Save your images from corruption
By Viktor Nagornyy
2 Aug 2008
The problem you face with film is light exposure, that will ruin everything. In digital world, you're facing a different enemy – corruption. Sometimes information gets corrupted on the storage cards, here are few tips on how to reduce the chances of file corruption and save your precious images.
1. Format, Format, and Format.
Formatting your storage card is very important - it keeps data from being corrupted. I, personally, instead of deleting images after transfer just format my card. I always format my cards before each shoot and whenever I change them. Formatting card tells camera how and where to put images on it. Formatting will save your life. Get in the habit of doing it frequently. Never use computer to format your cards, only camera can format it properly.
2. OFF is your friend.
This is very important, for it messes cards up quiet frequently. Turn your camera OFF completely before removing card. This will eliminate your images getting corrupted on the card. Especially if the camera is writing them to the card, DO NOT REMOVE CARD OR POWER DOWN your camera while the red light is blinking, it means it's writing information onto the card. It's like drunk driving, you might get a way with it once or twice but you will get caught.
3. Don't forget protection.
Keep it in a dry place, without direct sunlight exposure and in room temperature. I use ThinkTank's Pixel Pocket Rocket. It holds 10 cards, or more if you have SD instead of CF cards. It's very durable, lightweight, and keeps your cards secure. Keep them safe. Whenever not in use, put them away in Pixel Rocket or any other safe dry place.
4. Interchange
My personal recommendation is to never use the same card consecutively. After I upload everything, I format it with my camera then pull it out and stick new card in, and format it too. This simple step reduces stress on your card, and increases life expectancy.
Alright, I think that's enough. These are 4 tips for making your card last and be good to you. These are my personal steps, part of my workflow. I do them religiously. You should adopt these tips and make them part of your photo routine. Take a good care of your cards, and they will take a good care of you.
2 responses
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John Edwin May said (6 Aug 2009):
Repeatedly formating a card that is not full will do extensive damage over time! Your "card" is a magnetic recording device; the only way to "reduce stress" is not to use it.
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Viktor Nagornyy said (4 Nov 2009):
John,
It is a magnetic device, but formatting minimizes chances of corruption from any magnetic misalignments. Just like hotel card key gets demagnetized.
My 20D formats card with 12kb of information. If I leave it inside the camera for sometime blank you can notice it change to 16kb, for no reason. I try to format it right before the use, to make sure it is free and clear of anything that might corrupt my files.
I've done this for the past 2-3 years with the same cards... I shoot high volume, especially when traveling. Always get cards full. Not once did my cards get corrupted or "break".
Luck? Don't believe in it, I just follow my own advice and it works like a charm.
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