Robin - I like your tips! As I see at least one other response mentioned, I have heard that you should ALWAYS format and not erase. I had been following that regimen with good results, but what you say makes sense. I REALLY like the idea of the contact information. You could still do that while formatting every time, it would just be a little extra work taking the card back to the computer each time to copy the contact file. I thought I would take it a step further though. Your contact information is only visible if you open the card on a computer - you won't see it by reviewing images on the camera. I took an image, added the contact information, displayed it on my computer screen, and photographed it with the camera. You could also print out on paper and photograph that, I just didn't want to waste the paper. (Note, when photographing a computer screen it generally works best to use a slow shutter speed and use the mechanical shutter to avoid wierd artifacts on the image). I protected that image so it won't be erased when performing an "erase all." Now that will always be the #1 image on my cameras. So if someone finds my camera and switches on and looks at the images, they will find my contact information. What do you think?
Hi Robin, Great tips! I have one issue and that's with the last one you mention. As an instructor, instead of leaving the card slot door open (it's often shared with the battery), I advise that users keep the door closed. Doing so prevents one of the most common damage events - breaking the door at its hinge. Go on any used camera sales forum and you'll read over and over again that the camera is in great shape except for the battery/card slot door is broken. Keeping the door closed places it in its least vulnerable position. To assure you have a battery and card in the camera during a shoot, I advise and my practice is to shoot a shot or two and review the images before packing the camera. Because of this habit, in my near 20 years of shooting digitally, I've never forgotten a battery or card.
Robin, I stumbled across your video on SD cards. Great info, but your smile and enthusiasm kept me watching until the end. Thank you. I had two options for my career: stay and run the family photography business or go to medical school. I finally gave away all my cameras and now only use my iPhone for family photos. You can guess which option I took. The photo business was fun but not something I would have enjoyed for a life time. In 44 years of medicine I never worked a day in my life. I can see by your smile you love what you do. Keep it up. Dave
I was stunned when I first used a UHS-II card in my E-M1 Mark II. Like you show, it clears the buffer almost instantly! It's like getting a new camera when you replace slow cards.
Do note that the camera itself has a UHS-I interface. The UHS-II interface will help you read/transfer faster out of the card when using a UHS-II reader. For writing from camera, UHS-I and UHS-II don't matter much as long as you use a Class-3 card. Also, the camera write speed maxes out at around 30 Mbps.
One other important thing that I discovered: Set the write protect tab on the memory card to ON if you are putting it into a computer directly to download the pictures. On occasions, if I haven't done this, I have got a Card Error when it is put back into the camera - and you can't continue to use it once that happens. The Olympus cameras (OMD EM10 ii) seem much less tolerant of other types of file on the card. I noticed that my Canon EOS 1200D is m7ch more tolerant and will display some image files taken elsewhere as small pictures without generating card error messages.
Greetings from the USA! When I go on vacation (esp Europe) I would back up the SD cards on a thumb drive and/or SSD drive. I would not format or all erase those cards, but put them in a separate place. Compared with buying film, the SD cards are not that expensive. Also, I used to use 8 and 16GB cards and have them for the different places I would visit. Now the sweet spot of pricing is more like 64GB and I can get most of my trip on that. So at the end of my day in one town, but before I left for another, I would put it into the computer and have a file named for the town and save them. I would also take a picture of something (hat/guidebook/camera bag) as a separator for the towns. If I'm just going around my home area, I have no problem with reformatting/erasing the cards, once I have taken off the good photos.
I have a few more tips. One is write the date and the camera name on the SD Card. If you have more than one camera, especially different sensor size or make, it would not be good to mix cards.
I ALWAYS!!!! format my cards after EVERY time I remove the card to download the image to my computer. The first picture I take after formatting the card is of my business card and it has my contact info. By formatting the card to reset the FAT (File Allocation Table) and files (images) are written with better accuracy. 6:58 - I don't understand the logic behind not using a hard-case to hold the cards. I have a soft plastic sleeve where I place the cards into (just like we used to do with CDs). Those tiny plastic sleeves are placed in a rigid hard metallic case to protect the cards from damage when I travel. I absolutely agree about having a spare card somewhere accessible that is not your camera bag... Overall, good video and practical suggestions. Thank you.
I think the logic behind the case argument is cases that are hard from the inside, so not padded. These could in theory indeed put pressure on your SD when you sit on them or put any weight on them in general, but any half-decent case won't have this problem.
Thanks Robin for another useful video! I haven't had any problems (yet) using Sony UHS II cards in my Olympus cameras. I appreciate all the work that goes into providing good information backed up by your own experience!
If you get Card Error on your Olympus camera with a card that you have just taken out of the computer, the error message comes up straightaway and there's not much you can do in camera. Try putting it back in the computer and deleting the last few photos or any photo on the card that you may have inadvertently edited in the computer. I think sometimes the computer alters the files or puts a temporary file on the card that the camera doesn't like. This is why I always set the card to WRITE PROTECT if I put it in the computer or into a card reader - or into a photo printing machine. Usually, to print, I would copy relevant photos to one or two memory sticks inatead of taking the SD card.
