Memory Card Failure!

[TobyMac]

Hello all, I am in a bit of desperate need for help. I shot a wedding yesterday and when I got home to load the Images on the computer one of the cards (SanDisk Extreme 8GB CF) that my assistant was using wont read. It's not just that it wont read any images put my computer (Mac) didn't even pick it up at all. After trying it back in the camera it said "card error" so I tried it in a different computer (windows) but also nothing, didn't get picked up or anything. Because the computers won't even recognise the card I can't even use the rescue software that came with the card.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do?
Some people suggested to me to format in camera, this should wipe the cards index so it can be read again and then I should be able to use the recovery software. But personally I am still a bit uneasy about doing this.
Any help would be incredibly helpful.

[pnodrog]

Do not format!

How are you transferring the images?

It maybe a physical connector problem.

[ashcroft]

There are normally local specialists who may be able to recover data for you. They may have more success. If you shoot weddings on a regular basis you really need a camera with two card, not one. Cards can, and do fail.

[GeoBonsai]

I would *NOT* format the CF memory card just yet.

Now is the time to contact all your friends/family/Walmart (Crazy Store???) photo departments who have CF card readers and maybe one of their CF card readers will work. Bring a thumb drive with you to save your images.

Hoping for a favorable outcome!

See Can't-read-CF-card help

[ashcroft]

Put the card in another camera and see if you can review the images

[ashcroft]

Check the card carefully. Is there any dusr in the small holes of connector? Clean it anyway using a suction tool that you get with a sensor cleaner. Do NOT blow into it as that may make it worse. Or, tap it gently downwards on a firm surface to loosen any dust. I fixed a connection problem recently by doing that.

[pnodrog]

Most laptop computers (certainly older ones) and have either a card reader or a IDE interface slot and a IDE to CF card adapter.

There is both an 8 bit and 16 bit transfer mode available from a CF card so it may work with a reader that uses only the 8 bit mode.

[TobyMac]

The card does not get read by any camera or any other reader that I use, I have tried cleaning it thoroughly and nothing worked. I used exactly the same cards and have been for years now and the reader ( a sandisk one) reads them and transfers with no problem.
As far as a camera with two slots would be nice I simply can't afford that.

[Stagecoach]

Tobias,

I'm sure you have already done some searches but,

http://www.intratec.co.za/removable-...-recovery.html

[Mark von Kanel]

Hi Tobias.

This happened to me (sort of) i took a load of images and imported them into LR i then formatted the card and started to re use it. during an upgrade to lr 5 the next day i some how managed to delete said images off my PC. i was the holidays official tog, nobody else had taken any pictures and wed been to a wedding.......

I used mini tool on the card and was able to recover most of the images off the formatted card. It is likely that the partition has been corrupted and thats why you pc wont read the card.

SO you have 2 choices
1. stop faffing around and take the card to a professional recovery service. If your being paid for the wedding then this is what you should do. Do you carry insurance? My insurance would cover the recovery costs for lost images for a pro shoot. It will be expensive!

2. Format the card and try to recover yourself.....

If you cant afford a camera with 2 card slots, then stop shooting events that cant be re shot if required, I know this comment seems hard but if your selling a professional service then make sure you have taken all possible measures to make sure this sort of thing doesnt happen. Ill bet after this little fright youll take measures to make sure it doesnt happen again!! That wont however help those people whos day you may not have recorded properly this time.

[IzzieK]

Have you tried the eraser method? Sometimes no matter how you think you had cleaned the contacts, it is still dirty in reality. Hubby have had quite a few cards that he cannot read as soon as he comes home from the hangar and so angry until I clean the contacts with a white eraser (sorry I cannot read the label of mine now...) Just a thought...

[TobyMac]

@Mark, I totally agree with your comments except that today is sunday and the place isn't open, but I am going first thing tomorrow morning.

As far as the two camera thing, yes it is "mean" but I do agree with it but I also think, I need to start somewhere to earn money so I can afford to upgrade my camera. Luckily this wedding was for sprt of closeish friends and they aren't that fussy and as I was the main shooter I do have pretty much all the shots I need so it isn't a complete train smash but the second shooter did add some variety.

@Izzie I assure you I have cleaned it as much as humanly possible.

[ashcroft]

If you cant afford a camera with 2 card slots, then stop shooting events that cant be re shot if required, I know this comment seems hard but if your selling a professional service then make sure you have taken all possible measures to make sure this sort of thing doesnt happen. Ill bet after this little fright youll take measures to make sure it doesnt happen again!! That wont however help those people whos day you may not have recorded properly this time.

