Formatting the SD card does a few things:
- Frees up space on the card for reuse (i.e., it wipes everything on it, so make sure you’ve downloaded any files you want to keep).
- Prepares the card for use in the camera, setting up the correct filesystem and folder structure.
- Is an opportunity to identify any compatibility issues between the SD card and D3500.
So it’s an important step that you should do regularly to reduce the risk of file corruption and issues in saving your photos and videos.
Here’s how to do it.
RELATED: Best SD Cards for Nikon D3500
Format SD Card in Nikon D3500
This procedure obviously requires that the SD card is in the camera (for alternative methods using a computer, see below).
To format an SD card in the Nikon D3500, use the menu system on the back of the camera. You can find it under:
Setup Menu (wrench/spanner icon) > Format memory card
Move the active selection to Yes and click OK to confirm that it’s about to wipe the memory card. (If you accidentally format the card, there’s actually a good chance you might still be able to recover data from the card. I have more information on how to do that here.)
It will briefly show you the status message of “Formatting memory card” and then revert back to the Setup Menu (there’s no “success” message).
The D3500 doesn’t offer a choice between a quick format and a full format — there’s just the one option, and it’s the quick kind. It clears the card’s file table rather than overwriting every block, which is why it finishes almost instantly and why deleted files are often still recoverable afterward. For day-to-day shooting that’s exactly what you want. If you’re selling or passing on a card and you want the files genuinely gone, you need a full format or a secure wipe on a computer.
Things worth knowing about formatting SD card in Nikon D3500
It’s best practice to format the card in the camera rather than using your computer and to format it regularly. And that’s what I’d strongly recommend doing.
But if that’s not possible or not what you want to do, you can also format cards using a computer.
But there are some things to know when formatting SD cards to minimize the risks of your camera having problems with them. So I’ve put together guides on how to format SD cards on Mac and how to use the free SD Card Formatter app for Windows or Mac.
If you do format on a computer, stick with the file system the card is supposed to use.
- Cards larger than 32GB are SDXC, and the SD standard formats those as exFAT;
- 32GB and smaller are SDHC, which use FAT32.
Reformatting a 64GB or larger card to FAT32 to make it work in some other device leaves it non-standard, and that’s a common cause of write errors and “card cannot be used” messages later. Formatting in the D3500 sidesteps all of that, because the camera writes the file system and folder structure it expects.
Strictly speaking, you can probably get away with just inserting the SD card into the D3500 and shooting away. But it’s always good practice to format it first. Not only does this wipe any data on the card to free up space; it also prepares the card with the filesystem and folder structure that the D3500 needs. It will also alert you if there’s a problem with the card.
If the camera says the card is locked or write-protected, that’s not a card fault, and formatting won’t clear it.
Full-size SD cards have a small slider on one edge, and with it in the down position the camera refuses to write to the card or format it. The slider does nothing electrically — the camera reads its position and enforces the rule — so slide it back up will unlock the card and let the format proceed. It’s not unheard of with old cards that the sliders can get worn loose and cause the error out of nowhere.
And finally, if you accidentally format the SD card, there’s actually a pretty good chance you might still be able to recover data from the card. I have more information on how to do that here.
Nikon D3500 explorer
Here’s a fun tool I put together that explores the various buttons and dials on the Nikon D3500. And just as importantly, it shows what terminology Nikon uses for them, since each manufacturer has their own dialect and jargon.
