Formatting the memory card

I have the digital Rebel with the CF card. After taking a number of shots,
I place the card in a card reader and download to the computer. I place the
card back in the camera, and format the card. I wonder: since I never fill
up the card, and always format in the camera, is this wearing out the card
prematurely?

On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 13:49:50 GMT, "Toomanyputters"
wrote:

I have the digital Rebel with the CF card. After taking a number of shots,
I place the card in a card reader and download to the computer. I place the
card back in the camera, and format the card. I wonder: since I never fill
up the card, and always format in the camera, is this wearing out the card
prematurely?

Why are you formatting the card every time you use it? You won't
wear it out. Why can't you cut and paste the pics in the card reader
instead of using copy and paste?

On Sat, 18 Feb 2006 09:38:11 -0500, wrote:

I wonder: since I never fill up the card, and always format in the
camera, is this wearing out the card prematurely?

Why are you formatting the card every time you use it? You won't
wear it out. Why can't you cut and paste the pics in the card reader
instead of using copy and paste?

Most people think it's unwise to cut and past, if by that you mean
a MOVE operation. If something goes wrong during the operation you
risk losing all of the files. Several months ago using Windows
Explorer to move files from one drive D: to drive F: not only
resulting in the loss of files when Explorer crashed, but it took
with it about 10% of the Windows system files on drive C:. It's
safer to copy files from the flash card to the computer, and after
safely making a CD or DVD copy, delete/format the card in the
camera. Or delete them in the card reader if you wish. But if any
formatting is done it should be done in the camera.

It's
safer to copy files from the flash card to the computer, and after
safely making a CD or DVD copy, delete/format the card in the
camera. Or delete them in the card reader if you wish. But if any
formatting is done it should be done in the camera.

Then after a successfully copy and paste just delete the files with
the memory card reader. Formatting should only be done by the camera
as you say, but formatting every time with a battery operated camera
is not needed or wise.

wrote in message
...
It's
safer to copy files from the flash card to the computer, and after
safely making a CD or DVD copy, delete/format the card in the
camera. Or delete them in the card reader if you wish. But if any
formatting is done it should be done in the camera.

Then after a successfully copy and paste just delete the files with
the memory card reader. Formatting should only be done by the camera
as you say, but formatting every time with a battery operated camera
is not needed or wise.

Explain the not wise part.
Dave Cohen

"tomm42" wrote in message
oups.com...
CF cards are extremely durable and transfering data, formating won't
hurt it. I do this at work all the time, work in a medical setting so
any data on unprotected sources has to be destroyed. We use a 4 year
old Fuji S1 and reformat all the time, two of the cards are as old as
the camera.

Destroying the data won't be achieved by formatting alone. You can do a
better job using either a good hammer or download cw103.zip from PhotoRescue
site. The latter will permit re-use of the card.
Dave Cohen

Dave Cohen wrote:
wrote in message
...
It's
safer to copy files from the flash card to the computer, and after
safely making a CD or DVD copy, delete/format the card in the
camera. Or delete them in the card reader if you wish. But if any
formatting is done it should be done in the camera.

Then after a successfully copy and paste just delete the files with
the memory card reader. Formatting should only be done by the camera
as you say, but formatting every time with a battery operated camera
is not needed or wise.

Explain the not wise part.
Dave Cohen

In case the battery isn't fully charged, and the camera fails half-way
through the format.

I would have no hesitation formatting in-camera /providing/ the batteries
are well charged.

David

In article , Toomanyputters
wrote:

I have the digital Rebel with the CF card. After taking a number of shots,
I place the card in a card reader and download to the computer. I place the
card back in the camera, and format the card. I wonder: since I never fill
up the card, and always format in the camera, is this wearing out the card
prematurely?

Only if you live to about a million years old.

In article ,
wrote:

Then after a successfully copy and paste just delete the files with
the memory card reader. Formatting should only be done by the camera
as you say, but formatting every time with a battery operated camera
is not needed or wise.


Oh? And why is that? I work with a guy who would copy the pics from his
20D and then delete them from the card, not knowing that Canon makes a
new folder every 100 shots. It got to a point where he couldn't find
his new pics on the card.

Formatting in the camera after copying out each session is a safe way
to know that you're always starting fresh.

In article , David J
Taylor
wrote:

In case the battery isn't fully charged, and the camera fails half-way
through the format.

It takes my 10D about a half second to format a 512MB card. I don't
think the batteries are going to die in that short of a time.