SanDisk are pretty robust, I inadvertently washed one in the pocket of my jeans. It survived without harm. I have had 'cheap' cards corrupt but not high quality ones. Formatting does fix file and segment errors; format in camera only. The maximum write speed of the card should exceed the capability of the camera. Some of our M4/3 will slow down when shooting burst mode, I got bored with the GH4 after about a minute, it wasn't slowing down; that does need a fast card. The G7 has a burst mode that shoots video and you select the best one(s); that needs a fast card too. The E-M5ii is pretty quick too (I'm not a Panny-holic). A large capacity card will probably allow you to shoot all day without swapping over. Thousands of stills and several hours of video.
Good tips! The text file is a good idea. When I go on trips what I do is format my main cards, take a selfie and a pic of a bit of paper with my contact details and write protect the files. Then use erase all to clear the cards. More chance that anyone finding the lost cam will return asap as they can find my details on the camera screen. I also have some cheapo 64Gb cards I put in the second slot and use the camera to backup the fast cards to 2 other cards when I go to dinner for the times I don’t have a laptop and don’t have enough fast cards. You cannot have too many cards though!
@@iak706 On big trips, I set my camera to write to both slots at the same time. Then I've got a backup card in case one fails on me before I can get them saved to my PC.
Great tips Robin, but avoid touching the gold contacts as you will contaminate them with sweat and grease from fingers and will be transferred to the contacts inside the camera reducing reliability
Here's another one: if your camera has a "shoot without card" option, turn it off. If you're rushed it's way too easy to do a whole shoot with no card if this option is left on.
Well done, useful tipps like the memory card door open. Or address file on the card. Until now i always formatted my card - will chage to erase all... Thank you
RE: Tip #7: This is a great one! I also do this when charging the battery; I leave the battery door open so I don't accidentally grab the camera without battery loaded.
Format and erase do two different things but the files are still there in both cases. When you erase it takes out the first letter in the file directory. Therefore the file directory won't list anything without the first letter. When your formatting it resets the file management system. But all the files are still there. in fact on a formatted drive when you do a recovery not only will you recover the current stuff you're working on unless it's was overwritten but any file regardless of age that hasn't been overwritten.
I usually format my cards right after I import the images to my computer. Just the other day, I upgraded my EM1 MII to the latest firmware, took a few pics of my son without formatting the cards and after trying to preview the images, I got an error message on the screen. I realized I still had some older pics and videos I took prior to upgrading the firmware and forgot to format the cards. As soon as I formatted them, I took a few more pics and had no errors. Point is, I ways format my cards prior to any shooting on a normal basis in hopes to prevent any issues.
When an SD card is formatted the data is not destroyed it is the File System that is deleted. This means the data is lost but can be found and restored with special software unless it Is overwritten by subsequent photographs. Thank you for your video.
That may depend on if you get the option of a “low level” format. A quick format will just clear the FAT. A deep format will clear everything and reset the card’s configuration. Deep formatting puts more “wear” on the card as it invokes more read/write cycles which is what eventually wears out the card. If you only have the option to format and it takes several seconds, it may be a deep format.
I had 2 OM1s, great cameras in the day. Large viewfinders, quiet, small and light. They lasted over 20 years then I sold them. We did not have to upgrade ever 4 years or so. Still not sure if I am saving money now compared to the film days.
Good tips, Robin. But I've read elsewhere that said SD cards are "nearly indestructible" (retrieved from rivers, went through the washer, etc). And can you elaborate on your warning about cases that are "too hard"? Not sure how that can damage the card.
I tend to keep my photos on a full SD card and use a new, empty one. This keeps a backup of your photos on the card in case your computer dosk goes down - but can be expensive if you shoot high resolution video! However, I don't. A 64Gb SD card takes 5068 x 16Mp images on an OMD EM10 Mark ii in Large super fine LSF mode.
Good tips. I never thougt of putting my contact info on an SD. Where I vary from the info in the video is I just get a micro XDSC with a minimum 128G storage capacity. It's more than I'll ever use so I don't have to dump as often. Also, the video capabilities on DSLR and MILC cameras is fantastic, but still limited, so I use a dedicated video camera if I know I'm going to be shooting video at length. Since the cards are staying with one device, formatting is unnecessary after the initial insert and smaller items like card wallets become a non-factor as the card is never out of the camera in the field.
Since fast SD cards are so cheap I only use them once and store them. That way I don't need to worry about formatting or deleting. If you have a high failure rate of SD cards it's probably because either you're using cheap cards or you are wearing out the cards. Yes, you can only write to SD cards so many times. When it come to storing your SD cards, a hard case is best and keeping them in your wallet regardless if it has a spot goes against tip #5.
I just sent you some do-re-mi Robin. Your tips have saved my bacon with lost images. I was able to recover some lost RAW files from my SD card because I didn'r format my card.
Robin, thanks for the great tip about identifying SD cards in case they are lost. I took the idea a few steps further. I created a folder, and put it in the root directory of all of my cards as well as every USB stick (thumb drives). So that anyone who loads the drive will recognize the folder contains "Lost & Found" information, I named it "CONTACT_INFO_IF_FOUND_NAME_ADDRESS_PHONE." (Of course, it could be named "Lost & Found," or a kazillion other possibilities.). Initially, my file was in a .txt format. However, having recently run into people who could not open PDFs, I decided to put the identical information in a PDF, Microsoft Word .docx format and Word Perfect .wpd formats. I believe anyone who WANTS to see my data drives get back to their rightful owner will be able to access one or more of these formats. I thank you for the original idea and hope you like my additions. Thanks for a GREAT channel!
