Best way to delete files from Sony SXS Mem cards

[Pushpanatha de Silva]

I would appreciated if anyone of you tell me the best way of deleting clips/files from Sony SXS Mem cards??
Thx
Pushpa

[Piotr Wozniacki]

After exporting mxf to my HDD, I have simply been using ClipBrowser's "delete" function for that, but frankly, I share your doubts.

Interestingly, Convergent Design stress it very much that no deletion/formatting be done on the computer; instead the nanoFlash format should only be used on the CF cards. Their point being that this way, fragmentation of media is avoided, and hence performance is increased.

I guess Sony should advice their SxS users which is the best method, in the long run.

PS.

There are at least two aspects to consider here:

- the performance and endurance/longevity of the media
- the workflow strategy.

[Andy Taplin]

What's wrong with just reformatting the cards in the camera?

[Craig Seeman]

Originally Posted by Andy Taplin

What's wrong with just reformatting the cards in the camera?

You may lose camera settings stored on the card.
If you've named the card you lose that too.

[Andy Taplin]

i use SD cards for scene files and keep the SxS cards purely for video storage.

My preferred workflow is to back up each card as soon as possible to a NexTo DI and a portable USB so I have 2 verified copies of the footage before reformatting in the camera - works for me.

[Kevin Spahr]

Since all solid state memory has some sort of a limited life in read/write cycles - some a lot longer than other designs, I wonder how reformatting a card compares to just deleting clips? My understanding is that in solid state drives the data is actually erased by setting the bits to zero as compared to a spinning disc hard drive where only the reference to the space in erased in the "index" marking that space as useable, but the actual data on the disc remains.

I always reformat my cards before I use them since I don't keep camera profiles on them nor do I name my cards.

[Steve Pond]

Ditto. I'm not a seasoned expert, but I've been told that deleting clips through your computer or in-camera either leaves residual data or cannot detect errors that can occasionally pop-up in the solid state memory, which can FUBAR a subsequent shoot. I just take the advice of the pros and reformat after I've sufficiently backed up my files elsewhere.

[Anthony McErlean]

Originally Posted by Kevin Spahr

I always reformat my cards before I use them since I don't keep camera profiles on them nor do I name my cards.

Same here, right or wrong, I always format the SxS cards before I use them.