delete and reuse sd card (Page 4): Once the pictures are downloaded into my computer and viewed, I will format the card in my camera. Have had no problems with the card.

willaim Loc: Sunny Southern California

Once the pictures are downloaded into my computer and viewed, I will format the card in my camera. Have had no problems with the card.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

johngault007 wrote:

Now see, that is just inaccurate and misleading. You do not have to format your SD card IN YOUR CAMERA, and CAN format in your computer.

Statements of finality are simply not true. Now everyone has their process and there is no right or wrong way. You can format after every use, or format once (in computer or camera), it's simply UP TO YOU!

Exactly. There are two kinds of format. A quick format just deletes the indexes of locations on the card where each file starts. That’s why you can still recover files after a quick format. It’s pretty much the same as deleing all the files. A full format that completely wipes the card is rarely done. I never fill a card up because I’m usually downloading all the photos at the end of the day Sometimes I just delete the files off the card once I know they’re safely on the hard drive. If I forget then I usually do an in camera format as a quick and easy way to clear the card.

cahale Loc: San Angelo, TX

There is no reason to reformat an SD card after the initial formatting. It doesn't lose or gain anything by having files written to it or erased from it. The only time you should reformat is if your camera tells you it cannot read the card. Then reformat once. If still having trouble, discard and replace. Like all solid state devices, it is fairly robust, but like everything in and out of this world is subject to occasional failure.

crphoto8 Loc: Anaheim, California

Kbelz67 wrote:

Does anyone format your sd card after you've downl... (show quote)

Yes to formatting in camera AFTER the images have been downloaded to their storage place, a couple of hard drives in my case. You need to format the cards in the camera where they will be used in case you have more than one body.

kufengler Loc: Meridian, Idaho 83646

I download all pictures from the SD card while in the camera after taking a lot of pictures for vacation or other for other occasions to my laptop and back them up in 2 other drives. Then format the card in the camera. I really never take the card out.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

cahale wrote:

There is no reason to reformat an SD card after the initial formatting. It doesn't lose or gain anything by having files written to it or erased from it. The only time you should reformat is if your camera tells you it cannot read the card. Then reformat once. If still having trouble, discard and replace. Like all solid state devices, it is fairly robust, but like everything in and out of this world is subject to occasional failure.

I have some flash memory devices that have been reformatted hundreds of times. The only time I've had problems with an SD type card is when I physically damaged a card (bent, broken, crushed, or zapped with static electricity), or used an SDXC card formatted for a Canon in my GH4 (which refuses to recognize cards not formatted in it until they are formatted again).

My kids have run several cards through the washer and dryer, in their jeans pockets. They all still work.

Formatting does no harm. If it makes you more comfortable with workflow, as it does me, then do it.

In our house, a LOCKED card with images on it is assumed NOT to have been downloaded to a computer, unless proven otherwise by its user. Locking the card with the little switch on the side is something few people remember is possible, but it can prevent unauthorized erasure of images and video!

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

rstipe wrote:

ALWAYS format the SD card IN YOUR CAMERA after downloading to your computer. DO NOT format in your computer. There's no need to delete files in addition to formatting. I hope this helps.

I sorta do the same thing. I always re-format the backup card in camera after inserting. I only do this when the previous card was full. I'm thinking it is a soft format since it is so fast, but I could be wrong. It really doesn't matter to me.

photoman43

Aftr downloading images from a SD or any other card I back them up. Once aall backups are done I reformat the cards in camera only.

LittleRed

Kbelz67 wrote:

Does anyone format your sd card after you've downl... (show quote)

