Posted by Michael Dreese on September 14, 2010 at 6:17 PM
This past weekend I was out shooting wildlife with my Nikon D70 and a telephoto lens. Everything was going great until my display started blinking a message "card needs formatting" or something similar. Eventually, the message disappeared and I presumed it was just a temporary glitch. However, when I retuned home I discovered that nearly all of the images from the shoot could not be read by my card reader when I attempted to download the card onto my hard drive. The card is a San Disk Ultra II. I have never experienced such a problem. Is there any way I can still retieve the lost files? I was shooting in the raw plus JPEG mode. Should I ever use this particular card again? Thanks in advance for any advice.
Posted by David Bostedo on September 14, 2010 at 6:25 PM
Michael - That card should have come with some recovery software. There are also a few free packages available online. I'd try a few different ones if that SanDisk tool doesn't work, since sometimes different tools work better than others.
Also, try to copy all of the info off the card within the tool and use that to try to recover. That way you don't risk damaging the info on the card itself even more.
Posted by Robert Bunch on September 15, 2010 at 1:04 AM
If you can't figure out how to do it yourself you can probably take it to a good camera store and they can do it for you.This happened to me once and I took the card to a camera store and they recovered all the images for me and put them on a disk.
Posted by Michael Dreese on September 15, 2010 at 6:05 AM
Thanks David and Robert. Last evening I was able to download the files but they appeared as CHK.files such as File0001.CHK. I'm hoping these are the original files recovered by the SanDisk software? Now how do I open or convert these files back to the original JPEG or RAW format? Thanks for any suggestions!
Posted by Doug Roane on September 15, 2010 at 8:28 AM
I had the same problem a few months ago. I used Lexar Image Rescue 4 and was able to recover most of the files. I don't know of any way to convert CHK files. The card may still be ok. When you recover the files, reformat in camera and take a few test shots.
Posted by conrad Rowe on September 15, 2010 at 11:22 AM
Michael, I would retire that card. It's not worth taking a chance. My 2 cents.
Out of curiosity Michael, do you happen to erase a lot of individual images from your cards, and do you merely erase the contents or reformat the card after your downloads?
We've found that either will eventually lead to corrupted cards. We don't do ANY erasing from the cards, whether images in the field or whole cards after downloads. We only reformat, and in the process we've wiped out corruption. How I wish it was as easy to end corruption in politics!!!
Posted by Michael Dreese on September 16, 2010 at 3:54 PM
Thanks to all for your input. It looks like I will have to try some better image rescue programs since nothing else seems to be working. Hank, I do ocassionally erase images from my cards but I always reformat the card in camera. Given your advice I will never erase individual files from the camera in the future. I will also be careful to use smaller capacity cards on a trip to negate any issues with a specific card.
Sounds as though it's other issues, especially since you're reformatting. Others might think it overkill Michael, but we simply can't take the chance of erasures. BTW- We have stacks of the 4gb cards not only because they limit the risk, as you cite, but also because they happen to fit nicely on backup DVDs.
Posted by Michael Dreese on September 17, 2010 at 5:40 PM
Hi everyone - Just an update on my dilemna. I went out this morning for a quick test shoot. I used another CF card that has always functioned properly. I took one shot and almost immediately a "CHR" began blinking in the display area. Then it began blinking "For." According to the manual, both signals relate to a faulty or nonfunctioning CF card. When I returned home I removed the battery and reinserted it. Afterwards, the camera and card worked properly.
I'm starting to wonder if there is an issue with the camera or the battery. I know that when charging my batteries of late, one of my chargers makes it difficult to remove the battery. You really have to apply pressure to get the battery unseated. Is it possible I damaged the contact points of the battery? I just ordered a batch of new CF cards but I'm worried there is another issue at play. I'm heading for Vermont in 3 weeks and I want to have confidence in my gear. Any help or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.