If putting the camera's card into a computer or any other machine, I write protect the card. If you forget, don't start picture editing until you have removed the card. I think I have in the past perhaps occasionally edited the photos on the card rather than the ones I downloaded into the computer since you have two identical sets of pictures once you have downloaded them. If that happens you will likely get card errors if you put it back into the camera. I like to have the SD card out of the camera for the minimum amount of time.
Never erase your card in camera, always FORMAT your card. Anyone who knows about data recovery and how easy it is to get bad sectors on a memory card will tell you this. Every time a card is put into my cameras they are formatted - period. Also I never erase single images in camera. Once on the computer I will delete them. Bad sectors and corrupt cards happen much more frequently toy if you do not use proper card management.
Quick question, when you fill up the storage completed on a card, do you buy a new one? Or if you erase the pictures on the SD card and reuse it, how do? Putting the SD card into the computer? Or does formatting the SD card delete all the files? I’m a newbie to SD cards any help would be appreciated
I only erase images and videos on the computer after I transfer files. In 8 years of constant usage and youtubing I've never formatted a card. Never had a card fail or become corrupt. I talk with tons of people that always have cards fail. They all format. Coincidence? I think not
Every data expert on the planet says what you are doing is exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. Remember, Russian Roulette is a really fun game…until it suddenly isn’t. Go ahead and do what you want. However when every expert advises not to do what you are doing, I’m gonna go with the experts vs one guy’s luck.
I use 2x 128 Gbyte cards. Safest place to keep them, in camera. Best protection, won't be left behind. I leave battery door open when there's no battery inside.
use quick format if you have this option. it will only initilize the root directory and reduces the write cycle compared to the full format or file erasing
Very handy tips, Robin. However, I format my cards every time before shooting. I want to make sure I have a clean start every time and don't have to remember, if the card was in another camera before. I don't believe there are any downsides to formatting the card instead of just erasing. I'm also sure you have your reasons to do what you do and you have enough experience to say what works and what not. So, no absolute right or wrong here either, as in photography in general.
Formatting the card also resets the image counter, so that was not originally intended by the camera companies. Fragmentation happens when we use the same card in multiple devices, then formatting is the best option to optimize the card before use.
Each of your videos brings me something new: very useful tips, Robin! Thankyou. Please can you give me the brand and type name of that tiny red cardholder you're using? [btw 08:50: I noticed quite a bit of dust and dirt inside the card chamber of your camera...] Kind regards, PeterK
Thanks for the tips Robin. I once did a photoshoot with some friends when I suddenly got the message that the memory card was full after just a couple of shots. I came to the conclusion that the last time I had copied my photos from the card, I deleted the original images from the card on my computer. Somehow it seems that the images where in the recycle bin on the sd card, which I could only empty on my computer...🤔
I prefer 4 x 8 GB cards over 1 x 32 GB. Once a card is nearly full I can take it out and hide it in my car, away from the camera. My camera bag is an old and dirty one without any markings. Inside I keep a card with my contact details. After formatting a card I take a low-res jpg picture of it. When there is no other data on a card formatting is the preferred option as it ensures that all images are written consecutively. For the same reason, it is better not to deleted images on the camera. It causes 'holes' in the memory layout that are later partly filled with new images. It just makes recovery harder.
I wondered what the reason was in terms of erasing individual pics or small groups of them. I guess it's like havng a fragmented hard disk and I would also guess that if the operating system is looking for those few empty slots, it might slow down the writing of files by the camera...?
Yes I don't ever go over a 64Gb. If I never shot video I would probably max at 32. I don't know if I could even find an 8Gb now though. Maybe a 16. I would guess the larger the capacity the smaller (tinier) the devices on the card, so a lower capacity card might have larger and potentially more robust individual devices for the memory - or it might just have a lot of empty space.
Deleting images of video is so tempting to squeeze that last bit of juice out of a card! Bad habits die hard. Along with wastefully filling the start of a new empty card. It's like getting a new, fresh exercise book at school. You want to use it.
My eyes are to bad to do any serious photography but, i will say these are all excellent tips. I thinking of doing some action videos of my bike rides an these goods should apply they as well. Glad I watched.
Nicely done. A few additional thoughts: 1. Rather than pull the USB card out, use the USB interface on the camera to connect to the computer, or iDevice. No worries about losing, damaging, forgetting, etc. For computers that no longer have a SD card reader, its one less thing you need to worry about. Now that Olympus and many computers are using USB-C you may already have the cable in your kit. There is one concern though you are putting stress on the USB connector for the camera when you use it and the door isn't as easy to operate as the SD card door. 2. I have a pair of 64 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro in my camera, the same ones you use. I've found that even on big trips, one card is enough to hold all my images, and I can set it to write to both cards. For less critical stuff I set it to write to only one with the second card as secondary. Should the primary card die, the second card is already in place ready to go. No card wallets needed. Of course I backup to my computer just in case. 3. Cards have a life expectancy. When I hear of people complaining about failed cards its not unusual that the reason is because they've had it for a very long time. When I upgrade my camera, I upgrade my cards. This also serves another purpose, usually when the camera is upgraded, it can use faster cards.
The problem is that many cameras don't have a USB 3.0 connector, just a 2.0 Connection so it's a slower transfer speeds and Windows computers don't recognize files larger than 4Gb with camera connected directly to computer. I prefer to use card readers.
