Ablack wrote:.

That's what manual for my camera (Samsung A40) says. It also advicesto re-format card if it was used by another device.How serious are warnings of that kind?.

Strange. I've always used a card reader. For years now. With many different cameras. No probs..

Androohttp://Androo.smugmug.com..

Andrew Butterfield wrote:.

Ablack wrote:.

That's what manual for my camera (Samsung A40) says. It also advicesto re-format card if it was used by another device.How serious are warnings of that kind?.

Strange. I've always used a card reader. For years now. With manydifferent cameras. No probs..

Which is why I would guess the warning is not serious. Make sure you don't remove your card as it is being read, and don't write to it with another device. That is probably why they have that warning - to stop those that don't know what they are doing from hurting their selves..

If you know what you're doing, you probably shouldn't have any problems...

I often use my cards as mini-hard drives. Why not? Talk about portable storage... .

I "risk" problems if I try to use one of these cards in my camera without letting the camera format it..

And almost certainly that is what happens. Computers will often write to a card, writing hidden files as a convenience to the computer, not the camera. .

Just format the card IN CAMERA, and you wont have a problem. Eventually of course we all have problems, but it has nothing to do with the card reader itself..

But this way Samsung can always say, "It ain't my fault.".

Dave.

Clint Sanders wrote:.

Andrew Butterfield wrote:.

Ablack wrote:.

That's what manual for my camera (Samsung A40) says. It also advicesto re-format card if it was used by another device.How serious are warnings of that kind?.

Strange. I've always used a card reader. For years now. With manydifferent cameras. No probs..

Which is why I would guess the warning is not serious. Make sure youdon't remove your card as it is being read, and don't write to itwith another device. That is probably why they have that warning - tostop those that don't know what they are doing from hurting theirselves..

If you know what you're doing, you probably shouldn't have any problems...

So, it appears to be just as I thought..

As long as you know what yo're doing, do not _write_ to the card files camera does not expect to find there, and format it if you have doubts, there shouldn't be any problems. If you don't know, you were warned ..

But otherwise I see no harm.Don't wait for the Nikon D-whatever, have fun now!http://www.flickr.com/photos/j_wijnands/..

If your computer uses thumbnails, I believe it will write a thumbnail database file to the card. So you might want to avoid that..

Even then, the camera probably wouldn't have any problems...

You can always reformat in your camera which will let you start over with a blank card. The only problem is that you will loose any pictures or data that was there before. If you try the cardreader with only one or two pictures you don't care about, there's nothing to loose ...

I always format my card in my camera after I upload my photos..

I have also used my card reader numerous times without problems..

Melissa.

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Brian Sprague wrote:.

If you try the cardreaderwith only one or two pictures you don't care about, there's nothingto loose ..

Except for the price of the reader itself, but they're not that expensive and even if reader indeed does not work with that cam there would be use for one eventually..

In fact, the only problem with not using reader is that uploading pictures seems to drain batteries more than anything else, for that particular camera..

(nearly fresh alkaline duracells ran dry after about 50 shots AND not unplugging camera for an hour because I was distracted. Normally you can take 200-300 shots with worse batteries.)..

Ablack wrote:.

Brian Sprague wrote:.

If you try the cardreaderwith only one or two pictures you don't care about, there's nothingto loose ..

Except for the price of the reader itself, but they're not thatexpensive and even if reader indeed does not work with that cam therewould be use for one eventually..

WRONG! You cannot hurt the cardreader. Don't get misinformed!.

In fact, the only problem with not using reader is that uploadingpictures seems to drain batteries more than anything else, for thatparticular camera..

(nearly fresh alkaline duracells ran dry after about 50 shots AND notunplugging camera for an hour because I was distracted. Normally youcan take 200-300 shots with worse batteries.)..

Yes, I can't, but since I have no other memcard-using devices it would be kind of useless anyway. And USB sticks are more practical as general purpose portable storage. (not everybode has SD reader yet.)..

I always use a card reader and I never format the card. If you format on the computer you will eventually find the computer formats it in a way the camera cannot read..

I open the card as a new drive and simply move the files from that drive to my hard disk. This both removes the files from card and copies them to the hard disc. It avoids problems with thumbnails being written to the card, and other irritations..

When you're finished tell the OS you want to remove the drive ( removable storage ) and when it says it's OK - remove it..

Easy peasy..

StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

I've heard several stories of people damaging the pins while inserting/removing the memory card from the camera. Using the card reader is not a problem but the fact that I have to frequently remove and put my card back into the camera just makes it a bit risky as one wrong move will break the pins..

I just connect the camera to the computer and download directly from the camera. Its a much safer way than having to go and fix my camera because I push the memory card in just a bit harder than I should have.. ..

That pretty much confirms that Samsung placed this warning solely to cover itself from liability if substandard reader they did not manufacture damages something. (or user got careless with it.).