Posted by Paula Dittrick on September 17, 2010 at 7:39 PM
Michael,
I am getting same CHR and For messages on a San Disk Extreme III card in my D300 and my D200. I am fairly certain that in my case that it's not a battery problem. San Disk has some tips on their web site about particular cards and the D300. I tried some of the suggestions, and it's still a no-go in the camera.
I always format in the camera, but I have sometimes deleted files from the card while out in the field shooting. Going to stop doing that now. I also have a different card ordered and on the way.
Something is definitely going on in both your D70 Michael and your D300 Paula. I'm wondering if they aren't separate issues.
Like you, I'd be concerned about that particular battery Michael, especially if there's potential for it to damage the contacts in the camera. Do you experience similar problems- both the card issues and the battery sticking issues- when using the other batteries? Even so, the fact that you were shooting for simultaneous capture makes me wonder if it's an ongoing phenomenon with that particular Ultra II or a new development. Read on, in my comments to Paula:
And Paula, I wonder about the age of the Extreme III card in your D300, but not your D200. The fact that it misbehaves in both models points the finger at the individual card in your case. I'm guessing because I've heard of no issues with the D200. I have nothing but problems with Extreme III cards in both my D2X bodies, as does my wife in hers. With simultaneous capture of JPEG and RAW files, the Extreme III sporadically fails to write the JPEG and freezes up the body in the process. You have to restart the body to move on. It's so persistent that we retired them without even trying them in our D300 bodies. The Extreme IV cards are flawless and incredibly fast in comparison.
I'm such a duffer about electronics that it's dangerous for me to speculate, but the commonality between the failures involving simultaneous capture makes we wonder if the speed of the cards simply isn't sufficient, compared to our experiences with the Extreme IV cards. Digging in the Sandisk site might yield answers from folks who really do know electronics, but I haven't gone there yet.
Posted by Paula Dittrick on September 18, 2010 at 2:53 PM
Thanks Hank. I think you nailed it because just this year I made myself experiment with RAW files. So I have taking simultaneous JPEG and RAW capture.
Thanks also for your earlier post asking about deleting files while out in the field. I had been doing that once in a while without thinking of the possible consequences. I believe my Extreme III card is about 2 years old. It's good to know about Extreme IV cards.
Regards
Posted by Michael Dreese on September 19, 2010 at 9:18 AM
Hi Hank, Thanks so much for your insights into this matter. I'm intrigued, Paula, that you and I are experiencing similar problems with different camera models. At this point I'm trying to isolate the problem since I own two D70 bodies. As far as I know the problem has only affected one of them thus far. I'm taking as many precautions as possible prior to my trip. I have purchased new CF cards and a new Nikon battery and charger to replace the defective one. Hank, I'm really curious about your concerns over the simultaneous capture issue. I like to have the JPEG files as a point of reference but I always process the RAW files for printing, etc. I'm thinking about shooting RAW only for the time being and see what happens. I'm no expert on electronics either but I would think that the Ultra series would be plenty fast for the D70?
Hank, I'm really curious about your concerns over the simultaneous capture issue. I like to have the JPEG files as a point of reference but I always process the RAW files for printing, etc. I'm thinking about shooting RAW only for the time being and see what happens. I'm no expert on electronics either but I would think that the Ultra series would be plenty fast for the D70?
I'm just not familiar enough with the Ultra and the D70 to speculate, Michael. I'm wondering if there's more info at the Sandisk site or on Nikonians. In my case, the D2X seems to have it's issues with simultaneous capture only on the Extreme III cards, which are noticeably slower than the Extreme IV's. And even with the III it works perfectly fine with all other capture configurations, even if it seems to take forever to unload the buffer when you fill it, compared to the IV.
