Arrrrghhhhh! Corrupt Memory Cards!

[PaulN]

I'm on my 4th memory card, and am getting sick and tired of loosing pictures taken with my R-D1. I'm also getting sick of dropping $80 of 1gb memory cards only to have them start to go bad within 4 months.

Is anyone else getting a higher amount of corrupt images on their R-D1 memory cards? I've gone through a bunch of different vendors, and am now considering replacing my card reader in an attempt to narrow down the source of the problem.

Is anyone else seeing corrupted images? I do a Full Format everytime I start a new shooting session. The camera says that there are no pictures on the card. I shot 100+ images this morning (all JPG's this time) and when I d/l them onto my Mac, I end up with 3 photos that I took today, and about 70 images that were on the camera _before_ I formatted it. I'm taking a raw image of the card file now, and will put it back into the camera once the copy is done. I'm sure by now that the camera won't actually see any of the photos, even though I scrolled through all of the thumbnails before attemping to d/l the images onto the computer.

Sigh. All is not lost, as I did shoot some film pics alongside the R-D1. It kills me though. I like the R-D1, but am concerned about the lost images.. Especially because the camera (my 3rd) just went out of warranty.

 

[brightsky]

No, I've never had a corrupted card. Mine are SanDisk- 1-1 GB and 3-512K. My reader is also a SanDisk.

What brands of cards and reader are you using?

 

[PaulN]

No, I've never had a corrupted card. Mine are SanDisk- 1-1 GB and 3-512K. My reader is also a SanDisk.

What brands of cards and reader are you using?

I've had problems with San disk (1x512, 1x1gb) and Lexar (2x1gbs). I had a SanDisk reader, but opted to get one of those multi-card readers. I think it is by eFilm. I thrown thousands of images through it, both CompactFlash & SD Card and only seem to have a problem with the SD cards used in the R-D1.

I'm off to buy another reader today. Hopefully I can find a SanDisk or Lexar reader that supports both SD & CF cards. The multi-card reader has made me lazy.

-Paul

 

[ed wozniak]

I have been using a SanDisk 1 gb card and have not had any problems. I also use a SanDisk multi-reader. Takes SD, CF, and a bunch of other types I'll never use.
If the problem persists, I'd start leaning towards a flaw in your particular camera.
good luck...

 

[PaulN]

I found an open source program that pulled the JPG's out of a raw image of the compact flash card. It managed to pull out all of the photos I shot today, with the exception of one. The third picture I took today was corrupt, and from that point on the computer/camera thought every other image was corrupt after that. Thankfully the card recovery program didn't apply logic to the files and just dumped them out and let me decide.

The free recovery tool can be found here:
http://unix.freshmeat.net/projects/recoverphotos/

It only supports standard files (ie JPG). I don't know of an open source recovery tool that understands the ERF file format. It may be an easy hack to add the support though. If I get time this evening, I'll give it a shot and post back if I have a working ERF recovery tool.

 

[peterc]

I do a Full Format everytime I start a new shooting session.

If you're formatting in the camera I'd suspect there's a problem with the firmware in your camera since you're having this problem on a regular basis.

Peter

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

You should post this info over at DslrXchange too. It isn't visited often, but this would be very useful there.

Thanks! I'm going for that free software for my digicams.

Bob H

 

[RML]

Never had a problem with the Lexar 1GB CF or the Sandisk 1GB SD card I have. I simply use either a cheapo multicard reader or the sd card reader in ym laptop. I have never fully formatted any card. I stick with quick format.

 

[RML]

It only supports standard files (ie JPG). I don't know of an open source recovery tool that understands the ERF file format. It may be an easy hack to add the support though. If I get time this evening, I'll give it a shot and post back if I have a working ERF recovery tool.

Lexar provides a recovery tool with every card they sell. IIRC that tool can pull any file from a card, no matter the format.

 

[NoTx]

Question: have you been formating them in camera or in a computer? I have noted problems when you format via a computer and not in the camera, with many brands of digital cameras.

 

[PaulN]

Hi NoTx,
Nope, I format in camera only. As for the Lexar software, I was in a bind the last time I had bought a Lexar card and had to format the card immediately upon purchase and start shooting.

As for updating the PhotoRecovery software to support ERF, I looked at the code and I don't think it will be too difficult. I'll probably add the functionality once the blizzard hits and I'm too cold to shoot.

 

[JonasYip]

I've never had that sort of problem with any SD card in the RD-1, or any CF cards from other cameras.

But I *have* had problems with more than one card-reader. One was a Lexar Firewire reader which would corrupt the file system on the card; the other a PCMCIA multi-card reader which had all sorts of problems.

Hope you find the source of your problems...

 

[RML]

As for the Lexar software, I was in a bind the last time I had bought a Lexar card and had to format the card immediately upon purchase and start shooting.

Contact Lexar from their website. They're good to talk to. Last time I had misplaced my recovery software (deleted, of course, because I wouldn't need it anyway!) they sent me copy of the software.

 

[oftheherd]

I have a 4MP Epson P&S that uses SD cards. Oddly enough I discovered that it works better if I leave one photo on it at all times. Don't know why, but I don't have to format it and I don't get corrupted cards. Another good recovery tool at least for PC is Zero Assumption Image Recovery Tool. It can be found at Snapfiles.com in the freeware area.

 

[LCT]

...I do a Full Format everytime I start a new shooting session. ... I end up with 3 photos that I took today, and about 70 images that were on the camera _before_ I formatted it...

I suspect a problem when formatting the card in your camera.
Try to format a card in the card reader and tell us if it works.
Best,
LCT

 

[wdenies]

Not only formatting via the computer, but use the card as an "external" HD in the card reader and do a lot of copies, moves etc. to and from the card for a while. If does not cause any problem then the camera is suspect nbr 1

Wim

 

[Jim Watts]

I've never had that sort of problem with any SD card in the RD-1, or any CF cards from other cameras.

But I *have* had problems with more than one card-reader. One was a Lexar Firewire reader which would corrupt the file system on the card; the other a PCMCIA multi-card reader which had all sorts of problems.

Hope you find the source of your problems...

Like Jonas I have not had any problems with my cards, but I have also had problems with card readers particularly using SD cards. i.e multicard reader works fine with my Compact Flash cards but will not read all (although usually reads some) and sometimes has corrupted images on card. Card has been O.K. though after reformating in camera.