Error "E50" when trying to format new memory card

I bought a new CF card for my older A60 and when I was formatting it, it got almost to the end then shut off and gave me an "E50" message on the screen. What does that mean? Is it fixable?

I suspect you have a corrupted memory card. What you may want to try is a file utilty like F-Recovery to reformat and recover your card. You can at least determine if that's the actual problem.

Also try resetting your camera. This is a fairly easy procedure which involves either going into your setup menu and choosing "reset" (or intialize), holding down the menu key for 5 seconds, or, removing the batteries for a few minutes. It may be that the firmware loading got corrupted and the camera just needs to be "rebooted," which is something that turning it on/off won't accomplish. But after which, you should have the camera reset to factory default settings.

Another tip is to go to Canon's website and look for firmware updates. Download and install them.

BTW - Your camera was one of a host of cameras that suffered from a faulty CCD chip. Check out this from Canon regarding it.

Affected products:

- Camcorders: ZR60, ZR65 MC, ZR70 MC, ZR80, ZR85, ZR90, ELURA 40 MC, ELURA 50
- Digital Cameras A60, A70, A75, A300, A310, S230, SD100, SD110, A40(*), A80(*), A85(*), A95(*), S1 IS(*), S60(*), S200(*), S330(*), S400(*), S410(*), S500(*)

Malfunction:
It has been confirmed that the connecting parts of the internal wiring of the CCD used in affected products may become disconnected, especially if the affected products are stored or used in high-temperature and high-humidity environments. If this occurs, the signal is not output from the CCD normally in Shooting Mode, which may cause a distorted image or the absence of an image.
This malfunction can be confirmed on the LCD monitor screen during shooting. The same malfunction also appears on the recorded image.

Canon's Response:
Effective immediately, and regardless of warranty status, Canon will repair, free of charge, the products listed above exhibiting the above-mentioned malfunction if Canon determines that the malfunction is caused by the CCD image sensor. Canon will also cover the cost of shipping and handling in connection with this repair.

So the good news is that Canon will fix it for FREE:

U.S. residents are kindly directed to contact the Canon Customer Support Center for further assistance at 1-800-828-4040. Support hours are Monday thru Friday - 8:00 AM to 12:00 midnight; and Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (all times EST). Alternatively, if electronic support is preferred, please send your email to carecenter@cits.canon.com

I'll give the reset a try. It happened first with my older CF card so I installed a new one, but the same error occurred. Hopefully I didn't spend $30 on a corrupted card. I'll let you know if it works. Thanks!

I highly doubt that you did. But a reformat of the card couldn't hurt.