SD Card Question (Page 4): Hmmm. I've swapped SD cards from my wife's Nikon Coolpix to my Fuji S1500 and on to my Pentax K50 without problems. They all use the same DCIM folder on the...

lsaguy Loc: Udall, KS, USA

Hmmm. I've swapped SD cards from my wife's Nikon Coolpix to my Fuji S1500 and on to my Pentax K50 without problems. They all use the same DCIM folder on the card regardless of which camera created it when the card was formatted. May not be best practice but it seems to work just fine nonetheless.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Apaflo wrote:

If only it worked that way... but it doesn't. br ... (show quote)

:thumbup:Exactly.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

jarneyd wrote:

I have a newly acquired D7100, I am giving my son my D90, Can I take the sd card from the 90 and put in the 7100 without reformatting and losing the photos on it?
I keep all of my SD cards as a backup, it way less expensive than having prints made ever was.

Thanks In advance.

You can probably do that, but . . . It is inadvisable. 1.SD cards do get glitches occasionally (Much less now than in the past) so having 1,2 or more backup copies is wise to avoid potentially losing your images. 2. Every mechanical device has some "slop", card slots no less than others. Reformatting the card in the new camera ensures that everything matches better. 3. Formatting lays down a new filing structure, again giving more accuracy. 4. Formatting tests every writable bit and locks out any that are weak and failing--just as it does on hard drives. 5. SD cards are not any more permanent than any other medium.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

Reinaldokool wrote:

You can probably do that, but . . . It is inadvis... (show quote)

Your item 1 is correct, and so is item 5.

Item two is utterly silly. Mechanical slop cannot possibly be adjusted by software, formatting or otherwise.

Item 3 is untrue as to accuracy. It does provide exactly the same file structure, and with exactly the same accuracy as previously existed. There is no benefit as there is no change.

Item 4 is simply not true in any way. Formatting does not test any data location, much less lock out any part of it.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Apaflo wrote:

..... Formatting does not test any data location, much less lock out any part of it.

This site as a little bit to say about that subject.
http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=3554

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Apaflo wrote:

..... Formatting does not test any data location, much less lock out any part of it.

This site as a little bit to say about that subject.
http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=3554
"Flash memory is really cheap. So cheap, in fact, that its too good to be true. In reality, all flash memory is riddled with defects without exception. The illusion of a contiguous, reliable storage media is crafted through sophisticated error correction and bad block management functions."

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

oldtigger wrote:

This site as a little bit to say about that subject.
http://www.bunniestudios.com/blog/?p=3554
"Flash memory is really cheap. So cheap, in fact, that its too good to be true. In reality, all flash memory is riddled with defects without exception. The illusion of a contiguous, reliable storage media is crafted through sophisticated error correction and bad block management functions."

I read the entire article and I did a word search on "format".

There is not even a "little bit" about that subject which pertains in even the slightest way to the discussion here.

To reiterate, formatting a memory card in a camera does not test any of the memory for errors. Nor can it lock out bad sectors.

If you want to prove it to yourself, it's easy. Take virtually any memory card of significant size and format it with a good formatting program while mounted in a card reader attached to a PC. Read the manual for the formatting program and find the option to verify memory, and format the card with that option enabled. Time it to see how long it takes.

Then format the card in a camera and time that too. There is no comparison.

oldtigger Loc: Roanoke Virginia-USA

Apaflo wrote:

...To reiterate, formatting a memory card in a camera does not test any of the memory for errors. Nor can it lock out bad sectors.
...Then format the card in a camera and time that too. There is no comparison.

This site addresses low level formatting as opposed to simple formatting for canon users:
www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/2641590

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Need to finish the link please (http://www... )

mrd Loc: Eastern NC

I never format a card, never had a problem. "Now that I have made this statement the problems will follow!

JD750 Loc: SoCal

jarneyd wrote:

I have a newly acquired D7100, I am giving my son my D90, Can I take the sd card from the 90 and put in the 7100 without reformatting and losing the photos on it?
I keep all of my SD cards as a backup, it way less expensive than having prints made ever was.

Thanks In advance.

I confess, I did not read all 4 pages of replies. Sorry.

Ans to your question:
If the SD card has value as a backup archive, then don't do it.

Now a question for you and some things to think about.

Q: Are you considering prints as a method of backup for digital images? There are more compact, faster and cheaper methods.

Please Consider -
Flash memory cards are "digital film", meant to be reformatted and re-used.

There are better long term storage technologies much better than flash memory, (SD is one form of flash memory). Other technologies are both more reliable and lower cost (per megabit).

My advice, look into other long term backup technologies. Use the SD cards as intended. For short term storage.