Problem reading files from an old SD card in an M9

[Ray Vonn 2023]

I ran out of space on a compact flash SD card, so used another old Lexar 32GB 45mb/s card. I know I shouldn't have given the camers but had no other option. Perhaps predictably, the images from this card can be seen by the camera but they do not load onto my MBP. Can anyone suggest a quick easy fix to have the files downloaded to the HD (that's if there is one)?

 

[Godfrey]

How are you trying to load the files onto your MacBook Pro?

If they were recorded onto the SD card, and the SD card mounts in as a volume on your MBP with the SD card reader, you should be able to find them using the Finder in the appropriate subdirectory of the SD Card and then drag/drop them into a folder on your hard drive.

Then it comes down to whether the files can be read by whatever app you are using to do image processing with... 😉

G

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Did you format the card in the M9 before using it? The M9 typically uses FAT-32 format with no problem. My Nikon Df also formats 32GByte cards as FAT-32. I just used the 32GByte SD card bought in 2013 with the Df in the M9, format in camera- works fine. It is a 10x card. I normally use 4x cards in the M9, M Monochrom, and M8.

I have ZERO experience with Mac, Windows and DOS- yes. I just placed the SD card in an SD to USB adapter, booted into DOS (real mode)- and copied the files to the hard drive from USB. Windows also works. Surprisingly, I've been able to read from damaged cards under real-mode DOS on a VortexDX3 based system than any other computer. The BIOS supports USB, and very little gets in the way. I even found some hidden .exe files on fresh-out-of-the-pack SD cards that were made in China. They do not execute under DOS. Easy to find. I like DOS.

One thing you might try is placing the SD card into an adapter for USB, like mine. A different set of drivers will probably kick in to read the card.

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[Ray Vonn 2023]

Thanks @Godfrey and @Sonnar Brian.

This is a litany of schoolboy errors on my part. The card, which I operate through a SD to USB adapter doesn’t mount on my MBP and I note I did not format the card in camera before taking pictures. This is something I knew about but didn't engage. Here you are trying to help someone who has effectively gone to the crease to face a fast bowler but has forgotten to take his bat with him😂.

Still, it’s not the end of the world; I took a total of approx 1,100 images of which about 30 relate to this non functioning SD card plus as the images load on the camera, I at least know they exist. I will keep delving, including trying loading the card on a windows FAT32 drive. Thanks again.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The M9 has a USB connection. Try using the USB to the camera to read out the images. Worth a try!

Thanks @Godfrey and @Sonnar Brian.

This is a litany of schoolboy errors on my part. The card, which I operate through a SD to USB adapter doesn’t mount on my MBP and I note I did not format the card in camera before taking pictures. This is something I knew about but didn't engage. Here you are trying to help someone who has effectively gone to the crease to face a fast bowler but has forgotten to take his bat with him😂.

Still, it’s not the end of the world; I took a total of approx 1,100 images of which about 30 relate to this non functioning SD card plus as the images load on the camera, I at least know they exist. I will keep delving, including trying loading the card on a windows FAT32 drive. Thanks again.

 

[willie_901]

First, flip the read/write tab on the card to read only.

Brian’s USB/Camera idea could save you.

Does your SD to USB adapter work right now with a different card?

Do you know anyone with a PC. Perhaps they could read the card.

As far as the Mac goes, did you try to the MacOS Disk Utility application? Sometimes you can mount storage with Disk Utility.

 

[brusby]

Always good to double check the basics. Sometimes even properly formatted USB drives can be a little difficult to mount. On both my MacBook Pro and iMac sometimes I have to push the card into the slot a few times before it mounts. This is true with a variety of different cards. It even helps to hold a little inward pressure while it is mounting.

And rebooting the computer never hurts.

But trying different computers and the M9s USB connection are both good ideas.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

SOOOO. Followed my own advice TODAY.
Put a Sandisk 16GByte card into the M9 and formatted it. Like I always do. Don't remember what I used it in last. Took some pictures- card came up as full. It formatted the card to 512MBytes, not 16GBytes. Read out the card on my Win10 machine, which showed it as a 512MByte device. Formatted again in the M9. 512MBytes again. Put a second card in the M9, identical Sandisk 16GByte: came up as 16GBytes.

Put the original into my Panasonic CF-52 that dual-boots DOS, supports USB devices, ran FDISK. FDisk showed a corrupt partition and a good 512MByte partition. Delete Partition, use FDISK to make new on, FORMAT- card is 16GBytes again. Working fine.

DOS is Awesome.

 

[Godfrey]

I always format any SD cards with the SD Association's "SD Card Formatter". I've never once had a problem with any SD card in any Leica camera.

