Memory Cards

Today's high capacity memory cards can hold images from multiple locations, events or even days of travel. Once you press the shutter button on your digital camera,  the memory card becomes a very important part of your workflow.  Its responsible for collecting the RAW data files coming from the camera sensor and transporting them until you get back to your computer for backup and post processing. The memory card technology seems to jump every 6 months in capcity and speed.
When you have hundreds of images being stored the last thing you want to have happen to them is corrupt card. Here are some tips for bringing your files home in one piece.

 1 – Only use good quality memory cards
There are only a handful world wide manufactures of memory cards that produce everything from no-name to highend brands. I would avoid purchasing your main set of memory cards from check out lines at grocery stores or the local drug store. They are often very overpriced for the quality, capacity and speed the cards offer. If you have never heard of the manufaturer I would stay away from it.
I use and can recommend Sandisk Extreme Cards. They have been making and pushing new developments in memory technology and they have never let me down.

2 – Don’t use the same card on multiple cameras
You might own one or more digital cameras, video recorders or device that uses similar memory cards. At a glance it would seem a good idea to have multiple devices using the same type of memory card to save on cost and space in your gear bag.
The issues with card errors start when you take one memory card and switch to another device prior to to backing up the files and formatting the memory card. Electronic devices upload certain system files and content onto memory cards that might conflict with other devices. Its best to either have completely separate cards for each device or make sure you are formatting prior to start shooting


3 – Format memory card in camera when you insert it
New in box memory cards might say “pre-formatted,” it’s still a good idea to format them again with your own camera. When you grab a memory card check to see if there are any old files still on the card. Sometimes there might be older files on them that you might still want. If the card is empty reformat it in camera again so you are ready to shoot.

4 – Always leave a few extra shots on your memory card
Most digital cameras will display a maximum number of shots available. These numbers will change depending upon the quality you have selected such as RAW and JPEG and if you have shot video. 
Leaving 10 shots available on the card seems to prevent buffering errors in many cases.

5 – Turn off your camera before removing the memory card

Although this may seem like a no-brainer, there’s already been a few times where I almost forgot to turn off the camera before removing the memory card (hope that doesn’t mean I don’t have a brain, hehe). If you yank out the card with the camera on, there’s a chance you may remove it when the camera is reading/writing to it, which could potentially damage files on the card.

4 – Always “eject” your memory card from the computer
When you’re done transferring your photos to your computer, make sure to “eject” them properly and don’t just yank it out of the reader (or yank out the USB cable). On Windows XP, there should be an icon in the lower right corner of your screen for safely removing USB media, and on Macs you can just use the eject button on your keyboard. This is important because although you may think the computer is no longer reading/writing to the card, it may still be accessing it for some reason. Ejecting it will tell the computer to stop communicating with it, so you can take it out safely.

5 – Format your memory card, instead of deleting all photos
Formatting your memory cards is sort of like resetting them, and making them “fresh” again. It will help correct any disk errors that may have occurred during your last shoot.

6 – Store your cards in a safe place
It’s important to protect the contacts on your memory cards, because the smallest piece of dust can cause reading/writing problems and ultimately loss of photos. To protect them, always store them in the case they came with (or get some if they didn’t come with a case), and don’t leave them lying around on your desk.



8 – Use a good quality card reader
Although the reader merely reads the memory card, there’s still a chance it can damage the card. That’s why it’s important to always use a good quality reader. The best thing to do is use a reader made by the same manufacturer as the cards you use.

9 – Don’t push your batteries to the limit
If you push your batteries to the limit and wait until they completely run out of energy, then there’s a chance they’ll run out at the exact moment your camera is writing to your memory card (which could cause data loss). To avoid this possibility, put in a fresh battery as soon as your camera indicates the current one is low.