Computers and Technology: Taking Care of Memory Cards

Taking Care of Memory Cards

Besides our camera itself the memory card is the most important part of our equipment. In the old days of film cameras we kept our film as cool as possible, kept it out of direct sunlight and didn't spill coffee on it.

Imagine that you have just taken the best photos ever. Imagine the frustration and heartbreak when you come to download the photos when they can not be retrieved.

The loss of information is extremely heart breaking and may be avoided by taking proper care of you memory cards. Think of your memory cards as being very sensitive.

1. Format your card when you first use it in your camera.

2. Hold the card around the edges away from the contact points.

3. Don't bend or puncture the cards.

4. Keep your cards in the case provided or in the special holders that you can purchase. Keep your cards as dust free as possible and if necessary wipe them with a soft cloth.

5. Don't share cards with friends, or put them into other people's cameras or computers. This can cause a crash because the other camera may attempt to write a system, or file of unknown format to the card. Beware of viruses from unknown computers.

6. Download your images as soon as possible to your computer and remove the card. If you edit the pictures while the card is still in the computer, the computer constantly refers to the original information. This shortens the life of the card.

7. Wait until all the data has been written to the card in your camera before you remove the card. There is usually a red indicator on your screen.

8. Never edit your pictures directly on the card. This dramatically reduces the life of the card.

9. Always turn your camera off before removing or inserting your cards.

10. Delete single pictures in your camera, not in your computer.

11. Format your card in your camera every time after you have downloaded pictures to your computer. Deleting your pictures is not the same as re-formatting. The existence of previously deleted pictures contributes to card failure.

12. Battery failure whilst taking pictures can result in the corruption or loss of images on the card. It could even permanently damage the card. Watch your battery power while shooting. Start off with fully charged batteries.

13. Change memory cards while there's still room on the existing card. Overloading your card will result in lost data. There is almost nothing worse than "memory card full" during incredible action and you lose the shots in the buffer memory.

14. Rotate your cards and wear them evenly.

15. Be aware of strong magnetic sources. Walk through airport x-rays and scanners are safe but look out for the stronger x-ray equipment used for checked luggage. I usually take no chances. If I can't go through the x-ray machine, neither does my camera.

16. Avoid using the same card in multiple cameras. Format for each camera.

17. If memory card problem occurs, stop using the card immediately and don't reformat the card or delete pictures. Take the card to an expert if necessary. There is recovery software available.

18. Memory card life spans have increased significantly over the last few years. Be aware that they do have a limited lifespan and will need upgrading from time to time.

19. Carry A Spare You Never Use. Even if it is a small old slow card.

20. Only purchase high quality memory cards. Cheaper versions may not always be reliable and are more likely to fail.

Have a great day.