What is the difference between Quick Format and Full Format?

[alisterchapman]

What’s the difference and which should I use?

 

On the FX3 and FX30 the default is Quick Format, but you can also do a Full Format, on the FX6 you can select either from the menu.

Full Format erases everything on the card and returns the card to a completely empty state. All footage is deleted from the card and it cannot be recovered later should you perform a Full Format by mistake. Because Full Format returns the card to a completely empty state removing any junk or other clutter it also ensures that the cards performance is maximised. You should do a Full Format periodically to clean up you media and restore any lost card read/write performance.

 

Quick Format erases the file database on the card but it does not actually remove your video files. When you then start a new recording on the card the new recording will fill any empty space left on the card if there is any. If there is no empty space then the new file will overwrite the existing files on the card. In some cases if you have accidentally done a quick format you may be able to use data recovery software to rescue any files that have not already been overwritten.  But file recovery is not guaranteed. As quick format does not clear all data from the card, over time the performance of the card may be degraded, so a Full Format should be performed periodically to ensure the best card performance.