help... is my camera or memory cards stuffed?

W00DY · March 25, 2007

Hi All,

Well I went out shooting this weekend and come back with this image:

Not only did the above happen but I also had some error messages on the D70 saying that there was no file data for some images. I thought it was the memory card so I swapped cards and then the above happened? The above image looks ok when viewed on the D70 but looks like this once imported into Aperture?

What do you think? :scratch :scratch :scratch

Cheers,
W00DY

Skippy · March 25, 2007

W00DY wrote:

Hi All,

Well I went out shooting this weekend and come back with this image:
Not only did the above happen but I also had some error messages on the D70 saying that there was no file data for some images. I thought it was the memory card so I swapped cards and then the above happened? The above image looks ok when viewed on the D70 but looks like this once imported into Aperture?
What do you think?
Cheers,
W00DY

Hi W00DY .... I have had this problem too, not sure what causes it, but I still have the same camera and the same cards, I wondered if it happened during the transfer process from Camera to Computer.

I have only had it happen a couple of times, its not consistant so I haven't really pinpointed whats causing it........ Skippy
.

luke_church · March 25, 2007

W00DY wrote:

Hi
Not only did the above happen but I also had some error messages on the D70 saying that there was no file data for some images. I thought it was the memory card so I swapped cards and then the above happened?

The image is characteristic of bit-level damage to a class of RAW files (CR2 files would look the same with bit-damage, SRF and SR2 files would look different). For some reason bits are being flipped.

I would reset the camera, go out and buy a new Sandisk memory card, format it in camera and shoot a bunch of images. If any fail, it's probably the camera.

I've had 3 CF cards fail on me, and have never had a camera fail in this manner. My bet therefore is still on the cards.

The above image looks ok when viewed on the D70 but looks like this once imported into Aperture?

That's quite possibly normal. Many RAW formats contain an embedded preview, that cameras etc. can use to display the image quickly. If Aperture works like most other RAW engines, it uses this thumbnail to briefly display the image and then loads and parses the full file. As the damage has occured to the main image, not the thumbnail, it may not appear on the camera.

In my experience the thumbnail represents such a tiny fraction of the file that the file can suffer servere damage (in excess of 100,000 bit flips, which is an insane level of damage) before the thumbnail appears to fail, even thought the outputted RAW files are even more badly trashed than the one you showed.

If it's critically necessary, I could probably still get the images out of your RAW files, but it would be expensive...

What do you think?

Based on my personal experience, I would say that cards fail much more often, and if cameras fail they usually do so in a different manner to this. However trying to write to damaged cards can do wierd things to the software, so I'd cold-reset the camera with a new card and try again.

HTH,

Luke

luke_church · March 25, 2007

Skippy wrote:

I have only had it happen a couple of times, its not consistant so I haven't really pinpointed whats causing it........ Skippy
.

Wierd... I guess it could be a knackered communication to the PC, hadn't thought of that. Some DAM experts I was talking to were talking about intermittant failure on a CF card, I thought it was just a freak occurance, but from what you say, maybe not....

If you don't mind me asking, what brand of memory card are you using?

Cheers

Luke

Skippy · March 25, 2007

luke_church wrote:

Wierd... I guess it could be a knackered communication to the PC, hadn't thought of that. Some DAM experts I was talking to were talking about intermittant failure on a CF card, I thought it was just a freak occurance, but from what you say, maybe not....

If you don't mind me asking, what brand of memory card are you using?

Cheers

Luke

My cards are Sandisk 111 & 11 ...... Skippy

W00DY · March 25, 2007

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I thought it was weird that 2 different cards would fail the same weekend, that is what made me think it might be the camera.

I'll look up how to cold reset the D70 and give that a try. Can you format the cards outside the camera? and if so is it a good idea?

I don't think it would matter but does it effect the cards if you are transferring sometimes to PC, sometimes to MAC?

Cheers.

wxwax · March 25, 2007

Always format your cards in the camera. You haven't been?

Richard · March 25, 2007

W00DY wrote:

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess I thought it was weird that 2 different cards would fail the same weekend, that is what made me think it might be the camera.

I'll look up how to cold reset the D70 and give that a try. Can you format the cards outside the camera? and if so is it a good idea?

I don't think it would matter but does it effect the cards if you are transferring sometimes to PC, sometimes to MAC?

Cheers.

Don't overlook the possibility that the cable you are using to transfer images to your computer could be at fault. Try using a different cable if you can. In my experience, cables fail a lot more frequently than any other component.

W00DY · March 25, 2007

wxwax wrote:

Always format your cards in the camera. You haven't been?

That is the only way I have been, just thought maybe there was another way I should try. Thanks.

help... is my camera or memory cards stuffed?

Comments