Nine Tips for Keeping Your Memory Cards Ready to Shoot...

...at Less-than-a-Moment's Notice by Photo.net Editorial, March 2012 (updated April 2012)

By Pachi Chen-Wong, senior product marketing manager, Lexar
Besides your camera, your memory card may be the most important piece of equipment in your photo bag. Without a memory card, your camera won’t work, and if it’s not operating right, you can lose some or all of your images or video. The good news is that by practicing some basic maintenance tips and best practices, you’ll keep your cards running at peak performance and help ensure you don’t lose your pictures or videos.

Firmware

Before shooting with any photography equipment, you should ensure the firmware is up-to-date. Read your equipment manual or visit the manufacturer’s website to check in on updates or sign up for alerts. Firmware can be upgraded on your camera, memory card, and memory card reader, so make sure they’re completely up to date to ensure optimal performance. Firmware upgrades improve certain aspects of the camera’s performance and functions, including in some cases, the speed of transferring images from the buffer to the memory card.

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Formatting

Format your memory card in your camera before use, so it’s completely prepared to work with the hardware. We recommend that you avoid using the same memory card in multiple cameras, unless you’ve already removed the important images from the card, saved them on your computer, backed them up, and reformatted the card in the second camera. Switching cards between cameras, without formatting them, can corrupt images saved on the card, or cause it to malfunction during shooting.

Using a card reader

When transferring images from a memory card to a computer, many photographers directly connect their camera to their computer. However, this can drain the camera’s battery unnecessarily, and it’s not very efficient. We recommend you use a memory card reader to move images to the host computer. The devices aren’t very expensive and don’t require a battery or charging. Advanced card readers can also provide high-performance image transfer to help photographers get their images off their cards and onto their computers faster for editing. Opt for a quality reader, as inexpensive or off-brand readers have been known to corrupt the card.

Red means stop!

Bob Atkins

Often after a prolonged series of burst-mode shooting, the buffer will become full and the camera won’t allow the photographer to take any more images. This will be indicated by a red light. It’s critical that you DO NOT remove the memory card when the red light is on, as you could corrupt your images. We recommend even waiting an extra second AFTER the red light goes off before removing the card.

Pay attention to the card’s capacity

When shooting, the image counter on the internal screen will count down how many more images you can store on your memory card. Don’t go over that number! Trying to shoot more images than your card can store may corrupt or erase some of the images you previously captured as the card looks for more room to save new shots. Knowing your memory card’s capabilities will allow for better and more accurate shooting.

Rotate your cards

If you’re shooting a lot of images and using multiple memory cards, develop a system to know which cards have been used and which are empty. This will save you from fumbling around trying to figure out which cards you’ve used, or worse, shooting on a full memory card. You can insert them in your card wallet upside down, hold your empty cards in your left pocket and the full ones in your right, or even just mark the full ones with an easily removed sticker.
Cycling cards appropriately so they all wear evenly will help you get the maximum lifespan from each of your cards. Stay organized and keep track of cards by labeling or marking your cards by date or category, Note the ones that have been properly cleared out and can be used to begin shooting on again.

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Know how to safely manage memory cards and store used ones

When not in use, avoid storing the cards in camera bag pockets, since dirt, moisture and other factors could damage them. Dust can get into the holes of CF cards. When on assignment, try to use a card wallet to keep the cards clean and away from dust, debris, and keep the wallet away from moisture. You also may want to put your contact information on the back in case you lose a full card.

Don’t panic if the card gets wet

Sometimes memory cards go through the wash or get dropped in puddles. If it happens, DON’T PANIC! Let the card dry out for a day or two and then use a card reader to get the images off.

Backup, backup, backup

Professional shooters make a living from their images. Never delete images or format your card until you’ve not only removed them from the card and saved them on your computer, but also backed them up.
With these steps, you’ll keep your cards running at peak performance and avoid losing images. I hope you’ve found these tips helpful. Please feel your tips and questions in the comments below!