card reader and image recovery (urgent)!

Hey all.

Little problem (actually big, and I'm freaking out, but anyway)

Some images from a few weeks ago have magically disappeared from a CF card. This is the first time I have not transferred the images straight onto the computer. Obviously I'll never do this again.

My internal card read is crap, so I usually transfer from the camera. This won't work for any image recovery software. So I bought a card reader (not great, but the best one I could find locally). I can only get it to read one of my CF cards. So, I'm going to take it back.

I can't get any image recovery software to work, because I can't get the cards read.

So, my question is:

What is the very best CF card reader and where can I get it?

and

What is the very best image recovery software for RAW images?

I already have the RescuePro software that came with my sandisc extreme3 card, and I've also downloaded a couple of free programs, and I bought iolo search and discover which doesn't seem to read the CR2 files.

I'm willing to pay whatever I need to.

I have done searches on here and the internet, but I haven't yet turned up the info I need.

Assuming you don't have a defective reader.....

The cheapest vs most expensive card readers..... as far as recognizing and being able to "see" images....... no difference. One reader may be faster transferring files but that's where the differences end, imo.

bohdank wrote in post #6358379
Assuming you don't have a defective reader.....

The cheapest vs most expensive card readers..... as far as recognizing and being able to "see" images....... no difference. One reader may be faster transferring files but that's where the differences end, imo.

Thanks for your response.
I think it may be a defective card reader. Lightroom actaully says no file found, yet when the camera was connected, it did find all the images.
Unfortunately, the image recovery programs need a card reader, as far as I can tell.

Anyway, I found somewhere locally that has a Lexar firewire CF card reader. l'm going to buy that today and see if I can get the recovery software to read my cards, and go from there.

Thanks so much

The best of luck.

Ahhhh...
If anyone can help, please!

I think I got the old card reader working.
Now I really need the best software for finding RAW files.

uhg... I cannot bear to tell these people I lost their images.

ANY electronics store should have the million in 1 readers that connect via USB 2.0
I bought mine for 7.99 from meritline.com but you're concerned with time.
Looking up online; it appears there are best buy's in BC
I'd recommend using this; and deciding if you want to return it and buy something smaller or keep this one
http://www.bestbuy.com …=product&id=117​4694369679
This is what I have and it's great:
(got it on sale)
http://www.meritline.c​om …ard-reader-with-sdhc.html

Good Luck;
If you need another suggestion for free recovery s.w; let me know and I'll search for the one I posted a while back.

Zero Assumption Recovery works well.

Hi Vicki

I second ZAR as mentioned by DC Fan

But just to mention CF cards care and usage. How do you handle the cards after/during shooting? The reason I pose the question is that for me to keep them in good 'trim' (so to speak) I copy across my images using a card reader then format the cards using the PC, once back in camera I format again ~ IMO this gives me a good clean card. However, I recall freading on a couple of occassions that if all you do is delete the card in camera the file structure can become corrupted, so at the very least incamera formating is required.

Sorry for the long winded info but what I am asking are you a deleter or a formater as the card problem you are having could be down to the method used or not as the case may be.

Best of luck

I'm not sure it makes any difference how you "clean" your card.

Although a different card format,... I have never formatted my Memory Sticks for my Sony 707. I transfer to PC and delete the images on the PC. After about 14k shots I have never had a problem. I continue to use this method with my 40D and CF cards.

bohdank wrote in post #6363555
I'm not sure it makes any difference how you "clean" your card.

Although a different card format,... I have never formatted my Memory Sticks for my Sony 707. I transfer to PC and delete the images on the PC. After about 14k shots I have never had a problem. I continue to use this method with my 40D and CF cards.

I agree but my understanding is that as you cannot defragment a solid state memory like a hard drive the only way to 'refresh' it fully is formating. It is possible that some makes of CF card are prone to corruption if never formatted in use. Supposition on my part but there have been some reports of CF cards and other memory cards having corruption issues. Hence the reason I do it my way, as all things in life each to his/her own

Tdragone wrote in post #6362734
ANY electronics store should have the million in 1 readers that connect via USB 2.0
I bought mine for 7.99 from meritline.com but you're concerned with time.
Looking up online; it appears there are best buy's in BC
I'd recommend using this; and deciding if you want to return it and buy something smaller or keep this one
http://www.bestbuy.com …=product&id=117​4694369679
This is what I have and it's great:
(got it on sale)
http://www.meritline.c​om …ard-reader-with-sdhc.html

Good Luck;
If you need another suggestion for free recovery s.w; let me know and I'll search for the one I posted a while back.

