LolaPL Loc: Richardson, Texas

Can I use a memory card formatted for a Canon 70d in a Panasonic ZS40 if I format it in the camera?

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

You can, but remember this old adage. Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do that something.
--Bob

TomC. Loc: Bel Air, MD

Yes, but I don't recommend it. Why don't you spring for another one and use it? You probably should have a spare for each one also.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

The card doesn't know which camera it's in.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

You will have to reformat the card (in the camera) in each camera when you swap, so what's the point?

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Yes. It can be done. Some photographers think one SD card is good for all of their cameras. I suggest you buy another card. Just to have a spare. In case the only one you own, fails on you. SD cards are rather inexpensive these days. I bought a Brand New SanDisk, Class 10, 16gb SD card for $8.99 last month, on Sale from Target Store. Same for having an extra camera battery. Two are always better than one. IMO.

Dan R Loc: Way Way Way Upstate NY

Yes you can, but recommend formatting it first in the camera you want to use it in before taking pictures.

LolaPL Loc: Richardson, Texas

I do have several, but only one for the Panasonic. Thanks, everyone.

BB4A

Can I please ask a question in return (others have already covered the “yes you can, but why would you” answer)?

1. When you take either camera out to shoot some pictures, how many do you take in an average, typical shoot?

If you never run out of space (the dreaded “Card Full!” Message), then you really need another one of the size card you currently use... because then you don’t need to keep swapping and reformatting between camera bodies.

If you ever have, or worried about, running out of space, then I suggest you should buy another three cards. That way, you have a prime card and a spare, for each camera body.

Lastly, several here have commented that cards can fail. For the relatively low cost involved, I’d advise always buying two if you think you need one. 😉

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

To the OP. You have several memory cards. You claim?

hangman45 Loc: Hueytown Alabama

I want to know why anyone says it is not a good idea as long as it is formatted in camera what would make it not a good idea

blackest Loc: Ireland

Well i can only speak for my own experience i've put cards in one body took photos put the card into another body and took photos and put in another body and took photos and not had any issues be it canon , pentax , or panasonc or even kodak. each has its own folders inside dcim panasonic uses its folder names canon uses its folder names and pentax and kodak their folder names.

Pentax uses 1000201 followed by 1010203 where the last 4 digits are the month and day ...

Yes it isn't recommended, but its never caused me any issues. Why should it?
I take the card out the camera (any camera) I put it in my card reader and the computer reads the file (any file).

You don't buy an sd card for a nikon or canon or ... all you should be interested in is the capacity and the class, a class 10 card should be able to be read and written to faster than a class 6 or class 4

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

So much paranoia...

I swap cards between my cameras all the time - including different brands. Never an issue. I do recommend formatting it first in the new camera, but there's times I've forgotten and never had an issue. As boberic says, the card doesn't know what camera it's in.

blackest Loc: Ireland

All Cameras use fat / fat32 formatted cards. which are great for files up to 4GB in size

They can be formatted as NTFS for example so you might use that to transfer a file thats larger than 4GB you can partition an SD Card like a hard drive (my first hard drive was 52 Megabytes in size but thats like 60 floppy disks worth of capacity).

If you format your sdcard as ntfs your camera will not be able to use it, without reformatting it.

with the good old KISS protocol

Formatting your card in your camera makes it a 100% certainty your card can be written to by your camera when you take a photograph. There is a write lock tab on the card if it is write locked you can't use the card when you take a photograph. However you will know this tab is not in the read position because your camera will tell you that it can not format the card.


The only times I've seen SDCards formatted to anything other than fat /fat32 , I did it! I am 99% certain if you borrow an sdcard from me it will be formatted fat/fat32 and the write tab is in the enabled position, but you would be best to format it to be certain.

crazydaddio Loc: Toronto Ontario Canada

Randomly use them in my 3 bodies. 6 memory cards 2 years no problems.