Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

100% agree!

fetzler Loc: North West PA

It is easy to delete all files in a directory on your SD card, In windows ctrl-A to select all then delete.

Cookie223 Loc: New Jersey

Thanks Longshadow,
I’m one of those that do both, delete and format. I started that way because of what I read here and on the net. I have to admit it’s overkill on my part.

lsimpkins Loc: SE Pennsylvania

Actually a lot of flash memory these days is 3D.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Physically or logically?
Curious - the Row and Column addresses I know, what do they call the Z-axis address?

Edited: On a substrate they can create an X-Y array of cells easily. I'd be real interested in how they would create a 3-dimensional "array" when they fabricate the die.
Can you give me an example so I can look for a data sheet?

Papa Joe Loc: Midwest U.S.

My feeling is "Each to his own" and whatever he may feel comfortable doing. Personally, I have not formatted either of two cards used in two Canon cameras since originally inserting them and that's been nearly THREE years. I simply delete the contents after saving them elsewhere. No problem. If you feel more 'secure' formatting, then by all means do so but it's certainly not required each time.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Definitely - To each his own - What make you feel comfortable.
Many methods will work, it's just that ONE method is not a MUST.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

Essentially correct. The standard format just cleans out the directory just as deleting cleans selected directory entries. LLF erases all data and re-writes the directory structure.
Look in your digital manual. ( I assume it is in the paper one but I am not sure). Scroll down to 'Contents' and then keep going until you see a line about formatting. It will explain a reason for doing an occasional LLF. It has to do with restoring write speed and, so far as I know, only applies to Canon because of how they write data to the card. For the 5DIV that would be on page 73. For the EOS R it is page 373. In that section you will also see a paragraph stating the the card will be formatted to FAT32 (unless the card size is over 128GB in which case ex-FAT is used). Industry standard formats, not some proprietary format as some seem to think.

brooklyn-camera I Loc: Brooklyn, NY

So you kill maybe 10 seconds to format, no big deal.

kaitoo212 Loc: From CA living in NYC

@ Longshadow thanks for sharing this overlooked tip!
k a i t o o/daniel

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

This topic is predictable click bait... But here goes:

Let's set aside the incredibly poor grammar, syntax, and word usage in the quote from the supposed un-named manufacturer. There IS a grain or two of truth in the statement.

No, it is not technically necessary to format a card before using it. But that is NOT THE POINT of formatting the card before using it!

It is a workflow thing.

Back in my days as a training program developer and trainer for a school portrait company, we had a very deliberate procedure, the purpose of which was to ensure that our 440 photographers did not get confused and accidentally erase images that were destined for the lab.

#1 Format card in camera. (This is a HIGH LEVEL, FAST format. It erases the previous file allocation table/directory, releasing all the space on the card for re-use. Additionally, it adds any camera-specific data and file structures needed by that particular body.) Most importantly, it does not erase any images, so if you re-format the wrong card, all the images on it may still be recovered, provided you have not recorded any NEW files on the card!

#2 Photograph subjects, without deleting anything from the camera. (NOT deleting allowed close examination of images later, in the lab, at high magnification. If there was a problem with an image that was flagged at the camera for printing, the lab may need to edit and print a different pose.) Our photographers had neither time nor technology to view their images at high resolution.

#3 BACK UP the card to a DVD, allowing the DVD burning software to VERIFY the data. (Our system also produced a lab submission DVD, right at the camera, with a database of subject, edit, and order information on it. That database and associated images drove our production process. But the backup images were kept in our local offices.)

#4 IMMEDIATELY upon removing the card from the backup computer, put an Avery green dot label on the edge of the card and return it to the photographer. The green dot signified that the data had been copied from the card and it was safe to re-format and re-use the card.

The idea of doing this was to prevent confusion. Many of our local offices had multiple photographers working out of them. We had multiple office coordinators feeding work to the photographers, then preparing data, images, and order information for the lab. We needed a fool-proof way to ensure that no image we might need would be lost, AND no jobs would get mixed together.

The only times we lost data were when people didn't follow procedure...

Dave H2

My Nikons have never had a problem with cards without reformatting.
To avoid having to delete images from a card, I simply move them all to a computer. The moving process copies and deletes at the same time.
D

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Two sentences in the reply caught my attention:
1- reformatting the memory card after each use is not very necessary.
2- normally using the delete option is more than okay and is completely fine.

I always format a memory card prior to using it for the first time. I always reformat after using the card. If I reformat after I have issues with the memory card it could be too late and many of the images will be corrupted. Why take chances?
Everyone of us is different and I am sure others have a different experience formatting.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I format or re-format in-camera, whatever that is. It is really fast. In computer, yes, there are two types of Format commands.