10MPlayer Loc: California

I always format in the camera. It not only wipes out the old files but it also sets up the Canon file structure. Windows won't do that.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

You run the same risk every time you use your computer to read data from the card. It helps if you do not download infected formatting programs from the internet

J2e Loc: Canandaigua, NY

Don’t do it.
Format in camera.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

True, but if you insert a card formatted by the PC, it will have no folders created on it, so the camera will create them. In fact, if you format a card in your PC and create the properly named folder structure, your camera will happily use those folders. That, the steps of formatting and creating a structure of folders, is what formatting a card does. It matters not where they are accomplished. The idea of having to format in camera became the stuff of urban legend early in the 2000s. It saves the camera manufacturers the cost of developing and supporting unique software for handling something which has been standardized.

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

You said two different things....format in camera and format in computer.
You can certainly format in computer....best is to us the "SD Card Formatter" app from the SD Association. They explain why.
Formatting in computer will NOT render a card useless. That's hogwash.

But some cameras have to format the card themselves for it to work. They format a special way.

Best to format a card in the camera in any case. Format on computer if you just want to erase a card that won't be going in a camera right away.

Jack 13088 Loc: Central NY

This is right on. As luck would have it I have never formatted a card in the camera mostly because it never occurred to me. Cards come from the manufacturer formatted with the FAT variant appropriate for the card size. When I read the card I use a $10 USB3 reader to get those pictures off as quickly as possible and on to a SDD drive. After LR has finished reading the card I kick off a script that backs up the SSD card to an internal HD and an external removable drive which eventually ends up in a safe deposit box. The script then formats the card and adds a volume label that includes the date of the format and number of times formatted. The idea is if the card ever fails I will know how long it lasted. Alas no failures yet.

Formatting clears the File Access Table which theoretically reduces the life of the card. But cards are supposed to last for tens of thousands writes to each cell so it is of no practical importance. Likewise, formatting twice costs nothing but accomplishes nothing. The so called low level format does not apply to SSDs which cards are. Canon low level format zeroes the data fo each file presumably to protect your data from thieves. Little effect on card life.

I have been told that some cameras write data on the card that to extra the standards. Not Nikon or Canon for sure.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I don't, I format in the camera. That includes when I copied the files by cable or by putting my SD card in my Dell's card slot. One of four.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I found that my cards do not work if formatted in my computer, therfore I always format in the camera.

Meganephron Loc: Fort Worth, TX

[quote=Bill P]

Cards are cheap now. Trips to Patagonia, Alaska, Europe are very expensive.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Since I like information from the horse's mouth, and not what is propagated all over the internet, I contacted a major SD card manufacturer regarding formatting before each use. This is the reply I received:

" As per your query please allow us to inform you that reformatting the memory card after each use is not very necessary. We recommend formatting a memory card only in situation when the card behaves weird to troubleshoot and check if the issue resolves. Additionally since every host device has different specification and functionality, depending upon the supported specification when necessary formatting the memory card in this situation is recommended. Format is a data destructive process and will erase all data from your card, so please make sure that you have everything backed up prior to proceeding. Apart from such situation, normally using the delete option is more than okay and is completely fine.

Please reply to this email should you require further assistance. We are glad to help!

Best regards, "

This substantiates my belief that one only needs to do an initial format in a camera and deleting files on the computer is fine. Re-format when the card seems to hiccup. (which is what I've been doing for ten years with no problem, and I've never had to re-format a card, either an SD or Memory Stick.)

But y'all can continue to do what you feel comfortable with doing.

-L

Bill P

I don't mind the money, although I find card prices to be just a bit more than cheap. What I really mind are the capacities. I am perfectly pleased with 2 and 4 gig cards, and don't have or use any bigger than 8. That's because, although I have only had a card failure once in well over 13 years of digital shooting, why chance it? So as they were going out of fashion, I stocked up. Also, I find larger cards to be troublesome in organizing and downloading. But in all my years of shooting film and digital, I have never sprayed and prayed.

I have saved quite a few cards from international trips, though.

ronpier Loc: Poland Ohio

I also primarily use 8 and 16gb cards. More manageable than 32 and larger cards. And will continue to format in camera and rotate the cards. I also do not mix cards and cameras. No card failures in 14 years shooting digital is a good track record IMO. Also I also still use the 2 and 4 gb cards in my older DSLR and P&S.

Bill_de Loc: US

FYI - you could have edited the second instead of creating a third post.

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