645D: Corrupted DNG Raw Files with Lightroom?

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 06:46 AM

Has anyone seen this behavior? I got it the first time yesterday, on a job with the 645D:

I got back to the hotel, and started downloading the RAW files, and when importing the DNGs into Lightroom, it would download the first two files, and then sorta of freeze up, and then Lightroom would give a dialogue box with a list of all the rest of the file names that were still on the card, and the message indicated that they were "unrecognizable".

The files were still on the card, but Lightroom would not import them. It scared me to death. I'm using this combo on another job very soon.

Same behavior happened with TWO different SD cards. After the failure, I inserted a different card, and tested it in the hotel room; shot new photos and it downloaded two files then froze up and gave same dialogue box.

Notes:

* 645d has latest firmware.
* Card was a 95mps Sandisk SD card. Newest style card.
* Macbook Pro 13" computer running latest OS.
* Lightroom 3.6 Mac.

Any thoughts before I start testing again today. I turned the camera to JPG ONLY to finish the job and it shot and downloaded JPG File Format just fine. But with RAW ONLY, it locked up.

The only "new" variables, from what I've been shooting for months are: The new 95 m/s Sandisk Cards, and also I was using my little 13" to import, rather than my 27 iMac.

Mark Tucker, Mark Tucker

Last edited by marktucker; 07-24-2012 at 06:56 AM.

Yamanobori · 07-24-2012, 07:19 AM

I don't use Lightroom and I simply download my data to the computer using a card reader. Occasionally, the download is not completed for whatever reason giving a very worrying message--this is on an iMac. The second download is always successful. I have yet to loose an image out of the 8,500 I have shot. I am usually downloading 200+ images at a time.

I always set up my cards on the camera for one card to be a duplicate of the other--I have had a bad experience with a corrupt card. That way I have a backup set of data.

I hope this helps.

Yamanobori · 07-24-2012, 07:19 AM

BTW, I always shoot PEF.

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 07:21 AM

Thank you. Complicating this problem is that I'm using this 645D to shoot people, and so I've set it up to shoot ONLY to one slot, so that it shoots faster, writing only to one card.

I will test this today, thoroughly. If it continues to fail, I'll simply sell the camera. Cannot risk having this happen. Will go back to Nikon.

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 07:22 AM

Why PEF? If you shoot PEF, what application do you process your RAWs? Why not DNG?

eddie1960 · 07-24-2012, 07:29 AM

Originally posted by marktucker

Why PEF? If you shoot PEF, what application do you process your RAWs? Why not DNG?

Iightroom will do PEF AFAIK, and a PEF file is generally slightly smaller

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 07:52 AM

Eddie,

Just tested PEF into Lightroom 3.6 Mac, and yes it imports just fine. Thank you for that option. Still testing camera. (Still nervous).

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 08:02 AM

Eddie,

I spoke too soon. I shot again a test with PEF, and I got this same problem dialogue box with PEF, that I got two days ago with DNG.

See attached.

Ryan Tischer · 07-24-2012, 08:21 AM

Have you formatted your memory cards IN the 645D and had the same issue?

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 08:36 AM

Hi Ryan,

I religiously ALWAYS format each and every card inside the camera, using the FORMAT menu command.

Have been testing more today, and it appears related to the newer 95 mb/s Sandisk cards. The 64gig 95mbs card is now completely locked up -- the 645D will not format the card. I get an LCD message : CARD ERROR.

I also have been testing the older 45 mbs cards from Sandisk Extreme pro and they seem to shoot and import just fine into Lightroom. No failure of any kind.

Narrowing down the issue....

Thanks.

eddie1960 · 07-24-2012, 08:40 AM

It does sound like a card issue

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 08:43 AM

Yes, I am seeing the same problem behavior on the two new cards -- the 16 gig size and the 64 gig size. Both are the newer 95 meg per second. They just don't seem to talk well to the 645D. Maybe a firmware update is needed, but my firmware is the newest.

eddie1960 · 07-24-2012, 08:59 AM

Originally posted by marktucker

Yes, I am seeing the same problem behavior on two news cards -- the 16 gig size and the 64 gig size. Both are the newer 95 meg per second. They just don't seem to talk well to the 645D. Maybe a firmware update is needed, but my firmware is the newest.

It's likely more that Pentax needs to release a firmware update for these cards

marktucker · 07-24-2012, 09:11 AM

The weird thing: Sometimes the current firmware renders the frame fine, but most of the time, I was seeing failure. Very hit and miss. I tested a lot -- i'd reformat and shoot eight frames and import. Most of the time, it would import the first two frames, and the fail on the rest of the card. Whatever it is, it's way over my head; whatever is happening.

All I know, I cannot deal with corrupted RAWs.

Ryan Tischer · 07-24-2012, 11:00 AM

I've never had any issues with writing to SD cards with my 645D. Sounds like you just need to use an older (and slower) card until the software bug gets fixed. I honestly don't think that having the 95mb/sec card is going to write any faster than say a 45mb/sec card, which are the fastest ones I use...it's more limited by the processor speed in the camera than the card speed. Maybe it would read faster, but not sure. I think it's reasonably fast for the file size with my Sandisk 45mb/sec cards I own, and I come from a much faster 5D mark II as my previous camera.

Also, I never found that writing to both disks at once made it noticably slower, though having a back up of an unreadable file doesn't help much either!

Best of luck!