@@IDIturboDiesel Interesting, I've never seen that problem. I've been using larger than 4 GB storage for a long time, even before USB 3 and never saw that problem.
Tip# 7...I am a victim of going out to make videos only to find that my camera flashes (No SD card!!!). Then I remember that the card is still in my computer. Good advice.
I have a rule that covers this better - don't leave it empty. I never take a card out without a replacement card to put straight in. I've got stuck twice too many times!
I just write my e-mail address on the label. Should be enough and i can format w/o worrying. Also I never swap cards from one camera to the other and a format is better than erasing all. The format only places a new table of contents and root directory but doesn’t wipe the card: the files’ contents are basically still on the card, just the allocators are gone. There exists unformat tools that might be able to restore files afterwards - no guarantees though, especially when files have been deleted earlier on.
I've never seen the SD Cards with two rows of contacts. Have you got to have a special reader or are they part of the SD standard but just not used that often? Very interesting!
@@TheNok610 Cool. Assume they are backwards compatible with standard cards but obviously need compatible hardware for them to be worth buying... But still cool.
@@vinade2100 even if my camera did support it I don't do burst shooting or 4K (or indeed, don't do much video in general) so still wouldn't be worth it for me.
Interesting idea of writing a text file, but I just put my name & email address in the camera's copyright info field, so that's automatically written to every single photo.
I have been stuck with no card in my camera too often. Rather than leave the door open I have a rule to only take a card out if I have a replacement card ready to go straight in. This way I never leave it empty.
Hey there Robin.. Well, it appears I have confused setting up personal info, and setting up copyright info? Copyright being in the camera's memory, and personal being on the card itself? How/where do I go to set up personal info on the cards? Thanks again for all your help with all things Olympus m43!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
if you just delete photo's, then the directory, is still on the card, eventually, you will notice a lower memory capacity. formatting removes everything from the card, so it is like starting with a new card
Since memory cards are now affordable you can fill up the card and use a new one instead of reusing it. This way you have archived your original images in the card in case something happens to your images in your computer such as a crash. Sometimes when taking your memory card in and out of the camera often you'll have a chance of ruining your card and it'll become useless. Connect the camera directly to the computer with a cable and download your images but make sure you have enough battery power to do so.
Archive your images on a memory card??? Good luck with that! Data on a memory card is stored using an electrical charge. Just like a battery, that charge naturally dissipates over time. Once that charge has gone, so has all your data. Put a memory card in a drawer and less than 8 years later its contents will have vanished.
I have more than one SD Card. I always put an empty SD card in the camera when I remove the one with pictures. That way there is always an SD card in the camera.
Card corruption! I have found that I had several PNY cards that got corrupted, so I stopped using them years ago. This was in a camxorder but I didn'thave problems with other cards usually. I use Sandisk mostly but have a couple of Lexars.
Another trick Rule of a second: remove the card earliest 1 second or even later after switching off the camera or ejecting from computer to prevent data corruption. Never had any issues with my memory cards since doing so.
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Robin - I like your tips! As I see at least one other response mentioned, I have heard that you should ALWAYS format and not erase. I had been following that regimen with good results, but what you say makes sense. I REALLY like the idea of the contact information. You could still do that while formatting every time, it would just be a little extra work taking the card back to the computer each time to copy the contact file.
I thought I would take it a step further though. Your contact information is only visible if you open the card on a computer - you won't see it by reviewing images on the camera. I took an image, added the contact information, displayed it on my computer screen, and photographed it with the camera. You could also print out on paper and photograph that, I just didn't want to waste the paper. (Note, when photographing a computer screen it generally works best to use a slow shutter speed and use the mechanical shutter to avoid wierd artifacts on the image). I protected that image so it won't be erased when performing an "erase all." Now that will always be the #1 image on my cameras. So if someone finds my camera and switches on and looks at the images, they will find my contact information. What do you think?
Interesting Robin. Never thought of the txt file with contact. Thanks for sharing 👌
Hi Robin, Great tips! I have one issue and that's with the last one you mention. As an instructor, instead of leaving the card slot door open (it's often shared with the battery), I advise that users keep the door closed. Doing so prevents one of the most common damage events - breaking the door at its hinge. Go on any used camera sales forum and you'll read over and over again that the camera is in great shape except for the battery/card slot door is broken. Keeping the door closed places it in its least vulnerable position. To assure you have a battery and card in the camera during a shoot, I advise and my practice is to shoot a shot or two and review the images before packing the camera. Because of this habit, in my near 20 years of shooting digitally, I've never forgotten a battery or card.
Robin,
I stumbled across your video on SD cards. Great info, but your smile and enthusiasm kept me watching until the end. Thank you.
I had two options for my career: stay and run the family photography business or go to medical school. I finally gave away all my cameras and now only use my iPhone for family photos. You can guess which option I took. The photo business was fun but not something I would have enjoyed for a life time. In 44 years of medicine I never worked a day in my life. I can see by your smile you love what you do. Keep it up.
Dave
I was stunned when I first used a UHS-II card in my E-M1 Mark II. Like you show, it clears the buffer almost instantly! It's like getting a new camera when you replace slow cards.
Do note that the camera itself has a UHS-I interface. The UHS-II interface will help you read/transfer faster out of the card when using a UHS-II reader. For writing from camera, UHS-I and UHS-II don't matter much as long as you use a Class-3 card. Also, the camera write speed maxes out at around 30 Mbps.
