I import directly from the card into my Lightroom catalogue. Using this method, the files are copied to a new folder that I create during the Lr import and I’m done! After confirming, I’ll then format the card. Although on large trips, I’ll often put the cards aside for a bit just to be safe and have a temporary backup before formatting.
I have one extra step after transferring but before formatting, and that's to make sure I have a back-up. I only format once I have that second copy safely saved 🙂
Hi Mark! Great survey of the alternative approaches. I do not format the card in the camera until the files are not only on my desktop but also the desktop is backed up to a local external drive *AND* the cloud. Once burned...
I believe that either formatting or deleting individual images does erase or delete anything. If it did, imagine the amount of time it would take your camera or computer to write a "0" to every memory position on the card; it would take tens of minutes for large cards. Formatting a card creates a few folders, but most importantly formatting creates a new blank spreadsheet of memory locations for all the files stored on the card. The spreadsheet is invisible to users, but tells the camera or computer where all the bits of each file is located. Deleting one or more images from a card simply nulls out the memory locations for those files on the memory card, it does not actually delete the image data. Formatting a card simply creates a new blank spreadsheet. The reason formatting a card is so nice for the card's speed (health) is you start with a blank spreadsheet with all memory locations marked as "available". Deleting individual images creates a larger spreadsheet over time that must be managed. Since memory cards are not spinning disks, there is little to no extra time managing a large spreadsheet vs a new blank spreadsheet, but there is more chance of read/write error affecting the former, which is why formatting the card is generally considered the preferred method. All the best.
You are correct, performing a format on an SD card or a hard drive simply erases the file allocation table and in some cases does a quick check of the card or drive for any known errors. A low level format however does go through the contents of the drive erasing the individual entries and therefore takes longer, this method provides a more secure erase of the files themselves.
@@spike62002 Furthermore, a total erasing of the SD would reduce to lifespan of the SD card dramatically, because the memory "cell" of an SD card has an limit amount of write-cycles.
This is true of any computer file stored on any media. A simple erase is quick because it just marks the space in the file allocation table as empty (free). At this point the files are still recoverable using specialist software. If you want to securely delete a file you need to overwrite its contents with something and then mark it as deleted. Security software for “shredding” files on a hard drive will optionally do this several times to ensure that the data cannot be recovered. Not necessary with photographs on an SD card but very necessary for personal file on a hard drive or SSD before scrapping or selling them!
Full formatting also marks any bad sectors on the SD card so that the camera does not write data to them. Not so much of an issue these days - but another plus for formatting.
I didn't know that, Nick, so thanks for the useful information - something of a rarity on the internet 😊I've always tended to use 'format' in camera to clean down cards anyway, but thinking about it now, I've never really done so for any better reason than it somehow seemed like the best option. Pleased to know there is a benefit, even if I was blissfully unaware of it.
You'd have to run through all of the storage to ID bad cells. I think this is called Deep Formatting or Secure Erase which writes zeros to the flash cells.
It’s been fascinating reading these comments. I was always under the impression that formatting was common practice, and rather obvious. Simply shoot your media, manage your data however you do (good practice to get into is when making a backup, backup from the card, not from the hdd you just offloaded to. Reduces chance of having a corrupted file made from the offload process duplicated) then format the card before ever shoot/job. Keeps the cards as healthy as possible and also ensures you have as much space on the card as possible
Well, there is Quick Format, and there is Full Format. On a Desktop, you'll have both options, with Full Format doing exactly what you say is does but taking an incredibly long time to complete, whereas Quick Format does not (imho). I am pretty sure it is not possible to do a Full Format using your camera, this is always the Quick version, which does NOT look for bad sectors.
Formatting the SD card clears previous data, so you don't have to delete the data in a separate step on the card before formating. After I transfer data, I just put the card back into the camera and format it. Ooops, I just got to the part of the video where you mentioned this. :-) Regarding delete vs formating. A better analogy is: deleting removes the address of a house from a city master map, but the house is still there until the city decides to build another house in that location. Formating bulldozes the entire city and creats a new master map to use for house allocation.
Thanks Mark! There is another 5th way. That is if money is not a problem. Just always insert a new card and save the old one in whatever file system you devise. Just erasing a photo from the card eventually fragments it too much and formatting it will preserve that file structure. You might want to mention you cannot format the card with your computer and reader as this will format for your computer’s usage. It must always be done in camera.
I was going to ask why you couldn't just format the card after you dumped the media on it, but never realized the file format was different from one item to another. Thanks for this notation in your comment!
You’d better format properly any new card before actually using it. That is the only way to ensure that your camera will actually write correctly on it
@@jillrsimmons - It's not that the file formats are "different" - My Nikon uses "ExFAT" but appreciate that the software implementation in camera and on your computer are probably not the same (different O/S and firmware routines) - ExFat is pretty much established these days, but there might possibly be a difference between them or one of them may have a bug. The most important thing to do is the photo capturing, you don't want the capturing of a once-in-a-lifetime event to fail so if you were to be faced with a choice of bugs go with the camera one and your capture should at least work. If reading the card fails on the computer for any reason at least you have the backup of plugging the card back into the camera and trying to read it that way or by using a different computer. Incidentally, for deleting images in camera, the data isn't overwritten - it's just the directory entry that is marked as deleted and the space used by the deleted file is returned back to the file system for reuse. The code to do this repeatedly can get quite complex and over time the drive becomes very fragmented (hence defrag on older pcs) and as a result there is a higher chance of buggy code than for a simple format which just has to write an empty directory structure over top of the old one (plus the bad sector check).
Hi Mark good explanation. The best way to use memorycard is to format them in the camera to use. After backup :). What I also good be a good idee to copy the files to an external drive, Cloud or NAS. And ofcourse an other way is to copy the files to external drive, clod or NAS and save the sd-card. For me once I was Lucky to have the SD-cards when a drive was crypted with bitlocker by a mistake of my system-engineer. No recovery key so no exess to the files. Also a tip when a card fails during a shoot, do not format it then. Take a new formatteren card and use the recovery software from the munafactor to try to recovery you already taken items. Had it once in the early days and recoverd them with Sandisk-recovery.
@@alanwilson7792 most of that is correct up until the fragmentation part. Deleting the file table tells the camera to start writing at the beginning of the card. There will be no fragmentation at all. Defrag on old computers was to move the data outward to the faster edge of the spinning disk and to consolidate the data to reduce seeks that slow down the throughput.
Option #5: As a Canon user, I've always connected the camera to my computer via USB-cable and imported the photos with Canon EOS Utility. When I pack my camera gear for the next trip, I format the cards in-camera. In my case, this means that the cards are never removed from the camera.
I rarely do use the usb cable and all my cameras are Canons but If I use my CF 256 GB card then I use my usb cable as the computers I own will read only CF cards under 256 GB directly from the card.I fill up cards quite often and have to replace them with empty ones so I seldom use cable.
In response to the Canon EOS Utility for me success was mixed when copying via USB. 5 or 6 times it would hang halfway through the files transfer and had to kill and restart. I think I tracked it down to power-save mode going active on the R7, encase others are having that same issue. I find it too much of a bother to change the power mode before using EOS. I never had issues with the built in SD card slot on my Mac M1 so I go with that now. I also choose tough SD cards to avoid becoming another broken SD card story when I use them as removable solid state media.
A minus with this is that it's often USB 2 in the Canon camera. I haven't checked on all but I would consider my R8 new enough and expensive enough but yet they haven't put USB 3 chips in. The read speed of even value cards (which can have poor write speed) is several times that with the right card reader (internally it can be connected in a variety of ways, externally you need an USB 3 one).
If you never remove the card from the camera, you never get to a photoshoot and find you haven't a card in the camera. Scott Kelby has an excellent video on workflow for taking images off the camera which includes not deleting/formating the card until you have at least 3 other copies of all the images.
Hi Mark, Thanks for the great video. One new way for deleting the photos, I recently learnt, is to protect the photos while reviewing them in the camera display and then deleting remining a feature available on my Nikon Z8. However, there is a caveat, sometimes I need to play with the exposure etc to decide if I want to keep the photo. I have also used Light room classic feature of deleting all the rejected photos. Once again thanks for all your teaching as always.
I appreciate that you are probably a far more experienced photographer than I am . To me photography is a hobby and I don’t consider myself to be much better than a happy snapper. But in my experience most of what you say is total bollocks. While I agree it is good practice to format your SD cards from time to time, in 15-16 yearsI of using Kodak, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Panasonic cameras I have as far as I can remember seldom had the experience where one camera could not read the data from an SD card that had been in a camera from a different brand. Having been burned a couple of times in the past , where I have deleted photos from an SD card in computer. And have been left with SD cards that are unusable I transfer all my photos to computer via the USB cable that came with the camera and then , after a couple of months,delete the photos that I don’t think I need from the SD card in camera. Anyway that is what works for me.
One other quick tip that can save you big bucks in camera repair: always check the SD card for any signs of wear before you place it into your computer or back into your camera. I once missed a small crack in an SD card when I put it back into my camera. When I tried to remove the card again, a piece of the SD card broke off and got stuck in the camera. I couldn't put another card in and had to send the camera away to have the piece removed. It cost more than $250 (Canadian) for the repair. I now always inspect the card as soon as I eject it from the camera, before I place it in my computer, and again after I've transferred my files, before I put the card back in my camera. Cheers!
