Then I would say the peace of mind is worth any small wear and tear.

I can't think of any reason to repeat the process 3 times. It's probably not significant but it could add a little wear to the card.

I wasn't positive if formatting actually erase images, I thought not, and so I grabbed the card from my Nikon D200 which had been formatted in the camera and ran Stellar Phoenix Photo Recovery on it and as I type the photos are appearing. Formatting is recommended to reduce the possibility of data errors.

Most of what I read says that memory cards DO wear out. If you take 10 photos and either erase or format the card the next 10 photos will be placed in positions 11 to 20 the software does this to even out the wear on the cards. Most people recommend formatting not erasing. This is to prevent data errors, not hardware problems as I understand it.

Hey, if you hold your camera at an angle and move in a strait line I bet even the auto software will take it.

Good shots, I'd call the two dog shot "Buddies". Love the sunset, where the building on the left and the power line tower (right of the sun) make it for me.

I usually recommend Manual mode for panoramas. I want the same exposure for each section to make a matching more accurate. Establish your exposure at a spot that is not the brightest or the darkest, or is the most important.

I am mostly retired but teach a few photography courses at the community college. I've been reading Hedgehog for a little while and have enjoyed posts that I've read. I've included a recent HDR shot of our downtown.