Bravo pour le sourire et la bonne humeur. Je ne parle pas anglais, mais de voir ton enthousiasme est très positif!
Robin, I love your passion and I didnt even think about tip 4. Great idea! be safe and always wear a camera
thanks for the tip, never thought about leaving a document inside the sd card
Davide Cassarino s
please continue to make this type of vidéo, short, clear and usefull.
thank's Robin
One other important thing that I discovered: Set the write protect tab on the memory card to ON if you are putting it into a computer directly to download the pictures. On occasions, if I haven't done this, I have got a Card Error when it is put back into the camera - and you can't continue to use it once that happens. The Olympus cameras (OMD EM10 ii) seem much less tolerant of other types of file on the card. I noticed that my Canon EOS 1200D is m7ch more tolerant and will display some image files taken elsewhere as small pictures without generating card error messages.
Cool speed test! Thanks Robin!
Greetings from the USA! When I go on vacation (esp Europe) I would back up the SD cards on a thumb drive and/or SSD drive. I would not format or all erase those cards, but put them in a separate place. Compared with buying film, the SD cards are not that expensive. Also, I used to use 8 and 16GB cards and have them for the different places I would visit. Now the sweet spot of pricing is more like 64GB and I can get most of my trip on that. So at the end of my day in one town, but before I left for another, I would put it into the computer and have a file named for the town and save them. I would also take a picture of something (hat/guidebook/camera bag) as a separator for the towns. If I'm just going around my home area, I have no problem with reformatting/erasing the cards, once I have taken off the good photos.
I have a few more tips. One is write the date and the camera name on the SD Card. If you have more than one camera, especially different sensor size or make, it would not be good to mix cards.
I like the last tip. I use it as well. So easy and so understated.
I ALWAYS!!!! format my cards after EVERY time I remove the card to download the image to my computer. The first picture I take after formatting the card is of my business card and it has my contact info. By formatting the card to reset the FAT (File Allocation Table) and files (images) are written with better accuracy.
6:58 - I don't understand the logic behind not using a hard-case to hold the cards. I have a soft plastic sleeve where I place the cards into (just like we used to do with CDs). Those tiny plastic sleeves are placed in a rigid hard metallic case to protect the cards from damage when I travel.
I absolutely agree about having a spare card somewhere accessible that is not your camera bag...
Overall, good video and practical suggestions. Thank you.
I think the logic behind the case argument is cases that are hard from the inside, so not padded. These could in theory indeed put pressure on your SD when you sit on them or put any weight on them in general, but any half-decent case won't have this problem.
Agree. Back pockets are for decoration, from my point of view. Never place anything in back pockets!
Thanks Robin for another useful video! I haven't had any problems (yet) using Sony UHS II cards in my Olympus cameras. I appreciate all the work that goes into providing good information backed up by your own experience!
If you get Card Error on your Olympus camera with a card that you have just taken out of the computer, the error message comes up straightaway and there's not much you can do in camera. Try putting it back in the computer and deleting the last few photos or any photo on the card that you may have inadvertently edited in the computer. I think sometimes the computer alters the files or puts a temporary file on the card that the camera doesn't like. This is why I always set the card to WRITE PROTECT if I put it in the computer or into a card reader - or into a photo printing machine. Usually, to print, I would copy relevant photos to one or two memory sticks inatead of taking the SD card.
SanDisk are pretty robust, I inadvertently washed one in the pocket of my jeans. It survived without harm.
I have had 'cheap' cards corrupt but not high quality ones. Formatting does fix file and segment errors; format in camera only.
The maximum write speed of the card should exceed the capability of the camera. Some of our M4/3 will slow down when shooting burst mode, I got bored with the GH4 after about a minute, it wasn't slowing down; that does need a fast card. The G7 has a burst mode that shoots video and you select the best one(s); that needs a fast card too. The E-M5ii is pretty quick too (I'm not a Panny-holic).
A large capacity card will probably allow you to shoot all day without swapping over. Thousands of stills and several hours of video.
Good tips! The text file is a good idea. When I go on trips what I do is format my main cards, take a selfie and a pic of a bit of paper with my contact details and write protect the files. Then use erase all to clear the cards. More chance that anyone finding the lost cam will return asap as they can find my details on the camera screen. I also have some cheapo 64Gb cards I put in the second slot and use the camera to backup the fast cards to 2 other cards when I go to dinner for the times I don’t have a laptop and don’t have enough fast cards. You cannot have too many cards though!
After alk this time I did not know the "copy all" feature was in the menu. Now i will use my 2nd slot again for backup. Thank you
@@iak706 On big trips, I set my camera to write to both slots at the same time. Then I've got a backup card in case one fails on me before I can get them saved to my PC.
Great tips Robin, but avoid touching the gold contacts as you will contaminate them with sweat and grease from fingers and will be transferred to the contacts inside the camera reducing reliability
Good point. Plus, don't eat salty foods like potato crisps or chips while handling your SD cards. Or changing lenses! 🤣👍
Here's another one: if your camera has a "shoot without card" option, turn it off.
If you're rushed it's way too easy to do a whole shoot with no card if this option is left on.
Scott Paris I did this on a job (ONCE!) luckily I realised halfway through...
Yes, I did find this useful! And I need a new wallet, BTW, so it makes good sense to find one with an SD card slot in it. Good call!
