Is it necessary to format a CF card after every photo transfer?

[Malkav41]

Hi all,



Being as I am new to the DSLR world, I was wondering if it was necessary to format my CF card after I transfer the photos to my computer.



I downloaded some shots I took last night, and today I noticed that my D70s was showing [FOR] on the top LCD. When I pressed the playback button it stated that the card needed to be formatted.


So, I guess what I want to know is, do I need to format everytime I download photos as I stated at the beginning?



Thanks in advance,

Ed

[martolod]

yes and no.....

i will reformat my sd Cards once every 3 months or so just to tidy them up and give them a fresh slate as it were, but unless you are getting errors in your images or your capacity goes down, after every download i should really not need a reformat more than that.
on the other hand if you are security conscious, wipe them clean every time....

[jamesmck]

Did you actually remove the files from the card when transferring to your computer?  If so, and if this was done with the computer rather than with the camera itself, then the card should be reformatted by the camera.

[mdcarma]

Is it possible to over format an SD card?  I'm using a 4GB SDHC in my work camera that I format between inspections, 2-6 times a day, shoot 30-50 pictures, upload to a web site, format the card in the camera and go to the next inspection.   :confused:

[martolod]

Is it possible to over format an SD card?  I'm using a 4GB SDHC in my work camera that I format between inspections, 2-6 times a day, shoot 30-50 pictures, upload to a web site, format the card in the camera and go to the next inspection.   :confused:

i did read somewhere that reformatting constantly will lead to a reduced card lifespan.
but i cannot remember where i read it or if it was general advice so just treat that particular bit as anecdotal until confirmed.

[Graham Serretta]

Ed - I number all of my cards and dedicate them to a particular camera.  After I have download image files from the memory card to my PC, and only after I have then made backup copies, I always immediately format the card in the camera, (never in the PC), remove the card from the camera and replace it with the next sequentially numbered card from my card wallet.  This ensures that the card is "clean" and because the FAT (file allocation table) has no entries, the next files will be recorded from the camera un-fragmented and at the highest write speed possible.  This is important when shooting a burst of images.  It ensures that I never lose a shot by inserting an already full, or partially full card in the camera in the middle of a shoot.  It also ensures that each of my cards gets used in turn, so that if a card fails or becomes "bad", I get to know about it sooner rather than later.