How to Format Media Card in Canon Rebel Camera

[LukeLewis]

I have a word of warning for you. Don’t use the “Erase All Images” feature that’s found inside your Canon Rebel camera (T2i, T3i, T4i, T5i, T6i and the latest of the Rebel series at the time of this writing, the T7i). I’m talking about all popular Rebel models here, the T2i, T3i, T4i all the way up to the anticipated T7i, which is set to be released into the wild this coming April. The issue with erasing all of the images using the command I just shared above is that it can cause a series of errors inside the database. This is because erasing doesn’t reorganize the necessary image database structure and can eventually result in a fragmented storage device. When fragmented enough, the card will read and write much more slowly and cause errors.

Also, please resist the urge to use your computer to delete images on your card. Doing this is especially bad for the structure of the information found inside the card and can result in an ERR-99 error. The point is, take the advice of photographers all over the world and format your memory card instead. It’s a cleaner and safer alternative.

How to Format Media Card in Canon Rebel T6i DSLR Camera​

So, what exactly does formatting do? Well, for one thing, it doesn’t delete the actual photographs that are stored on the card. If you were to format and realize you made a mistake later on, you could use a piece of recovery software to retrieve those images. Of course, you shouldn’t take more photos in the meantime. There’s always the risk of writing over the ones that currently reside there. Formatting merely changes the file management information so it appears that there’s nothing left on the card. This is why it’s critically important to be sure you fully format (low-level format) if you ever plan on selling your camera with the card inside of it or selling the card itself. It’s sort of like selling a computer. You better be sure everything is off it or you may receive an unexpected surprise one day. Who knows what that might be, but it’s better to not have to worry about that kind of thing.

Formatting Your Media Card​

Going through the actual format process is a snap. It only takes a few quick steps. I’ll list those steps below.

First, turn your camera on so you see the information on the LCD screen.



Then, press the Menu button that’s in the upper left corner of the above screenshot. Once you do this, you’ll see whatever tab you left off on the menu screen appear.



Next, use the left or right arrows to navigate to the first yellow screen. This is the one with the image of a wrench and one dot on the tab.



Use the down arrow to navigate to the area that says Format Card. Then, press the Set button that’s at the right side of the above screenshot. This will bring you into the Format Card menu area.



Finally, once on the last screen, use the right arrow key to highlight the OK button. Then, press Set again and the camera will format the card. When it’s finished, the menu will reappear.

Now, I want to mention one thing. If you want to really remove whatever it is that’s on the card, you can use what’s called Low-Level Formatting. To take advantage of this feature, simply continue to navigate down the screen until you highlight the Low level format option. When there, press the Set button to check the box off and then press Set. Finally, press the OK button. Canon says a few things about this option that I’ll share here:

1. Do low-level formatting if the card’s recording or reading speed seems slow.

2. Since low-level formatting will erase all recordable sectors in the card, the formatting will take slightly longer than normal formatting.

3. You can stop the low-level formatting by pressing the Cancel button. Even in this case, normal formatting will have been completed and you can use the card as usual.

That’s about it. Once you format the card, you can head back to whatever it is you’re taking photos of and continue on.

If you have any questions or concerns with this post, please let me know below. Thanks for reading!

 

[Newman]

This is actually helpful - thanks. The only problem is I keep getting "Cannot format - change card."

 

[LukeLewis]

What Kinds of Data Cards Can be Used in the Canon Rebel T7i?​

This is a huge question that’s actually quite important. It’s also a popular one because one of the most frequently purchase photography accessories is a data card. That and extra batteries, but I already covered batteries in my last post. Today, I’d like to talk about data cards for your Canon T7i, otherwise known as the 800D.

Okay, here it is; for this camera, you may use SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards. SDHC and SDXC cards with UHS-I are fine as well. It’s important to note that you should be sure that the write-protect switch on these cards is set upward so writing and erasing is enabled. If this switch isn’t set upward, you’ll be in for a rude awakening at the end of your shoot. Although, your camera may warn you of this setting. It’s also important to note that your brand new camera won’t come with a memory card included, so you’ll need to purchase one. When you do, be sure to purchase the largest one you can afford. You’ll thank yourself for that later on.

To install your data card in your camera, with the camera off, you’ll need to open the door that’s on the camera’s right side. So if you’re holding your camera in your hands as if you were going to take a photograph, the right side is where the door is. Just slide that door open towards the back of the camera and then hold the card so its label is facing the rear of the camera. The missing corner of the card should be facing upward. Push the card into the camera until you hear a click. When you’re ready, slide the door closed again and then turn your camera on. With the new card installed, you should see the number of available shots you have remaining on the rear LCD screen. This number will totally depend on the capacity of the card you purchased as well as the quality settings you chose for your photographs.

To remove the memory card from your camera, turn your camera off. Then, slide the door open again and push the card into the camera more with your fingernail. When you hear a click, let your finger go and the card should pop out. Simply pull it all the way out and it will be removed. When the camera isn’t in use, keep the door closed so dirt and dust doesn’t find its way inside.

 

[LukeLewis]

How to Format the Memory Card in a Canon Rebel T7i​

This memory card formatting post is accurate for not only the Canon Rebel T7i, but for any in the Rebel line of cameras. Whether it be the T2i, T3i, T4i, T5i, or the T6i, the instructions for erasing the data card are essentially the same. There may be a few differences here or there, but it’s a relatively simple process.

The question is, why would you want to format your camera’s data card? Well, there are a few answers to that. First, you may have recently purchased a brand new data card and you want to make sure it’s empty and ready for use. There can sometimes be extraneous data floating around on the memory stick and you want it off. Second, you may want to clear your card of a large number of images you simply don’t need anymore. Third, since many common deletion methods only have the camera write over old photos, which may leave some traces of data, it’s important to do a clean format to remove everything that’s been recorded to the memory card. Those old photos will be completely removed.

Just a word of warning before we get into the actual instructions. When you format a data card, all information on that card is removed, even protected information, such as photographs. So if you’ve protected your images from deletion, don’t think they’ll be protected from formatting. They’ll be erased.

To format your Canon Rebel T7i’s card, turn the camera on and then press the Menu button on the back of it. Then, navigate to the first option in the Set Up area. This is the yellow area that’s identified by a wrench. You should see the Format Card option in this area. Navigate down to that option and then press the Set button to enter. To format the card, navigate to the OK button and either touch the button with your finger or press the Set button to execute the action. If you’d like to preform a low-level format, be sure that box is checked and then press the OK button.

The reasons I gave above for formatting a camera memory card were limited. There are actually a few more very valid reasons you may want to clear the card. They are:

– The card is brand new.
– The card was already formatted inside of a computer or a different type of a camera.
– The card is chock full of stuff, meaning photographs, data, and anything else you may want to clear.
– You’re getting an error message when trying to use the camera. Sometimes by giving the card a quick format, you’ll solve the problem.

What’s a low-level format? This type of format is one that completely clears the card within all readable sectors. It’s a more thorough type than the regular one we’re used to. When you see your camera is operating and recording images slowly, you may want to give it a low-level format. Just be sure to remember that this type takes slightly longer than the normal one. Be patient. If you’d like to cancel the operation as it’s in progress, press the Cancel button. When you do this, the low-level formatting will stop, but the regular one will continue and complete. You’ll be able to use your camera once this is finished.

Also, as a quick side note, SD and SDHC type memory cards will be formatted in FAT32, while SDXC cards will be formatted in exFAT.