Well done, useful tipps like the memory card door open. Or address file on the card. Until now i always formatted my card - will chage to erase all...
Thank you
RE: Tip #7: This is a great one! I also do this when charging the battery; I leave the battery door open so I don't accidentally grab the camera without battery loaded.
Format and erase do two different things but the files are still there in both cases. When you erase it takes out the first letter in the file directory. Therefore the file directory won't list anything without the first letter. When your formatting it resets the file management system. But all the files are still there. in fact on a formatted drive when you do a recovery not only will you recover the current stuff you're working on unless it's was overwritten but any file regardless of age that hasn't been overwritten.
I’m a novice at this and really appreciate your video and advice 👍🏻
Many thanks,Robin.you've made me reassess my lax routines with my Cards.Great and essential info.Some good responses in the comments as well.
Thank you, very helpful!🤠
great tips! thank you.
Great tips! Thanks!
I usually format my cards right after I import the images to my computer. Just the other day, I upgraded my EM1 MII to the latest firmware, took a few pics of my son without formatting the cards and after trying to preview the images, I got an error message on the screen. I realized I still had some older pics and videos I took prior to upgrading the firmware and forgot to format the cards. As soon as I formatted them, I took a few more pics and had no errors. Point is, I ways format my cards prior to any shooting on a normal basis in hopes to prevent any issues.
When an SD card is formatted the data is not destroyed it is the File System that is deleted. This means the data is lost but can be found and restored with special software unless it Is overwritten by subsequent photographs. Thank you for your video.
That depends on the type off format you select. On Canon DSLR you can select a Low level format. That writes (and test) every part fo the SD card.
That may depend on if you get the option of a “low level” format. A quick format will just clear the FAT. A deep format will clear everything and reset the card’s configuration. Deep formatting puts more “wear” on the card as it invokes more read/write cycles which is what eventually wears out the card. If you only have the option to format and it takes several seconds, it may be a deep format.
Amazing tips foreal! Appreciate it
I love the looks of this camera. I'm from the period of the OM1, Om2 etc and the Om10, 20 etc. Wonderfull camera's.
I had 2 OM1s, great cameras in the day. Large viewfinders, quiet, small and light. They lasted over 20 years then I sold them. We did not have to upgrade ever 4 years or so. Still not sure if I am saving money now compared to the film days.
Good tips, Robin. But I've read elsewhere that said SD cards are "nearly indestructible" (retrieved from rivers, went through the washer, etc). And can you elaborate on your warning about cases that are "too hard"? Not sure how that can damage the card.
Very good tips. Maybe some more info about the numerical codes on the cards would have been helpful. Thanks for yet another great video Robin.
I tend to keep my photos on a full SD card and use a new, empty one. This keeps a backup of your photos on the card in case your computer dosk goes down - but can be expensive if you shoot high resolution video! However, I don't. A 64Gb SD card takes 5068 x 16Mp images on an OMD EM10 Mark ii in Large super fine LSF mode.
Good tips. I never thougt of putting my contact info on an SD. Where I vary from the info in the video is I just get a micro XDSC with a minimum 128G storage capacity. It's more than I'll ever use so I don't have to dump as often. Also, the video capabilities on DSLR and MILC cameras is fantastic, but still limited, so I use a dedicated video camera if I know I'm going to be shooting video at length. Since the cards are staying with one device, formatting is unnecessary after the initial insert and smaller items like card wallets become a non-factor as the card is never out of the camera in the field.
Since fast SD cards are so cheap I only use them once and store them. That way I don't need to worry about formatting or deleting. If you have a high failure rate of SD cards it's probably because either you're using cheap cards or you are wearing out the cards. Yes, you can only write to SD cards so many times. When it come to storing your SD cards, a hard case is best and keeping them in your wallet regardless if it has a spot goes against tip #5.
I just sent you some do-re-mi Robin. Your tips have saved my bacon with lost images. I was able to recover some lost RAW files from my SD card because I didn'r format my card.
Robin, thanks for the great tip about identifying SD cards in case they are lost. I took the idea a few steps further. I created a folder, and put it in the root directory of all of my cards as well as every USB stick (thumb drives). So that anyone who loads the drive will recognize the folder contains "Lost & Found" information, I named it "CONTACT_INFO_IF_FOUND_NAME_ADDRESS_PHONE." (Of course, it could be named "Lost & Found," or a kazillion other possibilities.). Initially, my file was in a .txt format. However, having recently run into people who could not open PDFs, I decided to put the identical information in a PDF, Microsoft Word .docx format and Word Perfect .wpd formats. I believe anyone who WANTS to see my data drives get back to their rightful owner will be able to access one or more of these formats. I thank you for the original idea and hope you like my additions. Thanks for a GREAT channel!
If putting the camera's card into a computer or any other machine, I write protect the card. If you forget, don't start picture editing until you have removed the card. I think I have in the past perhaps occasionally edited the photos on the card rather than the ones I downloaded into the computer since you have two identical sets of pictures once you have downloaded them. If that happens you will likely get card errors if you put it back into the camera. I like to have the SD card out of the camera for the minimum amount of time.
Never erase your card in camera, always FORMAT your card. Anyone who knows about data recovery and how easy it is to get bad sectors on a memory card will tell you this. Every time a card is put into my cameras they are formatted - period. Also I never erase single images in camera. Once on the computer I will delete them. Bad sectors and corrupt cards happen much more frequently toy if you do not use proper card management.
