Recovered SD Images

[rljones]

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During a recent trip, my M8 gave a hiccup while I was trying to review a just-shot image. After repeatedly pressing the Play button, it gave a message saying something like 'there are no images present'. I had about 30 images on that SD card.

 

The card was a Transcend 150x 2GB card. I have 6 of them and have used them both on the DMR and the M8 without problems. I was using the camera just before the latest release 1.102, so I think it had 1.092 (the sanctioned one). For the duration of my trip, I continued using the M8 with the other Transcend cards, and had no further problems.

 

However, I saved the card and flipped the lock switch to prevent any further writes. On my Mac I could not seem to get the images back trying various methods or recovery. Contacting Leica, they felt it was not the camera, but a faulty SD card, and offered no other help.

 

The good news is I finally found software that restored the lost images as well as recovered images from when I'd used the card in the DMR. (This is after several in camera formats too!) The software is available for Mac and PC. It is called PhotoRecovery.

 

I tried the demo, it seemed to work, so I purchased a working copy for $40, and got all the missng images back, except for the one that was recorded when the whole mess started. This image has part of another image, from an earlier use, horizontally running through it. This one episode is the only problem I've had with the M8.

 

PhotoRecovery:

URL is http://www.lc-tech.com/software/prmacdetail.html

[osera]

Robert-

Thanks for posting this. I hope I can remember it if (when) I need it.

[morffin]

I had the same problem with a transend 4 gig card...downloaded the software and got the files back. Scary hour .

[Pham Minh Son]

Thanks Robert for the information. I also recently had a bad experience with my SD 1 Gig CF card as well. Solid state does not warranty anything it seems.

[Geoff Morgan]

During a recent trip, my M8 gave a hiccup while I was trying to review a just-shot image. After repeatedly pressing the Play button, it gave a message saying something like 'there are no images present'. I had about 30 images on that SD card.

 

The card was a Transcend 150x 2GB card. I have 6 of them and have used them both on the DMR and the M8 without problems. I was using the camera just before the latest release 1.102, so I think it had 1.092 (the sanctioned one). For the duration of my trip, I continued using the M8 with the other Transcend cards, and had no further problems.

 

However, I saved the card and flipped the lock switch to prevent any further writes. On my Mac I could not seem to get the images back trying various methods or recovery. Contacting Leica, they felt it was not the camera, but a faulty SD card, and offered no other help.

 

The good news is I finally found software that restored the lost images as well as recovered images from when I'd used the card in the DMR. (This is after several in camera formats too!) The software is available for Mac and PC. It is called PhotoRecovery.

 

I tried the demo, it seemed to work, so I purchased a working copy for $40, and got all the missng images back, except for the one that was recorded when the whole mess started. This image has part of another image, from an earlier use, horizontally running through it. This one episode is the only problem I've had with the M8.

 

PhotoRecovery:

URL is PHOTORECOVERY for Digital Media-MAC Version

I have had several problems concerning SD cards.

The dealer gave me 2 x 4Gb unknown manufacturer SD cards. Both performed well initially, until I re-formatted them. After that .......... "No images present"

Then I purchased 4 x 2Gb. Kingston elite pro cards. All seemed to function OK until today. I inserted the card in to a card reader and the message came up as "No images present" Bit annoying as about 40 pics seem to have "gone down the drain"

I am now reverting to the Kingston 1 Gb elete pro cards I used for my VLux-1 which seem to function OK.

Hopefully this anomaly will be fixed soon or I will seriously consider going back to the MP

[burbank@ntnation.com]

In case this is helpful to others, I thought I'd add this:

 

a) The software mentioned above is REALLY good... I've used it myself in a few cases and I highly recommend it. It works very well.

 

This problem is not really Leica or M8 specific... I've had similar problems on Nikon equipment (on two D70 bodies and one D200), and I've rescued files for friends on Nikon and Canon platforms.

 

The issue seems to be with files left "open" on the card.... the format is FAT32 for all these cards, similar to what you see on Windows installs prior to NT or 2000. What happens is that the file allocation table that serves as a sort of index for the files is somehow corrupted (slightly).

 

The Photorecovery software fixes this, and then recovers the files.

 

Afterwards, be sure to FORMAT the card in your camera, and you should be fine... there is most likely nothing wrong with your card at all.

[gravastar]

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Similar experience with a SanDisk 2GB Ultra II card in the camera. Switched camera on - no images to display - when infact there were about 80 images on the card. I recovered all of them (I think) using Photorescue on a PC.

 

PhotoRescue - data-recovery solution for digital photography

 

After reformatting the card in the camera all was OK, that card is still in constant use. The problem has only happened once in several thousands of images.

 

Bob.