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Do you Reformat Your CF Card....

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there is no need to ever reformat a card unless it got corrupted and is not readable. reformatting every time is totally unnecessary.

I erase the pictures in camera or in the card reader after downloading

Tage
 
Tage Bjorklund said:
there is no need to ever reformat a card unless it got corrupted and
is not readable. reformatting every time is totally unnecessary.

I erase the pictures in camera or in the card reader after downloading

Tage
Click to expand...
You are playing with fire.

The risk of corruption is much higher if you do not format in-camera on a regular basis, and you may lose valuable images.

Erasing in the card reader is especially dangerous because card reader writes may not be 100% compaible to those done by the camera.
 
I am not posting this to create hard feelings from anyone.... but data recovery after formatting a CF card in camera DOES work. I just tried a program called PhotoRescue PC on five different CF cards that had all been formatted in camera (Canon 10D)... the software managed to pull images from all five cards. Formatting a card with the computer has caused me problems with the numbering system and messed up my file system in the process. Here's the web address for the software should anyone find themselves in need of recovering images from a corrupt or accidently formatted card. The software is not expensive and seems to work like magic. Wishing good health and good shooting to all.
Bear

http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/index.htm
--
So much to learn... so little time.
See profile for list of equipment.
 
I format every time on my 350D and my numbering progresses linearly. The only trouble I had was when I inserted a card previously used on another Canon camera- that reset my numbering at where that camera was (not at zero). Check your settings.
 
Perhaps the question should be, who has had problems and what do they do.

Clearly the majority of us do various things and don't have problems.

dom
 
After reading this thread I noticed my card was gradually getting less and less frames. Must have fragments left over on it. Reformatted and it went back to the original amount (I think) it reads 999, was reading like 940, 921, 900, to 856.
So, guess it pays to reformat....Kinda like defrag.
--
Summer in Seattle!
 
Since you typically delete all the images from a card routinely, I can't see how fragmentation problems could build over time. More likely the types of images you were shooting, or the ISO you used changed.
thatkatmat said:
After reading this thread I noticed my card was gradually getting
less and less frames. Must have fragments left over on it.
Reformatted and it went back to the original amount (I think) it
reads 999, was reading like 940, 921, 900, to 856.
So, guess it pays to reformat....Kinda like defrag.
--
Summer in Seattle!
Click to expand...
--
Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/jon_b
 
Jola013 said:
You are playing with fire.

The risk of corruption is much higher if you do not format in-camera
on a regular basis, and you may lose valuable images.

Erasing in the card reader is especially dangerous because card
reader writes may not be 100% compaible to those done by the camera.
Click to expand...
This is what, we in the industry, refer to as FUD.

--
-Larry
http://www.pbase.com/lardog
 
I always reformat, but chiefly because it's faster than an in-camera delete. Not sure if it's safer/better.

Question - How large a CF card will my 350D support? I've heard no greater than 2MP, but I havent's been able to test that out. Anyone using a > 2MP card in a 350D?

--
Regards, Kelly
 
James L Wilson said:
Reformatting CF cards is OK using the Camera;
This will permanently ERASE all data on the CF.
Therefore be sure to COPY all data from the card BEFORE the format.
Click to expand...
Formatting the card, whether in-camera or in-PC will not erase any images. It will only recreate the file allocation table. I have software that will resurrect files from a card, whether formatted in-camera or in-PC.
James L Wilson said:
The problem comes when formatting using your Computer - do NOT do it.
There are too many operating systems out there that may KILL the CF
card.

There are too many (anti) virus programs that may "diddle" with the
Card. Don't let these things happen to your Card.
Click to expand...
In 5+ years and 40,000+ images, I've never had a problem caused by erasing images from the card reader in Windows XP.
James L Wilson said:
Formatting the card using your Canon camera, for example, is a fast
way to check on the integrity of the card, and at the same time it
ERASES all data from the card.
Click to expand...
Formatting in-camera is a "quick format" and does not check the integrity of the card. Only a "full format" will do that.
--
-Dave
http://pixseal.com
 
Truth is, Larry is the author of FUD here. If there were no risk to formatting in a PC attached reader, vs in-camera, why would the personal experience of many, the official position of Canon, and the official position of SanDisk take pains to caution people against formatting a card in any other manner than in the camera?

Does Larry know better than Canon or SanDisk? Does Larry understand that different algorithms are used to accomplish the same goal, yet some work better than others in a particular device? Does Larry understand the concept of fragmentation in a FAT based file system, and the pitfalls that await someone who doesn't ever format their FAT storage media?

The FUD that Larry subscribes to is almost as funny as the opinion of people who think that formatting a CF card on a regular basis has any serious effect on it's lifespan. Sometimes, a little fragment of understanding can develop a fantasy life of it's own. That seems to be the case here.....
LarryT said:
Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.

Typically associated with negative marketing propganda...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear%2C_uncertainty_and_doubt
--
-Larry
http://www.pbase.com/lardog
Click to expand...
--
Voyager
 
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