Very informative video as usual. Thanks for sharing. My first memory card was a 2MB CF card in 1997 or maybe 1998 for my first digital camera. I could take about 10 shots on that camera and I was completely stoked about it. Then I got a 64MB I think and thought that was HUGE. A few years later I bought what I thought was the end-all in memory cards, a 4GB Microdrive. I was sure that I would never need a larger card....haha. Those were the good ole days....not.
I take a very different approach, badly messed up shots get individually deleted, each project gets saved to its own folder on the computer, the computer is backed up to the domestic NAS. If the SD card gets anywhere near capacity, it gets replaced with a new one and the old one is filed off-site (given to my camera mad son for safe keeping) I started buying film fifty years ago, SD cards are incredibly cheap and awe inspiring value.
Thanks Mark, I did kind of wonder which method the manufacturers recommend, it's not something you often think about until it's maybe too late. And yes I know first hand how long it takes to clear all your pictures off your desk top after mistakenly dragging them there.
I agree with your transfer-then-format method, but I add one wrinkle: I have an extra set of SD cards that I carry as spares. Once I fill up the cards in the camera, I transfer the files to my computer, then place them face-down in my SD card holder to designate that they have files on them. I take the last set, put them in my camera and format them. This way, if something happens and I lose the files on my computer, I can go back and retrieve them again from the cards. It usually takes months to fill-up cards, so I have that extra backup for that period of time. Of course I also have Time Machine running on my Mac and I do periodic off-site backups.
You can instantly do off-site backup by taking your inverted card and putting it in your car. As is, when you copy the files and invert it at your desk, the backups are exposed to house fire, flood, theft and misplacement.
Slight disagree, better to minimize physical movements on the card. If possible to transfer from the camera directly it's a better than pulling it out each time. I'll add, the computer's SD slot is what will ware down first, but that's best for both. But yes, formatting does a lot of good things to a card including marking bad sectors that might have cropped up.
That’s always been my belief. Minimise physical wear and tear on the card and camera’s card slot by importing using the camera to computer USB to USB cable provided by the camera manufacturer with the camera.
You're absolutely right. I don't understand all these people who eject their memory card from the camera and put it in a PC or card reader. The SD card is the most fragile of memory cards and the less you handle it, the better. Don't let anyone tell me it's faster. A few minutes of transfer while the photos were taken several hours before. Most cameras allow cable transfer. I hope they don't remove the SIM card from their smartphone to download the pictures...
Thanks Mark, my workflow is to have multiple cards in a waterproof hardcase. When I'm doen photographing: 1) Transfer to folder on PC 2) Write-protect the card 3) Sort out photo's & post-process 4) Create (multiple) backup(s) op sorted raw and processed photos 5) Remove write protection of card and use again later In that way Ialways have multiple backups of my raw files, it saved me once
Thanks for this informative video! I load my files to an EXT HD. Once I know they are all on there, I then put it back in my camera and format the card.
Very informative video Mark. I normally reformat my SD Cards regularly. Here’s what happened once to me. I got out on a shoot and my camera could not save any files. After a few times checking I looked at the SD Card and the little write protect slider on the side was missing. Only having one card with me meant that shoot was abandoned. Somehow I think the slider came out after I dropped the card on the floor that morning. So one more thing to watch for.
Indeed... And cards CAN become corrupted in ways that render them unusable... With the current low cost of media you should ALWAYS carry multiple cards... (And LABEL them so there is no confusion later.)
I've always followed the formatting method; it doesn't necessarily erase everything, it resets the file structure. As an IT guy, we dealt with the same issues on pc's. Just formatting didn't really get rid of everything, it resets the FAT (File Allocation Table) or the NTFS file structure; after that, new files just write over old data. To fully format and erase everything, one has to do a low level format. In the case of Canon, this is what they say about low level formatting: "." As someone else mentioned below, this type of formatting also marks any bad sectors on the card. Realize, though, that over time the card will eventually deteriorate since all forms of data storage, whether on a spinning hard drive (magnetic) or SSD type (which SD cards have similarity to), eventually the data cells will stop recording. I don't know how many writes/rewrites the typical SD card will take, but I'm quite sure some lab or other has measured it and has published the results. All in all, though, you are correct in that formatting will preserve the life of the SD card over just deleting files as you go.
Hey Mark, I had an issue a while back where my card wouldn't hold more that a few images. I was in panic haha. I used to just drag and drop to thrash. I've since been formatting and never had a problem 😊.
yeah, you have to clear the trash on the computer to edit the file table so the camera sees the card as empty even though the files are all still sitting on the card.
Thanks Mark. At least I know I’m on the right track. I transfer my files to computer then replace card in camera and Format, even if I only have 10 files. I find it’s easier to do that and to have a clean card for my next adventure.
A slightly different take I read some while ago that it was good practice to use more of the SD card by filling it up more, as using the same section of the card over and over wasn't a good idea. So I tend to almost fill my card before either deleting or formatting.
You should save another copy of your files onto an external SSD drive. Computer hard drives are prone to failure. Place a second copy on an external drive for safety purposes. I know it may sound redundant but when an internal hard drive fails and you lose everything, you learn quickly. I never reformat my SD cards until I have two copies of my files on two separate hard drives.
0. Insert the card in a reader. 1. I use Adobe Lightroom to import the image files to the designated destination(s), while renaming the files to this format (YYMMDD|HHMMSS|original-file-name). This is done by Lightroom during the import function, using the date & time in the EXIF metadata.. 1.1. The destination folders are organized/structured by quarter/year (Q1 - 01-03 | 2024). 2. I manually copy the new folders to 4 different drives, using the same structure. 3. I process all new photos. 4. Before starting on my next photography endeavor, I format the card from the camera. If I change cameras, I do a low-level format (there is a checkbox for it). I had a Drobo RAID storage that I use as the main storage, but multiple drives failed simultaneously, and I lost roughly 70% of all my digital photography (since 1996). That's why it's ALWAYS important to have backups, that's why I backup to 4 different drives. EDIT: I left out a couple of steps for geotagging the photos, as I didn't think it was relevant.
I heard about this a long time ago (10 years?). I remember reading it was the best way to keep your card fresh. I've been doing it ever since and have never had memory card issues. For the past year I've been taking TONS of photos every weekend for a property management company. Same memory card I've always used. Format the card after I get the photos off and still no card issues. :)
My Canon cameras have a choice when formatting as ‘Quick Format’ vs ‘Low Level Format’. I am not 100% sure what Low Level format means exactly, but I think Quick Format just deletes the directory. I always use Low Level (takes a bit longer), but I think it is more of a ‘deep clean’ and better to perform than the ‘quick format’. What are your thoughts on the differences and which do you think is better?
I find in my experience using either format type, it makes zero difference and once the card is full again the previous images will been gone forever as they become overwritten. I have been using Canon digital cameras for 20 years and have never had any card issues. If permanently deleting images is a must then use your computer on a slow format and then use the camera to format yet again-the images,etc will be gone forever.
Before formatting the card I always ensure I’ve completed my backups of the photos on my MacBook. One copy on the MacBook, one in Time Machine, and one in RAID, which will backup the cloud.
Good Advise I usually clear my cards now by formating and even if i have deleted the files from the computer which is slower I still reformat the cards. Fuji makes this really easy and is very fast.
Hi Mark, I had a SSD fail on me and as I am a Linux (OS) shooter I was able to appeal for help from the Open Source community. I was assisted by an experienced Sys Admin at no charge, to recover my files. He noticed that my backup procedure was "whenever I thought about it", so he set up an automated system for backup. The idea was that when I was copying (not moving) my files to my computer, a script would ensure that my RAW files were transferred to an external HDD as the upload was taking place by creating a mirror directory in the external disk. I worked on my RAW files on the SSD and any changes were reflected in the mirror and since my editor, "darktable" now saves every ten seconds my work is effectively secure. Then I am confident to format the SD card. I am a studio photographer and I start every session on a freshly formatted card, I could do with some more 16Gb SD cards but they are hard to find as video is the "thing" and it requires large cards. Following this process I have put 70.000 images through my camera using the same SD card, around 300 formats.
I like the last one. I remove the card, transfer my media to my laptop, remove card and format in camera. I like the method the best. I also missed the trashcan one time. That was a task to remove all those photos. I never did that again. I just perform the last task and let the camera format remove all my photos when done and ready to shoot again.
I use windows explorer to copy files from card to appropriate folder, compare information to asure all transfered properly. Drag/ drop is just waiting for a mess (as you found out). Then format in camera. I've never had any cards fail in 8 years.
FWIW I reformat my card every time I have finished uploading the images to my computer AND have backed those images up to an external drive. Card mismanagement issues are fairly rare but when they occur they can wreck havoc! As I have about 10 cards in continuous rotation I've found it is essential to follow a standard routine. So I purchase a plastic tray with 3 main compartments which I label "Waiting to Upload," "Uploaded Waiting For Backup," and "Ready to Format and Use." This sidesteps the "Whoops I was sure I had uploaded that card" screwup that I once experienced when I hadn't uploaded the card before reformatting it and therefore had lost every image!
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing! I normally cut the folder from my SD card, paste it to my hard drive, and rename it. And every now and again I format the SD card
I plug the camera into the computer and import all to LR (Rate and delete later from SSD before editing). Then format cards in the camera. This way I can't forget to put the cards back in. This is especially handy now that my camera, phone, controller and all other peripherals are USB-C so I only need one cable and USB-C transfer speeds are more than quick enough for my needs.
