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**MetteHHH** · 06-18-2015, 02:16 AM - **7 Likes**

I got a LOT of support from this lovely community when I killed my K3 in Florida last October while swimming with manatees.

Following THAT little disaster I discovered that while my insurance covered my gear (with a warning not to break any more camera equipment the next three years!) my SD-cards were corroded by the river water, which apparently contained some salt from the Mexican Gulf.

500+ of holiday photos lost: But there was nothing to be done I was told. The circuits leading to the RAM-block containing the photos were so salt damaged that the data could not be accessed.

Then my brother had an idea. One of his business partners in China has connections with a factory that manufactures SD-cards. He suggested bringing the card with him on his next trip to China. To cut the story short, it worked! They performed a sort of nano-surgery on my card, slicing off the corroded top of the RAM-block itself and then manually, one-by-one, extracting the photos! Soooo cool!

Here are a few of the recovered photos. I am HAPPY!

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[/IMG]

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max_pyne · 06-18-2015, 02:22 AM

wow! great story! amazing that it worked and you got your images, looks like it was worth it!

**Rondec** · 06-18-2015, 02:29 AM

That is great! I'm glad things worked out in the end.

(Nice photos too).

**sergysergy** · 06-18-2015, 03:07 AM

That's great news! Now, just in case, stay away from the water

Na Horuk · 06-18-2015, 03:09 AM

Wow, awesome! This kind of service would make a lot of money if it were available at regular repair shops!
And great photos!

**MetteHHH** · 06-18-2015, 03:40 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Na Horuk

Wow, awesome! This kind of service would make a lot of money if it were available at regular repair shops!
And great photos!

Thanks, Na Horuk. I am sure this kind of service would be popular if a regular repair shop could provide it - but I took the card by a few quite capable hard disk repair shops here in Denmark, and they just didn't have the equipment. These card components are SMALL, and while I am not sure exactly what kind of equipment they used to do this at the factory, I am pretty sure a stanley knife and good eye sight couldn't have done it!

Also, if I had paid the market price for the time and effort they put into this I probably could not have afforded it either. I got the impression my brother convinced them to see it as a bit of a tech challenge - and they definitely impressed me!

rawr · 06-18-2015, 05:10 AM

Good result and an interesting story.
Sandisk/Lexar/Panasonic/Transcend etc should offer this sort of salvage work as a free service, IMHO. Some of them have 'lifetime warranties' on their cards, after all.

**frogoutofwater** · 06-18-2015, 05:35 AM

That's a great story and what wonderful images! I'm glad they were salvaged. I hope the workers in China who did this nano-surgery got the recognition they deserve for their "above-and-beyond" work.

**MetteHHH** · 06-18-2015, 05:35 AM

Originally posted by rawr

Good result and an interesting story.
Sandisk/Lexar/Panasonic/Transcend etc should offer this sort of salvage work as a free service, IMHO. Some of them have 'lifetime warranties' on their cards, after all.

The card was a Kingston - and they did offer me a replacement card: I think the warranty specifies that files ON the device are not covered.

They needed me to send them the card to receive a replacement though, so I did not go for that solution - and now I am happy that I didn't!

aleonx3 · 06-18-2015, 05:43 AM

Impressive story and fantastic work done to recover the photos... oh yes, you also have some great photos there too (I really like the father-and-son fishing photo)!! Glad it all worked out and you didn't lose much but gained a wealth of pleasant experience.

**TER-OR** · 06-18-2015, 05:56 AM

I think the technicians deserve a nice gift basket!

I am amazed sometimes at how resilient electronics can be. A friend works for Motorola in their radios division. They get "destroyed" units back from the field to examine (fire departments, police, military). He helps evaluate that damage and see how they can build more ruggedly - and they often get the units working again.

Pentaxians · 06-18-2015, 06:08 AM

Great recovery!!!

Stone G. · 06-18-2015, 10:59 AM

Originally posted by MetteHHH

Here are a few of the recovered photos. I am HAPPY!

So much hardship and then a happy ending. Now isn't that a true fairy tale!

- and thanks for the pictures too.

AtitG · 06-18-2015, 11:13 AM

It good the camera didnt fell while you were taking the picture of that alligator. Congrats, nice pics.ü

**wtlwdwgn** · 06-18-2015, 11:38 AM

Wow, great story and it's great you got your great images back! Great, right?

