- transfer the pictures to your computer, and format the card (in the camera)..

There's probably no problem..

But it's good practice to format a card, in the camera, before you use it - even if it comes "ready to use". And then again when you want to use the card again - formatting is better than just deleting all the pictures..

The risk is small. The consequences are huge .

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Thanks. Will do. What are the consequences of formatting that you mentioned?..

Corruption and/or loss of images..

Format the card in the camera before each use. if you use a card reader use COPY HERE not MOVE HERE then return to camera and format before use...

Could you expand on that or point me to any articles about it?.

I have been shooting pretty much every day for 10 years, have never formatted a card and have never lost an image. This discussion was news to me..

I have seen one card go bad, not mine. nothing could save it, it could not be formatted.mark..

Arrowman wrote:.

The risk is small. The consequences are huge .

"consequences" equals "advantages"? What are the advantages of formatting rather than just erasing the pictures in the camera or in the computer?..

HankH50 wrote:.

I put in the memory card and started shooting. No problem. Is there aneed to format the memory card?.

It was probably already formatted at the factory. It's best to format with the camera, because then you know that the card is formatted just the way that the camera wants it. But there probably is no real difference..

I see that the camera gives an option of low-level format.When should this be used?.

Unlike CF cards, SD cards do not have a built-in way of detecting and dealing with bad memory areas. The "low-level" format instructs the camera to write to every part of the card and test to see if the results saved correctly, and to mark as unusable any area that failed the test..

This operation obviously takes quite a while to run, and the larger the capacity the longer it will take. It also will totally wipe out all photos that are currently on the card, making it impossible to recover themthere are a number of programs that can recover "lost" photos after deletion or normal formatting, but low-level format is 100% destructive..

I would tend to run it on a brand-new card to test for any bad spots, and maybe every few months just to check for any new bad spots that might have developed. If a photo ever came out "damaged" in a way that made me suspect that the card had developed a bad spot, I'd definitely run it then. None of this is critical; most cameras don't even offer low-level formatting as an option...

HankH50 wrote:.

Arrowman wrote:.

The risk is small. The consequences are huge .

"consequences" equals "advantages"? What are the advantages offormatting rather than just erasing the pictures in the camera or inthe computer?.

1. On my camera, a Canon 20D, reformatting is much faster than erasing all the files..

2. With Canon cameras a new folder is created on the card every 100 files and these don't seem to get deleted if you erase the images. Reformatting clears out old empty folders..

3. I certainly feel that there is less chance of a corrupted memory card if I reformat each time. I don't have any proof of this, but reformatting is so fast that there isn't any downside.Chris R..

I do not know what actually happens when you format in the camera, however what happens when you format on a computer (MS DOS) is what I can explain:.

When we delete a file, the file is not actually deleted. The first character of the file name is renamed to the sigma character ..

When you do the directory listing, any file name starting with the sigma character is not displayed..

When we quick format,. There is table which has the listing of the file names. All the filesname's first character in this table are renamed to sigma. (This table is known as File Allocation Table, or FAT).

When we perform a full format, the FAT is cleared..

In all three cases, the files are actually on the drive. They just do not show up in the FAT table..

Using undelete, unformat, low level readers, it is still possible to pick up the files..

I perform a full format whenever I enter my card in the camera. (I copy/paste the files using a card reader to a computer).

Format is better than just delete all, coz the blocks of data which are stored in the media are still fragmented. If you format, the next file which you save would not be fragmented..

Good post. One obviously doesnt want to use a low level format every time they want to erase pictures..

There is a card difference Ive been curious about. My cameras with CF and xD take a lot longer to do a normal format that ones with SD. They also cycle faster with regular formats instead of erasing the photos where it doesnt seem to matter with SD cameras. Is that a card difference or the cameras?.

Doug Pardee wrote:.

HankH50 wrote:.

I put in the memory card and started shooting. No problem. Is there aneed to format the memory card?.

It was probably already formatted at the factory. It's best to formatwith the camera, because then you know that the card is formattedjust the way that the camera wants it. But there probably is no realdifference..

I see that the camera gives an option of low-level format.When should this be used?.

