[starchild]

I'm not really sure about this, it's my daughter's camera, she has had this problem with it before. This time she spent the day taking pictures (company there) and closed the cd (she says is the only way you can remove it) and it won't pick up pictures in her PC (or her sons, both of them are fairly new, and she'd used them before)

It's a Sony Mavica digital camera, (cost $499. 2 years ago) uses mini CDs (and from what I've heard she's gotten so she hates it (LOL)

She said she closed out the CD (which should be okay) put it in her PC and it says it's not correctly formatted for Windows, or no disk, or other error messages. Same with her son's PC. I'm not reallly sure about this, just that she can't get the pictures off it. She said the first time, some of the pictures showed up, than it stopped.

I told her to bring it to my house next time she comes (next few days) and I'd see what I can do with it. I'm thinking of a disc recovery program of some kind? I've used these before, downloaded, saved on a CD and run- it picks up off something that's been accidentally erased or not working right. You know what I mean.

I know this isn't much information to go on, and I can probably find out more, but if someone knows more about these cameras and mini CDs they might understand it?

Thanks,

Carrie

[xgerryx]

There are a few different models of CD mavicas with problems peculiar to each model so knowing the correct model number is going to be important.

I have an older CD 1000 myself and it has different problems with different breeds of cd. No problems if I use the imation or verbatim cds, but problems with others.

Sometimes after finalizing, the photos from the last session would not be visible. But I found that buy creating another initialize & finalise session with another 1/2 doz shots on it those images could be recovered. One breed of cd would simply spit the dummy after a few shots but I didn't persevere with recovery as they only had test shots on them.

[starchild]

Okay, I'll find out more details later today. It being a holiday weekend she has lots of company (thus the pictures she'd like to get off the disk)

I asked if she used cheap cds, she said she used the ones that go with the camera. But she's had this happen before.

I thought Imation was a cheap brand, going by regular blank cds. but then I thought the Mavica was one of the best cameras. I remember hearing about them when they came out using floppy disks, and some saying they doubted floppies would be good for saving pictures. But, it seemed like the pictures taken with them were really good.

I'll find out the model number.

I'm looking at better (than I have) digital cameras myself now, and thinking of sticking with the memory/flash card ones.

I'll get back to this, thanks.

~ Carrie

[starchild]

Okay, getting back with the info (and I have the mini cd here it's a Memorex.) I haven't tried it on my CD-Rom yet. I might also try copying it and using a "data recovery" disk I have) The camera is SmartZoom MVC CD 350 (Sony Mavica)

She has had this problem before off and on. She said with this one when she first put it in, the last pictures she had taken showed on it, but not all. She tried it again and got error messages saying it wasn't formatted right or wasn't able to take them off. I'm not sure what.
She recently moved here (VT) from FL, so is still kind of unsettled and this isn't something she has time to find out about and deal with. Which I why I offered to try.

I enjoy a challange and know there are so many smart people here to help.

I probably should have tried opening it myself before writing this. As for the data recovery, not sure what it is, I dl'd it once and put it on a cd, after accidentally going over some files when burning a cd. It brought them back up for me. So, I'm thinking it might do the same on the mini disk, the pictures are probably still there.

~ Carrie

[erick295]

Best solution for the future? Get a different camera! There's no reason to record to a CD directly, with 512MB flash cards costing less than $50, and card readers costing another $10. Mavicas were useful in certain situations when they first came out, but at this point they are obsolete. I'm shocked that Sony tried to continue the brand using CD's. They should have quit while they were ahead.

[starchild]

It's not my camera. My daughter bought it, 2 1/2 years ago. It was supposedly one of THE BEST (at the time) She paid $500 for it. She doesn't really like it, fighting with the CDs and trying to figure it out, how to use it. Before the CD ones they had floppy disk ones. People said floppies weren't good for pictures (and as you say, a flash/memory card is just as good, I just bought my grandson a 32 MB one for $9.99, with free shipping). But, I also know someone who has one of the first floppy disk ones, that takes great pictures.
I've been trying things, I tried a data recovery I had saved, but it only showed the drives A, C and F (removable- I have a san disk for a memory card. Even when I unplugged this from the USB port it showed) It didn't show the E or D CD drives the mini CD would be in.
I then tried IsoBuster, but it kept saying "not responding". I hadn't used it in years (think I only used it once) so I'm dl'ing int again.
I mainly want to get the pictures off to see if I can. I think the newest pictures she took went on and overrode the previous ones, instead of adding on to them. Which means they are all still there. I had this happen with a regular CD I added files and it didn't add them, it overwrote them. But they were still there.

