Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2015 2:17:46 GMT
A very useful article all about avoiding the loss of your digital photos. |
|
|
|
Post by Andy on Jun 25, 2015 23:30:11 GMT
Thanks for posting this Simone. This really is something everyone should read and follow!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2015 4:20:47 GMT
I had a quick perusal of the article and another useful tip to help keep memory cards "healthy", which I didn't see, is to reformat memory cards in camera (not on a computer) after you have backed up all the images.
Canon gives you the option of doing what it calls a 'low level format' which writes new/fresh system data to the card as well as deleting all the images on it. A normal format just rewrites/resets the system data (FAT) and maybe other things as well but doesn't actually delete any images. They are still there and might be recoverable with some recovery software. The low level format also checks to see if all the memory card is still readable/writeable. I'm not sure if the normal format checks readability/writeability.
Reformatting the card is much better than just deleting old images before a shoot because system files/data can sometimes become corrupt and symptoms might not appear until it is too late. Reformatting gives the card a fresh clean restart.
|
|
|
|
Post by Inspeqtor on Jun 26, 2015 8:15:29 GMT
I had a quick perusal of the article and another useful tip to help keep memory cards "healthy", which I didn't see, is to reformat memory cards in camera (not on a computer) after you have backed up all the images. Canon gives you the option of doing what it calls a 'low level format' which writes new/fresh system data to the card as well as deleting all the images on it. A normal format just rewrites/resets the system data (FAT) and maybe other things as well but doesn't actually delete any images. They are still there and might be recoverable with some recovery software. The low level format also checks to see if all the memory card is still readable/writeable. I'm not sure if the normal format checks readability/writeability. Reformatting the card is much better than just deleting old images before a shoot because system files/data can sometimes become corrupt and symptoms might not appear until it is too late. Reformatting gives the card a fresh clean restart. I never knew what the difference was in Canon bodies when selecting Format, then having the option of selecting or not selecting Low Level Format... not really knowing or understanding what the difference is in Canon's version of Format or Low Level Format. I have always NOT selected Low Level. I do not really understand what you are saying here either........ it sounds like you are saying Low Level does more than Format? |
|
|
|
Post by michelb on Jun 26, 2015 8:44:07 GMT
There is nothing specific to Canon about simple or 'low level' format.
It's an option of your operating system. The 'low level' format does physically 'wipe' each location of your media. The simple or normal format just updates the system database by marking all sectors as 'free' to write, without deleting them physically. That's much, much quicker. The result should be the same as 'deleting' all files. Note that there are utilities to recover 'deleted' files or simple formats. With a low level format, there is nothing to recover.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2015 10:40:38 GMT
I had a quick perusal of the article and another useful tip to help keep memory cards "healthy", which I didn't see, is to reformat memory cards in camera (not on a computer) after you have backed up all the images. Canon gives you the option of doing what it calls a 'low level format' which writes new/fresh system data to the card as well as deleting all the images on it. A normal format just rewrites/resets the system data (FAT) and maybe other things as well but doesn't actually delete any images. They are still there and might be recoverable with some recovery software. The low level format also checks to see if all the memory card is still readable/writeable. I'm not sure if the normal format checks readability/writeability. Reformatting the card is much better than just deleting old images before a shoot because system files/data can sometimes become corrupt and symptoms might not appear until it is too late. Reformatting gives the card a fresh clean restart. I never knew what the difference was in Canon bodies when selecting Format, then having the option of selecting or not selecting Low Level Format... not really knowing or understanding what the difference is in Canon's version of Format or Low Level Format. I have always NOT selected Low Level. I do not really understand what you are saying here either........ it sounds like you are saying Low Level does more than Format? I'll try and explain in more detail. The available space on the memory card is divided into sectors. Off the top of my head I don't know how many sectors are on a given sized card or how they are named. But for this explanation, let's assume there are 1000 sectors and they are named s1, s2, s3.......and so on. When your camera wants to transfer the data in the sensor (after a photo has been taken) to the memory card, it does so by writing the sensor data to 1 or more sectors on the card. For example, img1.jpg could be stored in sectors s1, s2, s3 and s4 depending on the size (MB) of img1.jpg. After you take another photo, img2.jpg could be stored in sectors s5, s6, s7 and s8. The memory card will have a file management system stored on it which keeps track of what files (images) are stored on the card and which sectors each file (image) is stored in for retrieval purposes. The file management system in its simplest form is a File Allocation Table (FAT). The FAT consequently also knows what sectors are still available for writing to when more photos are taken. Think of the FAT as an index of the data stored on the card in sectors. When you delete a photo/file on your camera via the appropriate menu, the physical image data is not deleted from the sectors it is stored in. Just the file's record in the FAT is altered to say the sectors the deleted file was stored in are now available again for writing over by a new photo when it is taken. When doing a normal (not low-level) format on a Canon, all you are doing is resetting the FAT records to show that all sectors on the card are available for writing over (by new images). You are not deleteing the actual image data (photo files). So if you lost or gave your card to someone else after doing just a normal format, that someone else could possibly retrieve your photos with appropriate recovery software. If you do a low-level format on a Canon, you are resetting the FAT as described above plus actually wiping clean each sector on the card so that the photos cannot be recovered. I hope this makes sense now  |
|
|
|
Post by kathylee on Jun 26, 2015 12:17:15 GMT
Lots of good and necessary information. Thank you. Some I was aware of, but it helps to be reminded about how important it is to back up our hard work!!!!! I have two external hard drives, but now I need to consider an off site storage. Thanks again for all the info.
