Help: Can I Format SXS Cards on Laptop

Tom Lowe

Tom Lowe

Well-known member
We are going to be dumping SxS cards to laptops and then to harddrives while out on some boats shooting. I want to be able to copy the files from the SxS card, then FORMAT the card right on the laptop (or on the Sony SxS reader card hooked to the laptop), so I can hand the cards back to the camera guy completely dumped, formatted, wiped clean, and ready to shoot.

Is there any way to format SxS other than being inside the camera?

thanks
 
I think if you format off camera you will get an error in the camera about recovering the media at which point it will recreate the directory structure and XML files etc

You might want to format a card in camera and copy the contents to a folder on the laptop. That way, when you format the card in the computer, you also copy the contents of that folder back to the card. Hopefully that should stop the camera from making any complaints about the card when you put it in.

Surely this is something you can test before you go?
 
Yeah I might be able to get into the files and delete them, but what I am looking for is a simple solution for actually formating the cards on a laptop. There probably is a way to "trick" their system by leaving the file structure intact, but I won't have time for all that.

Thanks, though.
 
you can format it on a laptop, to the laptop its just a disc partition. you will want to ensure you only ever format it to FAT32 though.

The difference is however, after the format on the laptop the drive will be empty. After the format on the camera, it sets up the BPAV folder & contents (well I assume it will). THerefore after formating on the laptop, you will need to copy a 'archive' of an empty valid BPAV folder onto the card.
 
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