Speaking of cameras, what you you recomend for a good digital (maybe a SLR-digital) for around $500? Something not too complicated, that has a good lens and megapixels to take clear pics that could be enlarged or sold. I like memory cards. I have some Olypus (models) to look into and some Canon ( on is The Rebel). I know someone who just bought a new Kodak EasyShare, ($300) which has a nice big LCD screen and great zoom (right in close) and settings up to 5 megapixels, but I don't think the EasyShares take really good clear (when enlarged) pictures. At least the older ones I've seen don't. It's more than the megapixels, it's the lens, too.

~ Carrie

[erick295]

The Canon Digital Rebel XT is an excellent camera. It will cost about $800 online, but it is well worth it if you want an SLR. I've gotten one recently, and I am extremely impressed with its quality, considering its price. But don't get an SLR unless you're going to be using different lenses or you want the manual controls. Although there's no real alternative to having the larger lenses and sensor of an SLR (both of which produce better image quality), there are fixed lens cameras out there that are almost as good for a much lower price (around $500, as you said).

Sony makes very good cameras, although in the case of the newer Mavicas, the media is a nightmare. But their other cameras use flash memory. And the Mavicas are fine for image quality and so on, but I can't imagine why anyone would want to mess with CD's, especially with the mess those cameras usually leave them in... lol.

I would get a Nikon, Canon, or Sony. Some will disagree with me on this, but I'd personally avoid Olympus.

[starchild]

Thanks for the info. I've never had Olypus, I asked on another group and someone recommended this (and the Canon Rebel)

Story is... I now have a 5+ year old PC (HP Brio, old style small monitor, not much hd and memory) Lexmark 5150 All in One printer and currently Epson 750Z digital I bought on ebay (used) last year for $86. Before that I had the Epson 650 but I wanted zoom.

I'm 62 years old, low-income (SS due to husband being disabled) and got into computers 7 years ago) I've learned a lot, on my own and with much help from people on boards like this, and realized I love doing this. Photography, art (PhotoShop, etc) MS Publisher (know there are other programs but this seemed easiest to start and I have Office 2000). I've had to scrimpt to get what I have, and still do (like not paying a bill to buy paper, to see how it works for printing cards, etc.) I haven't done much for money, so far I'm mainly practicing- offering to make things for people (family and friends). Websites, business cards, flyers. I just made flyers and business cards for my daughter starting her cleaning business (in a new location) and she loves them says they're the best she's ever had and people who call from seeing them comment on them. Since I live in a scenic/tourist area (northern VT) there's also the idea of printing notecards. To put in gift shops, sell from a website, or ebay. Having them printed elsewhere (even from online) might be better but is too expensive to be able to sell them and make a profit.

I spend a lot of time with this, and not on housework (LOL) But, I was a wife and mother for over 40 years. Now I'm a great grandmother, and finding out my passion in life.

I have had SLRs (film ones) in past years, and tried to do something with this (photography) but it was too expensive (film, processing) I had 2 Pentex K-1000s and a Minolta 35 mm (in the 80's) which came with an interchangealbe zoom lens.

Not sure if I need this now, for what I want to do, which is why I'm starting to ask and look into it.

I've been offered a loan by a family member- low (no interest) payments. Not unlimited, but I figured around $500 range for the camera. I know, I should get a big, expensive PC (and I've already been told I need a mac- but I've never used one and all my programs are PC and I'm sure this is good enough for what I want to do right now). I'm figuring a new, better (bigger) PC, but focus on a better camera and printer (inkjet) first.

This is still in the process, so I've started to look/ask around mainly about cameras. Everyone has their favorities, I know.

Not sure if I need an SLR and interchangable lens, but I like the idea of manual (option), for low light, etc. Something not too fancy, but something I can learn and maybe grow into. Does the Canon Rebel XT have a built in ZOOM and not a separate lens?

