Recently acquired a digital camera and it uses xD-Picture card memory. Is it necessary and how do I format it

Most digital cameras have a limited amount of built in memory, so you technically don't need a card; but if you intend on taking more than 5 low-res pictures, the card is highly reccommended. Formatting is usually achieved by inserting the card in the camera and going to the proper menu in the camera's programming. My Olympus uses the xD card. The proceure for it is turning the selector dial on the top to the green arrow (which also allows picture viewing on the card), pressing the Okay/menu button on the back, press the right arrow to go to the mode menu, press the down arrow to highlight "card" in the menu screen, then the right arrow twice to go to card set-up and then format.

Many brands of cameras will let you format the card when it's plugged into the computer - the driver software "hlep" will tell you how... Report It

There is probably a way to format it while it is in the camera. You can also probably get a multicard reader, connect it to your computer, and format it that way. It is necessary.

I have an Olympus Camedia C-5000. I've never formatted a card and never had a problem. Something that it says in the book made me not want to format it, but I don't recall what it was.