Reusing memory cards

<p>Does anyone use cards only once?<br>

Does everyone else erase the photos after you've downloaded?<br>

How many times do most people reuse them? </p>

You can delete the photos and reuse the cards many, many times. Don't worry about it, you won't wear them out.

<p>Use them. Copy the files off of them onto your computer. Dismount the card, and set it aside <em>without erasing the files from the card</em>. Then make at least one other backup of the files on a separate storage device. Ideally, on multiple media/devices, physically separate from each other - with at least one copy that's not on a device connected to your normally used computer.<br /><br />Once you're sure you have ways to avoid losing your images should something happen to the computer you're using, then use your camera's formatting routine to clear the contents from the card. You can do this hundreds, or thousands of times. You are far more likely to lose, damage, or out-grow a card than you are to "wear it out" as a storage device.</p>

<p>After enough time (probably 10s of years) the data on a card may become corrupted. They aren't archival and the data will eventually fade. I think Kingston specify a minimum of 10 years data retention.</p>

<p>Multi level cells are usually rated for around 10,000 read/write cycles.</p>

<p>This is good advice.<br>

So copy to computer, then back up from the computer to two separate hard drives, and only then erase, I think is the conclusion.</p>

 

<p>I've been using my 4GB Sandisk Ultra II CF cards since almost daily since 2008. I have 9 of them so use gets spread out on trips. But at home and on local photo excursions I use the same one. Have had no issues yet with any of them. And 4GB is big enough for my usage (get about 200 RAW+JPG per card). I use Time Machine to back up all my images to an external hard drive.</p>

I use Matt's system routinely (religiously), and have never had a memory card fail. For years, I simply deleted the files in the computer, but lately have been re-formatting the memory card in camera. My experience over several years and dozens of memory cards is that both ways of deleting files has worked perfectly.

<p>In addition to deleting (erasing) the images off the card once they are on backup media, I've also gotten into the habit of formatting the card in the camera every so often, maybe once a week or so if you shoot every day. I haven't had any issues but supposedly it keeps the card from becoming corrupt. Peace of mind, I guess.</p>

<p>What Matt & Will said - I've only had one card go bad in 7 years, and that was after many uses. We also switch them back and forth between two different Canon cameras ( a 50D and a Rebel ) and haven't had any issues with that, although we format them in-camera each time.</p>

I worry about wearing off the contacts if I remove the card too often so I transfer with a USB cord and reformat as needed. If I create a materpiece some day I will store a second copy. Maybe.

<p>Matt,<br>

Why is it better to copy back-ups directly from the card? I just send the first copy to the next drive.<br>

I find that the card contacts can get fussy from wear and sloppy handling. Haven't ruined a card though. USB is too slow.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, too often a masterpiece isn't considered a masterpiece until it has been irretrievably lost.</p>

<p>I don't think Matt is saying you should make the back-up directly from the card, but that you should do a backup that does not remain physically connected to the computer, and I would add that it is ideally stored somewhere else than your home.</p>

<p>As far as waiting for the masterpiece, I have thousands of pictures of my children and grandchildren. Every one of those photos, including the out-of-focus, badly composed and poorly lit versions are a masterpiece that can never be repeated, because those ages and situations are gone forever.</p>

<p>Why do you actually need to reformat instead of just erase? What does reformatting do? How often do you need to do this?<br>

Thanks for all the replies!</p>

<p>Formatting hopefully gets rid of any anomalous file usage or other problems and the format command would probably tell you if the format was unsuccessful. Erasing is slow and tedious. Erasing or formatting anywhere other than in camera may compromise file writing by the camera. Finally, I have heard it said that attaching a $5000 dollar camera to a laptop plugged in to the mains adds to the risk of frying the camera in a power surge or other mishap and that dealing with just the card is better. It does seem from my reading of what most pros and others do is that they are dealing with cards not USB connections.</p>

<p>Use them. Copy the files off of them onto your computer. Dismount the card, and set it aside <em>without erasing the files from the card</em>. Then make at least one other backup of the files on a separate storage device. Ideally, on multiple media/devices, physically separate from each other - with at least one copy that's not on a device connected to your normally used computer.<br /><br />Once you're sure you have ways to avoid losing your images should something happen to the computer you're using, then use your camera's formatting routine to clear the contents from the card. You can do this hundreds, or thousands of times. You are far more likely to lose, damage, or out-grow a card than you are to "wear it out" as a storage device.</p>

 

Matt Laur and others,

 

I am still figuring my storage of photos out, and trying to not leave images on my computer.

I have an external storage (loads of room) and I plug that into my computer and press backup.

Is there some way of avoiding saving from SD card to computer then to backup device (or two if that is necessary), then delete from computer until needed.

If needed I then retrieve from the external storage device.

Erasing a card is not enough. You need to format the card in the camera. If the card is corrupted, you may need to do a deep reformat on a computer, which will identify and repair, if possible, deflective sectors. Formatting in the camera also refreshes all of the directories, subdirectories, and files necessary for its operation.

 

There are a number of ways the camera can create a new directory on the card, including when the count rolls over. Video is usually saved in a separate directory too. You can only see one directory at a time on the viewer. If you erase only what you see, there may be a lot of other information left on the card. when you back up on a computer, the file explorer sees all of the directories. Furthermore, erasing only changes the first sector of a file. Subsequent sectors point to the next sector, etc., which can lead to cross-indexing if you add new material without reformatting.

 

A simple reformat, in or out of the camera, doesn't necessarily erase all of the memory, just the first sector and the file access directory. That's how you can recover data accidentally erased or re-formatted. That said, my Sony A7 erases data so thoroughly in formatting, I can't recover anything, even with forensic tools.

 

I back up the memory card to an external hard drive. In the past, i've doubled down and backed up to Blu-Ray discs too, which can't be accidentally erased. Now with 64 GB cards and up, that's no longer practical in the field (25 GB/disc), so I use a second hard drive as a fail-safe. I still back up to BD discs when I'm back at home, and store them in a notebook, 8 discs to an archival page. Nothing gets deleted. until there are at least two backups. Mostly now, I don't bother to delete files from hard drives. They're inexpensive and provide a convenient, fast archive. I do recycle SSDs, which I use for maximum speed on a temporary basis. Even a 1 TB SSD isn't large enough for serious storage.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Ed_Ingold

After I've "imported" into Lightroom(which copies .nefs or whatever RAW format I'm using as a .dng) I copy the complete card contents on to an external drive.

 

From there, I usually sit down with a camera and format all the cards to go in a card wallet. USUALLY the cards get formatted in the camera I intend to use them in, so I'll just pop them in when I'm ready to use them. When they weren't formatted in that camera, I'll do so right before using.

 

BTW, that's PROBABLY overkill, but I still prefer to know that I'm working with a fresh file system created by the camera that will be writing to the card.

 

At least on all my Nikons, formatting the card involves holding down two buttons, then releasing and holding them again to confirm. To me, this is implicit ENCOURAGEMENT of this practice by making the format function so available and accessible.

I back up my prints and negatives to my hard drive and a hybrid IPad/USB 3.0 thumb drive.....

;)

If you format the cards externally, it will be blank. The camera will insert the necessary files and directories on the first power-up. No harm done, except for the extra step. Just make sure you format the cards to the right standard, usually FAT32.