Another Nikon software "gotcha"

<p>Most recent Nikon DSLRs have a menu function that allows one to save most of the (too numerous) menu settings to a memory card. If properly implemented, which unfortunately it is not, it could be a very useful function. It would be very convenient to save the settings to all the memory cards in use. Then, upon embarking on a new photo shoot, after inserting a card one could load the settings and know one was starting out from a known configuration. ALAS this won't work if one has reformatted the card since last used; which is what most of routinely do. Unfortunately the reformat wipes out the file with the saved settings.</p>

<p>Mike, that is the nature of formatting a disk; it's not a Nikon issue per-se. Formatting, by definition wipes out all the files on a disk. I wouldn't call it a Nikon "gotcha".</p>

<p>Maybe just delete the photos instead. No, that would be too simple.</p>

<p>I save the setting on my computer. I recently purchased a d800 but took it back after 6 days because it was freezing. I was a bit annoyed because I had spent hours creating my 4 x 2 memory banks just the way I want them. I unpackaged the new d800 and loaded the settings. They were all there. Everything. Comments, everything. Thanks Nikon. I had to check the serial number to make sure I hadn't come back from the store with the original camera.</p>

<p>I can't remember the last time I reformatted one of my memory cards - no irony intended there! When I've finished backing a card up I just delete the directories containing images, leaving the config directory alone. Quick and easy.</p>

<p>BTW, the camera only does a "quick format", so you could actually recover the information if you really wanted.</p>

<p>Thanks to all for the responses.</p>

<p>Phil,<br /> If I understand you correctly, one can load the settings (saved on my computer) directly to the camera without an intermediate transfer to a card. What sort of a connection (computer to camera) does one need? Any special software required? Where is the menu item that enables this?</p>

<p>Joe,<br /> I have seen warnings regarding altering (deleting) the card content on the computer. Is this generally a safe way to go?</p>

Would this work?

 

1. Insert card containing settings.

 

2. Copy settings from card to camera.

 

3. Format card.

 

4. Copy settings from camera to card.

 

5. Shoot current project onto a card containing your settings.

 

Do these steps before each project, and you'll have the settings on a freshly formatted memory card.

By the way, formatting doesn't "wipe out files". It wipes out the information that points to the location of each file. When

you format a card, all of your files are still there until you overwrite them with new files. Data recovery software can

"undo" the formatting process in many cases by inspecting the contents of the card and finding the starting address of

each file.

 

Data is never fully erased until it is overwritten by new files or by special security software. This is the difference between

Empty Trash and Secure Empty Trash on a Mac. The latter option can take much longer because it is actually writing

over your deleted files.

<blockquote>By the way, formatting doesn't "wipe out files"</blockquote>

 

<p>...and another bit of computer terminology gets mangled by common use. I believe you're right, in that what cameras tend to do is a "quick format", but historically "formatting" took a completely arbitrary block of bits and wrote blank sector information (giving the drive a "format"). It took a long time, but it absolutely did write over every bit on the drive. Which was actually useful if something had genuinely screwed up the data layout in some way. (It was still sometimes possible to recover data from a disk, but it was much more complicated than just running some recovery software, involving some dedicated hardware.) The modern terminology conflates "format" with "delete everything", though it at least tends to do so in a way which lets the device recover from a mangled set of file pointers.<br />

<br />

Please excuse my pedantry. I've been a software engineer for long enough that when meanings get repurposed through oversimplification, it tends to rankle.</p>

<p>Mike, no not directly from the computer. I just store the settings file on my computer. When I need it I just transfer it back to a card, insert the card and load the files.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Would this work?<br /> 1. Insert card containing settings.<br /> 2. Copy settings from card to camera.<br /> 3. Format card.<br /> 4. Copy settings from camera to card.<br /> 5. Shoot current project onto a card containing your settings.<br /> Do these steps before each project, and you'll have the settings on a freshly formatted memory card.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>At the outset one studies all the options for menu settings and decides on a (personal) standard format that should be set at the beginning of each shooting session. Knowing that in the course of a shooting session several settings may require situational changes. My short term memory is just good enough that I can remain aware of which settings I have altered during the course of a session and revise these settings as needed.</p>

<p>Fast forward to the next shooting session; not a chance that I will remember what changes to my standard format remain left over from the prior session. Thus the need to start each session knowing that the settings have been restored to my standard format.</p>

<p>The ideal solution will allow me to retain my long standing habit of never formatting cards nor deleting images using the computer (probably baseless prejudices) and always formatting a card in the camera just prior to beginning a new shoot.</p>

<p>I studied Dan's suggested protocol, probably for half an hour, before I recognized that this is indeed an elegant solution which accomplishes all my goals. Thank you Dan.</p>

<p>I really had to think it through. The only caveat is that one must begin (at step #1) with a card containing my unaltered standard settings. Step #2 ensures that any changes to my standard settings in camera, made during the prior shoot, are returned to their original values. After the format the standard settings are returned to the card (step #4). After step #5, the images are transferred from the card to my computer. Recognizing that at this point the settings file remains unaltered by any settings changes made during the shoot, this same card can be used for the next shoot, beginning at step #1, to restore my standard settings to the camera. Sorry if all that verbiage seems superfluous, but I really did have to think it through.</p>

<p>So, yes Dan, it would work, and thanks again.</p>

<p>As many have pointed out, isn't there a "delete all pictures" somewhere in your camera's menus ?</p>

<p>I'll admit it is slower, like about a minute if your card is full, but is that really a problem ? (Erasing picture files from your computer would be faster, btw.)</p>

<p>Formatting is useful to reset a corrupt file system - which I've never needed to do.</p>