Lesson learned the hard way!

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Rant alert: I need to blow off some steam. Before I take it out on Canon, though, I will admit to full blame for not remembering to take the SD card out of my computer after uploading pictures last time. I'll also take responsibility for not being fully familiar with my new EOS 60D, yet. All settings are still set at factory defaults.

That said, man... this is hard to stomach!

A full day snapping photos, yesterday -- hundreds of shots at a once-in-a-lifetime event. Went to upload the pictures today and there isn't a thing in the camera. Not one picture. The camera didn't have a memory card in it. I almost cried, I was so upset.

I guess I can stretch my imagination and come up with a reason for a camera setting to "Release Shutter without Card." Perhaps it comes in handy in camera stores to demonstrate the camera. But seriously... what idiot decided to make the default setting "enabled?"

I wish these life lessons weren't so painful. Better believe I'll never make that mistake again.

 

[csharpwv]

I feel your pain - although my experience wasn't quite as dramatic as yours.
I was shooting senior portraits for a co-worker's son, and about 10 minutes into the shoot I had built up enough conversation and such with him that it was going well, he was acting naturally - just a perfect beginning. Then I wanted to check focus after I changed lenses and BAM - there was nothing to check - not a single photo - NO MEMORY CARD. I had taken photos at an event for my wife a few days before and she had taken the memory card to work without telling me that she didn't REPLACE it! Luckily, she had put the card in the front pouch on my bag in a zip-lock bag - so it wasn't hard to find it.

But it really gives you a sinking feeling, and ALWAYS a reminder to back out of a shoot for just a moment to check your settings, and assure that all is going well.

THAT DAY I disabled the setting, and haven't touched it since then.

It is an awful feeling, and for you to not have discovered it until you GOT HOME - WOW - you have my sympathy!

AWFUL!

 

[msummers]

I understand your frustration. Some (maybe all) of the newer Nikons are shipped with the same default setting as your Canon.

I think the feature to shoot without a card is there for the studio shooters who are regularly shooting tethered to a computer and have no need for memory cards. But, I agree with you that the default setting should be to require a card to be in the camera before the shutter will fire to prevent accidents like the one you just had.

 

[zackiedawg]

What a terrible experience that would be - I can imagine the frustration. I must admit, I never heard of such a setting - I assumed all cameras would refuse to take pictures without a card installed, and put up a big warning on the screen that there is no card loaded when you press the shutter button!

 

[ChiSoxKeith]

That is an odd setting to have.

Confused too, because I've been drooling over the 60D for quite a long time. When I play with the 60D at my local big blue electronics store, it usually has a warning on the LCD saying "NO MEMORY CARD INSERTED"

 

[HeatherFeather]

Horrible...and I am pretty sure that is the default setting. I took a class hosted by my local photo store but presented by Canon. One of the first things the guy did was show us how to change this in your set up menu.

Having it changed has saved my tail quite a few times since then.

 

[traylorc]

I feel bad for the OP....but I tell you what....when I hit WDW next month I will be sure to check my camera for the memory card before I take a single shot.

 

[pointandshoot]

Sorry about the loss of images. It is the worst feeling.

About that setting, one of its uses is when your camera fails. If you get an ERR99 message, one of the steps to troubleshoot is to change the setting, remove the card, and see if the camera still fails. It eliminates the card as one potential reason for the ERR99.

 

[AJRitz]

This is one of the reasons I love my Eye-Fi card. It never gets taken out of the camera.

 

[klmall]

I remember going through the menus on my Canon recently and thinking "Now that choice should be hidden from klutzes like me way deep down in a sub-menu." Awhile back I read a good thread on POTN (Photography on the NET forums) about ways to remember to always put your card back in after uploading pics. Some suggestions were: 1) always put a new formatted card in right after taking a filled one out OR 2) carry an extra in a velcro pocket on your strap and never use it except in an emergency OR 3) tape an extra to your lens cap or an extra lens cap (only appropriate for some).

I was caught without one right after getting my DSLR once and we hurried out and bought a replacement at a Best Buy; never forgotten since and my camera always lets me know when I don't have one in, thank goodness!

 

[handicap18]

With every camera I've ever owned I've been able to use all the settings and release the shutter without any film or memory card.

I think I did the same thing way way back with one of my film camera's. Fortunately back then you pretty much knew after 30 or so shots when the camera kept taking pictures.

First thing I always do when I pick up my camera is to check how many pictures I have left on the camera. This way I know if I need another memory card and also to make sure I have one in the camera.

