How to erase memory card images using other than the camera?

Forum|Forum|3 years ago
January 22, 2023
3 replies
1030 views

Hi guys,

I don't have my camera right now and I think I remember one can use some Utility on the Mac to delete the images, but can't remember where or how.

Thank you.

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer richardplondon

I agree with others about formatting the card in the camera only, noting that you do NOT need to format the card in order to empty images from it, which was the question asked. One way is to delete all (or some) image folders from the card using Finder / Explorer. The camera will later automatically (re)create whatever image folders it needs when you come to take more photos.

I would just observe that leaving the images on the camera card (for the moment) does act as a useful safety copy - at the least, until the files copied into the computer storage have themselves been backed up elsewhere.

I would also comment that IF this deletion is wanted for privacy / confidentiality reasons: utilities exist that can not only recover deleted photos, but even restore some data after a quick-format by the computer OR by the camera. Additional measures would be needed to more fully "wipe" that data from ever being retrieved.

JohanElzenga

Community Expert

Simply deleting the images in the Finder should work fine. For many years I was using an AppleScript that would do this with one click, meaning I would always delete the images this way after import and hardly ever formatted the card in the camera. I have never encountered a problem with a memory card because of this. Using Disk Utility to format it is something I would not recommend.

-- Johan W. Elzenga

R

raphaels28255986Author

Inspiring

Thank you Johan. Your responses, over time, have always been quality responses - a crucial attribute. I always pay attention to them.

Conrad_C

Community Expert

Deleting all images doesn't equal erasing or formatting the card, especially if all you do is drag images to the Trach/Recycle Bin. Those are different things, even in the camera (my camera has different commands for Erase All Images and Format Card). Formatting is a full erase that also deletes and rebuilds the file system directory structure.

If what you want to do is fully format the card without the camera, you can use Apple Disk Utility that comes with your Mac. But you must know what format the camera uses. FAT32 is older and common, EXFAT may be used by newer cameras. If you get it wrong, the card won’t work. And neither of those is the default setting for formatting Mac volumes (which is APFS, or HFS for older Macs). So before erasing your card, inspect it to find out precisely which format it uses.

But be aware that many professional photographers teach that you really should format cards in the exact camera it will be used in. The reason is that while cameras use a standard format like FAT32, some cameras customize the file system in undocumented ways that the camera expects to be there. So there is a risk that a card formatted in a computer won’t work right in a camera even though you thought you used the right file system.

Bottome line: If you want to guarantee that the card will work reliably on your shoots, format it in the camera it will be used in. I know your post is asking about not doing it that way, but that has been the “best practice” advice for many years.

R

richardplondon

Correct answer

Community Expert

I agree with others about formatting the card in the camera only, noting that you do NOT need to format the card in order to empty images from it, which was the question asked. One way is to delete all (or some) image folders from the card using Finder / Explorer. The camera will later automatically (re)create whatever image folders it needs when you come to take more photos.

I would just observe that leaving the images on the camera card (for the moment) does act as a useful safety copy - at the least, until the files copied into the computer storage have themselves been backed up elsewhere.

I would also comment that IF this deletion is wanted for privacy / confidentiality reasons: utilities exist that can not only recover deleted photos, but even restore some data after a quick-format by the computer OR by the camera. Additional measures would be needed to more fully "wipe" that data from ever being retrieved.