As always, your explanations are clear and concise. I use the format function to clean my SD cards, and I've also heard that deleting individual files from the SD card while it's still in the camera is not a good idea because it will adversely affect the numbering system. I don't know if it's true for every camera, but why take a chance.
I use Fast Raw Viewer and save the keepers to a folder then import to LR and use a custom rename preset with date and an identity of shoot. Format in camera.
I don't like taking my SD card in and out of my computer and camera. I just plug my camera into my computer using the USB jack. Then, I'll copy the photos to my computer. Lightroom would do so automatically, but I prefer to have a bit more control over just where the photos are stores on my computer. But the USB connection gives me the ability to copy and delete as I please. I can always reformat the SD card using the camera option.
You're absolutely right. I don't understand all these people who eject their memory card from the camera and put it in a PC or card reader. The SD card is the most fragile of memory cards and the less you handle it, the better. Don't let anyone tell me it's faster. A few minutes of transfer while the photos were taken several hours before. Most cameras allow cable transfer. I hope they don't remove the SIM card from their smartphone to download the pictures...
Canons software is really good for this. I have it setup so that it renames every photo automatically. My folder structure is Year/Lettermonth/day sometimes with a comment Letter being the letter in the alfabet that matches the month. Ajanuary, Bfebruary, Cmars etc. This forces all months to be sorted in the order I want. And this is just for storage. I have a completely separate folder for all my edited photos. I make a copy of the raw that is placed in the "edited" folder structure before I edit it. This means I keep all my raws in the storage untouched. File name is Year-month-day_#### Super easy to find what im looking for. The files having date in the name as well as its own suffix number means there will never be unwanted copies, even if I export it in different file formats. I can then also easily track back to the original raw file if I want to redo my edits as all the edited and raw file have the same name.
@@Xirpzy The Sony cameras allow the same type of folder naming - Every Folding Name has the date created imbedded. I just bought a Fuji GFX 100S and it appears to me that there is very little automatic flexibility in naming the folders. From what I see so far, if you want a folder name with the date, you have to manually create it your self, either before shooting or post. I am surprised.
I also remove the card from the camera and transfer the files to two different drives on my computer (Once I've finished editing the images I remove the extra backup files). I replace the card back in the camera and format it. I also check contents when putting another card in the camera and format if there are files on it (And cry when I realize I hadn't transferred those files to the computer from a forgotten photo shoot 😂).
Hey Mark - I transfer images onto my computer then put the card into my card wallet and take the next one to put into my camera. I rotate my cards to even out their use. I have 2 backups for my computer so the last card used acts as a temporary 3rd backup (so in total there can be 4 copies of my images) until it gets used again. When I put a card into my camera from the card wallet I format it.
All the digital cameras that I’ve owned allow you to plug the camera into the computer’s USB socket and transfer photographs directly to the computer without the need to take the SD card out of the camera. One possible advantage of doing that is that it reduces wear and tear on the card contacts and pins in the camera. The downside is that it uses the camera’s battery and can be slower. With cameras with two SD cards (assuming Slot 2 is used as an in camera back up) only half the images need to be imported. Selecting every other image takes a long time.
Thanks for another great video. It is good to know that what I thought was my lazy way of dealing with the memory card is actually the recommended way. I always save my files, back-up my files, and then format the card in camera, Really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.
When I shot Nikon there were many anecdotal reports in the Facebook Nikon group about deleting images in the camera leading to corrupted cards. There were enough of them that I chose to go with the upload/reformat method. Never had problems.
Most cameras also have a way to select multiple files for deletion. I use a camera's delete multiple function to delete the N oldest files when SD card nearly full.
The format method has been the industry standard since I've been using digital cameras (early 2000s) - but I'm guessing back then we would read the instruction manuals much more carefully. :-) What I get confused with is when after downloading everything off my card into my computer - I will wait a little bit, then select the eject command (a lot of folks just pull the card or usb cable out when they are done - but that was always considered a big no-no). Usually the response is 'ok to eject media' - but on occasion it will say it is still in use. Sometimes waiting a bit more or going to another folder will cure the issue - sometimes not. I can only wait so long and eventually I just pull the cable - but I hate doing that! I always wonder why it thinks it is still in use. And of course I worry. lol!
Pulling a USB cable out without "ejecting" media is totally fine these days, unless you have gone in and specifically made changes to the configuration. It used to cause issues back in the day when it was a new technology, but these days it's not an issue. Of course this is assuming you're not in the middle of reading/writing when you unplug.
The “in use” message could be caused by having one or more of the files open in another program. Perhaps you’ve had a look at them on your screen … I’d suggest systematically closing all running programs until the Eject command works without giving you the error. If it’s still happening and you don’t want to ignore the message shut the computer down completely and then remove the card. The main risk with removing a card that’s not been correctly ejected is that if you remove a card when it’s being written to it may be corrupted. From what you say it seems highly unlikely that your computer is writing to the card.
Formatting is more about the file system it creates and less the folder structure it makes. Like Apple using AFS and Windows using NTFS. The folder structures are inconsequential. The cameras are designed to create those files and folders as long as the file system is correct.
Working professionally, I maintain enough cards that I never reuse a card until I've delivered the job. I also never put more than one job on a card, even if I've only put a few shots on that card...I don't mix jobs on a card. When I do use that card again, I do a "low level" format on the card as soon as I put it into the camera for the next job.
Mark, You mentioned a few good things about the sd card but I have to tell you my way. (Everyone has a better way some say. LoL As a freelance photographer, I must have the shots to turn in to whoever. Here is my method which is similar to yours but has the little extra amount of safety. After the shoot at home I remove the battery for recharging and the SD card from my camera. Then I place the card in my desktop computer's card slot to download. Then I make a "day and subject" file name and save the photos to it. After they are reliably saved on my desktop computer, I remove the SD card and place it back in my camera. Then I make my backup files. Then comes the post editing if required and any other backups as needed. From there I'm basically finished. If you ask why I don't reformat the SD card directly after downloading the reason is for safety. When I get another assignment in a day, week, or ????, I first prepare my photographic equipment. If I don't cycle my batteries around, I at least know they are good. For the SD card, that is when I reformat it. Once or twice I have accidentally hit an incorrect button which screwed things up. I hope you have never made a goofup like that before since it makes your heart skip a beat. If anything should go wrong I at least have my origional SD card copy as a backup.
Without getting too technical: Quick formatting or deleting does NOT permanently remove the contents, it removes the reference to the location on disk from the file allocation table. As long as you don't overwrite the data, it can still be retrieved. That's what these data recovery tools enable when you accidentally deleted or formatted your card. Unless you use a program that repeatedly, at least 7 times, zero fills the card but this is overwriting the data. I have a number of cards that rotate between "shoots". I import via lightroom, put the card away. Insert a new one from the deck and delete all photos via the camera on there before I start shooting. Never have I lost photos, unless the time I was changing the card on the plane and dropped the card and couldn't find it anymore. Luckily they were just some test shots, so no big deal losing them.
The best way to permanently remove the contents is to pass the SD over a hot gas stove several times or to put it in an oven for 5 minutes at the temperature of no less than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Here is what I do is look at the photos in photo viewer on the PC to see what I want to keep or delete, such as badly blurred from too slow shutter speed. Since I am very paranoid about losing what I shot I download onto multiple hard drives. ( 4 to be exact ) Hard drives are known to go down and if you are not aware of it SSD hard drives are not recoverable. After I download my photos I then put the sd cards back into the camera and reformat the card. Been doing it this way for a long time. I have had sd cards go down when on a shoot and therefore I always carry spare cards with me.
I only format a new card. When it's full I copy the files to a dedicated portable Hard-Drive on my PC then fill out the date & location info on a small envelope and put in the SD card. The it gets stored in a safe place, I use a steel Ammo can. Just format a new card and were good to go. I always have the original image data. I enjoy your videos. Steve
I'm sure others may have experience different than mine but, I have never had a problem with an SD card. I transfer via file manager, from SD to a new folder on my laptop, backup to an external SSD drive and bulk delete the files on the SD card and remove the card from my computer. My external drive also does automatic, scheduled updates of any changes to my picture files. I only occasionally re-format the card in my camera. I have never had a problem with the file structure on my SD cards after the original file formatting in a camera. Different cards for different cameras. Perhaps I'm just lucky. Great topic Mark. Cheers
When deleting from the card when it's in a computer, select all and right click, delete or move to recycle bin. Don't try and drag them all. I've had the same thing happen though dragging things from the SD card to another folder.... desktop overload. Formatting is definitely the best way.
I have enough cards big cards to leave shoots on them until images are delivered. That is on top of being on my main computer and on my backup drive and in a cloud backup. I just accidentally formatted a whole drive last week, but my up to date backup allowed perfect restoration It took over 37 hours but reassured me that my backup overkill is worth it.
Very helpful show today! I would like your opinion on my method of transferring my photos from my camera to my computer. I plug in a usbc cord into my camera. When I turn my camera on, all my photos are on the screen. I highlight the ones I want, then hit Copy. I then go to the file I want them stored in, and hit paste,. It takes couple minutes depending on how many photos I have. Once this is complete, I format my card that is still in my camera. Am I loosing quality by transferring this way? I always thought it was the safest way to transfer. Always enjoy and learn from your shows. Thank you, Chris from Montana.
After I transfer all files from an SD card to computer, I check that the byte count is a perfect match as well as file count. If it matches the transfer is successful. Then I format the SD card as this is the one and only best way to clean up a card to reuse without issues.
I delete or format the SD card directly on camera, but just after copying and editting the photos on PC. Basically, I use the SD card as a temporary backup.