I like the idea of built in, because sometimes you don't have time to stop and change a lens. Or carry it around with a big, heavy one.

One of my daughters had a Kodak EasyShare (not sure the model) which cost $250 and I didn't think it took clear pictures at all. It has more megapixels than my Epson (which has 1.9 but must have a really good LENS, also) but she'd send me pictures and they wouldn't be good at bigger sizes. She just got a new EasyShare $300 (giving price because I don't know the model numbers) which works really good. Has a huge lcd screen in back and zooms in really close (maybe 10X?) It has several settings, going up to 5 MPs. It doesn't have a regular viewfinder. She sent me pictures from it, and they're better than her last one, but I don't think they have that clear, sharp look that can be enlarged. I'm guessing that Kodak puts in megapixels and features, but skimps on the quality of the lens, which must be a factor, too. (the best camera I ever had, for picture quality was a WW2 Exacta 35mm. Back in the 70's it broke, and I gave it away, thinking it was old and I'd never get it fixed. After I was sorry, because I could have kept the removable lens. But, because of this, I realize it's a lot the lens and now with megapixels everyone one wants more and more of, the lens has to be good, too)

Sorry if this is too long and rambling and got off topic from the Sony CD problem. My daughter (who owns it) is finding out the problems with it and I keep hearing "I HATE THIS CAMERA!"

I tried last night, using Isobuster (took 2 hours to read the little CD) and still only came up with the 20 pictures (old ones on the cd) and only 19 of them will show. I think on the 20th one there is an error and this prevented the remaining pictures she took on it after from being saved. Since she had company and took a lot of pictures after the first ones, she really wanted to get them off if they are there. Isobuster seems to be mainly for gettihng audio files off (going by what it shows, calling them tracks) I tried a data recovery file I once dl'd and have on a CD but all that came up are drives A, C and removable drive F (my san disk) and not the CD-ROM (E) and my CD-burner drive (D)

I may look around for another free data recovery program but I don't think the newer pictures got saved on the CD. I had been hoping they did and just weren't showing.

This isn't something I'm too familiar with.

Anyway, I put in my "life story" about the camera, pc, etc in case anyone else reading this might have some ideas and suggestions, too. I should look in the PHOTO thread below and see what people use for cameras for the big, beautiful, clear pictures they take and post there. But, my PC (and dialup) makes it really slow to open them.

Thanks for the feedback

~ Carrie

[erick295]

Originally Posted by starchild

Does the Canon Rebel XT have a built in ZOOM and not a separate lens?

The Rebel XT is just a body, it has no lens. You have to buy lenses separately (or get the kit that includes one). They run about $250-1000 each, depending on the quality.

Most point-and-shoot cameras have manual settings (especially the more expensive ones), but they are somewhat limited. Their lenses do not have a wide range of apeture settings, and focusing manually is a pain if you're using an LCD screen (it's soooo much easier with a viewfinder). Also, very few point-and-shoots have exposure meters (although I've seen some Sony cameras that have them).

Digital SLR's are far from cheap, but if you really want to get into photography, they are a good investment. If you're familiar with film SLR's, digital SLR's are exactly the same... the only difference is they use a sensor instead of film.

[starchild]

Okay, the Canon Rebel XT is just a body- there's one they advertise on TV (it takes multiple shots fast) I wasn't paying attention the last time I saw it, thinking I'd never be able to buy one that expensive.

I want one that's a GOOD digital (with a zoom) it doesn't have to be $1200 or something professional type, but something more than a fun- take pictures of the family and pets one.

If that makes sense (LOL)

when I first got digitals I used the LCD, but now I find I use the viewfinder more.

It's just going to be a big deal purchase for me, so I want to look at various brands and models and see what everything has. My daughter thought the Sony Mavica was THE BEST (and I did too, at the time) but she has lost more pictures because of the mini CDs. She said the Sony brand ones worked okay, but she can't find them anymore.

The one I have Memorex, I was trying to get pictures off with recovery programs apparently doesn't have them on it. She saw them on the camera as she took them (played them back on it) but they're not on the CD.