|
|
|
|
Post by Sepiana on Jun 26, 2015 15:35:04 GMT
I never knew what the difference was in Canon bodies when selecting Format, then having the option of selecting or not selecting Low Level Format... not really knowing or understanding what the difference is in Canon's version of Format or Low Level Format. I have always NOT selected Low Level. Charles,
I noticed you have a Canon 60D. In a nutshell, this is what Canon says in page 49 of the Instruction Manual.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2015 22:39:19 GMT
For anyone just starting out in digital photography, the manual is a good basic set of instructions but doesn't give much detail.
It takes about 15 seconds to do a low-level format on my 32GB card. Therefore I can't think of a situation where I would need to do just a "quick" format and save maybe 5-10 seconds. Doing low-level formats on Canons is more likely to keep cards "healthy" longer and reduces the possibility of cards malfunctioning.
I have my format menu set with low-level format turned on by default.
|
|
Squirrel2014
Established Forum Member
Where's that cup of tea ... ???
Posts: 685 
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
|
Post by Squirrel2014 on Jun 26, 2015 23:13:44 GMT
fstop, thanks for the tips here. I've never formatted my camera card, or anything. It's blank just now so a good time to give it a low-level swish!!!  Thanks |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2015 5:38:10 GMT
fstop, thanks for the tips here. I've never formatted my camera card, or anything. It's blank just now so a good time to give it a low-level swish!!! Thanks no problem. I'd say it's way over due |
|
ChrisAnn
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 227
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
|
Post by ChrisAnn on Jun 27, 2015 11:47:06 GMT
Thanks for the explanation fstop - I'd never understood what low level format meant. I do now. I've always done a low level format so it looks like I've been doing good by luck.  |
|
|
|
Post by Inspeqtor on Jun 28, 2015 6:58:34 GMT
When doing a normal (not low-level) format on a Canon, all you are doing is resetting the FAT records to show that all sectors on the card are available for writing over (by new images). You are not deleteing the actual image data (photo files). So if you lost or gave your card to someone else after doing just a normal format, that someone else could possibly retrieve your photos with appropriate recovery software. If you do a low-level format on a Canon, you are resetting the FAT as described above plus actually wiping clean each sector on the card so that the photos cannot be recovered. I hope this makes sense now Thank you fstop! That really helps me |
|
|
|
Post by Inspeqtor on Jun 28, 2015 7:00:56 GMT
I never knew what the difference was in Canon bodies when selecting Format, then having the option of selecting or not selecting Low Level Format... not really knowing or understanding what the difference is in Canon's version of Format or Low Level Format. I have always NOT selected Low Level. Charles,
I noticed you have a Canon 60D. In a nutshell, this is what Canon says in page 49 of the Instruction Manual.
Sepiana, I thank you as well From what fstop said and what you are showing me I need to use the Low Level Format a lot more often, and perhaps always as fstop also does |
|
|
|
Post by BuckSkin on Jul 5, 2015 0:44:05 GMT
As dirt-cheap inexpensive as memory cards have become, even for low budget paupers such as myself, my wife and I never erase or reformat a memory card, we just have extra new ones on hand for when one becomes full and keep the full ones as another backup source. The only time we format a card is when it is put in the camera for the very first time. Ever since we got the two Canon DSLRs that we now have, we have used Transcend 16GB cards exclusively; we started with the premium blue ones and now use the upgraded black ones. We have never experienced any difficulties whatsoever with these cards. We create a new folder in-camera each time we begin a day of photography; and, if a day includes more than one event, we create a new folder for each one. It is not uncommon to have forty or fifty folders on a single memory card and this has never posed a problem. One thing I am adamant about is I copy all pictures taken on any given day into the computer by running them through my DIM(digital image mover) that renames, dates, numbers, and files them away. I then enter them into the organizer and add album tags and eartags. I do not delete the images from the card. I often have reason to work with various inlaws and outlaws memory cards and they always have every last image on the card all crammed into one single folder --- thousands of them. On top of this, they will switch the card between different types of cameras, so there will be as many different file prefixes. Plus, they will edit some of the images, add a letter to the end of the original file name and save it back into the card. It is no wonder that their cameras take forever between shots to quit flashing the "busy" warning and it also takes them forever at the Walmart photo center, trying to find little Juniors birthday pictures to print off for grannie. |
|
