newbie Q about formatting the card

[brynn]

Hi Friends,
At long last, I finally have my new camera, as discussed over a year ago in this topic!  (What can I say?  Stuff happens.... 

Since this is my first dslr, I got an entry level model - Canon EOS Rebel T5.  As suggested in that topic, I went to local stores and tried all the 4 or or 5 major brands, and I was most comfortable with the Cannon.  I got a kit because....well, at least I was told....that the entry level model can't be bought outside of a kit.  But it was far enough below my budget that I was able to get a separate lens too!  So that's a Tamron 18 - 270 mm.

I have to admit that actually the Pentax was a little more comfortable.  And it has some awesome features and abilities that the Canon and others don't have.  But there is only one Pentax store where I live (Denver) which I understand is the.....well, national, if not international headquarters for Pentax.  And the salesman could hardly be bothered to sell me a camera.  I just think if that brand can't bother to put up stores, and the stores already existing aren't interested in making sales, it's not likely they'll be interested in helping me after the sale.  It was really kind of disgusting.  How could I give them my business?

Anyway, back to  my Canon -- Even though I probably paid more by buying it at a retail camera store, I think I will still benefit, because I get a 10% discount on some extra services, and so I'll be able to put all my family's old snapshots and photo albums on cd, with that discount.  I'm not sure how many photos that is yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was over 1000.  I wouldn't be surprised if it was 2000, lol.

Ok, so I'm keeping the kit lens on the camera until I get some experience, and become comfortable using it.  When I can just pick it up, and know how to set everything, without having to look it up, then I'll start thinking about using the better lens.

I went through the quick setup guide, for putting in the battery and card (I guess that's memory card?) and took a couple of pictures (nothing special of course, just to start learning).  But then the instructions tell me to format the card, and that where I have my first question that the instructions didn't explain.

If I can take pictures without formatting the card, why bother formatting it?  What does formatting it actually do?

I'll bet you all can answer that for me 

The other question I have, and I might actually have to call the store for this.  But before I got to the question about the card, the instructions told me how to put on the lens.  But I also bought a uv filter, and it didn't tell me how to put that on.  I opened the package with the filter, because I thought it would be a lot like putting together a computer -- most of the plugs can only go in 1 place.  So I thought it might be obvious.  But it's not, exactly.....

The filter doesn't fit anything between the lens and the body.  It aaaallmost fits on front of the lens, but not so that it will snap in or on, or screw in or on anything.  And I can't find anything about it in the manual.  I wonder if they gave me the wrong size or something?  Could you give me any guidance on that?  Let's see, the filter package says [pro]master Filter 62mmUV Code3537 Multi-Coat

Thanks for your help   

[jinky]

Hi Brynn  ;)Formatting the card removes all the files, whereas deleting files only removes the ones you can see. Directories, files in other than the current directory and any files you may have uploaded to the card remain.
Formatting in the camera does more than formatting in the computer (e.g., using a card reader). The camera adds the directory structure and ancillary files needed by the image processor. These files should be automatically added if insert a computer-formatted card - but it's better to be sure.
A new card should always be formatted in the device in which it is to be used.

That said  formatted a card in my new LX100 cmpact and now that card cannot be read by my computer using the in computer slot, though it can through a card reader plugged into a usb??? It tells me the card needs formatting again in the PC so why did I bother!

Re: the filter check if the filter size is written on the end / side of the lens. Mine show a circle with a strike line through it and 77 or whatever the filter size is and that means 77mm. If it is the standard 18-55 kit lens I understand that is a 58mm filter and you have been sold the wrong size if this is so. It should just screw into the thread on the end of the lens so if it seems too big this is the case and the camera shop have boobed if they sold you it together. Personally I rarely use protective filters and trust the lens hoods as I feel cheap ones degrade the image.

