Should I format a 64GB SD card in my camera, on a Mac, or on Windows?
Asked 3/17/2020
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2 answers
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My DSLR SD card is full and I’ve already backed up the photos. I’m unsure whether I should format the card on a Mac, on a Windows PC, or just in the camera. I’ve read that a 64GB card should use exFAT, but I don’t want to risk creating a card the camera won’t like. Is there any practical difference between formatting on macOS vs Windows for camera use?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
6y ago
2 Answers
29
Why not save all the confusion and just format it in the camera?
Both Mac and Windows can read, write and format exFAT, but you need to make sure you are using MBR rather than GUID and the correct sector size that the camera prefers.
Rather than have to work all this out, especially if you're not even sure what they mean… just let the camera do it instead. The camera will also by default add some special folders it needs (DCIM and additional folders inside that) that neither Mac nor Windows will know to create.
If you format in the camera itself, neither Mac nor Windows will have any trouble with the card, and the camera will be very happy too.
Originally by user57929. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user57929
6y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For a camera SD card, the safest choice is to format it in the camera, not on a Mac or Windows PC.
A 64GB card is typically exFAT, and both macOS and Windows can read, write, and format exFAT. The issue is that a computer may use partition settings or allocation sizes your camera doesn’t prefer, and it won’t necessarily recreate the folder structure the camera expects. In-camera formatting avoids that and is often recommended to prevent card write errors or camera freezes.
So the practical answer is:
- Back up your photos first.
- Then use the camera’s own Format command.
- Avoid using the SD card as long-term storage; keep your backups elsewhere because SD cards can fail.
If you ever must format on a computer, exFAT is generally the right filesystem for 64GB, but in-camera formatting is still the better option for reliability.
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