Panasonic SD900 Start up problem

[Peter D. Parker]

To switch on my SD900 I open the LCD screen and use the on/off button. The camera then has a loud clicking noise and by looking into the lens, it appears that the shutter is opening and closing. This goes on for up to a couple of minutes before the camera powers up.

When it has powered up and I close the LCD screen, when I open it again (in power save mode) it again takes a while before the picture appears. I'm using a Transcend SDNC class 10 card.

Any ideas if this is normal?

Peter

[Andy Wilkinson]

Not normal! Not in front of my TN900 (similar) right now but I'd try and find a Factory Reset in the LCD Menu (or sometimes they are a little hole that needs a pin) and see if that cures it. Long shot I know. The 'Photo' button is not pushed in or anything like that is it? Also, completely reformat the card (in the camera) - but I doubt its card related.

[Peter D. Parker]

Thanks for the reply Andy.

I took the camera to France for the last two weeks and had this problem all the time. Came home yesterday and posted this thread today and then found the answer on the Forum.

Has to do with the Quick Power On and Quick Start setting. Seems a bit better now.

I reset the Quick Power on to ON and the Quick Start to ON.

Now, when I first switch the power on it takes about 10 secs for a picture in the LCD to appear (during this time the red access light next to the card slot flashes) but when I close the LCD and then re-open it, it's instantaneous.

Peter

[Colin Rowe]

Sounds like your card is pretty full, Try formatting it, ( copy the content to HDD first, of course )That would shave off the 10 second start up time

[Peter D. Parker]

Thanks for that Colin,

I'll try what you say and format the card and see if that speeds things up.

Do you or Andy have anything similar when you power up from off? i.e., the long wait or is it instantaneous?

Peter

[Andy Wilkinson]

I'd forgotten about the quick start options - don't know why as that's how my camera is normally set up (except for when powered down for packing away after shooting).

I have fast Sandisk cards (same sort of spec as your Transcend) and powering up is almost instantaneous on my TM900. I also don't get any "loud clicking noises for a couple of minutes" - no way! It's a second or two at most to be "ready to shoot" from cold power on (and the only noise is a brief one as the slide across lens protector opens).

Once it's on for use, just closing and opening the LCD screen gives a very fast (less than half a second) response from the camera - which is a fantastically useful feature as we all know.

From your initial description in the first post I still suspect there is something wrong with your SD900. Maybe a TM900 is much faster (as it has internal memory too, TM = Twin Memory and all that) but a noise like you described going on for a couple of minutes is not something I've ever experienced and just does not seem right at all.

Long shot but you have tried it with another card I take it (just to eliminate one thing more from this). I still think its worth doing a factory reset type thing too.

[Colin Rowe]

Peter, have you tried formatting or a new card ? As Andy mentions above, the noise is a little worrying. My TM900 acts in much the same way as his, ie, instant start up

[Peter D. Parker]

Hello Andy and Colin,

Tried power up with a formatted care, same problem, so I've sent it off to Panasonic repair centre.

Peter

[Peter D. Parker]

Just a quick heads up about my problem. Camera was returned to Sony Repair and they fitted a new pcb.

Seems to be OK now, thanks for your help.

Peter