As a CE. I'd say the better analogy is more like deleting the files is like removing cars from a parking lot whereas reformatting is like removing the cars from the parking lot then repainting the lines in the parking lot
It's not something I've thought a lot about but then I don't have that many images. I recently bought a used camera, an Olympus to give me more options than my smartphone. The one thing I forgot to do with the new SD card, was to format it. I will try to do it soon but it didn't cause any problems. I don't know what file structure is on a new card but my camera seemed to work ok. I'll get round to formatting it as soon as I stop watching RUclips videos.
#1 Deleting worst photos from camera in the field. Nature photography sometimes includes a social element. If I want to show my photos to others from my camera, the good ones are easier to find if I’ve deleted the definitely bad ones, the virtual duplicates, and the similar-but-inferior ones
I’m no tech expert but what I do is upload to Lightroom Classic storing on an external hard drive. I then create a collection and sync to Lightroom. I also back up to a secondary hard drive. After this, I format the card in the camera. Can you envisage any problems with this method?
On any modern storage system deleting a file only removes the data from the media index, or table of contents, unless you do a "low level" format, do you actually erase the data. This is how data recovery companies are able to retrieve data. Think of how a book is organized, you have a table of content and an index. These are used to reference what is on the media, table of contents, and where on the media, the file is located, index. When you delete, you simply remove the reference point out of the table of contents and the index, the data remains until the next time data is written to the media. I spent over a decade in the back-up and data recovery / disaster recovery part of the IT world, this is how we would look for and retrieve the data.
You don’t have to select and drag to the bin; just select all, right click and delete. I alway delete mine in camera by formatting after I’ve imported and backed up.
Great Video, as usual, Mark. I do things a little differently, at least as a Lightroom user. I allow Lightroom to import directly off the card, and then the created file structure drops the raw files into the catalog. Also being a Mac user I use an app called SD Formater. I'll open that app after I'm confident my files are transferred correctly. The SD Formater allows two options either delete the files on the card or "fully format" that card. The full format is not quick, but it is thorough.
I always get Lightroom Classic (LrC) to do the importing. It saves time because there is no need to manually create a folder, copy from the card to the folder, eject the card and then import into LrC. LrC does the lot one one operation and can (optionally) add shoot specific keywords at the same time.
Maybe reconsider doing a fast format instead of full format each time. From my understanding fast format just marks all the SD's space as available to write, without actually writting anything to the card. But the full format actually overrides entire space of your card with empty data, so it's a lot more unncessary additional strain on the card. That's from what I know. Also that's how "safe formatting" works so do data can be recovered from a disk - everything is just overridden several times with random data.
Funny how confusion a seemingly simple procedure can be! As an old electronics guy I am paranoid about ESD. So, I NEVER touch the contacts on my SD cards. I remove it from the camera and immediately insert it into a card reader then insert that into the USB port on my computer. Then, I do an import into my editor. Next, I transfer the raw files from the SD card to a folder I have created on my hard drive partition. Finally, I safely remove that SD card from the computer, put it back into the camera then format it so it's ready to be used again.
I have used the same SD card that came with my D850 5 years ago... always reformatting the card in the camera after I have uploaded the images to my computer. Same goes for my D500 and the card that came with it. I have extra cards (as insurance) with me at all times but I've never had to use them.
I plug in my Camera into my PC with a USB cable, download everything using the canon tool and then delete everything as I dont have a SD card slot on my PC or an adaptor. I've never experienced any issues by not formatting regularly
I use a different way of transferring files . never take out the cards from my Fuji camera [saves going in and out of the slots every time ,which most times is everyday ] I connect the camera to my pc and transfer the jpgs and raw /videos that way. There is a sequence to things 1 transfer of video clips and Jpgs to comp. 2 go through jpgs for keepers while deleting the ones I don't want. now I have a list of jpgs that are keepers ,turn on camera open raw files list and match keepers and transfer to pc the rest are deleted . occasionally , like you said I format both cards in camera
Usually I format the cards in the computer once finished transferring and making sure all it good. Then again when putting them in the camera. Just a habit for years. And have 4 Canon cameras that the card may go to next.
With Mac and maybe also with Windows. After you have deleted the files from your SD card with your computer, you must also empty your recycle bin before removing the SD card
SD cards are very reliable these days. The only real problem I have run into in the last few years has been micro SD cards housed in an SD card adaptor. That seems to be a real point of failure in my case.
One point to consider before formatting your card is what other information may be on that card. For example, Nikon saves the settings for the 3 custom user modes to the card. Be sure to copy that information to your computer before formatting. Using the delete all images leaves that information intact.
My Canon R5 stores my various configuration options on one of my data cards. Format the card and these get deleted so they have to be copied off the card before formatting which is a pain to do every time!
Most cameras use exFAT when formatting a SD card. Older cameras may use FAT32. So usually you can put a card from one camera into another without formatting. Also you can format a card in your computer and it will work in your camera just fine (and don’t forget to use exFAT file system). Another thing to consider is that MacOS does not remove files from your card when you delete them on your computer. The system moves deleted files into a hidden folder and they still take space on the card. They are erased from that folder when you empty the trash.
I would download the images and leave the computer whilst it did so. Upon returning I would be distracted and forget to format the card so that next time I was out I would suddenly find my card was full guite quickly - cards were smaller then. This was when I discovered ACDSee which allowed me to import the images onto 2 separate locations and it would delete the images off the card as it transferred them . Sounds hairy but as an amateur I gave it a try and 15 years on I still use that method - without ever having lost an image . I automatically format the card in my camera as I start each day. Preferred the ACDSee system of managing images to Lightroom
I'd also say you should use wifi to transfer the photos, if it's available, then you won't wear out the SD card slots on your computer & camera, or the USB-C ports. Not practical if you've got a huge haul. But if it's only a couple hundred photos, it's the least physically descructive.
I definitely copy the files from the card to a directory on my computer. However, I do NOT format the card until after I am sure the computer has completed a successful backup. There is a tertiary storage drive that has a backup of my pictures, as well. Formatting the SDCARD before having a backup makes me nervous. So once the card leaves the camera, there is never a time there is not at least 2 copies of the files!
I insert the card in the computer and copy the photos to a NAS the i format the card in the computer and choose to do it with NTFS, that will find bad sectors and lock them, remove the card and put it in the camera it will ask you to format the card then it will work well
IT Background here. Formating will keep your card running more efficiently but it will NOT keep it running for longer. Same goes for any data storage really. Deleting a file will only affect the bits that file was occupying. Over time, this fragments the card, as there are less continous chunks of free space. Formating will defragment your card in the process, allowing for a more efficient use of space. However, this affects all bits at the same time, thus needing more write-read cycles than deleting individual files. This will shorten the lifespan of your card (ever so slightly) Personally, I'd format every now and then, to keep efficiency high, but not every time I transfer photos. Then again, the difference is not too big and having a workflow that' completely repeatable might be worth that.
Back in 2009 I found it cheaper to buy an eePC (mini 10" laptop) to back up Compact Flash cards (Fuji camera) versus all the cards CF cards I would need for a 6 week trip. The computer was a bonus. But I only had one copy (on the eePC) and recycled the 3 CF cards I had. Still wasn't cheap. For the SAME $$ now I can buy heaps of SD cards and SSD drives to have SD copy and two backups! Now I see why reviewers prefer cameras with TWO card slots. Instant backup shot by shot! Then again I've never had any card or hardware failures. Been lucky.
I always format all my cards right after I have transferred all my photos to the computer and from the computer to an external 2T bytes that I pull images as I need it. I have always tried to keep my computer as clean as possible.
I just cut and paste in the pc. When I take the card out of the pc, its empty. I have two cards in my camera with one as a backup. If anything should happen in the file transfer, I still have all my pics on the second card.
I just use the move function when I import into lightroom and I never have had a problem. That way the operating system of the computer handles validating that the file is moved before it is deleted. Formatting the SD card is really not needed.
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✅QUESTION: What’s your SD card method?
I've narrowed mine down to Delkin Black and ProGrade Cobalt or Gold
I use Lexar Professional mostly.
Lexar for me 🤷🏻♂️
Currently using Delkin in the Mirrorless
I import directly from the card into my Lightroom catalogue. Using this method, the files are copied to a new folder that I create during the Lr import and I’m done! After confirming, I’ll then format the card.
Although on large trips, I’ll often put the cards aside for a bit just to be safe and have a temporary backup before formatting.
I always just format the whole card in the camera after transferring everything to the computer and AFTER COMPLETING BACKUP.
Same here
Ditto last 18 years, and yes never wipe the card till you have two copies elsewhere 😀
Good idea. I do it too. I read somewhere that formatting the card in camera is the best way to reduce any way of data error and card failure.
Ditto…. I put the card into the reader… transfer to three different hard drives.. put the card back in the camera and then format…
Exactly! Why would anyone ever consider any other approach?
I have one extra step after transferring but before formatting, and that's to make sure I have a back-up. I only format once I have that second copy safely saved 🙂
Hi Mark! Great survey of the alternative approaches. I do not format the card in the camera until the files are not only on my desktop but also the desktop is backed up to a local external drive *AND* the cloud. Once burned...
