Can you MOVE pictures importing from a memory card?

[fullkoll]

The easiest way to empty a memory card using Olympus cameras, is to just delete the folder containing the pictures on the computer using the OS X finder (in my case om Mac) after import.


When I put the card back into the camera after that, the pictures are gone and the card works fine without any deleting or reformatting. Very simple and useful!
When I used Panasonic cameras it didn´t work like that - I had to delete or reformat in camera every time.


To me it would be even easier to skip that step and let LR do the job after import, but the MOVE option isn´t available - it´s dimmed. Works fine with folders on hard drives though, but not with memory cards. To me anyway......


Does anyone have tip to solve that?

/Kjell

 

[Hal P Anderson]

Nope. Move is disallowed for a purpose. It is to keep the images on the card until you are sure that they transferred properly to disk. If they haven't, and you have deleted your originals, then you're in trouble.

Furthermore, it's a good idea to reformat your card in the camera instead of using your OS to erase the images.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

Have you tried to delete the contents of the folder instead of the entire folder itself? I see no reason why that wouldn't work with Panasonic cameras.

As for the idea that it's better to reformat your card in the camera instead of using your OS to erase the images: I've read this too, but I've never seen any actual proof. I always use the OS (I wrote an AppleScript that deletes the images and ejects the card) and I have yet to find a problem with it.

 

[fullkoll]

I always use the OS (I wrote an AppleScript that deletes the images and ejects the card) and I have yet to find a problem with it.

Sounds VERY interesting - something you would like to share? ;-)

Kjell

 

[Johan Elzenga]

It turns out it was an Automator workflow, with a part in AppleScript inside. You will have to adapt it for your cards, because it searches the card by name. It does delete the entire DCIM folder, so it may not work with your Panasonic card. Check in the Finder that this folder isn't simply locked. Here's a link to the workflow. Save it as an application after you've adapted it: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0fhiyigprm10c3g/AACZFC2nHdrbYS12hOTqvxm7a?dl=0

Here's how it looks like in case you want to recreate it from scratch:

 

[fullkoll]

Thanks a lot Johan!

 

[Hal P Anderson]

Three representative user guides(Fuji, Olympus, and Nikon) say that you must format before first use and reformat after using the card in another camera or on a computer. (Does copying images into LR count?) I do it because I've always done it and have had no card-related problems. (And the Nikons that I started out with would format the card with the push of two buttons, making it absurdly easy). I also do it that way to give me the chance to make sure I've transferred everything I expect, and that the images survived the transfer.

On the other hand, you can't argue with success, and if Johan's Applescript hasn't caused problems, deleting images without reformatting must be mostly safe.

There's a myth that formatting in camera will detect bad sectors and lock them out, but typical format speeds obviously rule that out. All that formatting in camera does is to rewrite the directory and file allocation table. There isn't time to test every byte on the card.

I suspect that we all do a few things that contradict conventional wisdom. I know I do. Most of us get away with it.

 

[Johan Elzenga]

When I do reformat a card, I always do that in the camera, never in the computer. I also have reformatted an SD card in one of my Canon cameras, and then used it in my Sony A7R camera. No problems either, although the Sony camera will then ask you to rebuild some table it apparently keeps on the card. I think that a lot of these 'you must always do this, or that' stories are mainly a disclaimer. The camera manufacturer doesn't want to have to deal with problems that people may have with their computer, that's why they tell you only to (re)format the cards in the camera.