If I can ramble while my coffee soaks in, here's another reason we use the IV's rather than the III's, and have in fact never tried the Ultras: The "buffer-dump" time, or how long it takes a filled buffer to write completely to a card, is probably the biggest reason we have to own multiples of the same bodies and lenses. On fast shoots we simply can't wait for buffers to clear, so we switch back and forth between identical setups while waiting. It's not often we get into situations requiring buffer-stuffing fast shooting, but they're always very high-pressure, high-expense shoots, as in aerials from helicopters chartered for $3,400 an hour PLUS fuel. Even a couple of minutes waiting cause clients to become VERY cranky!
Discussion
14 repliesAlso, try to copy all of the info off the card within the tool and use that to try to recover. That way you don't risk damaging the info on the card itself even more.
We've found that either will eventually lead to corrupted cards. We don't do ANY erasing from the cards, whether images in the field or whole cards after downloads. We only reformat, and in the process we've wiped out corruption. How I wish it was as easy to end corruption in politics!!!
I'm starting to wonder if there is an issue with the camera or the battery. I know that when charging my batteries of late, one of my chargers makes it difficult to remove the battery. You really have to apply pressure to get the battery unseated. Is it possible I damaged the contact points of the battery? I just ordered a batch of new CF cards but I'm worried there is another issue at play. I'm heading for Vermont in 3 weeks and I want to have confidence in my gear. Any help or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.
I am getting same CHR and For messages on a San Disk Extreme III card in my D300 and my D200. I am fairly certain that in my case that it's not a battery problem. San Disk has some tips on their web site about particular cards and the D300. I tried some of the suggestions, and it's still a no-go in the camera.
I always format in the camera, but I have sometimes deleted files from the card while out in the field shooting. Going to stop doing that now. I also have a different card ordered and on the way.
Like you, I'd be concerned about that particular battery Michael, especially if there's potential for it to damage the contacts in the camera. Do you experience similar problems- both the card issues and the battery sticking issues- when using the other batteries? Even so, the fact that you were shooting for simultaneous capture makes me wonder if it's an ongoing phenomenon with that particular Ultra II or a new development. Read on, in my comments to Paula:
And Paula, I wonder about the age of the Extreme III card in your D300, but not your D200. The fact that it misbehaves in both models points the finger at the individual card in your case. I'm guessing because I've heard of no issues with the D200. I have nothing but problems with Extreme III cards in both my D2X bodies, as does my wife in hers. With simultaneous capture of JPEG and RAW files, the Extreme III sporadically fails to write the JPEG and freezes up the body in the process. You have to restart the body to move on. It's so persistent that we retired them without even trying them in our D300 bodies. The Extreme IV cards are flawless and incredibly fast in comparison.
I'm such a duffer about electronics that it's dangerous for me to speculate, but the commonality between the failures involving simultaneous capture makes we wonder if the speed of the cards simply isn't sufficient, compared to our experiences with the Extreme IV cards. Digging in the Sandisk site might yield answers from folks who really do know electronics, but I haven't gone there yet.
Thanks also for your earlier post asking about deleting files while out in the field. I had been doing that once in a while without thinking of the possible consequences. I believe my Extreme III card is about 2 years old. It's good to know about Extreme IV cards.
Regards
I'm just not familiar enough with the Ultra and the D70 to speculate, Michael. I'm wondering if there's more info at the Sandisk site or on Nikonians. In my case, the D2X seems to have it's issues with simultaneous capture only on the Extreme III cards, which are noticeably slower than the Extreme IV's. And even with the III it works perfectly fine with all other capture configurations, even if it seems to take forever to unload the buffer when you fill it, compared to the IV.
If I can ramble while my coffee soaks in, here's another reason we use the IV's rather than the III's, and have in fact never tried the Ultras: The "buffer-dump" time, or how long it takes a filled buffer to write completely to a card, is probably the biggest reason we have to own multiples of the same bodies and lenses. On fast shoots we simply can't wait for buffers to clear, so we switch back and forth between identical setups while waiting. It's not often we get into situations requiring buffer-stuffing fast shooting, but they're always very high-pressure, high-expense shoots, as in aerials from helicopters chartered for $3,400 an hour PLUS fuel.