I believe that either formatting or deleting individual images does erase or delete anything. If it did, imagine the amount of time it would take your camera or computer to write a "0" to every memory position on the card; it would take tens of minutes for large cards. Formatting a card creates a few folders, but most importantly formatting creates a new blank spreadsheet of memory locations for all the files stored on the card. The spreadsheet is invisible to users, but tells the camera or computer where all the bits of each file is located. Deleting one or more images from a card simply nulls out the memory locations for those files on the memory card, it does not actually delete the image data. Formatting a card simply creates a new blank spreadsheet. The reason formatting a card is so nice for the card's speed (health) is you start with a blank spreadsheet with all memory locations marked as "available". Deleting individual images creates a larger spreadsheet over time that must be managed. Since memory cards are not spinning disks, there is little to no extra time managing a large spreadsheet vs a new blank spreadsheet, but there is more chance of read/write error affecting the former, which is why formatting the card is generally considered the preferred method. All the best.
You are correct, performing a format on an SD card or a hard drive simply erases the file allocation table and in some cases does a quick check of the card or drive for any known errors.
A low level format however does go through the contents of the drive erasing the individual entries and therefore takes longer, this method provides a more secure erase of the files themselves.
@@spike62002 Furthermore, a total erasing of the SD would reduce to lifespan of the SD card dramatically, because the memory "cell" of an SD card has an limit amount of write-cycles.
This is true of any computer file stored on any media. A simple erase is quick because it just marks the space in the file allocation table as empty (free). At this point the files are still recoverable using specialist software. If you want to securely delete a file you need to overwrite its contents with something and then mark it as deleted. Security software for “shredding” files on a hard drive will optionally do this several times to ensure that the data cannot be recovered. Not necessary with photographs on an SD card but very necessary for personal file on a hard drive or SSD before scrapping or selling them!
Format writes zeros to the directory not individual sectors. Like Quick Format on a computer. Tells the directory they are available for overwrite.
Excellent comment and contribution
Full formatting also marks any bad sectors on the SD card so that the camera does not write data to them. Not so much of an issue these days - but another plus for formatting.
I didn't know that, Nick, so thanks for the useful information - something of a rarity on the internet 😊I've always tended to use 'format' in camera to clean down cards anyway, but thinking about it now, I've never really done so for any better reason than it somehow seemed like the best option. Pleased to know there is a benefit, even if I was blissfully unaware of it.
Yeah I never delete from the card. I just reformat the card in camera after downloading the card.
You'd have to run through all of the storage to ID bad cells. I think this is called Deep Formatting or Secure Erase which writes zeros to the flash cells.
It’s been fascinating reading these comments. I was always under the impression that formatting was common practice, and rather obvious. Simply shoot your media, manage your data however you do (good practice to get into is when making a backup, backup from the card, not from the hdd you just offloaded to. Reduces chance of having a corrupted file made from the offload process duplicated) then format the card before ever shoot/job.
Keeps the cards as healthy as possible and also ensures you have as much space on the card as possible
Well, there is Quick Format, and there is Full Format. On a Desktop, you'll have both options, with Full Format doing exactly what you say is does but taking an incredibly long time to complete, whereas Quick Format does not (imho).
I am pretty sure it is not possible to do a Full Format using your camera, this is always the Quick version, which does NOT look for bad sectors.
Formatting the SD card clears previous data, so you don't have to delete the data in a separate step on the card before formating. After I transfer data, I just put the card back into the camera and format it. Ooops, I just got to the part of the video where you mentioned this. :-)
Regarding delete vs formating. A better analogy is: deleting removes the address of a house from a city master map, but the house is still there until the city decides to build another house in that location. Formating bulldozes the entire city and creats a new master map to use for house allocation.
Thanks Mark! There is another 5th way. That is if money is not a problem. Just always insert a new card and save the old one in whatever file system you devise. Just erasing a photo from the card eventually fragments it too much and formatting it will preserve that file structure. You might want to mention you cannot format the card with your computer and reader as this will format for your computer’s usage. It must always be done in camera.
I was going to ask why you couldn't just format the card after you dumped the media on it, but never realized the file format was different from one item to another. Thanks for this notation in your comment!
You’d better format properly any new card before actually using it. That is the only way to ensure that your camera will actually write correctly on it
@@jillrsimmons - It's not that the file formats are "different" - My Nikon uses "ExFAT" but appreciate that the software implementation in camera and on your computer are probably not the same (different O/S and firmware routines) - ExFat is pretty much established these days, but there might possibly be a difference between them or one of them may have a bug. The most important thing to do is the photo capturing, you don't want the capturing of a once-in-a-lifetime event to fail so if you were to be faced with a choice of bugs go with the camera one and your capture should at least work. If reading the card fails on the computer for any reason at least you have the backup of plugging the card back into the camera and trying to read it that way or by using a different computer. Incidentally, for deleting images in camera, the data isn't overwritten - it's just the directory entry that is marked as deleted and the space used by the deleted file is returned back to the file system for reuse. The code to do this repeatedly can get quite complex and over time the drive becomes very fragmented (hence defrag on older pcs) and as a result there is a higher chance of buggy code than for a simple format which just has to write an empty directory structure over top of the old one (plus the bad sector check).
Hi Mark good explanation. The best way to use memorycard is to format them in the camera to use. After backup :). What I also good be a good idee to copy the files to an external drive, Cloud or NAS. And ofcourse an other way is to copy the files to external drive, clod or NAS and save the sd-card. For me once I was Lucky to have the SD-cards when a drive was crypted with bitlocker by a mistake of my system-engineer. No recovery key so no exess to the files.
Also a tip when a card fails during a shoot, do not format it then. Take a new formatteren card and use the recovery software from the munafactor to try to recovery you already taken items. Had it once in the early days and recoverd them with Sandisk-recovery.
@@alanwilson7792 most of that is correct up until the fragmentation part. Deleting the file table tells the camera to start writing at the beginning of the card. There will be no fragmentation at all. Defrag on old computers was to move the data outward to the faster edge of the spinning disk and to consolidate the data to reduce seeks that slow down the throughput.
Option #5: As a Canon user, I've always connected the camera to my computer via USB-cable and imported the photos with Canon EOS Utility. When I pack my camera gear for the next trip, I format the cards in-camera. In my case, this means that the cards are never removed from the camera.
same here, never had a problem this way , doing ti professionally with digital files for 15 years.
I rarely do use the usb cable and all my cameras are Canons but If I use my CF 256 GB card then I use my usb cable as the computers I own will read only CF cards under 256 GB directly from the card.I fill up cards quite often and have to replace them with empty ones so I seldom use cable.
In response to the Canon EOS Utility for me success was mixed when copying via USB. 5 or 6 times it would hang halfway through the files transfer and had to kill and restart. I think I tracked it down to power-save mode going active on the R7, encase others are having that same issue. I find it too much of a bother to change the power mode before using EOS. I never had issues with the built in SD card slot on my Mac M1 so I go with that now. I also choose tough SD cards to avoid becoming another broken SD card story when I use them as removable solid state media.
A minus with this is that it's often USB 2 in the Canon camera. I haven't checked on all but I would consider my R8 new enough and expensive enough but yet they haven't put USB 3 chips in. The read speed of even value cards (which can have poor write speed) is several times that with the right card reader (internally it can be connected in a variety of ways, externally you need an USB 3 one).
If you never remove the card from the camera, you never get to a photoshoot and find you haven't a card in the camera. Scott Kelby has an excellent video on workflow for taking images off the camera which includes not deleting/formating the card until you have at least 3 other copies of all the images.
Hi Mark, Thanks for the great video. One new way for deleting the photos, I recently learnt, is to protect the photos while reviewing them in the camera display and then deleting remining a feature available on my Nikon Z8. However, there is a caveat, sometimes I need to play with the exposure etc to decide if I want to keep the photo. I have also used Light room classic feature of deleting all the rejected photos. Once again thanks for all your teaching as always.
I appreciate that you are probably a far more experienced photographer than I am . To me photography is a hobby and I don’t consider myself to be much better than a happy snapper. But in my experience most of what you say is total bollocks. While I agree it is good practice to format your SD cards from time to time, in 15-16 yearsI of using Kodak, Fujifilm, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Panasonic cameras I have as far as I can remember seldom had the experience where one camera could not read the data from an SD card that had been in a camera from a different brand. Having been burned a couple of times in the past , where I have deleted photos from an SD card in computer. And have been left with SD cards that are unusable I transfer all my photos to computer via the USB cable that came with the camera and then , after a couple of months,delete the photos that I don’t think I need from the SD card in camera. Anyway that is what works for me.
One other quick tip that can save you big bucks in camera repair: always check the SD card for any signs of wear before you place it into your computer or back into your camera. I once missed a small crack in an SD card when I put it back into my camera. When I tried to remove the card again, a piece of the SD card broke off and got stuck in the camera. I couldn't put another card in and had to send the camera away to have the piece removed. It cost more than $250 (Canadian) for the repair. I now always inspect the card as soon as I eject it from the camera, before I place it in my computer, and again after I've transferred my files, before I put the card back in my camera. Cheers!
Very informative video as usual. Thanks for sharing. My first memory card was a 2MB CF card in 1997 or maybe 1998 for my first digital camera. I could take about 10 shots on that camera and I was completely stoked about it. Then I got a 64MB I think and thought that was HUGE. A few years later I bought what I thought was the end-all in memory cards, a 4GB Microdrive. I was sure that I would never need a larger card....haha. Those were the good ole days....not.
oh the good old days when actually not formatting the cards could brick them.
The good old days when memory cards costed more than your house!
I take a very different approach, badly messed up shots get individually deleted, each project gets saved to its own folder on the computer, the computer is backed up to the domestic NAS.