06-18-2015, 02:16 AM - 7 Likes	#1
MetteHHH Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,817	Does anyone remember that time, when I drowned my K3 in Florida? I got a LOT of support from this lovely community when I killed my K3 in Florida last October while swimming with manatees. Following THAT little disaster I discovered that while my insurance covered my gear (with a warning not to break any more camera equipment the next three years!) my SD-cards were corroded by the river water, which apparently contained some salt from the Mexican Gulf. 500+ of holiday photos lost: But there was nothing to be done I was told. The circuits leading to the RAM-block containing the photos were so salt damaged that the data could not be accessed. Then my brother had an idea. One of his business partners in China has connections with a factory that manufactures SD-cards. He suggested bringing the card with him on his next trip to China. To cut the story short, it worked! They performed a sort of nano-surgery on my card, slicing off the corroded top of the RAM-block itself and then manually, one-by-one, extracting the photos! Soooo cool! Here are a few of the recovered photos. I am HAPPY! [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]

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06-18-2015, 02:22 AM	#2
max_pyne Pentaxian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: zurich Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 409	wow! great story! amazing that it worked and you got your images, looks like it was worth it!

06-18-2015, 02:29 AM	#3
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,664	That is great! I'm glad things worked out in the end. (Nice photos too).

06-18-2015, 03:07 AM	#4
sergysergy Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 5,175	That's great news! Now, just in case, stay away from the water

06-18-2015, 03:09 AM	#5
Na Horuk Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Slovenia, probably Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 11,186	Wow, awesome! This kind of service would make a lot of money if it were available at regular repair shops! And great photos!

06-18-2015, 03:40 AM - 1 Like	#6
MetteHHH Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,817 Original Poster	Originally posted by Na Horuk Wow, awesome! This kind of service would make a lot of money if it were available at regular repair shops! And great photos! Thanks, Na Horuk. I am sure this kind of service would be popular if a regular repair shop could provide it - but I took the card by a few quite capable hard disk repair shops here in Denmark, and they just didn't have the equipment. These card components are SMALL, and while I am not sure exactly what kind of equipment they used to do this at the factory, I am pretty sure a stanley knife and good eye sight couldn't have done it! Also, if I had paid the market price for the time and effort they put into this I probably could not have afforded it either. I got the impression my brother convinced them to see it as a bit of a tech challenge - and they definitely impressed me!

06-18-2015, 05:10 AM	#7
rawr Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 11,913	Good result and an interesting story. Sandisk/Lexar/Panasonic/Transcend etc should offer this sort of salvage work as a free service, IMHO. Some of them have 'lifetime warranties' on their cards, after all.

06-18-2015, 05:35 AM	#8
frogoutofwater Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery Posts: 674	That's a great story and what wonderful images! I'm glad they were salvaged. I hope the workers in China who did this nano-surgery got the recognition they deserve for their "above-and-beyond" work.

06-18-2015, 05:35 AM	#9
MetteHHH Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Oct 2010 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,817 Original Poster	Originally posted by rawr Good result and an interesting story. Sandisk/Lexar/Panasonic/Transcend etc should offer this sort of salvage work as a free service, IMHO. Some of them have 'lifetime warranties' on their cards, after all. The card was a Kingston - and they did offer me a replacement card: I think the warranty specifies that files ON the device are not covered. They needed me to send them the card to receive a replacement though, so I did not go for that solution - and now I am happy that I didn't!

06-18-2015, 05:43 AM	#10
aleonx3 Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Brampton, Ontario Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,996	Impressive story and fantastic work done to recover the photos... oh yes, you also have some great photos there too (I really like the father-and-son fishing photo)!! Glad it all worked out and you didn't lose much but gained a wealth of pleasant experience.

06-18-2015, 05:56 AM	#11
TER-OR Site Supporter Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Dundee, IL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,699	I think the technicians deserve a nice gift basket! I am amazed sometimes at how resilient electronics can be. A friend works for Motorola in their radios division. They get "destroyed" units back from the field to examine (fire departments, police, military). He helps evaluate that damage and see how they can build more ruggedly - and they often get the units working again.

06-18-2015, 06:08 AM	#12
Pentaxians Pentaxian Join Date: May 2011 Location: Singapore Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 733	Great recovery!!!

06-18-2015, 10:59 AM	#13
Stone G. Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: North Zealand, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 1,516	Originally posted by MetteHHH Here are a few of the recovered photos. I am HAPPY! So much hardship and then a happy ending. Now isn't that a true fairy tale! - and thanks for the pictures too.

06-18-2015, 11:13 AM	#14
AtitG Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 269	It good the camera didnt fell while you were taking the picture of that alligator. Congrats, nice pics.ü

06-18-2015, 11:38 AM	#15
wtlwdwgn Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Billings, MT Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,853	Wow, great story and it's great you got your great images back! Great, right?

Does anyone remember that time, when I drowned my K3 in Florida?

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