# NOT happy with Lexar at this time!!!



## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

Ok, I bought a Lexar 32gb Professional 1000x card from Adorama about 4 months ago (give or take) and I had to send the card back within a month because it crapped out. Lexar replaced it without question with a 'new' card and this also has just crapped out. I aksed Lexar about a refund because at this point I do not trust getting and/or using ANOTHER memory card from them.

Anyone else had this problem? I have several Sandisk cards and not once have I ever had to send one in because it stopped working. I am so frustrated...

D


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

Oh, and Lexar does not give refunds, just replacement products....


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## expatinasia (Apr 11, 2013)

There have been quite a few threads on this recently.

I have 2X Lexar 16GB 1000x cards and so far no problem. No problems with the SanDisks I have too.

Let's hope that is not about to change.


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## STEMI_RN (Apr 11, 2013)

I might look at the hardware you're using it with. Perhaps a bad card reader overvolting the card on read? Two failed cards of a typically reputable brand sounds to me like there may be something else going on. Don't rule anything out.


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

expatinasia said:


> There have been quite a few threads on this recently.
> 
> I have 2X Lexar 16GB 1000x cards and so far no problem. No problems with the SanDisks I have too.
> 
> Let's hope that is not about to change.



I hope not either but TWO cards? Flash memory has been an accepted "safe" haven for years. I used Lexar back in the day when I had 32MB (megabyte, not gigabyte) compactflash cards. I switched to Sandisk and had no problems. I read that the Lexar 1000X cards were the fastest so I bought one. I was sadly disapointed. I can handle ONE card having an issue, but TWO??? I tried it in my 40D and 7D and my PC and *pizzzt*, NOTHING.

Nothing personal to Lexar but I won't try this a third round. I am going to send it back for replacement and I am going to sell whatever card they replace it with. I am going back to Sandisk!!!

D


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

STEMI_RN said:


> I might look at the hardware you're using it with. Perhaps a bad card reader overvolting the card on read? Two failed cards of a typically reputable brand sounds to me like there may be something else going on. Don't rule anything out.



It's not my hardware. My PC is new, my cameras work great using Sandisk cards.... I even replaced my card reader recently (because my new card reader can read microSDHC cards now). I own several Sandisk cards and only ONE Lexar. NONE of my Sandisk cards show a problem. ONLY the Lexar.

My first failed card was with my "old" card reader and my replacement card with my "new" reader. Funny, they have both worked for YEARS with Sandisk cards without NO problems what-so-ever. Strange...

Maybe they (Lexar) are the ones at fault???

D


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## WhoIreland (Apr 11, 2013)

Yep. Even the 350 pounds I paid for a 512mb (yes you read that right!) Lexar failed after a few months. 
I bought two 1gb Lexar some time later and they failed. 
Bought around 20+ Sandisk without issue

Local pro shop told me the only returns he gets are lexars

Other pros I know have had similar issues over the yrs and no longer buy Lexar 

But people on here say they've no issue

I think once you experience a serious loss, and not just pics of the cat, you find it impossible to trust that manufacturer again.


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## Orangutan (Apr 11, 2013)

*Could be any of several causes*

[list type=decimal]
[*]Maybe you just got unlucky. Even if they have a small failure rate, some random person is going to get more than one failure in a row. Someone wins the lottery, you may have won the bad lottery. A future card may be fine.
[*]What is your definition of "crapped out?" Did you simply have a batch of lost photos, or would it not format successfully in your camera? If it wouldn't format, did you try in a different camera -- maybe it's a problem with the camera.
[*]Test your cards before using them, and then treat them kindly. http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=13413.msg241802#msg241802 and http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=13848.msg251045#msg251045
[/list]


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## expatinasia (Apr 11, 2013)

Which SanDisk cards are you using? I ask because the Lexar's are much faster, and even perhaps overkill in a 5D Mark ii as from memory it cannot read/write at those speeds anyway.

How were they transported and where to?


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## Dylan777 (Apr 11, 2013)

@ Op...Sorry to hear that 

I'm using Lexar 32gb Professional 1000x on 5D III, bought it from BH over 1yr now, no issues so far.