Enjoy the learning curve with the new camera 

[SimonW]

Hi Brynn,

I have to say I fully agree with your comments about Pentax. I've used Pentax since the late 1960's, when their advertising slogan was "Just hold a Pentax". I'm about to purchase a new Pentax K-S2, which has very good reviews which often include comments like how well it fits the hand, and I DO like the way Pentax cameras operate. In my experience they are very reliable too. But no camera shop in Scotland (where I live) and very few in UK, sell Pentax so I have to buy on line which I'm not entirely happy about. My local shop told me the Pentax rep never calls there, even when they ask him to. But I'm sure you'll enjoy your Canon just as much.

[Hinfrance]

Hi Brynn.

Hopefully Paul's (jinky's) instructions have helped you to sort those issues out.

I rarely use lens filters or any other 'protection' these days. I'm not sure I can even find my neutral density filters anywhere (they reduce the light coming into the lens enabling you to slow the shutter speed to make moving objects blurry).

Simon, I bought my Pentax bodies on line too - but to be fair the local supermarket does stock all the usual suspects (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony), but only the entry level models. So if anyone wants anything a bit more upmarket from any of the manufacturers the only option in our provincial town is drive for hours or order on line.

I am still very happy with my three, the newest one being a K5 a few years old now. As you say, Pentax DSLRs are as tough as old boots - very handy when you're as clumsy as I am - and being weather sealed helps too.

[Oldboy]

I've said this before I'm sure, but you don't need to format any memory cards. To transfer pictures from a card to the PC use either cut and paste or the move option, it does the same thing. Formatting the card in the camera only deletes the Fat file nothing else. To remove all from the card can only be done on the PC by using a low level format which takes about half an hour for a 4gb card. This only needs to be done if the card appears to be faulty. Remember, a memory card is like a PC's hard drive and you don't format that when you delete a file. My first camera cards were 8mb SD cards and I've never had a card that's failed. 

As to the filter, it should have a screw thread on it, that screws onto the lens. Sometimes this can be tricky but when you've done it a few times it should be easy. 

As to the Pentax, there're great cameras and it's a shame the salesman couldn't be bothered to sell you one. 

Hope you have fun with the Canon camera and take plenty of photos. 

[Oldboy]

That said  formatted a card in my new LX100 cmpact and now that card cannot be read by my computer using the in computer slot, though it can through a card reader plugged into a usb??? It tells me the card needs formatting again in the PC so why did I bother!

Go into Device manager, Click on the Universal Serial Bus controllers, Right click on it and select disable from the dropdown menu. Right click on this again and from the dropdown list select enable. Hopefully it should work again. The problem is caused by removing the card from the reader without using the eject option. 

[jinky]

That said  formatted a card in my new LX100 cmpact and now that card cannot be read by my computer using the in computer slot, though it can through a card reader plugged into a usb??? It tells me the card needs formatting again in the PC so why did I bother!

Go into Device manager, Click on the Universal Serial Bus controllers, Right click on it and select disable from the dropdown menu. Right click on this again and from the dropdown list select enable. Hopefully it should work again. The problem is caused by removing the card from the reader without using the eject option. 

Only it didn`t happen like that oldboy. I`d been shooting with the same card in the camera and getting images from it fine just putting it into the PC SD slot. I always eject before taking it out. next time I used my LX100 I did what I do automatically on a new job with my dslrs and formatted the card in camera. I shot a few then plugged it into the SD card slot on the PC to be told it needed to be formatted. I had not formatted it in the PC. If I put the same card into a card reader no problem. Just tried it again and it is saying it does not have a recognisable file system and do I want to format it. It labels it as Lumix and Fat32 rather than an sd card which is unusual. Put the same card in a card reader through a usb port and it is called Lumix and tells you the usual info of capacity and free space and opens pictures as usual 


Later edit. Funnily enough I have just put it back into PC sd slot and it said I had to format it. What the hell I decided - it`s an old card so I hit yes and it immediately converted to the standard view without carrying out a format so far as I could tell. Puzzled  . behaving normally now so shouldn`t worry but I always wonder "Why?"