Quick question, when you fill up the storage completed on a card, do you buy a new one? Or if you erase the pictures on the SD card and reuse it, how do? Putting the SD card into the computer? Or does formatting the SD card delete all the files? I’m a newbie to SD cards any help would be appreciated
I only erase images and videos on the computer after I transfer files. In 8 years of constant usage and youtubing I've never formatted a card. Never had a card fail or become corrupt. I talk with tons of people that always have cards fail. They all format. Coincidence? I think not
Every data expert on the planet says what you are doing is exactly what you shouldn’t be doing. Remember, Russian Roulette is a really fun game…until it suddenly isn’t. Go ahead and do what you want. However when every expert advises not to do what you are doing, I’m gonna go with the experts vs one guy’s luck.
Very very useful video with logical explanations. Great job Robin 👌👍👏😍
Great video. Thank you very much for sharing. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Some really great tips - thanks a lot.
I use 2x 128 Gbyte cards. Safest place to keep them, in camera. Best protection, won't be left behind.
I leave battery door open when there's no battery inside.
Thanks for the tips. Especially tip no 4 is very useful.
Tips about Lost and found was a good idea. Thanks Robin ☺️
use quick format if you have this option. it will only initilize the root directory and reduces the write cycle compared to the full format or file erasing
Very good tips Robin! Thanks!!!
Very helpful! Thanks good lookin!
Very handy tips, Robin. However, I format my cards every time before shooting. I want to make sure I have a clean start every time and don't have to remember, if the card was in another camera before. I don't believe there are any downsides to formatting the card instead of just erasing. I'm also sure you have your reasons to do what you do and you have enough experience to say what works and what not. So, no absolute right or wrong here either, as in photography in general.
Formatting the card also resets the image counter, so that was not originally intended by the camera companies. Fragmentation happens when we use the same card in multiple devices, then formatting is the best option to optimize the card before use.
@@robinwong What do you mean by resets the image counter? At least my file numbering is not reset when I format the card.
@@mattisulanto when I use the GM5 the file number resets to 0000. Maybe they have changed it
@@robinwong No of my cameras reset. Is your firmware up to date? How about Olympus, does it reset too?
@@mattisulanto all Olympus cameras reset the file numbering after you format the card. This is normal.
Really great tips! Thanks for the video
Some very useful tips there. Thanks Robin 🙂
Very helpful! Thank you!
Very useful tips, thanks, Robin
Each of your videos brings me something new: very useful tips, Robin! Thankyou.
Please can you give me the brand and type name of that tiny red cardholder you're using?
[btw 08:50: I noticed quite a bit of dust and dirt inside the card chamber of your camera...]
Kind regards, PeterK
Like the CONTACT DETAILS one.
Thanks for the tips Robin. I once did a photoshoot with some friends when I suddenly got the message that the memory card was full after just a couple of shots. I came to the conclusion that the last time I had copied my photos from the card, I deleted the original images from the card on my computer. Somehow it seems that the images where in the recycle bin on the sd card, which I could only empty on my computer...🤔
I prefer 4 x 8 GB cards over 1 x 32 GB. Once a card is nearly full I can take it out and hide it in my car, away from the camera.
My camera bag is an old and dirty one without any markings. Inside I keep a card with my contact details.
After formatting a card I take a low-res jpg picture of it.
When there is no other data on a card formatting is the preferred option as it ensures that all images are written consecutively.
For the same reason, it is better not to deleted images on the camera. It causes 'holes' in the memory layout that are later partly filled with new images. It just makes recovery harder.
I wondered what the reason was in terms of erasing individual pics or small groups of them. I guess it's like havng a fragmented hard disk and I would also guess that if the operating system is looking for those few empty slots, it might slow down the writing of files by the camera...?
Yes I don't ever go over a 64Gb. If I never shot video I would probably max at 32. I don't know if I could even find an 8Gb now though. Maybe a 16. I would guess the larger the capacity the smaller (tinier) the devices on the card, so a lower capacity card might have larger and potentially more robust individual devices for the memory - or it might just have a lot of empty space.
Deleting images of video is so tempting to squeeze that last bit of juice out of a card! Bad habits die hard. Along with wastefully filling the start of a new empty card. It's like getting a new, fresh exercise book at school. You want to use it.
I formatted my full sd accidentally. I took a couple pictures before I realized what I had done. I used Recuva and got all but two pics back.
Does formatting delete all the pictures?
Great tips, thanks
Great info! 🙋🏻♂️
One issue with slow SD-cards when fil shooting is greater chance to lost the last capture (happens twice to me, always using slow/cheap cards)
My eyes are to bad to do any serious photography but, i will say these are all excellent tips. I thinking of doing some action videos of my bike rides an these goods should apply they as well. Glad I watched.
Nicely done.
A few additional thoughts:
1. Rather than pull the USB card out, use the USB interface on the camera to connect to the computer, or iDevice. No worries about losing, damaging, forgetting, etc. For computers that no longer have a SD card reader, its one less thing you need to worry about. Now that Olympus and many computers are using USB-C you may already have the cable in your kit. There is one concern though you are putting stress on the USB connector for the camera when you use it and the door isn't as easy to operate as the SD card door.