I always format my cards in-camera when the time is come to do so. Usually this is at the end of photography session no mater how long it is. A lot of these outings may be for a month or longer. During that time I and my wife are out “shooting” every almost every day unless there is bad weather. We are almost totally doing wildlife (mainly birds). For example last summer on one trip we were on the road for 40 days and were in the field for 35. I usually carry 20 or more SD cards in my kit, mostly 32’s and a few 64’s thrown in. I do carry a couple of 128’s mainly for a short video. Usually I only use one card per location or day depending on how many pics I take. Once I take a card out of the camera I download all the pics onto my laptop HD and also put a copy onto an external drive ( of if it is getting full ) onto a group of thummers. The cards still with the pics on them are then safely put into a case to be transported back to our home base. That means that we always have 3 copies of each pic when we get home. A lot of the time we have the opportunity to see and capture some of those once in a lifetime instances and I want to make damn sure they are not lost. There is no guarantee that an “accident” may not happen but with a copy in 3 different locations the chances are slim. Once at home the pics are again downloaded onto our desktop for processing. Once this is done a check is made to make sure all the pics are safely stored away. Its at that time the cards are put back into the camera and a “full” format is done. I also do one or two test shots to make sure both the card and the combination of the card and camera are up to snuff. Also I should mention that my wife (probably a better picture taker than I as she has more patience) does exactly the same so everything I have said above is doubled. Being doing this for at least the last 10 years and have never lost one picture. Back a few eons while taking a photocourse at our local college the instructor stressed that the card should be done only in the camera and not in a computer. Don’t know why but since I’ve never had any card problems I think I’ll continue to follow that rule.

LittleRed (Ron)

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

burkphoto wrote:

It is repeatable for some of us. The exact same th... (show quote)

Totally understood. And I think that was my point, there is not a single way for a lot of things photography, specifically in this thread, formatting vs. not formatting (in or out of camera). Why your GH4 doesn't accept FAT32 or exFAT from anything other than camera is a mystery beyond me just doing a quick google search, but there are the times that it can and will happen I guess.

And my previous response was more to the "formatting adds the directory structure", and I was just trying to demystify that formatting only sets the file system, the camera OS actually creates needed files and directories. I have no desire to look through camera OS code, but I'll take a wild guess that upon start up, the camera searches the storage device for the folders, if not there, creates them. (Again, at least my two Canon and older Sony NEX) does that.

Cheers!

2Much Loc: WA

Kbelz67 wrote:

Does anyone format your sd card after you've downloaded...

"Everything you need to know" about memory cards, their care and use, from a knowledgeable source:

https://photographylife.com/understanding-memory-cards#the-myth-of-deleting-images-from-memory-cards

greekd214

Kbelz67 wrote:

Does anyone format your sd card after you've downl... (show quote)

Yes. All the time. After backing up files on 2 hard drives, I reformat the card in the camera. The only time I save the cards are vacations ad other major events.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Formatting takes seconds. It does not hurt the card. It may not hurt the card. I MAY help you card.

You wanted advice if you do it you can't lose. If you don't do it you may have a slight chance you don't get your pictures.

Do what you want.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

2Much wrote:

"Everything you need to know" about memory cards, their care and use, from a knowledgeable source:

https://photographylife.com/understanding-memory-cards#the-myth-of-deleting-images-from-memory-cards

RE: The Myth of Deleting Images from Memory Cards:

There are good reasons for not deleting images in the camera. But they have nothing to do with IMAGE corruption. They have everything to do with external database solutions that rely on sequential file numbering, time, and date information to synchronize files from multiple cameras into a single timeline. Some of these solutions will not work unless the sequence is unbroken.

We had such an application where I worked. It had all sorts of issues if you deleted files on one camera out of three...

That same application would not run on a PC with JASC PaintShopPro installed on it (a very old version, now). We never knew why... must have been some .dll conflict or something. That app was WeIrD.

Another reason not to delete in camera is that the dinky little LCD or OLED screen on the camera is insufficient to judge images for those whose sight is challenged by fixed focus eyes (i.e.; we have cataract replacement lenses) or we're farsighted. Viewing them full screen in Lightroom or another editor with the right glasses allows a more thorough evaluation. I might find a flaw in an image that prevents me from using it, so I'll use another frame instead.

I don't delete anything until I know I have a keeper for each subject I want to keep. That happens in post-processing.

DocDav Loc: IN

As to money, i see no reason to continually buy new SD cards. I d/l to the desktop and format the card

Speaking of money:

Teach your children to love photography and they will never play around with drugs.

They won't have any money left to buy them.