In a message dated 5/15/2006 11:04:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I suppose to be really safe one should copy the files twice and > then keep the card untouched until all the images have been > processed and archived or one reaches reaches 80 when its hardly > going to matter any more. ======== Initially I just copy once. But it's pretty simple with Elements 3 (and 4, I presume) to use the get photos part of their photo browser to double check that all the pictures on the card got copied to a directory. Even after doing get photos, I always go into the photo browser to double check that all my pictures were actually copied to HD before I turn around and then format the card (in camera). The photo browser does thumbnails of RAW (probably pulling out the embedded jpegs), so I can easily see them. And I suspect reformatting a CF card, rather than deleting files, keeps the FAT nice and healthy and thus makes the CF last longer. (Anyone who has done a defrag of a HD knows how repeated deleting can create holes and inefficient storage usage. Also, anyone who has had a HD FAT get messed up knows that can happen too.)
I also like starting with a nice clean card when I shoot. So I often reformat when it's not full, but after I have copied my pictures. I don't use a nice clean card every time I shoot (if there are only a few pictures on it), but quite often. I think I've been using the same 1 gig card now for about three years. I guess, now the price has come down, I should get another one. :-) Marnie aka Doe
