Do Cameras Use TRIM Technology? Exploring TRIM in Cameras

Ever wondered if cameras utilize TRIM technology to help facilitate garbage collection? Solid-state drives (SSDs) use it to help with data management and optimization, but how does this translate to an SD (Secure Digital) card, considering it’s a different type of flash memory?

Put simply, SD cards do not use TRIM. However, they do have their own unique way of handling data that can have an impact on its recoverability following deletion. We’ve done some research into how SD cards handle data deletion and the implications to be aware of for data recovery.

What’s TRIM Technology? And, Do SD Cards Use It?

SSDs and SD cards both use NAND flash memory to store data. When data is written to a NAND cell, an electrical charge is applied to the cell’s floating gate. The level of this electrical charge determines what binary data (0s and 1s) it represents. When the SSD controller reads this, it can determine what data is present by reading the charge levels.

The Achilles’ heel of NAND cells and how they store data is that they have a limited number of write cycles they can sustain. Once a NAND cell has reached its maximum write cycles, it cannot be restored (similar to a physical bad sector). SSDs and SD cards use wear leveling to help mitigate this, but wear leveling can only extend the lifespan to a certain extent.

This is where TRIM can help. With TRIM enabled, it can immediately identify which blocks are no longer being used by the file system, allowing the SSD to mark blocks that are available for future writing. Without TRIM, the SSD must first read the block (to see if it contains data that can be erased), erase the data on it, and then write new data to the block. Essentially, TRIM reduces the amount of work an SSD needs to do to save new data.

In the context of cameras and SD cards, they do not use TRIM. It’s important to note that TRIM is an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) command. ATA commands do not work for SD cards. Instead, SD cards have their own unique command set defined by the SD specification. The closest analog to TRIM on SD cards is the TRIM-like command called SD-ERASE.

The Difference Between TRIM and SD-ERASE

TRIM and SD-ERASE are similar in the sense that they affect how data is managed on the respective devices they’re used on, but there are some key differences between the two in terms of functionality and usage.

In addition to the fact that TRIM is an ATA command used by SSDs, it also actively runs in the background to improve SSD performance and assist with garbage collection. By knowing which blocks of data are no longer being used, it can free space more efficiently to help with drive longevity. TRIM is an option that can be enabled or disabled.

SD-ERASE, on the other hand, is only run when a request is issued by the host device (in this case, a camera) and executed by the SD card’s internal controller. Most SD cards support SD-ERASE, but not all. More specifically, they must support the commands CMD32, CMD33, and CMD38. Unlike SSDs where TRIM can be enabled and disabled, the behavior of SD-ERASE is pre-determined by how it was configured by the manufacturer. When it’s run, any blocks occupied by a deleted file are marked as available for new data.

Can You Recover Data Deleted by a Camera?

It depends, but in most cases, yes. What happens to your data after the SD-ERASE command is run is dependent on how your camera’s manufacturer sets it up. In most cases, for convenience, the command will simply wipe the logical addresses held by your SD card’s translator, which is a piece of its internal firmware that manages the mapping of data between logical and physical addresses. At least this is how it’s done with the Sony A7III. Most (but not all) camera brands do this because (1) people typically aren’t interested in completely zeroing out the card due to how long it takes, and (2) it puts unnecessary stress on the card when a normal format will suffice in most cases.

When the translator is wiped, the data is not zeroed immediately. Reading the raw hex data of the card may indicate that no data is available for recovery, but only because the logical addresses are now gone. Data may still be recoverable using chip-off data recovery, a service only offered by professional data recovery specialists. This involves making direct contact with the NAND cells and manually extracting data from the physical chips.

Some camera models include multiple options for erasing data, giving you the choice between performing a regular format, which deletes the metadata that points towards data on the SD card), and a full format, which completely zeros the data. For example, the Canon EOS R5 lets you specify if you want to perform a low-level format, which will zero every block on the card.

How Recoverability Varies by Camera Manufacturer

Each camera manufacturer has its own way of handling data deletion, which ultimately has an impact on your chances of recovering data once it’s gone. Even though most cameras make use of SD-ERASE as part of their formatting procedure, the recoverability for most camera brands relies on what type of format you perform. Therefore, we’re going to focus on what cameras include quick and full format options, as well as touch on those that are known to use SD-ERASE, to help you determine your chances of recovering data.

Sony

Sony is known to use the SD-ERASE command in some of its cameras when deleting data, however, it’s not known exactly what camera models employ it. In the case of data recovery, Sony recommends its customers use the company’s Memory Card File Rescue software.

Nikon

Nikon does not have its own data recovery software, nor does it have much information for users who are seeking help in recovering photos that were deleted on a Nikon camera. Data recovery from an SD card that was formatted in a Nikon camera is possible, but again, it depends on the type of format that was performed.

Canon

The majority of Canon cameras allow you to perform a full format to zero the card. This option is labeled “low-level format” inside the camera though.

Fujifilm

During our research, there were no Fujifilm cameras that we found that support the full format option, nor is there any information on whether it employs the SD-ERASE command.

Panasonic

Panasonic does not have its own recovery tool, but it does have a LUMIX repair tool that may prove useful in restoring corrupted video files following recovery.

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