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## clicstudio (Apr 11, 2013)

Had the same problem a few months ago using a Lexar 16GB 1000x.
I lost a whole photoshoot and hundreds of photos without a chance to recover any
Of them.
I tried at least 10 different data recovery applications, Even Lexar's own and nothing. 
Called Then, they sent me a replacement card.
I had another 1000 X card with me since they were on sale at B&H. I started using the second card and five days later it died on me just like the first one did. 
I called Lexar again to complain and they offered to send me a second replacement card. I actually forgot to send it back and I have been using two cards on my Canon 1DX, the lexar and one SanDisk simultaneously. That way if One cards craps out, I will have a backup.
It is unheard of for an expensive CompactFlash to fail twice in a couple of months. I am guessing it might have been a bad batch. I got mine around July or August of last year. I actually haven't had any problems with Lexar since the replacement card was sent to me. And I have used it every day for the past eight months. 
I average 300 photos a day, so, give or take I must have shot over 60000 images on The memory card and it hasn't
Failed yet...
Cross my Fingers it stays like this


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## deleteme (Apr 11, 2013)

FWIW, I have been buying and using CF cards since 2002 and the only cards to give me any trouble have been Lexar and Sandisk. I have Transcend and Kingston and have never had a failure. I have one other 4GB card but can' tell what brand it is because I have run it through my washer and dryer twice and the label has come off. It works perfectly.


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## clicstudio (Apr 11, 2013)

Forgot to mention. I format the card three times before a Photoshoot.
No more, no less. I don't want to jinx it


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## clicstudio (Apr 11, 2013)

Forgot to mention. I religiously format the card three times before a Photoshoot.
No more, no less. I don't want to jinx it


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

WhoIreland said:


> Yep. Even the 350 pounds I paid for a 512mb (yes you read that right!) Lexar failed after a few months.
> I bought two 1gb Lexar some time later and they failed.
> Bought around 20+ Sandisk without issue
> 
> ...



Yeah, I'm done with Lexar.


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## expatinasia (Apr 11, 2013)

WhoIreland said:


> Yep. Even the 350 pounds I paid for a 512mb (yes you read that right!) Lexar failed after a few months.
> I bought two 1gb Lexar some time later and they failed.
> Bought around 20+ Sandisk without issue
> 
> ...



True, but you also need to look at the cause of the issue if you can, because many have never had even one failure, so to have two like that must be pretty rare in the big scheme of things.

Plus if you were (God forbid) unlucky enough to have one of each major brand fail, you would be pretty stuck.

I do think it important to buy a card which is appropriate for the camera it will be used in. I believe (might be wrong) but the 5D Mark II has read/write speeds of around 50ish MB/s which really does make the Lexar 1000X overkill, and maybe something to do with that caused the problem. 

Who knows, but I do feel for the OP. Good luck with SanDisk.


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

expatinasia said:


> WhoIreland said:
> 
> 
> > Yep. Even the 350 pounds I paid for a 512mb (yes you read that right!) Lexar failed after a few months.
> ...



I am not using it (the Lexar card) with the 5D2. I am using it with my 7D.

The Lexar card (when it was working) was much faster than my Sandisk 16gb Extreme card. (in clearing the buffer once full) I know with the 7D, the faster cards ARE faster.


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## eml58 (Apr 11, 2013)

Richard8971 said:


> Ok, I bought a Lexar 32gb Professional 1000x card from Adorama about 4 months ago (give or take) and I had to send the card back within a month because it crapped out. Lexar replaced it without question with a 'new' card and this also has just crapped out. I aksed Lexar about a refund because at this point I do not trust getting and/or using ANOTHER memory card from them.
> 
> Anyone else had this problem? I have several Sandisk cards and not once have I ever had to send one in because it stopped working. I am so frustrated...
> 
> D



I had a similar issue, I have in the past always used SanDisk, currently 128GB 100MB/s, when I received my 2 x 1Dx Bodies I decided to go Lexar Pro 1000x (150MB/s), ordered 4 Cards, 1 of which was "Crapped Out" on arrival, Lexar replaced it no issue, and all 4 Cards are working fine at this Point, I use the 128GB SanDisk as back up just in Case. Have never had any other CF/SD card fail on me, touch wood.


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## Richard8971 (Apr 11, 2013)

OK, to all who have asked. My card simply stopped working. Both my 40D and 7D CANNOT even "see" the card. My PC CANNOT "see" the card. Cameras will not take a photo because they both tell me format the card. Cannot format with both cameras. My PC cannot format because it CANNOT "see" the card. Same issue as before with my first Lexar card.

Sandisk, I have the "Ultra" "Extreme III" "Ultra II" "Extreme" "Extreme Pro", from card sizes 2gb to 32gb. I can plug any one now into my 40D, 7D and even my PC and they work with NO ISSUES!!!!

My HARDWARE is fine, so stop asking. It is the Lexar card and ONLY the Lexar card that has failed. 

Oh and BTW, I take care of my camera equipment better than some peope take care of their kids. I baby my equipment and treat it with respect. All of my equipment looks and performs as new.

