So I just finished one of the quickest, most exciting shoots (part 1 for the magic challenge), then was setting up for the 2nd part and was testing the remote. It kept shooting off bursts and I was getting really annoyed, as it was filling up my card. No problem. Went to the camera, hit format card, then yes, then FREAK OUT as soon as I hit the button. If I'd had a gun I would have shot myself. Honestly, I've NEVER done that before. I don't know what possessed me. I don't usually format my cards until after I've finished editing everything and KNOW I have copies and backups.
But, everything I do for DPC is training for "real life", right? So I take the card straight to the computer and put it through the recovery program. It finds everything, BUT... the rescued files are TIFFs, not RAW (NEF) files. If my image needs to be validated for any reason, would this be considered an altered file? Or is the original saved file (regardless of type) considered the legal version? In other words, is "rescuing" altering my files?
The rescue software may be seeing the files as TIFFs, but if you weren't writing TIFFs to the card, then it seems something is amiss. If the files are the right size for the NEFs, I suspect they actually are. Try renaming one of the rescued files with a .NEF extension and opening it. If it opens properly in your RAW conversion software, you're golden. If what has been recovered truly is a TIFF file, then it would not be an original; it would be something extracted from the NEF. But I don't think this is the case.
I once shot for a challenge for about 1/2 hour before I realized I had no card at all in the camera!! ;) Can't recover from that one! (I changed the camera setting after this experience so it could never happen again)
Good luck with the recovery, I am sure it can be done
I once shot for a challenge for about 1/2 hour before I realized I had no card at all in the camera!! ;) Can't recover from that one! (I changed the camera setting after this experience so it could never happen again)
Good luck with the recovery, I am sure it can be done
I did the same when I first got my 40D. And I was no where near home, where the cards actually were.
I've now been through 3 rescue programs, and have handed the card to my sweetie, who has a way with all things inanimate...
The only program that found anything was the first one, which changed the files to TIFFs. Oddly, all the images are same small (4 meg) size, and cannot be opened by any program. My ViewNX can see them but can't access them.
The second two programs didn't find anything at all.
i went out the other day and left my card at home in card reader, got out to the peaks and set of walking and got camera out shot looked at preview "no cf card" doh
i recovered all my raws from a wedding shoot in majorca after card corrupted and id formatted it, but cant remember the name of the software on the mac, it was terminal based though no gui
@ scalvert - yup, that's the first thing I did. I renamed the extension to .nef and it couldn't read it either. There's something REALLY bizarre going on because all the TIFF files are only 4.2 megs, and PS can't open them. Bridge can't open them and won't show them. But ViewNX shows me thumbnails but cannot open them.
I've handed it over to my sweetie who is an inanimate-object-whisperer, and perhaps he can rescue them. Otherwise it's looking like a reshoot.
My entry for the Book titles challenge was shot on a microsd card (taken from my cellphone) VIA a microsd to SD card adapter I just happened to have.... thank the gods since I had no memory card in my D300s that day!!! Brain farts happen to all of us. Even if we set the memory card out and know we wouldn't ever forget a thing like that. peh.
First of all, Johanna, I'm really sorry this happened to you. And, I hope you can recover the files.
Secondly, I must admit I'm surprised there was anything on the card after camera "format" of the card. I have always been under the presumption that a format by the camera software wiped the card clean.
I would not have been surprised that a camera menu "delete all" would have left the files recoverable until overwritten. But, that step of camera menu "format" should purge all data and return the card to pristine condition... ready to write to again without jeopardy.
For me, this makes me a little less sanguine about reusing my cards time and time again. While I haven't had any problems and follow a regimented routine on erase and format, I'll consider a CF card replacement program. I'm guessing those cards will not last forever.
I *think* that "format", at least with the Canons, merely turns the first bit off in each file, making it appear to the camera that there is nothing there. The data, however, is still there until overwritten. Much the way things are (or were) deleted on hard drives in the day... No idea if that's still true today, though, and not sure if the "format" is the same from camera to camera.
@ hahn23 - yes, it is logical to believe that but the Deb is right. I've actually recovered images from a CF that was not only formatted, but also had more images captured after the format. Yeah, weird. Got a call from my personal mechanic. We'll see what he's recovered...
@ hahn23 - yes, it is logical to believe that but the Deb is right. I've actually recovered images from a CF that was not only formatted, but also had more images captured after the format. Yeah, weird. Got a call from my personal mechanic. We'll see what he's recovered...
Deb and Johanna,
Thanks for these important insights. I learn something new every day.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!! Though knowing you, you'll probably get something 3 times as good if your did a reshoot. What an incredible talent you are, my dear!
Question, though... why do you reformat your cards? I use the same 4 cards, but I never reformat, only erase all. Am I missing something I should be doing?
Question, though... why do you reformat your cards? I use the same 4 cards, but I never reformat, only erase all. Am I missing something I should be doing?
I think that re-formatting may analyze the media and map out bad sectors, but I do the same as you -- I just delete the images after they've been copied to both a hard drive and optical media. My plan is to always have at least two copies of the original in existence, on two types of media, and as long as things are working I don't mess with them ....
I once shot for a challenge for about 1/2 hour before I realized I had no card at all in the camera!! ;) Can't recover from that one! (I changed the camera setting after this experience so it could never happen again)
Good luck with the recovery, I am sure it can be done
I shot a football game and half of another one like that one time. oooops.
I'm not sure why I do it that way, Wendy. I was told that to keep the proper filing on the card for the specific camera, one had to format the card in the camera. Perhaps you can start a thread with that question? I'd also like to know!!!!
I was told that to keep the proper filing on the card for the specific camera, one had to format the card in the camera. Perhaps you can start a thread with that question? I'd also like to know!!!!
Yes, you should format the card in the camera, but only the first time you use it. If you put the same card into another camera it can mess up your file-naming/-numbering system for sure, if not the files themselves, but as long as you continue to use the card only in the same camera, you don't need to reformat it, just delete the files when ready.
