The memory card is formatted and empty but the pictures go automatically to the camera instead of the memory card. I can't find a way to send them to the memory card--shouldn't that be the default?

Try formatting the card with the camera menu. This is always safer when you buy a new card. If that doesn't work take the card back

Put the card back into the camera and format it.

In the future, always format the camera after you finish download your pictures, instead of deleting them.

I'm assuming you are trying to use an SD card in your camera and not the internal memory. I suggest you format the memory card if you are sure there is nothing on the card. Formatting the memory card deletes everything on the card and sets it up with a file system that your camera recognizes. Follow these steps to format your memory card using your camera. 1. Turn camera off 2. Insert memory card 3. Turn camera on 4. When the memory card is inserted in the camera, the [Format card] option appears in the setup menu 5. Choose Format to format the entire card. Don't choose Quick Format 6. Wait until your card is formatted
After formatting your memory card, try turning your camera off and on and you should now be able to take pictures to your memory card.
P.S. If you remove your memory card you can choose Format Memory from the setup menu to format the camera's built-in internal memory

Yes format your memory card for sure I'm also sending a diagram of an SD card showing the little switch on the side. This switch locks the card from formatting to protect or save images.
Also the formatting of the memory card allows the camera and memory card to communicate properly between the two. Formatting should be done after each time you download pictures to the computer Formatting should be done in the camera the memory card is being used in not the computer.
Here is the diagram.

your camera might be using the internal memory instead, check for a setting that lets you choose what storage device is used, internal or memory card.

to format the card please read your user manual, or if you have a card reader on your computer connect the card there, then open my computer or computer, find the Removable storage device that appeared or has the memory card, confirm that its empty and there is noting important there, then right click on it from my computer, and select Format.

File system FAT (not 32, just FAT)
then hit start.

With no card in the camera, go into the menu and find "format" and follow the on-screen instructions to erase the internal memory.

There are three ways to empty your memory card of your digital camera:
1. if you have a PC or Laptop, you can use your card reader and your file browser to either delete all of the folders or you can choose to format your memory card.
2. you can also erase each picture by deleting them one by one by using the erase command on your digital camera but this is to tedious a task.
3. the best way to empty your card reader is to go to the menu options of your digital camera, go to format memory card. it is also advisable to format your memory card periodically to remove any traces of bad sector or any viruses acquired in photo studios or any computer during picture downloads.

You pressed format on your camera.That meant that you formatted the memory card of your camera.All your photos are saved on the memory card of your digital camera automatically.So you can recover photos from formatted memory card with data recovery software.I have a professional program on my computer that can recover data after deeply scanning your memory card to look for lost data you accidentally deleted or formatted.
But you had better have stopped using the memory card of your camera. Because, once the pictures were overwritten by new ones,they are gone for good.
By the way,you can download it and scan your memory card for free to preview whether your erased photos can be recovered.Get it from http://www.any-data-recovery.com/product/datarecoverystandard.htm

Hvae you tried taking the card out then looking on the camera for any stored images.

A lot of cameras will automatically use the storage card when it is inserted instead of the camera memory.

You maybe out of luck and lost all your pictures.

Try going to settings of your camera while memory card is in and instead of deleting try and look for the option to format your card. And that should be it.