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07-16-2016, 09:56 AM   #1
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Do you save SD cards when filled?

I know that most of us transfer our pics to other devices, ext hard drives, etc: but do you constantly erase the old images, or save certain cards that may have epic shots? thanks

07-16-2016, 10:01 AM   #2
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Once transferred to my PC and backed up, I delete from the sd card
07-16-2016, 10:02 AM   #3
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I always back up the photos to my computer, then reformat the card in camera when its almost full. I never store photos on a memory card.
07-16-2016, 10:05 AM   #4
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nope.

07-16-2016, 10:10 AM - 1 Like   #5
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My parents think they need to buy a new card when it's full.
07-16-2016, 10:14 AM   #6
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I have a number of cards... all labelled with a single letter... A, B, C etc.

When I'm out actually taking a lot of photos,I then pull the card out (when close to full or at the end of the day) and replace it with the next card in sequence. Reformat the card I just inserted and start with a fresh card.

I copy the images from the cards I've used that day to a portable hard drive and to my computer. Put the "full" cards back into the little case and keep them until it's their turn again.
07-16-2016, 10:23 AM - 1 Like   #7
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I pull the shots off the camera after every shooting session - mainly because I want to see my shots/process/etc; delete from the card and it's ready for next time....

I've never taken the cards out of the camera, so I don't worry about rotating them....

after processing, I have a 'keepers' folder, which is backed up, and I upload to flickr as well...

07-16-2016, 10:47 AM   #8
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I usually delete images off my cards weekly. I reformat the cards maybe once or twice a month.
07-16-2016, 11:07 AM   #9
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QuoteOriginally posted by fstop18 Quote
save certain cards that may have epic shots?
I'd have to save them all!
Once in my library on my PC then my backup software mirrors it to my external drive and then once a week or two to a second drive. I don't go the whole paranoid backup nine yards (multi-site multi-format), but I've had enough hard drive failures in my life to never rely on just one. Cards are only temporary buffers though and too pricey per GB for general storage.
07-16-2016, 11:22 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by victormeldrew Quote
Cards are only temporary buffers
This is true, I don't have a link anymore, but there was an article somewhere that looked at why flash memory cards fail and they all do, whether or not they are stored away somewhere or used constantly. As least if you use them constantly you might get a warning they are about to fail (not as much free space as there should be, it takes longer to read and write files), if you put the cards in a drawer or envelope, the bad sectors will keep on multiplying and when you need to copy the files a couple of years later, you won't be able to read any of it. Per gigabyte, a conventional hard drive with a rotating platter is the cheapest form of digital storage, if you don't have them spinning 100% of the time 24/7, even the cheap drives last for years and if one with valuable data on it fails, the odds that it can be recovered is very good.
07-16-2016, 11:40 AM   #11
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No.
When a spinning Hard Drive is Full I take it off line and buy a bigger one.
07-16-2016, 11:54 AM   #12
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07-16-2016, 12:01 PM   #13
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I guess it is time to shake this boat a bit.

I reuse my SD cards but I also use them as another layer of image backup.

One of my backup drives is a solid state drive, identical technology to your SD card, so I see no reason not to do it. I watch for sales on large capacity SD cards and then transfer image files to them off my computer.

Seems to work well. I haven't had a single failure nor have any of my cards admitted to engaging in questionable bad sector activity while sitting together in the dark. In addition, it is just one more layer of backup and they are certainly easy to store!

To my understanding almost all, if not all, backup systems are subject to failure over time. Of course this was known a very long time ago as "nothing lasts forever, not even a pyramid." So you may have to move your backup information to another, newer technology in ten or twenty years.

The biggest problem is labeling the little buggers in such a way that you know what files are on them a few years from now.

The reality is that nobody will likely care what is on those little cards when I have passed this mortal coil. And...if someone does, my memory is disappearing quick so they better start asking pretty soon.
07-16-2016, 12:27 PM   #14
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Once photos are transferred to the hard drive I put the SD card back into the camera and format it each time. The main hard drive is backed up to two different external drives. Works for me.
07-16-2016, 12:35 PM   #15
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QuoteOriginally posted by D1N0 Quote
My parents think they need to buy a new card when it's full.
Mine too, but that isn't a problem or expensive as they may spend two years filling 16 GB.

QuoteOriginally posted by Pioneer Quote
I reuse my SD cards but I also use them as another layer of image backup.
Me too. My K-5 only have one SD slot and I copy images every night to the laptop. When the card is almost full, I copy from the computer to a backup disc and then format the card in camera. That way I always have two copies. The best images are processed and copied to jottacloud too.
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