Thank so much for the info.

I've now tried 5 different recovery software programs. The card reader won't read my 8g card, but it will read the 2 1g cards now. So, is it the card reader or my card? The card should be fine, after all it can be read just fine from the camera.

So, from the 2 small cards (where I'm 99% sure the images were, I got 2000 images combined- every one says damaged and can't open- I can tell by the file size though that they're old and not the ones I need).

Now I wonder if I totally screwed up and they actually were on the 8g card.

So once I get a card reader that will read that card, I would love some advice about other recovery software.

Box Brownie wrote in post #6363167
Hi Vicki

I second ZAR as mentioned by DC Fan

But just to mention CF cards care and usage. How do you handle the cards after/during shooting? The reason I pose the question is that for me to keep them in good 'trim' (so to speak) I copy across my images using a card reader then format the cards using the PC, once back in camera I format again ~ IMO this gives me a good clean card. However, I recall freading on a couple of occassions that if all you do is delete the card in camera the file structure can become corrupted, so at the very least incamera formating is required.

Sorry for the long winded info but what I am asking are you a deleter or a formater as the card problem you are having could be down to the method used or not as the case may be.

Best of luck

OK, yes I'm a deleter, for sure. Perhaps that's what happened.

I rarely format a card, but this is the very first time I've had a problem.

Well, I'll have some new protocols in place from now on, including getting the images onto the computer right after shooting. I know that's a given for many of you, and this was the very first (and last) time I didn't. I have to phone my client today and tell her. Yikes!
I'm going to keep trying, of course, but she needs to know what's going on.
Luckily she's a friend of the family... but still.


Thanks for all the advice.

Has anyone heard of a card reader that can't read an 8g card?
The one I bought is Certified Data. $20.

I drove half an hour to buy the Lexar firewire card, and oh, I'm dumb, it's Firewire 800, which my computer does not have- so another half hour drive to take it back today! grrrrr

For the record I do not have 8GB cards ~ max for me is 4GB (actually 2 x 4GB, 3 x 2GB and couple of older 1GB) all my cards are Sandisk either Ultra II or now mostly Extreme III versions.

What are your card makes? There was a documented issue with some Lexar versions but I cannot recall what the issue was??? Oh I have a Lexar Firewire CF reader (older one) and a generic USB2.0 4way reader and both work fine with my CF cards and as appropriate my xD card and SD cards.

Best of luck sorting this out and keeping your client 'onside'.



PS I have found what I think I recalled and it does not (seem) to relate to 8GB cards but here a couple of links in case it helps http://www.dpreview.co​m …5061001lexar_80​xcards.asp and http://www.dpreview.co​m …052001canonlexa​ralert.asp it seems to be related to a specific range of cards and and some Canon cameras and dates from June 2005 !!!

Box Brownie wrote in post #6365397
For the record I do not have 8GB cards ~ max for me is 4GB (actually 2 x 4GB, 3 x 2GB and couple of older 1GB) all my cards are Sandisk either Ultra II or now mostly Extreme III versions.

What are your card makes? There was a documented issue with some Lexar versions but I cannot recall what the issue was??? Oh I have a Lexar Firewire CF reader (older one) and a generic USB2.0 4way reader and both work fine with my CF cards and as appropriate my xD card and SD cards.

Best of luck sorting this out and keeping your client 'onside'.



PS I have found what I think I recalled and it does not (seem) to relate to 8GB cards but here a couple of links in case it helps http://www.dpreview.co​m …5061001lexar_80​xcards.asp and http://www.dpreview.co​m …052001canonlexa​ralert.asp it seems to be related to a specific range of cards and and some Canon cameras and dates from June 2005 !!!

Thank you so much.

My card is Sandisk Extreme III. My older ones are Kingston 1g and US Modular 1 g. I'll check out those articles, and maybe search for more info about 8 gig cards, although I've never read anything on here about any problems reading them.
I just spoke with my client and she was understanding. Disappointed, but not angry or anything. That was on of the hardest calls I've made. I'm just starting out and don't want to make mistakes.

Thanks again for helping and I'll keep you posted.

Just something to bear in mind it may simply be a problem with that card ~ if it is a genuine Sandisk I understand they have very good warranty replacement service.
(Note - one reason why I have many cards i.e. not all eggs in one basket)

I say if a genuine one because there have been at intervals reports of fakes being sold If you have one of those I surmise you have lost out monitarily