07-24-2012, 06:46 AM	#1
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17	645D: Corrupted DNG Raw Files with Lightroom? Has anyone seen this behavior? I got it the first time yesterday, on a job with the 645D: I got back to the hotel, and started downloading the RAW files, and when importing the DNGs into Lightroom, it would download the first two files, and then sorta of freeze up, and then Lightroom would give a dialogue box with a list of all the rest of the file names that were still on the card, and the message indicated that they were "unrecognizable". The files were still on the card, but Lightroom would not import them. It scared me to death. I'm using this combo on another job very soon. Same behavior happened with TWO different SD cards. After the failure, I inserted a different card, and tested it in the hotel room; shot new photos and it downloaded two files then froze up and gave same dialogue box. Notes: * 645d has latest firmware. * Card was a 95mps Sandisk SD card. Newest style card. * Macbook Pro 13" computer running latest OS. * Lightroom 3.6 Mac. Any thoughts before I start testing again today. I turned the camera to JPG ONLY to finish the job and it shot and downloaded JPG File Format just fine. But with RAW ONLY, it locked up. The only "new" variables, from what I've been shooting for months are: The new 95 m/s Sandisk Cards, and also I was using my little 13" to import, rather than my 27 iMac. Mark Tucker, Mark Tucker Last edited by marktucker; 07-24-2012 at 06:56 AM.

07-24-2012, 08:02 AM	#8
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Eddie, I spoke too soon. I shot again a test with PEF, and I got this same problem dialogue box with PEF, that I got two days ago with DNG. See attached. Attached Images

07-24-2012, 08:43 AM	#12
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Yes, I am seeing the same problem behavior on the two new cards -- the 16 gig size and the 64 gig size. Both are the newer 95 meg per second. They just don't seem to talk well to the 645D. Maybe a firmware update is needed, but my firmware is the newest. Last edited by marktucker; 07-24-2012 at 09:11 AM.

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07-24-2012, 07:19 AM	#2
Yamanobori Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Photos: Gallery Posts: 573	I don't use Lightroom and I simply download my data to the computer using a card reader. Occasionally, the download is not completed for whatever reason giving a very worrying message--this is on an iMac. The second download is always successful. I have yet to loose an image out of the 8,500 I have shot. I am usually downloading 200+ images at a time. I always set up my cards on the camera for one card to be a duplicate of the other--I have had a bad experience with a corrupt card. That way I have a backup set of data. I hope this helps.

07-24-2012, 07:21 AM	#4
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Thank you. Complicating this problem is that I'm using this 645D to shoot people, and so I've set it up to shoot ONLY to one slot, so that it shoots faster, writing only to one card. I will test this today, thoroughly. If it continues to fail, I'll simply sell the camera. Cannot risk having this happen. Will go back to Nikon.

07-24-2012, 07:22 AM	#5
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Why PEF? If you shoot PEF, what application do you process your RAWs? Why not DNG?

07-24-2012, 07:29 AM	#6
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,667	Originally posted by marktucker Why PEF? If you shoot PEF, what application do you process your RAWs? Why not DNG? Iightroom will do PEF AFAIK, and a PEF file is generally slightly smaller

07-24-2012, 07:52 AM	#7
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Eddie, Just tested PEF into Lightroom 3.6 Mac, and yes it imports just fine. Thank you for that option. Still testing camera. (Still nervous).

07-24-2012, 08:21 AM	#9
Ryan Tischer Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Duluth, Minnesota Photos: Albums Posts: 458	Have you formatted your memory cards IN the 645D and had the same issue?

07-24-2012, 08:36 AM	#10
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	Hi Ryan, I religiously ALWAYS format each and every card inside the camera, using the FORMAT menu command. Have been testing more today, and it appears related to the newer 95 mb/s Sandisk cards. The 64gig 95mbs card is now completely locked up -- the 645D will not format the card. I get an LCD message : CARD ERROR. I also have been testing the older 45 mbs cards from Sandisk Extreme pro and they seem to shoot and import just fine into Lightroom. No failure of any kind. Narrowing down the issue.... Thanks.

07-24-2012, 08:40 AM	#11
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,667	It does sound like a card issue

07-24-2012, 08:59 AM	#13
eddie1960 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 13,667	Originally posted by marktucker Yes, I am seeing the same problem behavior on two news cards -- the 16 gig size and the 64 gig size. Both are the newer 95 meg per second. They just don't seem to talk well to the 645D. Maybe a firmware update is needed, but my firmware is the newest. It's likely more that Pentax needs to release a firmware update for these cards

07-24-2012, 09:11 AM	#14
marktucker New Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 17 Original Poster	The weird thing: Sometimes the current firmware renders the frame fine, but most of the time, I was seeing failure. Very hit and miss. I tested a lot -- i'd reformat and shoot eight frames and import. Most of the time, it would import the first two frames, and the fail on the rest of the card. Whatever it is, it's way over my head; whatever is happening. All I know, I cannot deal with corrupted RAWs.

07-24-2012, 11:00 AM	#15
Ryan Tischer Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Duluth, Minnesota Photos: Albums Posts: 458	I've never had any issues with writing to SD cards with my 645D. Sounds like you just need to use an older (and slower) card until the software bug gets fixed. I honestly don't think that having the 95mb/sec card is going to write any faster than say a 45mb/sec card, which are the fastest ones I use...it's more limited by the processor speed in the camera than the card speed. Maybe it would read faster, but not sure. I think it's reasonably fast for the file size with my Sandisk 45mb/sec cards I own, and I come from a much faster 5D mark II as my previous camera. Also, I never found that writing to both disks at once made it noticably slower, though having a back up of an unreadable file doesn't help much either! Best of luck!