Should you delete from memory card in-camera?

Deleting images in camera

There has over the years been a lot of discussion about the safety or lack of same as involves deleting images from a memory card, be they Compact Flash, SD or any other format. It has to do with whether file corruption from the deletion can cause the next image to overwrite in a corrupted fashion. And that it is safer to download all images as is, even if you don't like them onto your PC, then deleting them as you view them in your camera's download software application.

I have done it both ways and while I cannot find any instances of overwrite corruption in either fashion of deleting images, whether in-camera or in-pc, the common consensus is to finish out a card, then remove & replace with another memory card. There is evidence that deleting & overwriting can occasionally corrupt the next file, and that next file, that next image could have been your best shot of the day. From all I have read though, and from all the photographers I have discussed this with, this concern is no more valid than an occasional corruption occurring from mere re-format corruption (a not so common yet normal part of preparing the memory card for receiving another round of file writing) which rarely occurs when deleting all the data on a card by zeroing out all the data on the card.

This is the more important concern. It is the re-formatting of the card that is of most concern. Should this be done in-PC or in-camera? Here you will find that most all professional photographers (and I have not spoken to a single one which disagrees with this) agree that reformatting in-PC is far riskier than reformatting in-camera. The reason involves using one software approach over another. It is reasonably assumed that by reformatting in-camera it is done utilizing the camera manufacturer's format technology rather than using the PC technology. And because of that it is nearly every proffessional's work habit to always re-format the card in-camera.

So if you find that you are out shooting and are close to running out of card space, feel free to delete and overwrite as you need. The chance of file corruption is minimal, certainly not enough to keep an unacceptable shot while missing the opportunity to gain one you will be happy with.

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