G

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I also have SD Card Formatter, and HP USB- the latter used to optionally make the Cards Bootable. I use SD cards and CF cards as DOS Bootable for embedded systems. I've found that the DOS utilities under BIOS support for USB devices worked even when those told me "Card is Write Protected" under Windows, even when it was not.

Ah, "Memories"

Sandisk 8GByte Extreme Pro: will not work with my EP-2, CX-1, or WIN7 machine.

So my Sandisk Extreme Pro 8GByte SDHC card arrived. I used it in the M8, before trying in the M9. The latter is where the problems were reported. With the M8: Filled the buffer, deleted images. reviewed images, repeated for 420MBytes of continuous fire. I never put the card into my M9. This...

rangefinderforum.com

The problem with some SD cards is that they do not conform to the standard, and attempt to boost performance.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Just to add- of all the memory cards I've used since full-sized PMCIA days, Transcend SD cards are absolutely the worst.

 

[Godfrey]

Well, I have never used an SD card as a bootable device and run macOS, not Windows, so I have no familiarity with things that work specifically for Windows and booting. I just take the position that if a card does not format properly with SD Card Formatter, I don't use it. So far, all of my Sandisk, Lexar, Sony, Transcend, and Panasonic cards have formatted properly and none have ever caused any problems, in any Leica or other camera I've used.

That some cards have had problems I don't deny, I just haven't experienced it. 🤷‍♂️

G

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I was just surprised when the utility from SD.org and HP could not handle a card that "good old DOS" was able to recover. Probably because of the simplicity of the Drivers used.

 

[Coldkennels]

I was just surprised when the utility from SD.org and HP could not handle a card that "good old DOS" was able to recover. Probably because of the simplicity of the Drivers used.

I've run into similar situations in Mac. The built-in GUI Disk Utility tool is pretty good in 99% of situations, but every so often you get something that needs you to load Terminal and run the diskutil command instead. I've managed to salvage data from a few totally undetectable external HDDs and USB sticks that way.

Why the command line version works better than the GUI version when they're the exact same program (as far as I know, anyway...) is beyond me.

 

[Ray Vonn 2023]

I'm just updating this in the faint possibility someone might have been as silly as me and is looking for a solution. Yes, as Brian suggested, connecting to the hard drive directly from the camera with SD card inserted via wired connection is definitely the way to go. I had to do this by inserting the SD from the rangefinder into a Ricoh GRIII. I couldn't connect the rangefinder to the hard drive directly by wired connection (that's another story) but noted that the GR and rangefinder both utilised seemingly the same DNG format. Very strange; the GR didn't read the SD card 6 months ago but did this time (?). I couldn't zoom into the image files or otherwise edit them in the GR, nor was any metadata displayed, it was strictly image viewing only. No matter; I then connected the GR to the hard drive with the same SD card via wired connection and the files transferred over uncorrupted. I suppose one of the reasons I'm posting this is because I'm very happy to be avoiding a 300 pounds(!) charge I was quoted by a "Data Recovery Specialist".

 

[DownUnder]

Threads such as this are what make RFF such an incredible resource.

I found this has been most instructive, and not only for Leicaphiles. Many thanks for posting!

Somewhere in my desk at home are two old cards from my Nikon D800. With images, supposedly corrupted, still reading but not downloadable.

I will be putting a few of the good suggestions here to the test shortly. Fingers are crossed...

 

[Darthfeeble]

You have the pictures now? If so you might hook the card up to the computer and use disk utility to erase and reformat the card, formating it to FAT32. Then put it in the Leica and format it to the camera system. Once done see if that will let you copy pix to the computer directly.
I haven't had a lick of trouble with any of my many Sandisk cards going back some 20 plus years and several camera but you never know when one might stumble. One of a few flaws with Leica is they don't have a download port. I guess that's to enhance the film like experience.

 

[35photo]

Anyone try an external card reader? Sometimes those can fetch files off an SD card that an internal SD Card reader can't...

 

[Richard G]

Some useful principles.

1. Format the card in camera.
2. Reformat regularly
3. Retire cards periodically
4. Or keep a precious one and don't re-use. (Longevity uncertain)
5. Inaccessible images
5a Try different access methods eg external card reader, USB cable download from M9 as advised above.
5b Try reading the card in a PC if card inaccessible in Mac. Reformat in PC FAT32. Retrieve images. Maybe.
5c If card then readable in Mac, try DiskUtility.
5d Download SanDIsk Recovery program, including Paid version if necessary. It's cheaper than data recovery specialist. Had to do this once.
6. I would still say steer clear of SanDisk Extreme 8 GB with an M9.

 

[Freakscene]

4. Or keep a precious one and don't re-use. (Longevity uncertain)

I use cards like film; I fill them once and then put them aside. They are not my photo archive, but I keep them.

I recently checked all my cards going back to 2000. They all work and all images on all of them were accessible. This is some small data.

Marty