Formatting memory card

[Herman]

In camera formatting and computer formatting is possible.
With my chromebook computer i have 3 options to format:
FAT32, exFAT, NTFS.
My (fast) usb stick has been NTFS formatted.
In camera formatting does not offer 3 options, right?
What is the best way to format memory cards?

 

[Charzes44]

In camera formatting and computer formatting is possible.
With my chromebook computer i have 3 options to format:
FAT32, exFAT, NTFS.
My (fast) usb stick has been NTFS formatted.
In camera formatting does not offer 3 options, right?
What is the best way to format memory cards?

In camera is always the best way to format a memory card.

 

[pdurand]

If you plan to use it in your camera, I think it is better to format it in your camera.

 

[davidzvi]

In-camera is always better, but if you are curious as to which format it uses just format in-camera then check what it used on the computer.

 

[MarkoV]

AFAIK cards 16G and smaller cards can be either FAT32 or exFAT. Any larger than 16G and it has to be exFAT. Older cameras may only support FAT32 (and thus only 16G or smaller cards). No camera I know of reads or writes NTFS.

But seriously, I would also recommend formatting cards only in-camera. That way you can be sure it's formatted the way your camera prefers.

 

[Herman]

Thanks for the info/advice.
I will format the cards in-camera.

 

[Irene McC]

It is always advisable to format your cards in the camera in which you intend to use them

 

[John King]

Thanks for the info/advice.
I will format the cards in-camera.

Herman, with a new card, I do a long format in my PC (NOT IN APPLE COMPUTERS!) using SDFormatter from the SD consortium. Once that's done, I then "format" the card in the camera it will be used in.

I also add two text files. One contains my details, and the other contains the camera details.

After that, I never format a card again, unless using it in another camera, or if there is some problem with it.

 

[Irene McC]

After that, I never format a card again, unless using it in another camera, or if there is some problem with it.

How do you mean? Do you never reuse cards and just keep the full ones and buy more new ones?

 

[John King]

No, Irene. When it is due to go back into a camera, I just erase all image files on the card.

By that time, I have between 3 and 6 backups of the images on my computer and portable/external HDDs.

 

[fredlong]

I always format in the camera so it will have what it wants. I also format it after importing to the computer to keep corruption from creeping into the file system. In 20 years I've never had a problem. I don't know if the obsessive reformatting has helped or if I've just been lucky.

 

[Herbert Hound]

I always thought that just deleting files on a card left the "address label" in place and that, over time, one's SD card filled up with address labels and became more prone to errors. Formatting erases the address labels too. I may be wrong... or not.

 

[John King]

I always thought that just deleting files on a card left the "address label" in place and that, over time, one's SD card filled up with address labels and became more prone to errors. Formatting erases the address labels too. I may be wrong... or not.

Colin, "formatting" in camera does not actually format the card. It merely wipes the FAT (or similar) and writes the camera required files and folders to the card, if they don't already exist.

If you use PCs, you can do a "real" format in a card reader using the utility program, SDFormatter.exe, from the SD consortium. A "long format" will actually format the card, and perform a check on all the data sectors. Needless to say, this should not be done routinely on any solid state memory device, memory cards included. I do this once, when the card is new, and only do it again if the card develops a fault - one micro-SD card in about 16 years. I also do this if a micro-SD card is being permanently moved from an Android device to a camera.

After this long format, "formatting" the card in the target camera is usually mandatory.

You cannot format SD cards with any Apple device.

See post by Richard below (@Drdul ). Apparently now supported by Apple.

 

[Drdul]

You cannot format SD cards with any Apple device.

Like John, I use the SD Memory Card Formatter from the SD Association to format my new SD cards, which I then format in the camera, and after that I just delete files without reformatting (unless I switch the card to another camera). I use a Mac. The SD Memory Card Formatter is available for macOS.

Edit: Fixed typo

 

[John King]

Like John, I use the SD Memory Card Formatter from the SD Association to format my new SD cards, which I the. Format in the camera, and after that I just delete files without reformatting (unless I switch the card to another camera). I use a Mac. The SD Memory Card Formatter is available for macOS.

That's great to know, thanks, Richard. In the not too far distant past, formatting an SD card in any Apple resulted in a dead, unrecoverable SD card ... .

 

[bdbits]

What exactly happens with an in-camera format seems to vary somewhat between makers. Sony, for example, does something more than clearing the filesystem. People who have inadvertently formatted their SD cards and then tried to recover images using various utilities for the purpose - which worked with other cameras - find they are unable to recover anything. I've never run across anyone who tried sending them to a recovery service, though. It's all anecdotal of course, but some of the accounts I've seen around the web were from technically astute individuals. Could just be Sony that does this, I do not know.

I do agree you should always format the card in the camera it will be used with. I always do this after I've unloaded the pics as well. In the past I just erased them, which works fine but Sony uses index files on the card that then still think the image should be there during in-camera playback. So I format it.

Disclaimer: my newest body is a Sony A7R3 so things may have changed on newer bodies.

 

[John King]

What exactly happens with an in-camera format seems to vary somewhat between makers. Sony, for example, does something more than clearing the filesystem. People who have inadvertently formatted their SD cards and then tried to recover images using various utilities for the purpose - which worked with other cameras - find they are unable to recover anything. I've never run across anyone who tried sending them to a recovery service, though. It's all anecdotal of course, but some of the accounts I've seen around the web were from technically astute individuals. Could just be Sony that does this, I do not know.

I do agree you should always format the card in the camera it will be used with. I always do this after I've unloaded the pics as well. In the past I just erased them, which works fine but Sony uses index files on the card that then still think the image should be there during in-camera playback. So I format it.

Disclaimer: my newest body is a Sony A7R3 so things may have changed on newer bodies.

Interesting.

 

[Acraftman]

I typically format if I have left my sd card in the computer for extended periods usually just erase after downloading one question that comes to mind I am having a problem with Lightroom because a # of my raw files have the same ID # attached to them. I wonder if this has anything to do with erasing vs. formatting?

 

[John King]

I typically format if I have left my sd card in the computer for extended periods usually just erase after downloading one question that comes to mind I am having a problem with Lightroom because a # of my raw files have the same ID # attached to them. I wonder if this has anything to do with erasing vs. formatting?

Which camera?

Do you have a s/w switch that enables continuous versus restart numbering in your camera?

If so, is there any chance that you have changed it, or it has otherwise been reset?

I have all my cameras set to continuous numbering.

There is a trick that can usually be applied to get the camera back on track if it has lost the plot.

 

[Irene McC]

I have all my cameras set to continuous numbering.

Me too, always this option otherwise things quickly become confusing