice as the little bricks are, it's probably time to
>> say goodbye. There are two things I'd try before getting rid of it.
>> First, with a good light, check the camera's card socket for debris
>> or a bent pin or two. Second, remove the batteries, both the main
>> battery and the button cell. You want to keep them out long enough
>> to allow the S10's CPU to completely reset itself when the batteries
>> are reinserted. Replace the batteries after 10 minutes. If the
>> time and date and all memory settings haven't been completely wiped
>> out, the batteries need to be kept out longer. In this case, or if
>> it appears that everything was wiped out but the camera still hasn't
>> recovered, try once more, but this time keep the batteries out for a
>> day or two. If the camera now works, it's a keeper. If it doesn't,
>> it's a goner, and should be given a dignified burial.
>>
> Could also be something as simple as a "type 1 vs type 2" CF card
> issue.. your camera may be too old to read the type 2 stuff..
>
> I only bring it up because I remember it being a selling feature of the
> G2, so your camera might simply not read the newer format.
>
> My 2c
> P.
>
Nope!
It's the same CF that has worked for years.
Bob
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

ASAAR wrote:

> On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:23:11 GMT, Philippe wrote:
>
>
>>Could also be something as simple as a "type 1 vs type 2" CF card
>>issue.. your camera may be too old to read the type 2 stuff..
>>
>>I only bring it up because I remember it being a selling feature of the
>>G2, so your camera might simply not read the newer format.
>
>
> Possible but unlikely in this case, since the OP tried so many
> cards. The best test of your theory would be to try the original
> card that was supplied with the camera if it's still available
> (4MB?). When I gave away my S10, I included a 256MB card with it,
> and if I'm not mistaken, it also worked with an even more recent
> 512MB card.

Amazingly enough, I still had the original 8 MB card. Whooo! Whooo!
I tried 8, 32, 64, and 128MB cards......All failed.
I like your idea of looking for debris or a broken pin.
Either situation would cause the problem.
Since it was often used as a loaner, it is quite possible that it was
mishandled. Thanks for the tip.
I'll jump on that ASAP.
Bob Williams
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

On Sat, 12 Aug 2006 23:58:11 -0700, Bob Williams
<mytbob RemoveThis @cox.nospam.net> wrote:

>I have a vintage 1999 Canon S10 2MP camera.
>I use it mainly as a loaner to friends who visit without a camera.
>Until just recently it worked well and produced very good 8x10s
>Now when I insert a CF card, the camera flashes the message,
>"CF card error". I tried 4 different CF cards, all of which work fine in
>my Canon S45 4MP camera. They all failed in the S10.
>Also, images on the card taken by the S45 do not display on the S10.
>The Troubleshooting Section of the Canon Manual says that if you get
>that error message it means that your CF card is faulty. But I know that
>the cards are fine because they work normally in my S45.
>Any Ideas .....Anybody?
>Or is it just time to say goodbye to my venerable S10?
>Bob Williams

Bob Williams,
Sadly it does sound like it may be the end of the
line for your trusty S10 digital camera. Canon has moved their entire
line of P&S digital cameras over to SD memory for 2 main reasons as I
understand it.

1> Physically it *is* possible to install a CF card in it's card slot
sideways & with a bit too much insertion force & or wiggling the card,
the pins in the camera can be damaged by this. Either pins get bent
or pushed out of position. So to prevent this, Canon opted to migrate
over to the SD cards which can also be installed incorrectly but
*without* damage to either the card or the camera.

2> The SD card is physically smaller which is an obvious plus for both
compact & sub-compact camera designs.

Good luck, I hope the difficulty turns out to be something
that you can fix. Be advised that if it is a bent pin & you attempt
to straiten it, be certain you have 1st remove all power (batteries) &
be willing to settle for an *almost* strait pin. If you try for
perfection, you risk breaking the pin off. If the pin is pushed in
you may be able to pull it back with a pair of strait hemostat pliers
(Stainless steel surgical pliers).