If the SD card gets anywhere near capacity, it gets replaced with a new one and the old one is filed off-site (given to my camera mad son for safe keeping)
I started buying film fifty years ago, SD cards are incredibly cheap and awe inspiring value.
I do the same, SD cards are relatively cheap form of storage, so why not keep a backup set of raw files
Thanks Mark, I did kind of wonder which method the manufacturers recommend, it's not something you often think about until it's maybe too late. And yes I know first hand how long it takes to clear all your pictures off your desk top after mistakenly dragging them there.
I agree with your transfer-then-format method, but I add one wrinkle: I have an extra set of SD cards that I carry as spares. Once I fill up the cards in the camera, I transfer the files to my computer, then place them face-down in my SD card holder to designate that they have files on them. I take the last set, put them in my camera and format them. This way, if something happens and I lose the files on my computer, I can go back and retrieve them again from the cards. It usually takes months to fill-up cards, so I have that extra backup for that period of time. Of course I also have Time Machine running on my Mac and I do periodic off-site backups.
You can instantly do off-site backup by taking your inverted card and putting it in your car. As is, when you copy the files and invert it at your desk, the backups are exposed to house fire, flood, theft and misplacement.
@@sh91899 Hey, that's a great idea!
Slight disagree, better to minimize physical movements on the card. If possible to transfer from the camera directly it's a better than pulling it out each time. I'll add, the computer's SD slot is what will ware down first, but that's best for both. But yes, formatting does a lot of good things to a card including marking bad sectors that might have cropped up.
That’s always been my belief. Minimise physical wear and tear on the card and camera’s card slot by importing using the camera to computer USB to USB cable provided by the camera manufacturer with the camera.
You're absolutely right. I don't understand all these people who eject their memory card from the camera and put it in a PC or card reader. The SD card is the most fragile of memory cards and the less you handle it, the better.
Don't let anyone tell me it's faster. A few minutes of transfer while the photos were taken several hours before.
Most cameras allow cable transfer.
I hope they don't remove the SIM card from their smartphone to download the pictures...
Thanks Mark, my workflow is to have multiple cards in a waterproof hardcase. When I'm doen photographing:
1) Transfer to folder on PC
2) Write-protect the card
3) Sort out photo's & post-process
4) Create (multiple) backup(s) op sorted raw and processed photos
5) Remove write protection of card and use again later
In that way Ialways have multiple backups of my raw files, it saved me once
I've been doing the format method for years. I never even knew that people once thought it was a bad practice.
5:30 BEST ROUTE
Thanks for this informative video! I load my files to an EXT HD. Once I know they are all on there, I then put it back in my camera and format the card.
Very informative video Mark. I normally reformat my SD Cards regularly. Here’s what happened once to me. I got out on a shoot and my camera could not save any files. After a few times checking I looked at the SD Card and the little write protect slider on the side was missing. Only having one card with me meant that shoot was abandoned. Somehow I think the slider came out after I dropped the card on the floor that morning. So one more thing to watch for.
Indeed...
And cards CAN become corrupted in ways that render them unusable...
With the current low cost of media you should ALWAYS carry multiple cards...
(And LABEL them so there is no confusion later.)
@@keithlevkoff8579 I learned my lesson on that one. Extra card now always.
I've always followed the formatting method; it doesn't necessarily erase everything, it resets the file structure. As an IT guy, we dealt with the same issues on pc's. Just formatting didn't really get rid of everything, it resets the FAT (File Allocation Table) or the NTFS file structure; after that, new files just write over old data. To fully format and erase everything, one has to do a low level format. In the case of Canon, this is what they say about low level formatting: "." As someone else mentioned below, this type of formatting also marks any bad sectors on the card. Realize, though, that over time the card will eventually deteriorate since all forms of data storage, whether on a spinning hard drive (magnetic) or SSD type (which SD cards have similarity to), eventually the data cells will stop recording. I don't know how many writes/rewrites the typical SD card will take, but I'm quite sure some lab or other has measured it and has published the results. All in all, though, you are correct in that formatting will preserve the life of the SD card over just deleting files as you go.
Finally someone who knows what he's talking about rather than repeating rumors...
Hey Mark, I had an issue a while back where my card wouldn't hold more that a few images. I was in panic haha. I used to just drag and drop to thrash. I've since been formatting and never had a problem 😊.
yeah, you have to clear the trash on the computer to edit the file table so the camera sees the card as empty even though the files are all still sitting on the card.
Thanks Mark. At least I know I’m on the right track. I transfer my files to computer then replace card in camera and Format, even if I only have 10 files. I find it’s easier to do that and to have a clean card for my next adventure.
A slightly different take I read some while ago that it was good practice to use more of the SD card by filling it up more, as using the same section of the card over and over wasn't a good idea. So I tend to almost fill my card before either deleting or formatting.
You should save another copy of your files onto an external SSD drive. Computer hard drives are prone to failure. Place a second copy on an external drive for safety purposes. I know it may sound redundant but when an internal hard drive fails and you lose everything, you learn quickly. I never reformat my SD cards until I have two copies of my files on two separate hard drives.
I also keep my raw files on Amazon Prime ... it's free - why not?
0. Insert the card in a reader.
1. I use Adobe Lightroom to import the image files to the designated destination(s), while renaming the files to this format (YYMMDD|HHMMSS|original-file-name). This is done by Lightroom during the import function, using the date & time in the EXIF metadata..
1.1. The destination folders are organized/structured by quarter/year (Q1 - 01-03 | 2024).
2. I manually copy the new folders to 4 different drives, using the same structure.
3. I process all new photos.
4. Before starting on my next photography endeavor, I format the card from the camera. If I change cameras, I do a low-level format (there is a checkbox for it).
I had a Drobo RAID storage that I use as the main storage, but multiple drives failed simultaneously, and I lost roughly 70% of all my digital photography (since 1996). That's why it's ALWAYS important to have backups, that's why I backup to 4 different drives.
EDIT: I left out a couple of steps for geotagging the photos, as I didn't think it was relevant.
I heard about this a long time ago (10 years?). I remember reading it was the best way to keep your card fresh. I've been doing it ever since and have never had memory card issues. For the past year I've been taking TONS of photos every weekend for a property management company. Same memory card I've always used. Format the card after I get the photos off and still no card issues. :)
My Canon cameras have a choice when formatting as ‘Quick Format’ vs ‘Low Level Format’. I am not 100% sure what Low Level format means exactly, but I think Quick Format just deletes the directory. I always use Low Level (takes a bit longer), but I think it is more of a ‘deep clean’ and better to perform than the ‘quick format’. What are your thoughts on the differences and which do you think is better?
I find in my experience using either format type, it makes zero difference and once the card is full again the previous images will been gone forever as they become overwritten. I have been using Canon digital cameras for 20 years and have never had any card issues. If permanently deleting images is a must then use your computer on a slow format and then use the camera to format yet again-the images,etc will be gone forever.
@@bobair2 thanks!
Before formatting the card I always ensure I’ve completed my backups of the photos on my MacBook. One copy on the MacBook, one in Time Machine, and one in RAID, which will backup the cloud.
Good Advise I usually clear my cards now by formating and even if i have deleted the files from the computer which is slower I still reformat the cards. Fuji makes this really easy and is very fast.
Thanx for the info on regularly formatting cards. I learn something from every one of your videos.
When I backup the SD card to my computer and my external SSD drive, I use the format on the camera. It is all part of my backup process. Good Video.
Would you make a video about your file management strategies? How and where are your backups, etc?
Hi Mark, I had a SSD fail on me and as I am a Linux (OS) shooter I was able to appeal for help from the Open Source community. I was assisted by an experienced Sys Admin at no charge, to recover my files. He noticed that my backup procedure was "whenever I thought about it", so he set up an automated system for backup. The idea was that when I was copying (not moving) my files to my computer, a script would ensure that my RAW files were transferred to an external HDD as the upload was taking place by creating a mirror directory in the external disk. I worked on my RAW files on the SSD and any changes were reflected in the mirror and since my editor, "darktable" now saves every ten seconds my work is effectively secure.
Then I am confident to format the SD card. I am a studio photographer and I start every session on a freshly formatted card, I could do with some more 16Gb SD cards but they are hard to find as video is the "thing" and it requires large cards. Following this process I have put 70.000 images through my camera using the same SD card, around 300 formats.
I like the last one. I remove the card, transfer my media to my laptop, remove card and format in camera. I like the method the best. I also missed the trashcan one time. That was a task to remove all those photos. I never did that again. I just perform the last task and let the camera format remove all my photos when done and ready to shoot again.
I use windows explorer to copy files from card to appropriate folder, compare information to asure all transfered properly. Drag/ drop is just waiting for a mess (as you found out). Then format in camera. I've never had any cards fail in 8 years.
FWIW I reformat my card every time I have finished uploading the images to my computer AND have backed those images up to an external drive. Card mismanagement issues are fairly rare but when they occur they can wreck havoc! As I have about 10 cards in continuous rotation I've found it is essential to follow a standard routine. So I purchase a plastic tray with 3 main compartments which I label "Waiting to Upload," "Uploaded Waiting For Backup," and "Ready to Format and Use." This sidesteps the "Whoops I was sure I had uploaded that card" screwup that I once experienced when I hadn't uploaded the card before reformatting it and therefore had lost every image!
