(A7CR) How to delete all images from card quickly, without also wiping all settings?

> The issue is that the only 'format' option for the SD card, also seems to wipe the internal memory.

You have mixed up 1,2,3 settings with M1, M2, M3.

The latter ones are stored on the card. Of cource they are lost.

This was already true for A7Rii, A7Riv and I just tried it on A7CR.
 
or alternatively connect an USB cable to the camera, it will be ecognised as a storage device, and erase the folders with your computer.
 
I suspect that most users don’t actually use the M1 tto M4 options and therefore aren’t impacted by not saving and restoring a camset file.
 
> The issue is that the only 'format' option for the SD card, also seems to wipe the internal memory.

You have mixed up 1,2,3 settings with M1, M2, M3.

The latter ones are stored on the card. Of cource they are lost.

... ... ...
As are the CAMSET settings backup files.

I think the OP knows very well what files he wants to keep. And the answer is that, if you have thousands of images on your card, no there is no quick delete-all function that does not remove the other stuff: the video folders, the M1-3, the CAMSET files.

He has discovered how to delete multiple pics at once (without selecting each one), doing it by date. I'm a hoarder: I keep old stuff on the card until it fills up, the year ends, I go on a trip, etc. I do much the same, but I do it by folder rather than by date. Thanks for the hint as I might have more than one folder per date. If I need space because I've forgotten to housekeep, I delete oldest folders.

What else might be possible. Well, I have an idea, and it is going to get shouted down, and indeed, I take no responsibility if it does lead to data loss...

Put your card in a card reader and use your computer to delete folders. Hugely quicker than the camera interface. Then: put your card back in the camera and tell it to repair the image database.

I have not done this. It is very possibly hugely unwise. Please ignore the whole idea!


I have added and removed individual images followed by a database repair. Now I come to think of it, I once deleted all the raw files, leaving the jpegs, and repaired the database

Don't ask why: this reason, that reason, or none.

Any reasonably Linux-fluent person could do that removal of all the raws with just a single command: it doesn't get much quicker.

I get occasionally attacks of techiness and just try things. I cry if it leads to bad things. Don't listen to old weirdo nerds on the internet, lol.

On the camera, format means format and everything is lost. That's the only way to delete all the images in one go.
 
Last edited:
Any reasonably Linux-fluent person could do that removal of all the raws with just a single command: it doesn't get much quicker.
Come to think of it, they could also use a regular expression (ie set of wildcards) to match the pattern of folders containing images and delete in one command.

Unix/Linux is wonderful!
 
Any reasonably Linux-fluent person could do that removal of all the raws with just a single command: it doesn't get much quicker.
Come to think of it, they could also use a regular expression (ie set of wildcards) to match the pattern of folders containing images and delete in one command.

Unix/Linux is wonderful!
PowerShell in Windows (and cross-platform) can do the same if not more powerful overall :-)
 
I also find the lack of a "delete all" option a bit annoying. I was using the custom settings that are stored on the card, but got a bit lazy with the inconvenience of formatting and restoring settings. Now I just use the 3 primary custom settings.

Regarding your comment that all settings were lost on format, that is not how my a7cii and zv-e1 work. Only the card-based custom settings are lost.
 
It seems to be standard behaviour. I just read through the A7CR online manual and it specifically says that formatting the SD card also wipes settings and the M1/M2/M3 presets etc.
The basic Memory settings 1, 2 and 3 are stored in the camera. These settings are not affected when formatting cards.

Additional memory settings, M1, M2, M3, M4, are stored on the memory card and need to be backed up before formatting the card and copied back.
Exactly, not sure why some people here just don't get it. I use these 4 additional memory settings and know that they WILL BE LOST when I format the SD card (so I always keep a backup)
Yep, I do the same. I have an SD Card just for my M1-M4 additional Memory Settings.

Unless I am wrong, I was under the impression that the "Camera Set Memory M1, M2, M3, M4" is wiped when reformatting the SD Card. The "Camera Set Memory 1, 2, 3" however is retained (these correlate to the Dial 1, 2, 3, custom settings).

I was thinking yesterday, that it would be a great update for the Creator's App to be able to store them and upload them... it would also be a convenient way for people to share them potentially.
 
It seems to be standard behaviour. I just read through the A7CR online manual and it specifically says that formatting the SD card also wipes settings and the M1/M2/M3 presets etc.
The basic Memory settings 1, 2 and 3 are stored in the camera. These settings are not affected when formatting cards.

Additional memory settings, M1, M2, M3, M4, are stored on the memory card and need to be backed up before formatting the card and copied back.
Exactly, not sure why some people here just don't get it. I use these 4 additional memory settings and know that they WILL BE LOST when I format the SD card (so I always keep a backup)
Yep, I do the same. I have an SD Card just for my M1-M4 additional Memory Settings.

Unless I am wrong, I was under the impression that the "Camera Set Memory M1, M2, M3, M4" is wiped when reformatting the SD Card. The "Camera Set Memory 1, 2, 3" however is retained (these correlate to the Dial 1, 2, 3, custom settings).

I was thinking yesterday, that it would be a great update for the Creator's App to be able to store them and upload them... it would also be a convenient way for people to share them potentially.
 

Keyboard shortcuts

Back
Top