CF card failures

[Roy]

It is best to make any changes to the contents of the card in the camera, not in the computer. Deleting and reformatting modify the directory on the card which is its index or table of contents. If there is any software incompatibility between the computer and the camera, things can get quite mixed up.

I have had 100% success using a CF reader to transfer all images to the computer, then returning the card with its contents unchanged to the camera. After I check the images on the computer (and make a backup if I'm not doing this in the field) I reformat the card in the camera. Reformatting (rather than deleting images) creates a new directory which is a clean way to start the next batch of images. I have never had any reason to keep images on a card once they have been moved to the computer.

Regards,

Roy

[Curt]

What are the chances of two CF cards going bad within five months. I had a "card corrupted" massage during July. Lexar replaced it with no question. Yesterday I got a "failure to read" and than "initialize" from another card with a different camera Fuji S2. I am getting gunshy of memory cards. I have used the Fuji alongside a Hasselblad for some weddings with wonderful results. If I have a card failure during a high priced wedding, than I am dead in the water. What experiences do the rest of you have. I either format the card in the camera or let the computer delete images after downloading. I am looking for self-imposed problems, hoping it is not two faulty CF cards.

I completely agree with Ray.

Only delete or format the card in the camera; never on a computer. I have a total of 7 cards, solid state and Microdrives, which have seen use from the desert to the arctic, and have recorded tens of thousands of frames, and have never had a failure using this technique.

Michael