Also I always check the pictures I take every now and then just to check for focus, composition and exposure. This gives me an idea that I have the right settings and also that I have a card in the camera.

Sorry you went thought that experience.

 

[zackiedawg]

I've only had Canon, Sony, and Fuji P&S cameras, and Sony DSLRs and mirrorless - none of the cameras I've ever had would trip the shutter without a card...they'd just pop up a warning on the LCD saying 'insert card' or 'no card'. In fact, just out of curiosity I tried it on my A550 and NEX3, taking the card out to see if it would shoot - and no - neither would and both warned of the need for a card. There's no setting in the menu for otherwise.

The explanation of testing the camera for a failure by being able to eliminate the card as a problem is a solid idea, but I'd think that should be a function buried in the very deepest, backmost menu and defaulted to OFF!

I wouldn't have this issue myself anyway, as my memory cards never come out of my cameras - I load all my photos via USB direct from the camera, and format the cards in camera.

 

[photo_chick]

That's the first setting I changed on both my Rebel XT and my 50D. I understand the need for the setting if you're using the camera tethered to a drive or a computer, but it shouldn't be the default since most don't use the camera that way.

I do feel your pain. I was on the bus on this last trip, almost to Epcot for our Princess breakfast ADR. Then it hit me, the memory card was still in my laptop. We'd gone to Kennedy Space Center the day before and I forgot to put my other memory cards back in my hip pack, they were still in my big camera bag. I remembered the battery, and the fisheye and the 50mm, but not the freaking memory cards. I ended up using my cell phone to take pictures.

 

[manning]

I've only had Canon, Sony, and Fuji P&S cameras, and Sony DSLRs and mirrorless - none of the cameras I've ever had would trip the shutter without a card...they'd just pop up a warning on the LCD saying 'insert card' or 'no card'. In fact, just out of curiosity I tried it on my A550 and NEX3, taking the card out to see if it would shoot - and no - neither would and both warned of the need for a card. There's no setting in the menu for otherwise.

The explanation of testing the camera for a failure by being able to eliminate the card as a problem is a solid idea, but I'd think that should be a function buried in the very deepest, backmost menu and defaulted to OFF!

I wouldn't have this issue myself anyway, as my memory cards never come out of my cameras - I load all my photos via USB direct from the camera, and format the cards in camera.

Ditto.

Also if focus didn't lock they would not fire.

 

[Rnsmomma]

I totally feel the pain of the OP... It was kinda like the time I was at my son's afterschoool program performance... He and his after school group did a dance that I was Supposed to be recording with my video camera... The display was on, but I didn't push the button to record the darned thing.... UGGGGHHHHH!!! I was so upset... Still am till this day... But I will never forget to push record...

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Problem solved. I shouldn't have to take out the memory card again.

I installed an Eye-Fi Pro X2 card in my camera, yesterday. It works well around the house. I'll also set it up for the wireless router we keep in our Owner's Locker at WDW and I should be all set.

I'm still debating setting it up to talk directly to my cell phone. It sounds great to have my pictures upload immediately as soon as I take them. I'm just not sure if I want to increase my data plan to the point where it would accommodate the number of pictures I take at Disney.

 

[Experiment_626]

This is one of the relatively few drawbacks to using a card reader, as opposed to downloading directly from the camera. For the longest time, I only did the latter, so the only time a memory card ever came out of my camera was to change to a different card. Whenever I was done downloading, there was always a card in the camera, so that would be the one I would use in my next shooting session (all my cards are the same size except for the 4GB Microdrive I was given by a family member, but I only use that one when I run out of space on all the others).

Now that I use a reader, I made sure my camera wouldn't fire without a card installed. But I still fear losing a card that isn't where it should be.

Scott

 

[My2Girls66]

Thanks for bringing this up. I just changed the setting on my D80 to not fire without a card. Though there is a warning in the viewfinder when no card is present and it will say DEMO on the picture when viewed on the LCD.

 

[YesDear]

I learned a tip from a digital class I took the other day. At the end of every shooting session I take minute to rest my camera. I put in a card and set the iso to 200 apreture priority and center weighted meter.

If you can get into that habit, you will not be surprised. My biggest gaff was not taking the camera off bracket mode!

 

[krb2g]

I learned a tip from a digital class I took the other day. At the end of every shooting session I take minute to rest my camera. I put in a card and set the iso to 200 apreture priority and center weighted meter.

If you can get into that habit, you will not be surprised. My biggest gaff was not taking the camera off bracket mode!

Such a good habit. I can't tell you how often I'll forget that I changed the ISO...