Could you do a test/video on how often you should format your cards
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing! I normally cut the folder from my SD card, paste it to my hard drive, and rename it. And every now and again I format the SD card
I plug the camera into the computer and import all to LR (Rate and delete later from SSD before editing). Then format cards in the camera. This way I can't forget to put the cards back in. This is especially handy now that my camera, phone, controller and all other peripherals are USB-C so I only need one cable and USB-C transfer speeds are more than quick enough for my needs.
As always, your explanations are clear and concise. I use the format function to clean my SD cards, and I've also heard that deleting individual files from the SD card while it's still in the camera is not a good idea because it will adversely affect the numbering system. I don't know if it's true for every camera, but why take a chance.
I use Fast Raw Viewer and save the keepers to a folder then import to LR and use a custom rename preset with date and an identity of shoot. Format in camera.
I don't like taking my SD card in and out of my computer and camera. I just plug my camera into my computer using the USB jack. Then, I'll copy the photos to my computer. Lightroom would do so automatically, but I prefer to have a bit more control over just where the photos are stores on my computer. But the USB connection gives me the ability to copy and delete as I please. I can always reformat the SD card using the camera option.
You're absolutely right. I don't understand all these people who eject their memory card from the camera and put it in a PC or card reader. The SD card is the most fragile of memory cards and the less you handle it, the better.
Don't let anyone tell me it's faster. A few minutes of transfer while the photos were taken several hours before.
Most cameras allow cable transfer.
I hope they don't remove the SIM card from their smartphone to download the pictures...
Same here, tried to avoid removing the SD cards from my camera. I also don't erase / format until I have a backup of the downloaded photos.
Canons software is really good for this. I have it setup so that it renames every photo automatically.
My folder structure is
Year/Lettermonth/day sometimes with a comment
Letter being the letter in the alfabet that matches the month. Ajanuary, Bfebruary, Cmars etc. This forces all months to be sorted in the order I want.
And this is just for storage. I have a completely separate folder for all my edited photos. I make a copy of the raw that is placed in the "edited" folder structure before I edit it. This means I keep all my raws in the storage untouched.
File name is
Year-month-day_####
Super easy to find what im looking for. The files having date in the name as well as its own suffix number means there will never be unwanted copies, even if I export it in different file formats. I can then also easily track back to the original raw file if I want to redo my edits as all the edited and raw file have the same name.
@@Xirpzy The Sony cameras allow the same type of folder naming - Every Folding Name has the date created imbedded. I just bought a Fuji GFX 100S and it appears to me that there is very little automatic flexibility in naming the folders. From what I see so far, if you want a folder name with the date, you have to manually create it your self, either before shooting or post. I am surprised.
I also remove the card from the camera and transfer the files to two different drives on my computer (Once I've finished editing the images I remove the extra backup files). I replace the card back in the camera and format it. I also check contents when putting another card in the camera and format if there are files on it (And cry when I realize I hadn't transferred those files to the computer from a forgotten photo shoot 😂).
Hey Mark - I transfer images onto my computer then put the card into my card wallet and take the next one to put into my camera. I rotate my cards to even out their use. I have 2 backups for my computer so the last card used acts as a temporary 3rd backup (so in total there can be 4 copies of my images) until it gets used again. When I put a card into my camera from the card wallet I format it.
All the digital cameras that I’ve owned allow you to plug the camera into the computer’s USB socket and transfer photographs directly to the computer without the need to take the SD card out of the camera. One possible advantage of doing that is that it reduces wear and tear on the card contacts and pins in the camera. The downside is that it uses the camera’s battery and can be slower. With cameras with two SD cards (assuming Slot 2 is used as an in camera back up) only half the images need to be imported. Selecting every other image takes a long time.
Thanks for another great video. It is good to know that what I thought was my lazy way of dealing with the memory card is actually the recommended way. I always save my files, back-up my files, and then format the card in camera, Really enjoy your channel. Keep up the good work.
When I shot Nikon there were many anecdotal reports in the Facebook Nikon group about deleting images in the camera leading to corrupted cards. There were enough of them that I chose to go with the upload/reformat method. Never had problems.
Most cameras also have a way to select multiple files for deletion. I use a camera's delete multiple function to delete the N oldest files when SD card nearly full.
The format method has been the industry standard since I've been using digital cameras (early 2000s) - but I'm guessing back then we would read the instruction manuals much more carefully. :-) What I get confused with is when after downloading everything off my card into my computer - I will wait a little bit, then select the eject command (a lot of folks just pull the card or usb cable out when they are done - but that was always considered a big no-no). Usually the response is 'ok to eject media' - but on occasion it will say it is still in use. Sometimes waiting a bit more or going to another folder will cure the issue - sometimes not. I can only wait so long and eventually I just pull the cable - but I hate doing that! I always wonder why it thinks it is still in use. And of course I worry. lol!
Pulling a USB cable out without "ejecting" media is totally fine these days, unless you have gone in and specifically made changes to the configuration. It used to cause issues back in the day when it was a new technology, but these days it's not an issue. Of course this is assuming you're not in the middle of reading/writing when you unplug.
The “in use” message could be caused by having one or more of the files open in another program. Perhaps you’ve had a look at them on your screen … I’d suggest systematically closing all running programs until the Eject command works without giving you the error. If it’s still happening and you don’t want to ignore the message shut the computer down completely and then remove the card.
The main risk with removing a card that’s not been correctly ejected is that if you remove a card when it’s being written to it may be corrupted. From what you say it seems highly unlikely that your computer is writing to the card.
Formatting is more about the file system it creates and less the folder structure it makes. Like Apple using AFS and Windows using NTFS. The folder structures are inconsequential. The cameras are designed to create those files and folders as long as the file system is correct.
Thanks for reassuring me that I am doing this correctly. Have a great day!
Working professionally, I maintain enough cards that I never reuse a card until I've delivered the job. I also never put more than one job on a card, even if I've only put a few shots on that card...I don't mix jobs on a card. When I do use that card again, I do a "low level" format on the card as soon as I put it into the camera for the next job.
Mark,
You mentioned a few good things about the sd card but I have to tell you my way. (Everyone has a better way some say. LoL
As a freelance photographer, I must have the shots to turn in to whoever. Here is my method which is similar to yours but has the little extra amount of safety.
After the shoot at home I remove the battery for recharging and the SD card from my camera.
Then I place the card in my desktop computer's card slot to download.
Then I make a "day and subject" file name and save the photos to it.
After they are reliably saved on my desktop computer, I remove the SD card and place it back in my camera.
Then I make my backup files.
Then comes the post editing if required and any other backups as needed.
From there I'm basically finished. If you ask why I don't reformat the SD card directly after downloading the reason is for safety.
When I get another assignment in a day, week, or ????, I first prepare my photographic equipment.
If I don't cycle my batteries around, I at least know they are good. For the SD card, that is when I reformat it.
Once or twice I have accidentally hit an incorrect button which screwed things up. I hope you have never made a goofup like that before since it makes your heart skip a beat.
If anything should go wrong I at least have my origional SD card copy as a backup.
Without getting too technical:
Quick formatting or deleting does NOT permanently remove the contents, it removes the reference to the location on disk from the file allocation table.
As long as you don't overwrite the data, it can still be retrieved. That's what these data recovery tools enable when you accidentally deleted or formatted your card.
Unless you use a program that repeatedly, at least 7 times, zero fills the card but this is overwriting the data.
I have a number of cards that rotate between "shoots". I import via lightroom, put the card away. Insert a new one from the deck and delete all photos via the camera on there before I start shooting.
Never have I lost photos, unless the time I was changing the card on the plane and dropped the card and couldn't find it anymore. Luckily they were just some test shots, so no big deal losing them.
The best way to permanently remove the contents is to pass the SD over a hot gas stove several times or to put it in an oven for 5 minutes at the temperature of no less than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Well for sure, but it becomes quite unusable afterwards 😂
You can transfer files from a Nikon to a computer using SnapBridge wirelessly or via a cable. Then format the card in camera.
Here is what I do is look at the photos in photo viewer on the PC to see what I want to keep or delete, such as badly blurred from too slow shutter speed. Since I am very paranoid about losing what I shot I download onto multiple hard drives. ( 4 to be exact ) Hard drives are known to go down and if you are not aware of it SSD hard drives are not recoverable. After I download my photos I then put the sd cards back into the camera and reformat the card. Been doing it this way for a long time. I have had sd cards go down when on a shoot and therefore I always carry spare cards with me.
I only format a new card. When it's full I copy the files to a dedicated portable Hard-Drive on my PC then fill out the date & location info on a small envelope and put in the SD card. The it gets stored in a safe place, I use a steel Ammo can. Just format a new card and were good to go. I always have the original image data.
I enjoy your videos.
Steve
I'm sure others may have experience different than mine but, I have never had a problem with an SD card. I transfer via file manager, from SD to a new folder on my laptop, backup to an external SSD drive and bulk delete the files on the SD card and remove the card from my computer. My external drive also does automatic, scheduled updates of any changes to my picture files. I only occasionally re-format the card in my camera. I have never had a problem with the file structure on my SD cards after the original file formatting in a camera. Different cards for different cameras. Perhaps I'm just lucky. Great topic Mark. Cheers
Option #4 for the win!
When deleting from the card when it's in a computer, select all and right click, delete or move to recycle bin. Don't try and drag them all. I've had the same thing happen though dragging things from the SD card to another folder.... desktop overload.
Formatting is definitely the best way.