D


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## WhoIreland (Apr 11, 2013)

expatinasia said:


> WhoIreland said:
> 
> 
> > Yep. Even the 350 pounds I paid for a 512mb (yes you read that right!) Lexar failed after a few months.
> ...



from my experiences with Lexar & Sandisk, the experiences of about 20 pro's I'd be in semi-regular contact with, and my dealer's comments, I would look on it that YOU have been lucky to have Lexar's that work rather than me having bad luck...! 

I don't really understand why this is the case - there are no moving parts - it's a standard product that I assume is factory tested.
In fact I would've suspected both originate from the same factory in china,only later to be branded....
but it really looks like there's a remarkable difference between brands.

And worth mentioning that a few of my friends are nikon guys,so it's not just a reaction between lexar and canon


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## Grumbaki (Apr 11, 2013)

Reading this thread makes the bill for cards for parallel recording on 5d3 much more acceptable.


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## Canon-F1 (Apr 11, 2013)

having 14 lexar and 11 sandisc cards i can say none ever failed me (knock on wood).

i find it amusing that when people have problems they always tell the world a product is crap.
even when thousand others (pros like david noton, scott kelby, joe mcnally, vincent laforet etc.) praise a product.

ok so some have only problems with lexar... other have only problems with sandisk... i have no problems with either brand. what does this tells us?

btw: do you know that sandisk has reported that about *ONE THIRD of their cards are counterfeit*?
search the web. i guess for other brands it will be the same!

and often it´s very hard to tell if a card is counterfeit or not.
it´s not only cheap ebay reseller who sell them with full knowledge.. even your local shop around the corner probably will sell some, without knowing it. 

and while you may spot differences when the boxes are side by side.. most will not know it when they buy a card.

this was some time ago: http://martybugs.net/articles/images/sandisk_box_large.jpg

today, some fakes look identical on the outside.
they even fake a hologram.





> I would look on it that YOU have been lucky to have Lexar's that work rather than me having bad luck...!



nope.. because it´s simple statistics.
lexar would be out of business if that was the case.
instead it´s the favourite brand of many pros. 



> Other pros I know have had similar issues over the yrs and no longer buy Lexar



well same is true for sandisk.
just read product comments on the internet.

i was at photoshop world in orlando.. what do you think how many lexar cards i saw?
lexar and sandisk are the two most used... for a good reason.

i would definately look if your cards are original ones.
even when that sometimes not possible to prove without opening them.
they are broken anyway.....


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## serendipidy (Apr 11, 2013)

Could it be the contact points?


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## WhoIreland (Apr 11, 2013)

i guess it all boils down to confidence.. Canon-F1 feels Lexar are top notch,for me I prefer Sandisk

If i was shooting on Lexar I'd be a paranoid wreck.. but it's just because of my experiences and maybe it's an unjustified feeling..


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## hamada (Apr 11, 2013)

WhoIreland said:


> i guess it all boils down to confidence.. Canon-F1 feels Lexar are top notch,for me I prefer Sandisk





Canon-F1 said:


> having 14 lexar and 11 sandisc cards i can say none ever failed me (knock on wood).



seems he likes both.

i use lexar cards, had no problems yet.

and im in good company. 

Lexar: Why Joe McNally Uses Lexar Memory Cards

Lexar: Why Rick Sammon Uses Lexar Memory Cards

Lexar: Why Douglas Dubler Uses Lexar Memory Cards

Lexar: How We Test


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## Studio1930 (Apr 11, 2013)

I think these threads about memory cards are funny. If you have ever built a computer then you know that memory has to be matched to the hardware to work well (or at all). Cameras, readers and computers are the same for memory cards. Some combinations work and some don't. It usually has nothing to do with the brand but more to do with the combination or even the memory card batch.

If you ask people if they have had issues with X brand of memory cards you will always get those who say yes and those who say no. But maybe you have carpet in your computer room instead of tile. Or maybe you drop your cards more often than others. Or maybe your humidity is higher where you live. All of these factors can contribute to failed cards and some brands and models of cards might be better than others. 

Also, what firmware is your camera running? Is it different than those who have not had issues? Are you running two cards at once (in a body that can do that)? Do you turn off your camera when it is reading the card (image coming up on display)?

I could go on and on and on about the different factors that can make a card fail for you but not your "pro" buddy. Buy some cards and try them. Buy some more and try them. And in a few years things will have changed so you will need to buy some different cards and try them too.