Unlike CF cards, SD cards do not have a built-in way of detecting anddealing with bad memory areas. The "low-level" format instructs thecamera to write to every part of the card and test to see if theresults saved correctly, and to mark as unusable any area that failedthe test..

This operation obviously takes quite a while to run, and the largerthe capacity the longer it will take. It also will totally wipe outall photos that are currently on the card, making it impossible torecover themthere are a number of programs that can recover "lost"photos after deletion or normal formatting, but low-level format is100% destructive..

I would tend to run it on a brand-new card to test for any bad spots,and maybe every few months just to check for any new bad spots thatmight have developed. If a photo ever came out "damaged" in a waythat made me suspect that the card had developed a bad spot, I'ddefinitely run it then. None of this is critical; most cameras don'teven offer low-level formatting as an option...

I would tend to run it on a brand-new card to test for any bad spots,and maybe every few months just to check for any new bad spots thatmight have developed. If a photo ever came out "damaged" in a waythat made me suspect that the card had developed a bad spot, I'ddefinitely run it then. None of this is critical; most cameras don'teven offer low-level formatting as an option..

Any suggestions on any commercial / freeware to find defects or bad blocks on a Card?..

The follwing article has some info on formatting. click on the blue format at the top..

Http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/cf-sd.htm.

I also have never had a memory card go bad, but I also follow my own advice. after every download, and when the pictures are backed up then I format in the camera. it is not the erasing of the pics that can cause problems but the wiping clean of the index, or FAT allocation table. this where the corruption occurrs, if the index goes you can't get to the pics because the card says they are not there even if you know they are..

If you do not want want to format in the camera, fine. but you are taking an unnecessary chance. why would you?..

I do a low level format of my Canon cameras at least once a month, or sooner if I'll be shooting video. My S2 manual also recommends a low level format prior to high speed continuous shooting. And, according to the A570 manual, do a low level format when the recording/reading speed of the card has dropped..

All this after transferring images to my computer, of course.  .

Gail ~ http://www.pbase.com/gailbMy digital camera BLOGs: Pany TZ3, Canon SD700, A570 & S2, Nikon 5400http://www.digicamhelp.com/camera-logs/index.php..

I semi-occasionally use Lexar Recsue Media to1. Low-level test the entire card2. Securely erase (over-write every byte) the card.

When I insert this completely-blank card into my camera, the first thing the camera does is format it for me, but I then always do my own formatBUT, as others have said,1. Upload your pics to your PC2. Properly archive your images3. Do an in-camera format4. Shoot5. Repeat steps 1-4 until death Warm regards,DOFThere is no satisfactory substitute for excellenceDr.

Beckman..

HankH50 wrote:.

Arrowman wrote:.

The risk is small. The consequences are huge .

"consequences" equals "advantages"? What are the advantages offormatting rather than just erasing the pictures in the camera or inthe computer?.

Hopefully the other posts on this thread will answer that for you..

What I meant was:.

- The risk that you will lose photos as a result of "corruption" of the card's file index is very small; it is unlikely to happen..

- But the consequences, if it does happen, are huge - you lose some or all of the photos on the card..

- And it costs nothing to do; in fact, formatting the card in the camera is easier than deleting individual files or just about any other process for clearing the card..

So why not do it, eh?.

I've seen this subject discussed before and it amazes me when some people say "oh, well, it's never happened to me, it's vanishingly unlikely to happen, why bother?". That's just weird..

Don't be weird. .

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I've seen this subject discussed before and it amazes me when some people say "oh, well, it's never happened to me, it's vanishingly unlikely to happen, why bother?". That's just weird..

I think we are missing the entire part.

Throughout the discussion we have been talking about what format and delete it?Why format is easier?.

I am a person who prefers to format.1. Its easier..

2. I "think" or rather I "feel" it's nice to have a clean slate.. however no wehere technically (from the camera point) we have been able to reach a conclusion that formatting is better than deleting..

We "know" or feel that formatting is better.. but "why" is something we have not been able to reach a conclusion..

Thanks all. Very informative - now I know what to do.Hank..