Won't save in RAW

My T3i just started acting up. It will save files in JPEG by not RAW. When I shoot in RAW only, I can see the image on the back screen but when I download nothing shows up. I usually have it set to save RAW + JPEG. When I download, only the JPEG comes up. Also when I put the card into the card reader the files ususlly come right up. But now I have to tell it where to look. I have tried two different SD cards and it happens on both. The camera was purchased in August 2012 and has about 7K clicks. Any suggeations to get it to save RAW again.
Thanks for any help,

Larry Q

What mode are you in. I think green box mode and perhaps if you have somehow programmed one of the C modes it may be .jpg only.

Shot in Manual, AV and TV modes. With flash and without. No change in my problem.

Larry Q

Try formatting the card. I had this issue with one of my CF cards. Worried me a bit, but I formatted it to the camera and all was well again.

One thing to remember is that when you slide the card into the card reader only the JPEGs will show on your computer as thumbnails. The RAW files will be just that....files. Mine are .cr2 files if I remember correctly. You need a RAW viewer (like what comes with PS or LR) in order to see that file as a picture.

I've personally never really understood the RAW+JPEG thing. To each their own, I guess, but that just takes up so much space on the card...the RAW files are already big enough as it is. Anyway, back on topic...try formatting your card(s) in your camera.

Rivas8409, there isn't any reason to take RAW + large jpg's. You can get a jpg of any size from the RAW. Many people shoot RAW + small jpg sized for emailing. Got that one in a million shot you want to print at 24 x 36 inches and frame??? That is what RAW is for.

What software are you using to download? Do you have it looking specifically for photo files or all files? It may not recognize the CR2 as being an image.

John from PA wrote in post #15743646
Rivas8409, there isn't any reason to take RAW + large jpg's. You can get a jpg of any size from the RAW. Many people shoot RAW + small jpg sized for emailing. Got that one in a million shot you want to print at 24 x 36 inches and frame??? That is what RAW is for.

I guess my train of thought is that if I want to email a photo I shot in RAW I'll just save it as a small enough JPEG after post. Or if I'm not too concered about the PP leverage/advantage that RAW gives me (family pics while on vacation for example where I'm more concerend with capturing the memory than a phenomial picture) I'll just shoot in JPEG to begin with. Like I said, I know a lot of people do the RAW+JPEG thing and to each their own. It's a preference, nothing wrong with it.

[B]Try formatting the card. I had this issue with one of my CF cards. Worried me a bit, but I formatted it to the camera and all was well again. [/B]

Both of my cards have been reformatted in the camera. It didn't help.

What software are you using to download? Do you have it looking specifically for photo files or all files? It may not recognize the CR2 as being an image.

I use Picasa software to download into the computer and then transfer to DPP to process the RAW files. Been doing this since last August without a problem. When I download two images show, one cr2 and one .jpeg.
Now when I download, only the .jpeg shows. When I go to DPP, only the .jpeg is there.

I've personally never really understood the RAW+JPEG thing. To each their own, I guess, but that just takes up so much space on the card...the RAW files are already big enough as it is. Anyway, back on topic...try formatting your card(s) in your camera.

Sometimes I shoot in RAW only. I'm glad I had the camera set for RAW + JPEG this time. I had taken about 50 shots. If I had set the camera to RAW only, I would have had nothing.

I have also downloaded with two different card readers and get the same results with both. I have also tried a fresh fully charged battery in the camera. Didn't help.

Any other suggestions to try.

Larry Q

Before I had the CF card issue on my 50D I had a problem with my gripped XSi. I would snap a photo, I saw the thumbnail in the LCD but it ouldn't save the file. When I tried to preview the (after the initial preview) to zoom in and get a better look to make any changes the photo's weren't there. They hadn't written to the card. My problem ended up being the third party grip I was using. The only reason I say that with any amount of certainity is that I stopped using the grip and it never happened again.

I'm not saying that this is your problem becasue I don't know if you're camera is gripped, but I'm just throwing out ideas.

John from PA wrote in post #15743646
Rivas8409, there isn't any reason to take RAW + large jpg's.

I disagree. I always shoot RAW plus large JPG. Often, I can use the JPG as-is and that saves a lot of time when I can do it. I usually use the RAW file when there's some significant editing (other than things like simple cropping) to do with the image.

Update: I think I've figured out the problem. I connected the camera to the computer with the cord that came with the camera. I used the EOS Utility and downloaded RAW & JPEG without any problem. I got to discussing the problem with the wife and she happened to mention that either yesterday or the day before she was using Picasa to view some photos and it gave her an update notice. She clicked for it to update. I think the new version does not recognize RAW files. I will have to find a new way to download my files with the card reader I guess. I'm no computer whizz so I don't know how to back up to the old version of Picasa.
What software do the rest of you use to download files? I may have to upgrade my software.
Thanks for the help and suggestions.

Larry Q

Larry Q wrote in post #15744913
What software do the rest of you use to download files? I may have to upgrade my software.

Larry, I don't use any special software. I simply put the memory card into a reader and use Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer) to copy or move files from the card to one of my hard drives. It's fast and simple and always works.

Larry Q wrote in post #15744913
What software do the rest of you use to download files? I may have to upgrade my software.

Lightroom. I just pop my card in and import through Lightroom. SkipD's suggestion is great as well, if you are going to stick to Picassa. And with Windows Explorer at least you can see if the files are there, even though you don't get the image as the file icon.

You can extract the jpeg that is already in the .cr2 file usingutilities like IrfanView (I use a Mac and haven't done it for a while so I don't know what can be used for OSX).
If you shoot raw only, this jpeg is part of the .cr2 file whether you like it or not. Shooting raw + jpg does use more card space but only because it duplicates the jpeg in the raw file out to a stan-alone file recognized by OS's as a jpg!. It depends on the camera model what size the jpeg in the raw file actually is...

SkipD wrote in post #15744986
Larry, I don't use any special software. I simply put the memory card into a reader and use Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer) to copy or move files from the card to one of my hard drives. It's fast and simple and always works.

Thanks Skip. I didn't think about using Windows Explorer. I'll give it a try to see how it works. I have been using Picasa for quite some time before I got my DSLR. It is easy for edits on .jpeg. Since at one time it would work on RAW I just kept on using it to download and store.


Lightroom. I just pop my card in and import through Lightroom. SkipD's suggestion is great as well, if you are going to stick to Picassa. And with Windows Explorer at least you can see if the files are there, even though you don't get the image as the file icon.

kenjancef, Lightroom is probably my next upgrade in computer software in the not to distance future. I know that I can do most of my PP with it but I didn't know that I could import with it also. Good knowledge to know.

Now that I know what my problem is, I can work around it.
Thanks for all the help,
Larry Q