I wonder if the camera itself has a memory they might have saved on instead? My Epson does this, saves (some) in it's own memory when the flash card is full or not in.

She would have to transfer them onto the CD if so.

the last recovery program I used said the cd was damaged and nothing on it. What good is the best camera if the pictures don't save or can't be found?

~ Carrie

[starchild]

The latest is... my daughter said she put another blank CD in the camera and it already says disk error so she's not going to use it anymore. Of course I said "let me take it and see if I can find out how to get it working, what's the best CDs to buy for it (she said Sony ones always worked but she hasn't been able to find them)" And, she could use my older camera (the Epson Photo PC 650. She once had one exactly like it, before she bought the Mavica) At some point, maybe today, we'll trade and I'll have the Mavica ( SmartZoom MVC CD 350) So, if anyone has any ideas, what kind of mini CDs to try, maybe it needs cleaning? Is there a lens cleaner CD for this (like for full size CD/CD-ROMs)? She's had it a little over 2 years. She's also complained about how complicated and technical it is, and how she barely knew how to use it, even with the huge instruction booklet.
But, I have this discussion board to get help.
We didn't really trade cameras (for good) just "for now". Of course, if I get it so it works I will be able to use it. She'll probably be just as happy with the old Epson, that she understands and usually works (if the batteries are okay)
Thanks,
Carrie

[starchild]

Could this be a factor? Using a CD-R mini disk and not a CD-RW?

From: http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/so...ndex_pfv.shtml (this is a review for the 500 and not the 350 she has, but the same idea)

CD-R discs are write-once discs -- there's no deleting photos (well, you can, but you don't get the space back). Using CD-R discs is a lot like using film -- you take your pictures and when you run out, it's time to buy another CD-R disc. Sony sells 10 packs of CD-R media for $20.

I'm not sure if my daughter knows about this or the difference in how they work.

Could it be that simple?

~ Carrie

[starchild]

Another one. I know she talks about closing out the disk (it won't come out otherwise?)

But this might be something else. In the case of the CD I have and tried to find other pictures on, all it had on it was the first 20 pictures, and only 19 of them were okay. All the pictures she took after that (and saw- looked at on the camera while doing it) seem to be gone. I bolded the line I noticed. It seems like it might relate because she took more pictures on this CD, that didn't come on it. Though she has had other mini cds and been using the camera for over 2 years. Maybe she always had CD-RW before and didn't realize the difference?

Here's the deal with using discs. When you're ready to pop your CD-R or CD-RW disc into your CD-ROM drive, you must first "finalize" it. This adds some 13MB to the disc and can take a minute or two. When you're done, it will work in your computer, assuming you are running Windows. If you have a CD-RW drive, you often do not have to finalize the disc to use it (it really depends on what equipment you have). If you want to add more photos to the disc, you will need to initialize the disc. This won't erase anything, but it will take up more space on the CD-R disc. For CD-RW, you can "unfinalize" which will get some of that 13MB back.

A CD-RW drive would be a CD burner?

[xgerryx]

It could be that the writer is had it or on its way out. This is not uncommon for these things.

I would suggest these steps.

1. Clean the readers lens with one of those small camera cleaning bellows type brushes.
(be very careful)

2. Avoid CD-RW at this stage and use only cd-r's (cd-rw's tend to be more prone to problems.)

3. Read up the manual and get to know the initialize and finalise procedures.

[starchild]

I now have the camera. There were some extra CDs with it (Memorex CD-R) I tried them on my CD-ROM and 2 were blank. One I put in said "disk error" (this is the one my daughter had tried). The other one asked to be initialized, which I figured out how to do, it did it, and I took a picture with the camera. I'm going to use it for awhile then see about getting the cds off.
That's a good point about the manual, it does seem complicated. It has initialize, UNinitialize, finalize and all sorts of settings. I see some of them (like white light) has an auto, I can start with that.
I don't have any kind of lens cleaner. Just a full size CD with little brushes embedded in it, to use in a stereo or CD-ROM drive.

Thanks, I'll report back with the results in a day or so. I have to figure out about closing it out (finalizing?) I think this is what's required to be able to see it on the computer from the CD-ROM?
It would help to know what I'm doing.
~ Carrie