Memory cards.....

"CHRIS"

Senior Member
I think it's been a while since I asked a dumb question, so I'm due. I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on memory card usage.......or more to the point, recyclage (not a word, I guess) LOL Do most on here simply delete and repeat? I've heard memory cards are pretty darn durable. Do you think the image becomes degraded after a few repeats? Is is smarter to just purchase another when the initial card becomes "full"? or am I looking at this wrong? Thoughts? Thank you!
 

RocketCowboy

Senior Member
Like others have said, I'll reuse cards repeatedly, after reformatting in camera.

I'll usually store a card until I'm done processing images from an event/shoot, but once the final images have been delivered the card(s) goes back into rotation.
 

"CHRIS"

Senior Member
Thank you for your responses. I was wondering if the constant formatting would somehow affect image quality....but it sounds like not much. I would assume the card manufacturers would suggest purchasing a new card more frequently LOL
 

Moab Man

Senior Member
The reformatting properly clears the card and puts a fresh set of instructions on the card which helps to prevent corruption.
 

pendennis

Senior Member
The life of media storage that is used in modern computers has a pretty long use life, subject to error and improvements in media.

In the days when storage media actually spun in a drive, whether floppy, hard drive, etc., the chances of error increased over time, even when a low level format was used. Not every bit was salvaged and reset, because drive heads weren't perfect. They skipped, missed, etc., data on the medium. As the method has changed over to sold state storage, the possibility of error decreases.

That stated, resources are not 100% restored. As late as 2000, we could corrupt an Excel file in as little as seven copies from the original.

Before I retired, I was an IT infrastructure manager, and part of our task was to "break" PC's, storage media, etc. However, last year, I was unable to break an Excel file after 20 iterations on seven different meda (32gig thumb drives).

Progress, ain't it great!

But keep in mind, that the Magna Carta is still in existence, as are the Dead Sea Scrolls, and they can be read instantly by your eyes. The same can't be said of a deck of Hollerith cards from 1956, or a 12" tape reel from the same era.
 
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aroy

Senior Member
I think it's been a while since I asked a dumb question, so I'm due. I was wondering what everyone's thoughts are on memory card usage.......or more to the point, recyclage (not a word, I guess) LOL Do most on here simply delete and repeat? I've heard memory cards are pretty darn durable. Do you think the image becomes degraded after a few repeats? Is is smarter to just purchase another when the initial card becomes "full"? or am I looking at this wrong? Thoughts? Thank you!

1. Solid state devices do not deteriorate with use, nor with formatting, so they are fairly reliable.
2. The reason to format the card in camera is that the formatting cleans the directory entries and checks the card for errors.
3. The difference between formatting in camera and in a computer is that the camera will check and write exactly what it wants and in a form it can use and understand. A computer will also do the same, but from computer OS's point of view, which may not be compatible with camera software.
4. Unlike Analog data, Digital Data does not degrade. It is either there or not there. In case a bits of digital data are missing, if the data format had error correcting codes embedded (as is done in hard disks), then a lot of data can be recovered.
 
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