Is it ok to switch media cards between different cameras?

Question

I have a D50 Nikon Camera, and I was wondering of you can use a media card (which has been used in another camera and has pictures on it) from another camera to take pictures on the Nikon. (for example, putting a media card from, say a Canon or a Fuji, into my camera and shooting pictures on it.) Will it harm the camera, the media card, or both? I notice that when I put a media card that has been used by more than one camera on the computer, there is a folder for each type of camera that was used.

My dad tells me this messes up the camera, but I don't

Please include where your information was found.

Answer 1

It wouldn't harm

Answer 2

Katie, I think that you should reformat your card before using it in the other camera.   With the Nikon D50 you hold down the two buttons in red and it will reformat the camera, or you can acess it from the menu.  (The erase and metering mode buttons at the same time for ab. 5 sec.) then it will prompt you to confirm that you want to format the card.  Then press and hold both buttons at the same time again and VOILA!! lol. And you can switch with out formating and it will not mess up either the camera or the card and it will make files for you.  But it is best to erase all of the pictures and reformat to start fresh!!

Hope photography is going well! =D

--EDIT-- And for the switching cards........no damage!!! email me the good pictures i want to see how they turn out!!

Answer 3

If switching memory cards between cameras, you should always format it in the camera you are using at the time.

Memory cards are cheap, so swapping cards shouldn't be necessary.  Just buy one for each camera (format it before you use it the first time of course). And everytime you need to delete all images from the card.

Answer 4

If your dad was right, what would us pros do?  

I use the same CF cards in my D100, D200, D300, D3 and an old Coolpix SQ and 990.

So, no using the same memory card in your two or three cameras that use SD or SDHC cards, will not harm anything.

Just be sure to format the card before you put it in your camera ... you should be doing this in any case at the end of each shoot and after you have successfully copied all your images to your computers hard drive.  This practice prevents image files from being corrupted when too many images are deleted in the  camera ... the image index file can be corrupted using this way to make room for more shots in the middle of a party, etc.  For that, just carry an extra card.

Answer 5

Put each card in the camera and format it, then you can swap out the cards in the same camera all you want.

Memory cards will not mess up a camera.

Answer 6

Yes. It is perfectly fine as long as it is the same memory card, not necessarily  the same brand but basically that it "fits" in the media card slot, and about the folder thing it will automatically make a new folder for that camera. I have done it many times and it has never caused any harm to my camera