2. I have a pair of 64 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro in my camera, the same ones you use. I've found that even on big trips, one card is enough to hold all my images, and I can set it to write to both cards. For less critical stuff I set it to write to only one with the second card as secondary. Should the primary card die, the second card is already in place ready to go. No card wallets needed. Of course I backup to my computer just in case.
3. Cards have a life expectancy. When I hear of people complaining about failed cards its not unusual that the reason is because they've had it for a very long time. When I upgrade my camera, I upgrade my cards. This also serves another purpose, usually when the camera is upgraded, it can use faster cards.
The problem is that many cameras don't have a USB 3.0 connector, just a 2.0 Connection so it's a slower transfer speeds and Windows computers don't recognize files larger than 4Gb with camera connected directly to computer.
I prefer to use card readers.
@@IDIturboDiesel Interesting, I've never seen that problem. I've been using larger than 4 GB storage for a long time, even before USB 3 and never saw that problem.
@@robertpanick2660 I am talking about files larger than 4GB not storage volume size.
@@robertpanick2660 All my CF and SD cards are 256GB for my 5D Mark IV.
@@IDIturboDiesel I'm guessing for shooting video.
Great information...
Tip# 7...I am a victim of going out to make videos only to find that my camera flashes (No SD card!!!). Then I remember that the card is still in my computer. Good advice.
I have a rule that covers this better - don't leave it empty. I never take a card out without a replacement card to put straight in. I've got stuck twice too many times!
@@WarmCatFurniture good advice. I will follow your lead. Thanks. I missed some really good video on my action cam in the past.
I have Apple Airpods, and I have a SD Card rubber banded to the backside of the airpod case which is in my pocket
-hey you! Give me your wallet!
-ok, ok!
-What? why only SD cards here? Where`s money?
Thanks Robin!
#4 is really a good one! :)
Thanks!
Good tips, thanks Robin!
I just write my e-mail address on the label. Should be enough and i can format w/o worrying. Also I never swap cards from one camera to the other and a format is better than erasing all. The format only places a new table of contents and root directory but doesn’t wipe the card: the files’ contents are basically still on the card, just the allocators are gone. There exists unformat tools that might be able to restore files afterwards - no guarantees though, especially when files have been deleted earlier on.
I've never seen the SD Cards with two rows of contacts. Have you got to have a special reader or are they part of the SD standard but just not used that often? Very interesting!
They are UHS-II cards. They provide faster read/write speeds. Convenient for burst shooting, faster file transfers, and fast for 4K captures.
@@TheNok610 Cool. Assume they are backwards compatible with standard cards but obviously need compatible hardware for them to be worth buying... But still cool.
@@stuartnelson3202 yes, no need to buy ushll card if your camera supports ush-I only
@@vinade2100 even if my camera did support it I don't do burst shooting or 4K (or indeed, don't do much video in general) so still wouldn't be worth it for me.
This is great.
Subscribed.
Interesting idea of writing a text file, but I just put my name & email address in the camera's copyright info field, so that's automatically written to every single photo.
Same did I and also a little note in battery/SD card latch/compartment.
awesome...thanks: do you have a special place to get the leather? braided camera strap.
Really great tips - thanks! 😄
hello Robin, interesting video as usual but the automatic translation subtitles are missing ...and my english is unfortunately not good enough 😓
I have been stuck with no card in my camera too often. Rather than leave the door open I have a rule to only take a card out if I have a replacement card ready to go straight in. This way I never leave it empty.
Exactly how i do it too
Thanks.
Great tips thanks!
I have another good idea: Use a usb3 cardreader for transfer. This is much faster as the normal one.
Hey there Robin.. Well, it appears I have confused setting up personal info, and setting up copyright info? Copyright being in the camera's memory, and personal being on the card itself?
How/where do I go to set up personal info on the cards?
Thanks again for all your help with all things Olympus m43!! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great advice 👍
Great info, thanks.
Thanks for the video! Do you have a link for where you got your holder? I like the size!
if you just delete photo's, then the directory, is still on the card, eventually, you will notice a lower memory capacity. formatting removes everything from the card, so it is like starting with a new card
Since memory cards are now affordable you can fill up the card and use a new one instead of reusing it. This way you have archived your original images in the card in case something happens to your images in your computer such as a crash. Sometimes when taking your memory card in and out of the camera often you'll have a chance of ruining your card and it'll become useless. Connect the camera directly to the computer with a cable and download your images but make sure you have enough battery power to do so.
Archive your images on a memory card??? Good luck with that! Data on a memory card is stored using an electrical charge. Just like a battery, that charge naturally dissipates over time. Once that charge has gone, so has all your data. Put a memory card in a drawer and less than 8 years later its contents will have vanished.
@@jackthehatphoto That's interesting....I didn't know that.
I have more than one SD Card. I always put an empty SD card in the camera when I remove the one with pictures. That way there is always an SD card in the camera.
Card corruption! I have found that I had several PNY cards that got corrupted, so I stopped using them years ago. This was in a camxorder but I didn'thave problems with other cards usually. I use Sandisk mostly but have a couple of Lexars.
Another trick
Rule of a second: remove the card earliest 1 second or even later after switching off the camera or ejecting from computer to prevent data corruption.
Never had any issues with my memory cards since doing so.
Great video thanks for that I subscribed
Thanks., useful video
Thx
I find very useful.
Great ideas delivered with great passion. Thanks!
Great vid but don’t use word cripple as that’s a no no in uk and USA xx