Working with digital images

[Opako]

Hi!  I am planning on having my computer reformatted.  I just started using digital format with photos this past year.  I resisited due to the fact that I trust negatives.  I have copied all my photos to CD format in order to save them.  My originals will be completely deleted from my hard drive (Windows XP) and I want to be sure that I've saved them the best possible way, so as not to loose quality or pixels, etc.  I transfer all pics directly from my camera (Canon A95) to the computer, then transfer them to CD with their full amt. of pixels, size, etc. (vs. resaving - as Jpeg loses quality/pixels)  I was told recently that using DVD would be better, and the pictures/archives would be a better quality.  (I would have to purchase a DVD burner to do this!)  Then I was told that although DVD holds more, it scratches and is damaged more easily and that CD's are just as good (if not better) for storage than DVD's.  I have to reformat this summer, so need advice on what to do, as I don't want to make a mistake.  I will make at least 2 copies of ea. file.    
Signed - Opako

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi there,

Moderator Deb is an expert on this as far as I'm concerned. Here is a very helpful article she wrote on the subject:

http://www.digicamhelp.com/how-to-organize-and-archive-digital-images/index.htm

I don't have PC Photo Magazine with me, but I recently read in it that there are archival quality CD's (or perhaps DVD's, don't recall right now). The article was in the May or June issue. Why not check out PC Photo's website and do a search. They have all their magazines online. They mentioned that these media will archive digital images for 300 years!

[Deb]

Hi there Opako, I've been archiving to DVDs and CD and, as long as I don't scratch the surface (top) of the discs, all have worked well so far. (By the way, store them upright on end, not stacked flat or so I've been advised.) I think the bigger worry is that the writing/reading device will become obsolete before the discs run out of lifetime. Now that would be a major bummer! So keeping up with technological changes may be in order.