[Oldboy]

That said  formatted a card in my new LX100 cmpact and now that card cannot be read by my computer using the in computer slot, though it can through a card reader plugged into a usb??? It tells me the card needs formatting again in the PC so why did I bother!

Go into Device manager, Click on the Universal Serial Bus controllers, Right click on it and select disable from the dropdown menu. Right click on this again and from the dropdown list select enable. Hopefully it should work again. The problem is caused by removing the card from the reader without using the eject option. 

Only it didn`t happen like that oldboy. I`d been shooting with the same card in the camera and getting images from it fine just putting it into the PC SD slot. I always eject before taking it out. next time I used my LX100 I did what I do automatically on a new job with my dslrs and formatted the card in camera. I shot a few then plugged it into the SD card slot on the PC to be told it needed to be formatted. I had not formatted it in the PC. If I put the same card into a card reader no problem. Just tried it again and it is saying it does not have a recognisable file system and do I want to format it. It labels it as Lumix and Fat32 rather than an sd card which is unusual. Put the same card in a card reader through a usb port and it is called Lumix and tells you the usual info of capacity and free space and opens pictures as usual 

Before using the card again and with nothing on it that you haven't already downloaded, put the card in the SD slot and let the PC format it. As I've said before you don't need to format the card in camera. Lumix is the volume label and Fat32 is the file system rather than NT. 

[Hinfrance]

I think it's mostly because card readers are a bit flaky. My current one won't write to micro SD cards, whether they have been in the a 'phone or a tablet. It always says they are write protected when they aren't.

[Oldboy]

I think it's mostly because card readers are a bit flaky. My current one won't write to micro SD cards, whether they have been in the a 'phone or a tablet. It always says they are write protected when they aren't.

More likely the software rather than the reader. 

[spikeyjen]

Hi Brynn, this link just came through on my FB, might be helpful given you have a new camera

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/12/25/how-to-set-up-a-camera-for-the-first-time-11-best-settings/?hootPostID=2b4fe41b07e51001af6c944bde487449

[Hinfrance]

More likely the software rather than the reader. 

NO OB, it's the reader. The driver is just a generic MS one and it hasn't changed. The reader won't reliably establish a connection through the USB port now either. It used to work . . .

[Graham]

  I've also had problems with unreliable readers. Not sure why they should so problematic.
  I see them as glorified extension leads!

[Oldboy]

More likely the software rather than the reader. 

NO OB, it's the reader. The driver is just a generic MS one and it hasn't changed. The reader won't reliably establish a connection through the USB port now either. It used to work . . .

The driver sometimes gets it's knickers in a twist which causes the problems. For example, if you remove the SD card without using the remove/eject hardware option then, the software thinks the card is still attached so, can't read any new card that's connected. In this case by going into Device Manager and disabling and enabling the device cures the problem. If it was a hardware problem this wouldn't work. 

[brynn]

Card reader?  Hhmm, it seems there's something else I need to buy?  Because there's no slot on my computer for it.

For the filter.  Yes, it does look like there are some threads on the filter.  But the lens doesn't have threads.  It looks like the filter might snap on, but until I'm sure, I don't want to try and force it.

Let's see, someone said to look for some numbers....  Oh yes, I think jinky is right about the filter.  The lens says 0 with line through it 58 mm.  And the filter is 62 mm.  So I guess I'd better take that back.  And since I guess I need to buy a card reader....  Unless, can card readers be bought cheaper somewhere besides the camera store?  I guess probably?

Oh, I see.  The threads are on the inner edge of the lens.  The filter is so much bigger, and upside-down, it looked like it might snap around the outer edge of the lens.  But I see the threads now.

Thanks for all your comments.  I didn't exactly follow all your discussion, but my questions were answered.  I'll be interested to read the article, spikeyjen.  Thanks again