2 SD Card questions
Daddy0
Registered Users Posts: 121 Major grins
1. I seem to think there was a thread on here somewhere about card holders? I have searched but can't find it anymore. Specifically looking for what everyone is using to organize your SD cards. Anybody got anything that can hold 8 or more cards?
2. What is everybodies stance on reformatting your SD cards? Do you download your photos and then clean the card for re-use or do you just buy more cards?
2. What is everybodies stance on reformatting your SD cards? Do you download your photos and then clean the card for re-use or do you just buy more cards?
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"Copy" the card to a computer HD. Make at least 2 backup copies of anything important, ideally using 2 different technologies. Verify or spot-check, depending on the importance of the images. (Use great care with important and/or paying jobs.)
Once you're sure that the files are safe, format the card in the device of primary use (camera, camcorder, etc.).
If there is any hint of trouble in the copy or verify operations, start over and repeat the process.
Don't shortcut the process. Nothing is backed up for sure until it's verified.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
My card wallet is made to contain CF cards but it holds SD cards just fine as well. I use the Thinktank Pixel Pocket Rocket, it holds up to 10 CF cards.
I also have a bunch of Gepe Card Safe Extremes laying around, for when I think I need serious card protection, (The Gepe is a hard, watertight case and the Thinktank is a soft, cloth-based wallet) ...however I haven't used those Gepe cases in at least a year or two.
I STRONGLY recommend finding a case that allows you to carry all your cards on you at once. Now that I have this ability with the Thinktank, I can't imagine ever leaving a full card in my camera bag or something, it's just too risky.
IMO, if you need more than 10 cards to accomplish a job, you need to get bigger cards, or you need to shoot less. I shoot weddings full-time and 10 4 GB CF cards work fine for me, but maybe I'll upgrade to 8 GB or 16 GB cards if I am *forced* to buy a higher megapixel camera eventually. (Nikon, which still doesn't offer an sRAW mode...)
As far as formatting goes, be careful what advice you are given. MANY people out there are simply un-educated or in-experienced when it comes to serious image safety.
A lot of people will say that they leave images on their memory cards as long as possible, "just in case", and only format right before their next shoot. This is, in my opinion, the worst idea since un-sliced bread. My philosophy is, ALWAYS avoid chances for stupid mistakes.
First, a fact: Data recovery on a formatted card is EFFORTLESS. Any off-the-shelf card recovery program will bring back all formatted images, no matter how many times you format the card. (I use PhotoRescue Expert from http://datarescue.com)
If, for example, you bought a memory card two years ago, shot with it until it was absolutely full, and then downloaded / formatted the card and have only ever shot it half-full SINCE that day, ...you still have half your card containing those first images!
In-camera formatting merely tells the camera (and other devices) to PRETEND that formatted images are invisible. They're still there, UNTIL you save new images onto the card.
Soooo, if you ever download a memory card and then put it right back in the camera and shoot with it again, that is when you are TRULY erasing those images. Then only the CIA can get 'em back. Or any CSI show. :-P
So, that is why I do a few things:
* Cycle through all ten cards in sequence, don't just always start shooting with your fastest card and hardly ever get down to cards 7-10. Cylcle through them ALL, as evenly as possible. This gives you the maximum time possible to recover images off cards in an emergency, AND it puts wear-and-tear on each card consistently. CF cards are usually only rated to about 100,000 read/write cycles, which translates into 50,000 shooting and downloading cycles. SO, you should be replacing your cards every 2-5 years depending on how heavily you shoot.
* Download your cards, then format them as soon as you've double checked the entire download and backed it up. NEVER sleep on it, if it's a paid job or important photo shoot. NEVER download images and then leave them on the cards, unless you are in a 2nd shooter situation or something where they need to be downloaded twice.
* Stick to the plan. Every little nuance of how you download, (cards facing up VS facing down, etc.) just keep it consistent and never deviate. Always double and triple-check your downloads before shooting the next shoot.
Alright, take care!
=Matt=
My SmugMug Portfolio • My Astro-Landscape Photo Blog • Dgrin Weddings Forum
I guess a follow-up question/concern would be this: I have a couple of the portable external drives that I carry in my camera bag. I use Scott Kelby's procedures on downloading files thru LR3(may be better ones, but his is easy to follow). Once I download(one external for the originals and one for the back-up), how long are these drives trustworthy not to crash? I have a SmugMug Pro account, should I be uploading all my photos there as a 3rd back-up? Most of my photos now are more sentimental(baby pictures of my girls, etc), but I am starting to branch out and shoot sports and portraits. Maybe I am too cautious, but I hate to delete a card for fear of losing those photos!
Thanks for all your advice!!
www.focusedonyourmemories.com
What you see depends on what you're looking for.
2- I reformat my cards in camera after I load to harddrive......It works for me and keeps me from poping a card into the camera that already has images left from previous shoot and all of a sudden I have to change cards again when i should still be shooting..........
Also everything I read by the major players, San Disk, Kingston, Lexar and Transcend, when i started in digital said to do it to help keep corruption down to a min................
All media is fickle and can corrupt or just die, in the case of any drive media, instantly at 1st use........most all drive companies are now owned by Seagate, however segate did not close their doors and they are still manufacturing under their own names.......I use seagate as that is the drive company that gave the best life expectancy between Seagate, Maxtor and western digital with Hitachi running a real close second....after almost 15 yrs in the computer Mfg'ering business and watching all the drives come in and go out...Seagate and Hitachi were the best.........both normally come with a 5 yr warranty so I try to do a swap at around
2.5 - 3.5 yrs......drives are so inexpensive that changing them out every few years is not a hard thing for me to do....I just watch sales and buy 3 at a time (minimum)......and I upgrade to larger drives when I do...95% of my images are on 500gb drives next time I start copying over to new drives it will be at least 2 TB drives...........
Amen to that.
I recommend 2 technologies for a true backup system because an entire technology can sometimes just disappear from manufacture.
Magnetic media has a definite "half life" and the media image fades with time. CDs and DVDs can get scratched. Anything physical can be lost or damaged or purposely destroyed.
In short you cannot be too careful with material that has either real or sentimental value and cannot be replaced. Don't worry about being too careful, 'cause there ain't no such thing.
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