Do You NEED To Clean Your Memory Card Contact Points?

Just wondering because I was reading the 6D manual and it states to not touch your lens contact points or they may corrode, but does that apply to SD cards as well? I am not as cautious with handling my SD cards as I am when handling my lens, so I do come in contact with the contacts from time to time. I would just like to see if I should start cleaning my SD card with alcohol after touching the contacts.

Thank you,

David

SD cards go through a "wiping" action as the contacts on the card slide into the slot on the body and hence don't need a physical cleaning. If something spilled on them then a cleaning with a soft cloth with some alcohol could be used. The SD card contacts are also not gold plated like the contacts on a camera body or lens mount.

I see by another post that you are using a 6D. Are you using direct wire connection to PC for transferring images or removing/reinserting the card?

Thank you for the reply! I have not tried to connect the camera yet for file transfer and am only familiar with using an SD card. Is there a reason that I should use a wire connection instead of the SD card?

Thanks again!

If I somehow got some serious debris on the card contacts, like dropping the card in beef gravy, I'd clean it off with alcohol.

Short of that, as already mentioned the wiping action of inserting the card into a device keeps it clean enough.

SD contacts are not indestructible--they can be damaged by improper contact, and are really designed for only the kind of contact they get by inserting them properly into a device.

if i felt an sd card had corroded contact points, i would go buy another one and chuck the old one in the trash.

but I have never felt that, and certainly I have inadvertently touched the contact points.

david.g.photo84 wrote in post #18464499
Thank you for the reply! I have not tried to connect the camera yet for file transfer and am only familiar with using an SD card. Is there a reason that I should use a wire connection instead of the SD card?

Thanks again!

Unless you need to tether, nope.

Hokie Jim wrote in post #18476153
Unless you need to tether, nope.

The merits of using a direct connection or using a card reader is debatable and I would guess it is about a 50/50 proposition. Many people point out that a cable on a desk connecting the camera to PC presents a risk of the camera falling to the floor. Well carrying the camera while using it presents that same risk so do you just leave it in a closet. Others say the cable connection is slow on transfer of images, well perhaps if you are moving 500 images that might be a consideration although I have moved several hundred in probably a minute or two. A consideration might be the protocol of your USB port and card reader. Keep in mind that Canon designed the camera (and its software) for a direct wire transfer.

The choice is yours.