I hate to sound guilty of schadenfreude, but I thought exactly the same thing. You can not re-shoot a wedding. You can re-shoot a landscape, a building, and you can even re-shoot a portrait session if you screw it up. But not a wedding. It may sound like control-freakery to some people, but you reduce the risk of things that might go wrong as far as you practically can.

[Donald]

I hate to sound guilty of schadenfreude, but I thought exactly the same thing. You can not re-shoot a wedding. You can re-shoot a landscape, a building, and you can even re-shoot a portrait session if you screw it up. But not a wedding. It may sound like control-freakery to some people, but you reduce the risk of things that might go wrong as far as you practically can.

Point made guys, but I suspect it's not what Tobias is wanting or needing to hear right at this moment.

[Mark von Kanel]

Point made guys, but I suspect it's not what Tobias is wanting or needing to hear right at this moment.

Yes we know Donald our comments were also balanced with helpful advice, and we both apologised for seeming hard. Im certain niether of us wish to discourage Tobias from his endeavors, but pro is pro.

[Donald]

Indeed. Please don't think me critical. I was just trying to empathise with Tobias.

[Mark von Kanel]

Indeed. Please don't think me critical. I was just trying to empathise with Tobias.

Sorry Donald im in a bad mood this morning 4 weeks from going home and i didnt bring my camera with me on this trip!

As far as the two camera thing, yes it is "mean"

Tobias what camera are you using? We dont think your mean at all, and although 2 cameras is a good idea we actually mean that one camera with 2 card slots would be a good start point, then you just set both slots to record the same image and you have 2 copies in the one camera, I sold my Nikon D7000 (which i regret) for relatively little money it had 2 slots, Maybe an upgrade of this nature wouldnt cost as much as you think, if you look second hand.

[JR1]

first the bad news, ONE CARD, the term placing all your eggs into one basket comes to mind, if you were paid I hope you have public indemnity insurance as you will probably be sued.

Never use a camera with just one card slot.

Get Pandora recovery

http://www.pandorarecovery.com/download/

LOCK the card so it can't be formatted

[JR1]

Hi Tobias.

This happened to me (sort of) i took a load of images and imported them into LR i then formatted the card and started to re use it. during an upgrade to lr 5 the next day i some how managed to delete said images off my PC. i was the holidays official tog, nobody else had taken any pictures and wed been to a wedding.......

I used mini tool on the card and was able to recover most of the images off the formatted card. It is likely that the partition has been corrupted and thats why you pc wont read the card.

SO you have 2 choices
1. stop faffing around and take the card to a professional recovery service. If your being paid for the wedding then this is what you should do. Do you carry insurance? My insurance would cover the recovery costs for lost images for a pro shoot. It will be expensive!

2. Format the card and try to recover yourself.....

If you cant afford a camera with 2 card slots, then stop shooting events that cant be re shot if required, I know this comment seems hard but if your selling a professional service then make sure you have taken all possible measures to make sure this sort of thing doesnt happen. Ill bet after this little fright youll take measures to make sure it doesnt happen again!! That wont however help those people whos day you may not have recorded properly this time.

Oh boy do I agree, you can NOT muck about with such things as peoples lives, I would never ever use a camera with just ONE card slot, use the second for backup, change cards at least four times, one for the arrival, another for the ceremony, another for leaving, another for the dinner, that way you don't lose all.

Also I place a spare camera fired from the first, al;ways looking at the important part, the couple, that way I get two cameras one as backup.

I will e blunt, it is needed THESE DAYS.

TOO many people buy a camera and think that because someone has said they take great shots, they are David Baley and shoot weddings and events, NO NO NO, we all make mistakes, that is what insurance is for. Have it, no, S***

Someone said this is not the place to be blunt, it is JUST the place to be blunt and warn others. Just because you have a camera, take snaps does not make you a "photographer"

I make NO promises, but I have recovered many cards for people, if the worst come to the worst send it to me bought a brand new top of the range Sandisk from LCE, visited London, it never recorded one image, faulty from opening.

[Mark von Kanel]

I think we are all being a little harsh on Tobias here, if you read his original post carefully its actually his second shooters card that has failed not his! as such he isnt in that hard a posistion in that he has all of the main images.

Jeremy he was shooting a friends wedding, even if the realise that the second shooters images didnt come out i dont think sueing would be an option.

As donald says, i think Tobias has understood the implications of this episode. Hopefully it wont discourage him from going forward. I dont think any more negative comments will help Tobias though and we are here to help