Again, thanks everybody, I learned alot from this thread...

One more question on this subject;.

After uploading all my files to my PC I always place my CF card back in the camera and firstly erase all the files from the card and then I format..

Would it be ok just formatting or should I continue to erase the files first..

Simon...

At a guess, you'd rather just format. The less writes to the card, the longer it's life. OTOH if card contents was confidentional in some way, and you suspect Gil Grissom is after you, some even more agressive procedures may be needed... ..

Formatting is just fine. Erasing the files does not actually delete the files. Formating does..

Although unless it's a "hard format" the files can still be recovered..

Dave.

...

Thanks, I thought formatting was enough but as I wasn't sure I deleted as well. I'll just format in future though..

Simon...

In your shoes, I'd put the full card to one side and put another one in the camera and format it. Don't format cads until the pictures on it are backed up on to a CD or two..

Cards are cheap, so are blank CD's but pictures can't be retaken....

Regards, David..

David Hughes wrote:.

In your shoes, I'd put the full card to one side and put another onein the camera and format it. Don't format cads until the pictures onit are backed up on to a CD or two..

Cards are cheap, so are blank CD's but pictures can't be retaken....

Regards, David.

I once did that. That's how I learned that a soft format will not wipe out your images..

I could have made good money for all people photographers, if they had been in a position to photograph my face. The changing emotions, the rage, the pity, the desperate attempt to blame someone else (I eventually settled on blaming the dog - not a wise move in this case)..

Still, I don't bother with this solution. Not having learned anything except not to delete folder from my hard drive until I backed em up..

Dave..

Brian Sprague wrote:.

The only problem is that you will loose anypictures or data that was there before..

What if I like to keep my pictures or data loose?.

If you try the cardreaderwith only one or two pictures you don't care about, there's nothingto loose ..

It sounds like you run a tight ship...

Forgot to mention this; yes I do back up to CDR before wiping the card. I really should get myself a DVD writer to cut down on the discs..

Chato wrote:.

Formatting is just fine. Erasing the files does not actually deletethe files..

Generally yes, but exsact details (place where devil is) depend on the operating system and filesystem used..

FATxx systems (commonly used on portable media for easy interoperability) are relatively simple.NTFS (HDDs, WIN 2000 and up) well... It could be done. But not as reliably."Unix-style" filesystems (Linux, Solaris, OSX(?)), - don't rely on it..

If format was cross-filesystem, or if something was written over the place where files used to be, things are almost guaranteed to be available only to abovementioned Gil Grissom and three-letter agency he works for. Maybe. And they do not do it commercially..

Crashed HDDs, - there are labs where they can try to do something about it. Price tag was hefty last time I checked...

Ablack wrote:.

Chato wrote:.

Formatting is just fine. Erasing the files does not actually deletethe files..

Generally yes, but exsact details (place where devil is) depend onthe operating system and filesystem used..

FATxx systems (commonly used on portable media for easyinteroperability) are relatively simple.NTFS (HDDs, WIN 2000 and up) well... It could be done. But not asreliably."Unix-style" filesystems (Linux, Solaris, OSX(?)), - don't rely on it..

If format was cross-filesystem, or if something was written over theplace where files used to be, things are almost guaranteed to beavailable only to abovementioned Gil Grissom and three-letter agencyhe works for. Maybe. And they do not do it commercially..

Crashed HDDs, - there are labs where they can try to do somethingabout it. Price tag was hefty last time I checked..

Between hard drives and memory cards. Once you "hard" format a memory card, that data is gone, finished, kaput... .

Whereas with a hard drive, there's always someone who can get the data back, if only one format took place. (Actually military specs call for formatting or overwriting quite a few times)..

On the other hand some cameras do not do a hard format. They do the equivalent of zeroing the card, data can be recovered quite easily..

But getting back on topic, if you have any doubts about the card being in some manner corrupt, then formating is both wise and easy - hurts nothing..

Dave..

Chato wrote:.

Between hard drives and memory cards. Once you "hard" format a memorycard, that data is gone, finished, kaput... .

Whereas with a hard drive, there's always someone who can get thedata back, if only one format took place. (Actually military specscall for formatting or overwriting quite a few times)..

Well, I won't bet that reading fully-formatted memory card is _theoretically_ impossible. (You can't be 100% efficient in anything, and discharging flash-ram floating gates is no different to de-magnetizing disk surface in that regard.).

But yes, even if it is, it would require prohibitive amount of time, effort, and expensive gadgetry, yelding iffy results..

Even for TLAs./me stops technobabbling...

Simon 17 wrote:.

Forgot to mention this; yes I do back up to CDR before wiping thecard. I really should get myself a DVD writer to cut down on the discs.

Yes but, the trouble with DVD's is that they hold a lot of pictures and so you can lose a lot of pictures very easily. Same with media cards; losing 512 MB worth is nothing like as bad as losing 4 GB or more..

Regards, David..