D90: Blinking Memory Card Access Light when "Off"

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Mike D90

Senior Member
I took a couple of long exposures tonight and after transferring the images I formatted the SD card (in camera) and turned the power "Off".

The Memory Card Access light continued to blink even with power off. A Google search left me stunned. "Blinking Green Light of Death" is mostly what I got. $200 to $400 repair to replace some power circuit board or something. I was nearly sick.

I found one post somewhere that said to turn the camera off, then turn it On and swing the power button all the way over to the little "bulb" symbol position. and then turn "Off" again.

It worked!
 
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Bill16

Senior Member
Cool I'm glad you got it fixed! I'll try to keep your solution in mind too, in case I run into that myself! So thank you Mike for posting it for us other D90 fans! :D
 
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skene

Senior Member
Unfortunately, you should wait before turning off the camera during long exposure shots. The camera is taking in large amounts of information and still writing the image file to the card.
 
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Mike D90

Senior Member
skene said:
Unfortunately, you should wait before turning off the camera during long exposure shots. The camera is taking in large amounts of information and still writing the image file to the card.
Click to expand...

I believe this to be correct. I had no idea it would take that long to write to the card. There should be some signal, light or other warning to let one know that the camera is still working.
 
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skene

Senior Member
64
h
Release Mode
Release mode determines how the camera takes photographs: one at a time, in a
continuous sequence, with a timed shutter-release delay, or with a remote control.
To choose the release mode, press the
I
button and rotate the main command dial
until the desired setting is di
splayed in the control panel.
A
The Memory Buffer
The camera is equipped with a memory buffer for temporary storage, allowing shooting to
continue while photographs are being saved to the memory card.
Up to 100 photographs can
be taken in succession; note, however, that frame rate will drop when the buffer is full.
While photographs are being recorded to the
memory card, the access lamp next to the
memory card slot will light.
Depending on the number of the images in the buffer, recording
may take from a few seconds to a few minutes.
Do not remove the memory card or remove or

disconnect the power source until the access lamp has gone out.
If the camera is switched off
while data remain in the buffer, the power will not turn off until all images in the buffer have
been recorded.
If the battery is exhausted while images remain in the buffer, the shutter
release will be disabled and the images transferred to the memory card


As long as there was some type of action to the memory card... it will take time for the camera to process and the read/write.
The camera was probably still working on the memory card at this time.
Allow a bit of time before hastily turning off the camera.
 
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skene

Senior Member
it's on page 64 of the manual.

Just a matter of memory card access... If you are doing anything big to the memory card format, large images etc... give it a bit of time. Even though you are taken out of the Menus... does not mean things still are not happening behind the scenes.
 
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dramtastic

Senior Member
Glad it worked out Mike. Not quite the same, but my partners boss just got back to Peninsular Valdes Argentina on a photographic tour. Bought a 'Fast' card of unknown make before she left(she couldn't name it for my Mrs but it wasn't a SanDisk). 1400 photo's, none of them transferred to the card! Took it back to the store when she got back to Australia and they haven't been able to retrieve any shots either.
 
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