is sd card format good for all canon cameras?

[wobbly4]

If a sd card is formatted in a powershot elph, do I need to do a reformat if I use same sd in a rebel 5ti?

[Skirball · Accepted solution]

The safe thing to do would be reformat.  "Safe", because then you know it's formated correctly, I doubt there's much risk, it's just one of those situations that theoretically there are minute differences and...  Who knows?  I'm sure that's what the instructions say to do.

Personally, I've swapped cards between my 450D, 6D, and multiple Elphs and Powershots on many occasions - as well as putting music files and whatnot from my computer - and I've never had an issue.  That said, if I was shooting an important event or traveling or something, I'd format "just to be safe".

[wobbly4 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the quick reply. Reformat I will...

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

---

@Skirball wrote:

The safe thing to do would be reformat.  "Safe", because then you know it's formated correctly, I doubt there's much risk, it's just one of those situations that theoretically there are minute differences and...  Who knows?  I'm sure that's what the instructions say to do.

Personally, I've swapped cards between my 450D, 6D, and multiple Elphs and Powershots on many occasions - as well as putting music files and whatnot from my computer - and I've never had an issue.  That said, if I was shooting an important event or traveling or something, I'd format "just to be safe".

---

I pretty much agree with everything Skirball said and would add one point. If you put a "used" card (CF orSD) into a different model of camera, the camera may create a new folder in which to place its pictures. This can be a source of confusion, because you may think you've lost the previously existing pictures. You haven't, but you have to realize what happened and know how to go looking for them. The cleanest workflow is to make sure that you've gotten what you want to save off of the card and then reformat it.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

SOP for pros is format before every event.  I still do that as it is now a habit.  You only lose pictures once or twice plus a client to learn the old once of prevention thought.  I have never lost a single digital photo but others may like to test their "luck".

[wobbly4 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the insight. I guess I'll need to "color-code" all my sd cards so I know which is witch...

[Skirball · Accepted solution]

The safe thing to do would be reformat.  "Safe", because then you know it's formated correctly, I doubt there's much risk, it's just one of those situations that theoretically there are minute differences and...  Who knows?  I'm sure that's what the instructions say to do.

Personally, I've swapped cards between my 450D, 6D, and multiple Elphs and Powershots on many occasions - as well as putting music files and whatnot from my computer - and I've never had an issue.  That said, if I was shooting an important event or traveling or something, I'd format "just to be safe".

[wobbly4 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the quick reply. Reformat I will...

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

---

@Skirball wrote:

The safe thing to do would be reformat.  "Safe", because then you know it's formated correctly, I doubt there's much risk, it's just one of those situations that theoretically there are minute differences and...  Who knows?  I'm sure that's what the instructions say to do.

Personally, I've swapped cards between my 450D, 6D, and multiple Elphs and Powershots on many occasions - as well as putting music files and whatnot from my computer - and I've never had an issue.  That said, if I was shooting an important event or traveling or something, I'd format "just to be safe".

---

I pretty much agree with everything Skirball said and would add one point. If you put a "used" card (CF orSD) into a different model of camera, the camera may create a new folder in which to place its pictures. This can be a source of confusion, because you may think you've lost the previously existing pictures. You haven't, but you have to realize what happened and know how to go looking for them. The cleanest workflow is to make sure that you've gotten what you want to save off of the card and then reformat it.

[wobbly4 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the insight. I guess I'll need to "color-code" all my sd cards so I know which is witch...

[RobertTheFat · Accepted solution]

---

@wobbly4 wrote:
Thanks for the insight. I guess I'll need to "color-code" all my sd cards so I know which is witch...

---

That statement implies that you're saving pictures on your cards between shoots or for some longer period. (If you were reformatting by default, why would you care "which is which"?) That's a reasonable thing to do until you've gotten your pictures onto a computer and backed up at least once. But it's not a good idea to use an SD card as your primary (or sole) storage medium. There are too many things that could go wrong. If your workflow requires you to keep image files on an SD card for more than a day or two, you should consider changing it.

[wobbly4]

I appreciate the advice, Robert. I have 3 cams and, yes, I leave the cards in them for a period. I don't have a workflow.

Photography is a sometime hobby, not a profession. I tend to use a set card for set cam, offloading pics to computer on

a random basis. It's just laziness on my part to forego the reformatting every time I yank a card, offload and reinsert into

the same cam. Pics get wiped from card in the process. I don't even look at the pics on the computer until I've got some

free time. Extreme bad example: I have a 1970 Konica TCx. last took pics with it around 2001. Been lugging that film cam

 with me for 14 years before handing it over to a pro shop for processing. AND all the pix came out!  Back then a roll of film would remain in the cam until I could save up enough to process it.  Digital is so much easier and cheaper - but it won't cure

procrastination. Thanks for allowing me  to bend your digital ear.

[ebiggs1 · Accepted solution]

SOP for pros is format before every event.  I still do that as it is now a habit.  You only lose pictures once or twice plus a client to learn the old once of prevention thought.  I have never lost a single digital photo but others may like to test their "luck".

[wobbly4]

Your reply is most welcome. I only lose photos if I never take them.