300d image storage problem

[puttick]

Took 50-odd frames in one session on Sunday with my 300d/17-40 and a new 1 Gb CF card (Dane-Elec XS "35-40x") on which I had stored only about 140 frames i.e. less than half full. The card had been removed and replaced before the shoot.

While shooting the camera appeared to behave normally and I reviewed a couple of frames for focus etc. during the shoot.

On returning home - no images from that shoot visible on camera or via card reader (using ZB and Windows XP explorer), but all previous images OK. Tried taking 2 more frames - everything OK.

I had some time ago successfully used Digital Image Rescue (an older freeware version) to recover a friend's formatted CF card, so tried that - and all the shots were there, mostly intact. Even the EXIF data is there.

This seems to me like a directory problem - i.e. no DCIM folder for that session was visible, so the camera and card reader couldn't see the images. Now why would that happen? I had not deleted anything, and not done the obvious bad things like switching off the camera or removing the card while it was writing.

Is it likely to be a camera fault or card fault? Most importantly, can I prevent it happening again? They were great photos of my kids with new puppies - hard to repeat - but not as dire as say a friend's wedding (and I've been unwise enough to do that a few times, thankfully without problems, using film!) so I'm rather concerned...but glad to have recovered them.

All advice gratefully received.

Thanks
Nigel

[robertwgross]

This seems to me like a directory problem - i.e. no DCIM folder for that session was visible, so the camera and card reader couldn't see the images. Now why would that happen? I had not deleted anything, and not done the obvious bad things like switching off the camera or removing the card while it was writing.


Nigel, the DCIM folder gets placed there during the format/directory process in the camera. So, after you transferred the images at the previous session, you may have forgotten to reformat in the camera.

One thing that you may notice is that when you format a CF card in the camera, a small amount of the space is used. Typically something like 8KB or 12KB out of a 512MB card is taken by the format/directory process. You should know what that small number is under normal conditions. Then, if you see the number change, you will know that something fishy is in the works. If so, I would do a complete reformat of the card in the computer, and then return it to the camera and reformat again.

---Bob Gross---

[puttick]

Thanks, Bob

The card was new out of the box a week ago, formatted once only in the camera, used for 140 images, then removed from the camera and images downloaded to a friend's laptop (actually a Mac powerbook). At that point I didn't want to erase or reformat, as I wanted to download the images to my own PC, so put the card back in the camera, and there was still plenty of space on the card.

The problem occurred on the next shooting session - camera behaved normally, but none of the NEW images apparently on the card when reviewing or attempting to download (all previous images still there, and 2 new trial images taken and reviewed normally).

Are you suggesting that after downloading images from a partly-used CF card it is then *necessary* to reformat before using it in the camera again? If so, that is a real bind and would cause difficulty as I quite often like to leave a few good shots on a card (e.g. of family) so I can show them to others on my camera's LCD screen!

Incidentally, have you a preference of any image recovery software?

Thanks
Nigel

[robertwgross]

Are you suggesting that after downloading images from a partly-used CF card it is then *necessary* to reformat before using it in the camera again? ...

Incidentally, have you a preference of any image recovery software?


I won't say that it is necessary. I will say that it is highly advisable. The only time that I lost files on mine was when I neglected to follow procedure.

PC Inspector File Recovery is one program that I've used.

One extra problem comes from shooting JPEGs onto the CF card, then viewing them in the computer, then altering the JPEGs, and then saving them on the same CF card, and then trying to view them again in the camera.

---Bob Gross---

[scottbergerphoto]

Dane Electric Card. Say no More!
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26231&highlight=dane
Regards,
scott