[GoremanX]

I just transferred a month's worth of new DNG files from my K-3 to my computer. When I opened them up in Lightroom, they were all corrupted:



So I tried opening them with PhotoNinja, with the same result.

However I can open the files in my camera and convert them to JPGs just fine, which leads me to believe all the necessary information is still in the files. So why are these DNG files suddenly showing up as corrupt on all my desktop software?

I've been using this K-3 to take thousands upon thousands of DNG photos with this exact same workflow for 1.5 years now. This sudden change is a little disconcerting.

---------- Post added 05-28-15 at 12:29 PM ----------

Nevermind, just figured it out. My card reader is corrupting all my files as I transfer them. That means I just ruined a month's worth of photos because I already formatted the card after I confirmed the photos were transferred.

[jatrax]

Ouch.............

[igabc]

I feel for you pal.

[stevebrot]

Nevermind, just figured it out. My card reader is corrupting all my files as I transfer them. That means I just ruined a month's worth of photos because I already formatted the card after I confirmed the photos were transferred.

Oh! No! I just felt sick when I read this.


Steve

[Painter]

I know it's likely too late to do anything about it but you could try recovery software on the card. I don't believe the formatting is a set everything to zero type. I don't format my cards until I have verified and back up the important images, I assume your going to rethink your work flow. PS sorry this happened to you.

[jatrax]

Not sure if file recovery software will work after a format or not but maybe worth a shot.

I have used https://www.piriform.com/recuva with good results in the past.

[GoremanX]

Oh! No! I just felt sick when I read this.

For the next poor soul who repeats my mistake:

- DO confirm that transferred photos are intact before formatting your memory card (don't just confirm that filenames are all there)

- recovery software works wonders to restore stuff that got "formatted" away. Lucky for me, I just did a quick format in the camera, and I only took ONE photo after formatting, so the vast majority of my files can be recovered. However recovery software can be pretty indiscriminate... I'm restoring over a thousand files so far, and I know I didn't take more than 200 photos this last month.

[sterretje]

That means I just ruined a month's worth of photos because I already formatted the card after I confirmed the photos were transferred.

Unless you did a full format (in windows, uncheck the quick format option), you might still be able to recover (part) of them by using some recovery software. There have been plenty of threads in the past about recovery. I have used PhotoRec - Digital Picture and File Recovery with success on jpegs; they state that they can recover pefs and dng as well.

Note: when you got to the point that you could convert them in the camera, I had something like "bad USB port", "bad cable" or "bad card reader" or ...

[Not a Number]

PhotoRec will probably recover your files. It recognizes PEF and DNG files. Formatting the card in the camera just re-writes the file index tables and not the data portions of the card. PhotoRec has recovered files over a year old from one of my cards - even after I had filled the card several times and formatted it once or twice.

[GoremanX]

PhotoRec will probably recover your files. It recognizes PEF and DNG files. Formatting the card in the camera just re-writes the file index tables and not the data portions of the card. PhotoRec has recovered files over a year old from one of my cards - even after I had filled the card several times and formatted it once or twice.

PhotoRec is what I used and it worked great. However a lot of the recovered files are still corrupted, so I'm thinking the memory card is at fault. Time to get a new one... again

[sterretje]

However a lot of the recovered files are still corrupted

I don't think that you're this stupid, but it would be funny if you used the same buggered card reader. If so, try using an USB cable between computer and camera.

[GoremanX]

No, I used a different card reader with a different USB port to recover the files. Whereas they all came out corrupted with the previous reader, only about half the recovered files are corrupted with the new reader. I'm already attempting to recover using a USB cable straight from the camera to see if that makes a difference, but this whole process is very time-consuming.

[GoremanX]

Definitely the memory card that's bad. The exact same files turned out corrupted when pulling straight from the camera. Serves me right for not making use of the dual SD card feature. I begged for that feature ever since the K-7, and now that they've finally added it, I'm not even using it I ordered new SD cards, from different manufacturers, and I'll use them in tandem to reduce the chances of losing files again in the future. This is the 3rd Sandisk card that goes bad on me in 18 months after 6+ years of trouble-free use

[sterretje]

They don't have an endless life. 6 years is a good lifespan if they were used a lot.

[GoremanX]

yeah, but this one was 6 months old, and my last 2 only lasted 6 months each