Respectfully, DHB


"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

Bob Williams wrote:

>
>
> ASAAR wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 13 Aug 2006 15:23:11 GMT, Philippe wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Could also be something as simple as a "type 1 vs type 2" CF card
>>> issue.. your camera may be too old to read the type 2 stuff..
>>>
>>> I only bring it up because I remember it being a selling feature of
>>> the G2, so your camera might simply not read the newer format.
>>
>>
>>
>> Possible but unlikely in this case, since the OP tried so many
>> cards. The best test of your theory would be to try the original
>> card that was supplied with the camera if it's still available
>> (4MB?). When I gave away my S10, I included a 256MB card with it,
>> and if I'm not mistaken, it also worked with an even more recent
>> 512MB card.
>
>
> Amazingly enough, I still had the original 8 MB card. Whooo! Whooo!
> I tried 8, 32, 64, and 128MB cards......All failed.
> I like your idea of looking for debris or a broken pin.
> Either situation would cause the problem.
> Since it was often used as a loaner, it is quite possible that it was
> mishandled. Thanks for the tip.
> I'll jump on that ASAP.
> Bob Williams


No Luck.
Pins were straight and the CF slot was pristine.
I removed all batteries and waited 18 hours before re-installing them
(Kind of like rebooting a computer)....Nothing worked.
I'm afraid I will have to hold a Requiem for my "Little Brick".
It has served me well for nearly 7 years.
Thanks to all for your suggestions and sympathy.
Bob Williams
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 01:10:12 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:

> No Luck.
> Pins were straight and the CF slot was pristine.
> I removed all batteries and waited 18 hours before re-installing them
> (Kind of like rebooting a computer)....Nothing worked.
> I'm afraid I will have to hold a Requiem for my "Little Brick".
> It has served me well for nearly 7 years.
> Thanks to all for your suggestions and sympathy.

Oh well, sorry to hear that. At least you now can now have some
more junk to save (if you're the type) - an assortment of cables and
a proprietary battery charger for your collection. I assume that
you bought one. I had to, as the cost of primary lithiums would
have kept me from using the little Powershots very much.
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

ASAAR wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 01:10:12 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:
>
>
>>No Luck.
>>Pins were straight and the CF slot was pristine.
>>I removed all batteries and waited 18 hours before re-installing them
>>(Kind of like rebooting a computer)....Nothing worked.
>>I'm afraid I will have to hold a Requiem for my "Little Brick".
>>It has served me well for nearly 7 years.
>>Thanks to all for your suggestions and sympathy.
>
>
> Oh well, sorry to hear that. At least you now can now have some
> more junk to save (if you're the type) - an assortment of cables and
> a proprietary battery charger for your collection. I assume that
> you bought one. I had to, as the cost of primary lithiums would
> have kept me from using the little Powershots very much.


I'll keep the "junk" because I'll pick up another S10 on Ebay, cheap.
A friend,, to whom I loaned my S10, liked it so well that he lurked on
ebay and picked up a keeper for $25.
One reason I want to have an S10 is because I made a wireless remote
control for it so I could trip the shutter from 50 feet away.
I hacked into a little Remote Contolled auto and custom mounted the
little servo motor on the S10. I could snap macros of birds at my feeder
while having my breakfast........Very Cool!
Bob Williams
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 09:41:57 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:

>> Oh well, sorry to hear that. At least you now can now have some
>> more junk to save (if you're the type) - an assortment of cables and
>> a proprietary battery charger for your collection. I assume that
>> you bought one. I had to, as the cost of primary lithiums would
>> have kept me from using the little Powershots very much.
>
>
> I'll keep the "junk" because I'll pick up another S10 on Ebay, cheap.
> A friend,, to whom I loaned my S10, liked it so well that he lurked on
> ebay and picked up a keeper for $25.
> One reason I want to have an S10 is because I made a wireless remote
> control for it so I could trip the shutter from 50 feet away.
> I hacked into a little Remote Contolled auto and custom mounted the
> little servo motor on the S10. I could snap macros of birds at my feeder
> while having my breakfast........Very Cool!