Not that it matters since you probably don't have the same camera, settings, reader, computer, computer room, shooting technique, location, shooting rate, cards from my batch, or fill your cards 100% like me, but I have over 10 Lexar 1000x 32 GB cards that have held hundreds of thousands of shots and I have not have one failure yet (Sandisk has failed me though).

-Remind me to copy and paste the next time we see a memory card thread.
(Not meant to sound like a rant, but it probably did. :-\ )


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## aktivemac (Apr 11, 2013)

Studio1930 said:


> I think these threads about memory cards are funny. If you have ever built a computer then you know that memory has to be matched to the hardware to work well (or at all). Cameras, readers and computers are the same for memory cards. Some combinations work and some don't. It usually has nothing to do with the brand but more to do with the combination or even the memory card batch.
> 
> If you ask people if they have had issues with X brand of memory cards you will always get those who say yes and those who say no. But maybe you have carpet in your computer room instead of tile. Or maybe you drop your cards more often than others. Or maybe your humidity is higher where you live. All of these factors can contribute to failed cards and some brands and models of cards might be better than others.
> 
> ...



Couldn't have said it better. For my view - read this again


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## demwilliams (Apr 11, 2013)

Hello ,

One thing you wnat to be sure of that the reader and any other devices your using the lexar cards in suports UDMA7, it's important whwn using newer generation cards you use the newer generation compatible products. Your Lexar products do have a limited life time warranty, if you contact our support group at 1-877-747-4031 we will be glad to assist you with your issue, and more impotant we can get the card back to look into the possible cause. it's rare you are seeing a concuring issue i a short period of time.

Kind Regards


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## Richard8971 (Apr 12, 2013)

I never said that Lexar was crap or produced crap. I just got unlucky to get two bad cards one after the other. So far I have not had a bad card from Sandisk, but that doesn't mean that you can't get a bad apple once and a while.

Just for the record I ran the Lexar card through my Canon 7D with V2.03 firmware. I have done timed tests between my Sandisk Extreme and the Lexar Professional 1000X and the Lexar card is much faster at clearing the buffer once it was full. My camera can take advantage of the UDMA7 interface.

My rant on here is simple, I got two bad cards, I just cannot justify taking the chance with another Lexar card and that's too bad. I have always liked Lexar which is why I bought the card to begin with. All I can do now is wait for Lexar to replace my card and I will promtly sell it.

D


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## Richard8971 (Sep 13, 2013)

UPDATE:9-12-2013

Lexar sent me a second replacement card and I sold it promptly. I then went out and bought 4 (FOUR) Sandisk Extreme 16GB cards and have run them all through the same card reader, my 7D AND my 40D and not a single problem or bad card. (thousands of photos) I know all kinds of things can happen but I am still stumped as to why I had problems with that type of Lexar card and ONLY that type of Lexar card. 

I have a photography friend who purchased 2 of the Lexar 32GB Professional cards and has used them in his 7D without any issues shooting video. Who knows. But I just wanted to post an update because so many people asked me to check all of my hardware and looks like things are back to normal. 

I have never once called Lexar a bad company nor have I ever claimed that they make garbage products. I was simply wondering if anyone else out there had any problems or heard of any. I believe they are a great company and make superior products. I just had some bad luck somewhere...

D


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## TexasBadger (Sep 13, 2013)

You have not mentioned what card reader you are using. I use the Lexar card reader which handles both CF and SD. I do remember that I needed to update the firmware for the Lexar Professional 1000x UDMA 7. I have used this card since March 2012 with no problems. Do not underestimate the importance of a quality card reader with the proper firmware.


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## Richard8971 (Sep 15, 2013)

TexasBadger said:


> You have not mentioned what card reader you are using. I use the Lexar card reader which handles both CF and SD. I do remember that I needed to update the firmware for the Lexar Professional 1000x UDMA 7. I have used this card since March 2012 with no problems. Do not underestimate the importance of a quality card reader with the proper firmware.



I can't remember the brand of card reader I have, but it is a new internal reader (bought this year) that reads everything from MicroSD to Compactflash cards. I have used my wife's SDHC Sandisk Extreme Pro 32gb (UDMA7) cards in it as well as Sandisk Extreme Pro Compactflash (90MB) 32gb cards. The reader is USB 3.0 and so is my motherboard. (ASUS EVO-M4a88T) which is USB 3.0 + I am running 16GB of DDR3 ram and Windows 7 64-bit with an AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition which is overclocked to almost 4GHz. My system is about as new as it comes. If I was running a much older system I would certainly look into the hardware. 

I custom build PC's so I am pretty aware of firmware updates as well as the importants of updated drivers.

D


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