Low Level Format SD …not CF

[MarkAlsop]

The 1Ds Mark III (and I assume the 1D Mk III) have an option to perform a ‘low level format’ on an SD card but not on a CF card.

A low level format should completely erase all data on a card. This should make it impossible to use a recovery app, such as SanDisk distributes with their cards, to see ‘deleted’ images and their metadata.

Low level formatting used to mean writing to then reading back from every bit location on a hard drive to map the parts that cannot reliably hold data.

Assuming a low level format actually performs a write/read to every bit on the SD card why not provide the same option for CF cards?

[Richard Dickins]

Total guess here: Maybe Low-Level Format is because SD cards can be delivered from the factory in an 'unformatted' way that the camera's usual "Quick Format" way of formatting would not work. Much like the old hard disks were when you started building PCs all those years ago.

Maybe CF cards are always 'preformatted'.

Certainly I can see the "Low level format" option on formatting an SD card, but I have never been able to select it, probably because all my cards are already formatted in such a way that the "Quick format" works.

Just a guess ...