In that case why not consider an S20 instead? It's virtually the
same camera, as you can tell from the manual that covers both
models, unless the manuals that accompanied the first few S10s
didn't mention the S20. Dpreview's review concludes with:

> Well, I loved the S10.. For me it was the first digital camera to have the
> quality of the best compact film cameras with great features, pocketability,
> image quality and a robust build. The S20 takes that to the next level with
> even better image quality, many white and colour balance improvements
> and the added resolution which places it above the current crop of
> 2.1 megapixel digicams.

Oh, and the most important difference of them all. The S20's
metal case is a 'champagne' color instead of the S10's silver. But
it should work just as well with your custom remote control.
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

ASAAR wrote:
> On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 09:41:57 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:
>
>
>>> Oh well, sorry to hear that. At least you now can now have some
>>>more junk to save (if you're the type) - an assortment of cables and
>>>a proprietary battery charger for your collection. I assume that
>>>you bought one. I had to, as the cost of primary lithiums would
>>>have kept me from using the little Powershots very much.
>>
>>
>>I'll keep the "junk" because I'll pick up another S10 on Ebay, cheap.
>>A friend,, to whom I loaned my S10, liked it so well that he lurked on
>>ebay and picked up a keeper for $25.
>>One reason I want to have an S10 is because I made a wireless remote
>>control for it so I could trip the shutter from 50 feet away.
>>I hacked into a little Remote Contolled auto and custom mounted the
>>little servo motor on the S10. I could snap macros of birds at my feeder
>>while having my breakfast........Very Cool!
>
>
> In that case why not consider an S20 instead? It's virtually the
> same camera, as you can tell from the manual that covers both
> models, unless the manuals that accompanied the first few S10s
> didn't mention the S20. Dpreview's review concludes with:
>
>
>>Well, I loved the S10.. For me it was the first digital camera to have the
>>quality of the best compact film cameras with great features, pocketability,
>>image quality and a robust build. The S20 takes that to the next level with
>>even better image quality, many white and colour balance improvements
>>and the added resolution which places it above the current crop of
>>2.1 megapixel digicams.
>
>
> Oh, and the most important difference of them all. The S20's
> metal case is a 'champagne' color instead of the S10's silver. But
> it should work just as well with your custom remote control.
>

That's a thought, if the dimensions are identical.
The jig I made to hold the servo firmly next to the shutter button is a
pretty precise fit. I'll check dpreview for the dimensions. If OK I'll
search ebay for a S20 also.
Bob
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 22:34:29 -0700, Bob Williams wrote:

>> Oh, and the most important difference of them all. The S20's
>> metal case is a 'champagne' color instead of the S10's silver. But
>> it should work just as well with your custom remote control.
>
> That's a thought, if the dimensions are identical.
> The jig I made to hold the servo firmly next to the shutter button is a
> pretty precise fit. I'll check dpreview for the dimensions. If OK I'll
> search ebay for a S20 also.

Near as I can tell their dimensions are identical. I have an old
freebie nylon case that Radio Shack stuffed a couple of blank 8mm
tapes in, and it doubled as a case for both the S10 and the S20. It
has no "give" and only the small rotating hand-strap connector keeps
it from being a perfect fit for both.
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem. 

Bob Williams wrote:

> I have a vintage 1999 Canon S10 2MP camera.
> I use it mainly as a loaner to friends who visit without a camera.
> Until just recently it worked well and produced very good 8x10s
> Now when I insert a CF card, the camera flashes the message,
> "CF card error". I tried 4 different CF cards, all of which work fine in
> my Canon S45 4MP camera. They all failed in the S10.
> Also, images on the card taken by the S45 do not display on the S10.
> The Troubleshooting Section of the Canon Manual says that if you get
> that error message it means that your CF card is faulty. But I know that
> the cards are fine because they work normally in my S45.
> Any Ideas .....Anybody?
> Or is it just time to say goodbye to my venerable S10?
> Bob Williams
>

Probably time to say goodbye. Six years is pretty good, about 3
generations of useful life.
 >> Stay informed about: Canon S10 and CF card problem.