200 photos missing during shooting

[Exodies]

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Unless it can be proved that the files changed after the card was removed from the camera then the firmware needs to be modified to do more sanity checks - the camera should start complaining loudly if the free space isn't going down, if all IO results aren't ok, if write times are unusually long or short, etc.

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[CheshireCat]

the camera should start complaining loudly if the free space isn't going down, if all IO results aren't ok, if write times are unusually long or short, etc.

 

.. or just the file size is 0 or the file is missing

But in this case, we are probably one step behind. All that's needed is some synchronous error handler (i,e, if a file write op fails, the camera should alert the user). That wouldn't be the first fw I see that does not check this kind of critical errors.

Double shame.

[k-hawinkler]

The M seems to be a work in progress!

[tobey bilek]

My practice is to buy a camera,buy card and dedicate them to that camera.

 

Then format the card in the camera.

 

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

Download to computer, back up, them reformat in camera.

 

A dealer really has no way to thoroughly check a card.

 

I only buy major brand cards from a trusted source, B&H. That means Sandisk and Lexar.

If you can afford Leica, Do not skimp on cards.

[thighslapper]

My practice is to buy a camera,buy card and dedicate them to that camera.

 

Then format the card in the camera.

 

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

Download to computer, back up, them reformat in camera.

 

 

Ditto. And that is what Leica recommend.

 

I'm now on digital Leica no. 7 ...... and all have cards marked solely for each cameras use...

[jaapv]

My practice is to buy a camera,buy card and dedicate them to that camera.

 

Then format the card in the camera.

 

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

Download to computer, back up, them reformat in camera.

 

A dealer really has no way to thoroughly check a card.

 

I only buy major brand cards from a trusted source, B&H. That means Sandisk and Lexar.

If you can afford Leica, Do not skimp on cards.

+1

[pico]

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or something like "getFreeSpace() for CF Failed" ?

[ninicholas]

Ahh, Ninicholas,

I am invited to participate a conference in Tianjin Binhai Area. I will go there around Sept. 20. Than, I hope I get the chance to visit this crazy construction areas there. Than, I am planning to stay a bit in Beijing.

 

I have spent more than 14 years in China. Recently, I had an assignment in Shanghai. I loved it. My client booked a room in a new shiny hotel, somewhere near the French old quarters. But after a few days at this high-class tower, I moved to a very local business-hotel. I prefer local food and local life… I miss the food in China! ;-)

 

How do you like it?? How long will u stay in Shanghai?

 

Falk

 

 

i came to Shanghai at 2005 and it became my base ever since. let's hit the tree-lining streets of the French Concessions area when are here next time.

[enboe]

So I had a similar experience once back in the early days of the M8.

 

Step 1 - lock he card and do not put it back in the camera.

 

Question 1: did the frames available decrement during shooting? If so, then something was written to the card.

 

Step 2 - use a dedicated card reader.

 

Step 3 - try a variety of "accidental deletion" software packages. Many or most have a demo you can try for free.

 

I found a very slow Mac OS program that finally saw the files and was able to recover them. It has been a long time, so I do not know if I can find it again. I did try RecurPro, without luck. Do 't give up yet. I will post again if I find more in my old notes.

 

Eric

[enboe]

Sorry for the typos in my prior post.

 

I tried RescuePro, no luck in my case. It may be a fine product for others.

 

There were two other programs I downloaded. I'm sorry, but I don't remember which one I spent the money on that worked. You may wish to try the trial versions first to see if there is hope.

 

The first was CardRescue: Memory Card Photo Recovery Software for Mac - Card Rescue.

 

The second was Remo Recover (Mac) Media Edition: Remo Recover (Mac) Media - Mac Photo Recovery Software

 

Both have free demos you can use to see what files they can recover. They may work, they may not. I can offer no guarantees.

 

Good luck and let us know if you have any luck.

 

Eric

[timde]

My practice is to buy a camera,buy card and dedicate them to that camera.

 

Then format the card in the camera.

 

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

Download to computer, back up, them reformat in camera.

 

A dealer really has no way to thoroughly check a card.

 

Erasing images will result in fragmentation, however that in itself is not a problem other that write and read speeds may be reduced. Most (all?) SD Cards use wear leveling which means storage locations are continuously remapped internally to the SD Card. The idea of writing to the same location is not really whats happening.

 

In this case it sounds like the directory structure became corrupt, so the photos are probably still there but recovering them is non-trivial. My Ricoh GR sometimes does a similar thing, but only individual photos go missing (I can note the missing file names in a sequence of shots) and because of this I think these problems are likely firmware related ... but not so easy to discover in a way that they can be fixed.

 

However, I have had older cards become unreliable and that makes me think that most camera firmware does not do too much error checking ... so a new card can be a good idea. Leica has a history of problems in this area which they "solve" by recommending a particular card brand - that is a reflection of how hard it is to support a range of SD Cards, each one will be a little different .. and some times a lot different.

 

A better idea it to have lots of smaller capacity SD cards so that if one fails you don't loose the whole set. Kind of like how people worked in the film days .... only takes a few secs to change one between a set of shots.

[indergaard]

I have had this happen a few times too. My cards are fine (SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB SDXC and 16GB SDHC, the 95MB/s one's). Only a frame or two though, and I think it happened when I filled up the buffer of the camera... Something I very rarely do.

 

Loosing as many as you did however... Is really not good. You have my sympathies.

[pgk]

My practice is to buy a camera,buy card and dedicate them to that camera.

 

Then format the card in the camera.

 

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

Download to computer, back up, them reformat in camera.

 

A dealer really has no way to thoroughly check a card.

 

I only buy major brand cards from a trusted source, B&H. That means Sandisk and Lexar.

If you can afford Leica, Do not skimp on cards.

Actually, with the exception of the fact that I buy reputable cards from my local dealer who sources them from reputable sources, I do nearly everything that you suggest not doing:eek:. After 20K+ shots on my M9 I'm yet to have problems that haven't been caused by me ignoring the low battery warning;). I do reformat sometimes using SD Formatter which seems to keep cards running fine.

[pico]

Never erase images as it can lead to fragmentation of future files and the card keeps using the same storage location rather than rotating by the algorithm in the card . The other problem is the table of contents or directory never gets emptied. Eventually you get a message card is full with 5 pics on it.

 

I'm afraid that is incorrect. SD cards are not at all managed like hard drives.

 

The following presumes a quality manufacturer, not some deadbeat maker.

 

SD cards do not use the same storage locations as if they were filling from top down or bottom up. If they did, they would not last long. They rotate use of space in a version of global wear leveling so that the space is used in a more distributed manner. Further, they usually have one section, or sectors of high-quality critical memory which the controller uses and stores the management data (bad blocks, next to write or erase, move, and so forth.)

 

Erase as you please. The SD card microcontroller takes care of everything, and erases when it moves data anyway.

[arno_nyhm]

i had a similar problem with my M8 only once. that time, only the .dng was crushed - the .jpg would be ok.

 

i was using an alternative battery i bought from the internet that time. i experienced all kind of weird behavior from my M8 while unsing that battery. now i got an original 14464 and didn't experience any of those problems any more.