I have enough cards big cards to leave shoots on them until images are delivered. That is on top of being on my main computer and on my backup drive and in a cloud backup. I just accidentally formatted a whole drive last week, but my up to date backup allowed perfect restoration
It took over 37 hours but reassured me that my backup overkill is worth it.
Very helpful show today! I would like your opinion on my method of transferring my photos from my camera to my computer. I plug in a usbc cord into my camera. When I turn my camera on, all my photos are on the screen. I highlight the ones I want, then hit Copy. I then go to the file I want them stored in, and hit paste,. It takes couple minutes depending on how many photos I have. Once this is complete, I format my card that is still in my camera. Am I loosing quality by transferring this way? I always thought it was the safest way to transfer. Always enjoy and learn from your shows. Thank you, Chris from Montana.
After I transfer all files from an SD card to computer, I check that the byte count is a perfect match as well as file count. If it matches the transfer is successful. Then I format the SD card as this is the one and only best way to clean up a card to reuse without issues.
I delete or format the SD card directly on camera, but just after copying and editting the photos on PC. Basically, I use the SD card as a temporary backup.
As a CE. I'd say the better analogy is more like deleting the files is like removing cars from a parking lot whereas reformatting is like removing the cars from the parking lot then repainting the lines in the parking lot
It's not something I've thought a lot about but then I don't have that many images. I recently bought a used camera, an Olympus to give me more options than my smartphone. The one thing I forgot to do with the new SD card, was to format it. I will try to do it soon but it didn't cause any problems. I don't know what file structure is on a new card but my camera seemed to work ok.
I'll get round to formatting it as soon as I stop watching RUclips videos.
#1 Deleting worst photos from camera in the field. Nature photography sometimes includes a social element. If I want to show my photos to others from my camera, the good ones are easier to find if I’ve deleted the definitely bad ones, the virtual duplicates, and the similar-but-inferior ones
Hi Mark, it takes a bit longer but I download over the camera connection cable then format the card in camera. The card never leaves the camera.
I’m no tech expert but what I do is upload to Lightroom Classic storing on an external hard drive. I then create a collection and sync to Lightroom. I also back up to a secondary hard drive. After this, I format the card in the camera. Can you envisage any problems with this method?
I've formatted in camera every time after securing files elsewhere. I've never in 10+ years had a card fail.
On any modern storage system deleting a file only removes the data from the media index, or table of contents, unless you do a "low level" format, do you actually erase the data. This is how data recovery companies are able to retrieve data. Think of how a book is organized, you have a table of content and an index. These are used to reference what is on the media, table of contents, and where on the media, the file is located, index. When you delete, you simply remove the reference point out of the table of contents and the index, the data remains until the next time data is written to the media. I spent over a decade in the back-up and data recovery / disaster recovery part of the IT world, this is how we would look for and retrieve the data.
Canon supports format and low level format. What is the ideal method for formatting?
You don’t have to select and drag to the bin; just select all, right click and delete.
I alway delete mine in camera by formatting after I’ve imported and backed up.
Great Video, as usual, Mark. I do things a little differently, at least as a Lightroom user. I allow Lightroom to import directly off the card, and then the created file structure drops the raw files into the catalog. Also being a Mac user I use an app called SD Formater. I'll open that app after I'm confident my files are transferred correctly. The SD Formater allows two options either delete the files on the card or "fully format" that card. The full format is not quick, but it is thorough.
I always get Lightroom Classic (LrC) to do the importing. It saves time because there is no need to manually create a folder, copy from the card to the folder, eject the card and then import into LrC. LrC does the lot one one operation and can (optionally) add shoot specific keywords at the same time.
Maybe reconsider doing a fast format instead of full format each time. From my understanding fast format just marks all the SD's space as available to write, without actually writting anything to the card. But the full format actually overrides entire space of your card with empty data, so it's a lot more unncessary additional strain on the card. That's from what I know. Also that's how "safe formatting" works so do data can be recovered from a disk - everything is just overridden several times with random data.
@@devklepacki Good info, I did not realize the full format was doing this to the card. Thank you!
Funny how confusion a seemingly simple procedure can be! As an old electronics guy I am paranoid about ESD. So, I NEVER touch the contacts on my SD cards. I remove it from the camera and immediately insert it into a card reader then insert that into the USB port on my computer. Then, I do an import into my editor. Next, I transfer the raw files from the SD card to a folder I have created on my hard drive partition. Finally, I safely remove that SD card from the computer, put it back into the camera then format it so it's ready to be used again.
I have used the same SD card that came with my D850 5 years ago... always reformatting the card in the camera after I have uploaded the images to my computer. Same goes for my D500 and the card that came with it. I have extra cards (as insurance) with me at all times but I've never had to use them.
Thank you for spending some time with you.
I plug in my Camera into my PC with a USB cable, download everything using the canon tool and then delete everything as I dont have a SD card slot on my PC or an adaptor. I've never experienced any issues by not formatting regularly
Exactly what i do, all to canon dpp4 and once they're in there I just delete so card is empty ready for the next time i take photos
I use a different way of transferring files . never take out the cards from my Fuji camera [saves going in and out of the slots every time ,which most times is everyday ] I connect the camera to my pc and transfer the jpgs and raw /videos that way. There is a sequence to things 1 transfer of video clips and Jpgs to comp. 2 go through jpgs for keepers while deleting the ones I don't want. now I have a list of jpgs that are keepers ,turn on camera open raw files list and match keepers and transfer to pc the rest are deleted . occasionally , like you said I format both cards in camera
Usually I format the cards in the computer once finished transferring and making sure all it good. Then again when putting them in the camera. Just a habit for years. And have 4 Canon cameras that the card may go to next.
With Mac and maybe also with Windows. After you have deleted the files from your SD card with your computer, you must also empty your recycle bin before removing the SD card
SD cards are very reliable these days. The only real problem I have run into in the last few years has been micro SD cards housed in an SD card adaptor. That seems to be a real point of failure in my case.
One point to consider before formatting your card is what other information may be on that card. For example, Nikon saves the settings for the 3 custom user modes to the card. Be sure to copy that information to your computer before formatting. Using the delete all images leaves that information intact.
My Canon R5 stores my various configuration options on one of my data cards. Format the card and these get deleted so they have to be copied off the card before formatting which is a pain to do every time!
Most cameras use exFAT when formatting a SD card. Older cameras may use FAT32. So usually you can put a card from one camera into another without formatting. Also you can format a card in your computer and it will work in your camera just fine (and don’t forget to use exFAT file system). Another thing to consider is that MacOS does not remove files from your card when you delete them on your computer. The system moves deleted files into a hidden folder and they still take space on the card. They are erased from that folder when you empty the trash.
I would download the images and leave the computer whilst it did so. Upon returning I would be distracted and forget to format the card so that next time I was out I would suddenly find my card was full guite quickly - cards were smaller then. This was when I discovered ACDSee which allowed me to import the images onto 2 separate locations and it would delete the images off the card as it transferred them . Sounds hairy but as an amateur I gave it a try and 15 years on I still use that method - without ever having lost an image . I automatically format the card in my camera as I start each day. Preferred the ACDSee system of managing images to Lightroom
My SD card method is using a CF Express 😝
I'd also say you should use wifi to transfer the photos, if it's available, then you won't wear out the SD card slots on your computer & camera, or the USB-C ports. Not practical if you've got a huge haul. But if it's only a couple hundred photos, it's the least physically descructive.
I definitely copy the files from the card to a directory on my computer. However, I do NOT format the card until after I am sure the computer has completed a successful backup. There is a tertiary storage drive that has a backup of my pictures, as well. Formatting the SDCARD before having a backup makes me nervous. So once the card leaves the camera, there is never a time there is not at least 2 copies of the files!
I insert the card in the computer and copy the photos to a NAS the i format the card in the computer and choose to do it with NTFS, that will find bad sectors and lock them, remove the card and put it in the camera it will ask you to format the card then it will work well
IT Background here. Formating will keep your card running more efficiently but it will NOT keep it running for longer.
Same goes for any data storage really.
Deleting a file will only affect the bits that file was occupying. Over time, this fragments the card, as there are less continous chunks of free space.
Formating will defragment your card in the process, allowing for a more efficient use of space.
However, this affects all bits at the same time, thus needing more write-read cycles than deleting individual files.
This will shorten the lifespan of your card (ever so slightly)
Personally, I'd format every now and then, to keep efficiency high, but not every time I transfer photos.
Then again, the difference is not too big and having a workflow that' completely repeatable might be worth that.
Back in 2009 I found it cheaper to buy an eePC (mini 10" laptop) to back up Compact Flash cards (Fuji camera) versus all the cards CF cards I would need for a 6 week trip. The computer was a bonus. But I only had one copy (on the eePC) and recycled the 3 CF cards I had. Still wasn't cheap. For the SAME $$ now I can buy heaps of SD cards and SSD drives to have SD copy and two backups!
Now I see why reviewers prefer cameras with TWO card slots. Instant backup shot by shot!
Then again I've never had any card or hardware failures. Been lucky.
I always format all my cards right after I have transferred all my photos to the computer and from the computer to an external 2T bytes that I pull images as I need it.
I have always tried to keep my computer as clean as possible.
I just cut and paste in the pc. When I take the card out of the pc, its empty. I have two cards in my camera with one as a backup. If anything should happen in the file transfer, I still have all my pics on the second card.
Same way I do it thanks!
Great video, but where did you get the hoodie?
I just use the move function when I import into lightroom and I never have had a problem. That way the operating system of the computer handles validating that the file is moved before it is deleted. Formatting the SD card is really not needed.