Tip: clearing out your memory card fast

ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
edited February 16, 2005 in Cameras
I've found that it is almost always way faster to "format" a flash card in the camera than to "erase all" or whatever. This has been true of all the digital cameras I've ever had (don't ask.) I realized that some people might not know about it.
If not now, when?

Comments

  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    thumb.gif That's all I do.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    nod.gifnod.gifnod.gif
    Andy

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  • ridetwistyroadsridetwistyroads Registered Users Posts: 526 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Also, less errors present themselves over time if it's always formatted instead of erased.
    "There is a place for me somewhere, where I can write and speak much as I think, and make it pay for my living and some besides. Just where this place is I have small idea now, but I am going to find it" Carl Sandburg
  • jwearjwear Registered Users Posts: 8,013 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    a very good tip it is one thing i have always done and never had trouble with cards
    Jeff W

    “PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE ‘JAZZ’ FOR THE EYES…”

    http://jwear.smugmug.com/
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited February 16, 2005
    It's all I ever do. Not to mention it should leave you with a less fragmented
    card as well (better performance but by how much?).

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    A good tip, but one caveat, don't do this with any Microdrives that you have formatted for FAT16.
    Richard
    http://davidson.smugmug.com
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    marlinspike wrote:
    A good tip, but one caveat, don't do this with any Microdrives that you have formatted for FAT16.
    Richard
    If the drive is big enough, don't the cameras format in FAT16? Maybe only some do?
    If not now, when?
  • ian408ian408 Administrators Posts: 21,938 moderator
    edited February 16, 2005
    I thought it was FAT32 for newer cameras. Regardless, formatting in
    camera should always yield a working card (assuming the card can be
    formatted). No?

    Ian
    Moderator Journeys/Sports/Big Picture :: Need some help with dgrin?
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    rutt wrote:
    If the drive is big enough, don't the cameras format in FAT16? Maybe only some do?
    No, if the drive is big enough the cameras format fat32 instead of fat 16 and they do it with a 4k cluster size.
    http://davidson.smugmug.com
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    ian408 wrote:
    I thought it was FAT32 for newer cameras. Regardless, formatting in
    camera should always yield a working card (assuming the card can be
    formatted). No?

    Ian
    Formatting in camera does yield a working card, but you'll lose all the speed you gain by formatting for 64k cluster on your computer.
    Richard
    http://davidson.smugmug.com
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    marlinspike wrote:
    No, if the drive is big enough the cameras format fat32 instead of fat 16 and they do it with a 4k cluster size.
    And is that bad? What should they do?
    If not now, when?
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    Yeah, it makes it way slower. If you have a microdrive, you should format it on a Win XP computer at FAT with default cluster size (64kb) and this makes write and read times much faster.
    Richard
    http://davidson.smugmug.com
  • lynnmalynnma Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 5,208 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    If you keep formatting your cf card.. do you lose anything over time...:cheer
    you know, like surface area or anything...:uhoh
    Well? just askin....1drink.gif
    website
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    lynnma wrote:
    If you keep formatting your cf card.. do you lose anything over time...:cheer
    you know, like surface area or anything...:uhoh
    Well? just askin....1drink.gif
    Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

    When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.

    With compact flash cards, the opposite is true. You can't really tell, but the card gets a little bit thinner every time you reformat it. If a card were to live for 50 years, it would eventually look like Twiggy.

    I hope that helps.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • DoctorItDoctorIt Administrators Posts: 11,951 moderator
    edited February 16, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

    When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.
    headscratch.gif i think i've been doing it all wrong...
    Erik
    moderator of: The Flea Market [ guidelines ]

  • KhaosKhaos Registered Users Posts: 2,435 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    Yes, it's like shaving, only opposite.

    When men shave, they add flesh to their faces. It's imperceptible. But by the time they reach middle age, a trained eye can easily detect extra amounts on meat hanging off of men's jowls.

    With compact flash cards, the opposite is true. You can't really tell, but the card gets a little bit thinner every time you reformat it. If a card were to live for 50 years, it would eventually look like Twiggy.

    I hope that helps.
    11doh.gif :bigbs 11doh.gif

    Laughing.gif

    Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    [QUOTE=

    Laughing.gif

    Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.[/QUOTE]

    ne_nau.gif .......headscratch.gifheadscratch.gif ...........................eek7.gif .................:cry ......1drink.gif .
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    ginger_55 wrote:

    Laughing.gif

    Flash cards will die eventually. The use electron displacement to create binary. An even number of electrons being 0 and an odd number representing 1. As with everything, over time, the electrons will eventually run out of energy and the card will no longer work.

    ne_nau.gif .......headscratch.gifheadscratch.gif ...........................eek7.gif .................:cry ......1drink.gif .
    I think he's saying there's no Viagra for Compact Flash cards. After a while, you can't excite the electrons anymore.
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • marlinspikemarlinspike Registered Users Posts: 2,095 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    wxwax wrote:
    I think he's saying there's no Viagra for Compact Flash cards. After a while, you can't excite the electrons anymore.
    Maybe you can't :tuesday :feelgood<
    me and my CF card
    http://davidson.smugmug.com
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited February 16, 2005
    marlinspike wrote:
    Maybe you can't :tuesday :feelgood<
    me and my CF card
    TMI! <img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/lol3.gif&quot; border="0" alt="" >
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
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