Corrupted RAW Files

Perhaps the worse thing that could ever happen to a photographer who uses digital is having corrupted files after a photoshoot. Well, it happened to me.

One time early this year, I shot a friend's wedding. Like any other wedding, I feel comfortable and had a great time up until I checked my RAW files.

It all started when I had to borrow a friends camera as back backup. A Canon EOS Rebel XTi with a kit lens to shoot MACRO shots of accessories during the preparation. I was shooting RAW when suddenly, I had ERROR 99 which they said was common to these models. I shut down the camera and turn it on again and continued shooting. After reviewing the photos, they seemed to be all right so I went on.

A few hours later, I was busy downloading all my photos during that day and making backup copies of each CF card. I carefully reviewed each folder until it hit me, one card had all corrupted files, that card was the one that experienced ERROR 99 when shooting.

It's like I was hit by a bomb, of all the cards, why of all the cards. What bothers me is that whenever I review the contents of that card in my camera, they seem to appear fine. There is a certain level of relief hoping that I can still recover all these photos. I thought it's the CARD READER, or my USB CORD that's making all this happened.

When I reached home, I was very anxious to see if my theory would work. Which is using a WINDOW based PC to download the files using the same card. My first attempt was a failure, still all the photos were corrupted. I thought that is it, I screw it up. How can save my ass from this unexplainable situation. How can face my client and tell them that all their photos were lost during transfer.

Then I remember that all the photos are fine when reviewed on camera, so maybe, If I download them directly from my camera, it's going to be ok. A few minutes later, all the photos are ready and viewable. Alas, I did it. I actually recovered the files. So, like any other photographer would do, I immediately get a blank disc and burned a copy of those files as back up.

Now, probably, this is the most frustrating, the most disgusting and unexplainable thing that could ever happened to me in two weeks. I check those cds with those files I burned a couple days ago, and still they all turned out to be corrupted. I was deeply troubled because I can clearly remember that those files were ok. They were downloaded directly from the camera and was burned right away on blank discs.

I'm about to give up. How can this be. Am I being cursed? Is it my MACBOOK that's screwing things up? Or is it the ERROR 99 during the shoot. Until now, I really do not know how it happened. Although after so many attempts, I was able to make a permanent copy of those files using different methods, I still can not explain why it happened.

My assumptions are these, I could be wrong but I am definitely not going to do any of these routines again every time I shoot.

1. Do not use a KIT LENS if possible during a critical shoot. Kit lenses (EF-S 18-55mm) are known for this so called ERROR 99s. Maybe this was the cause of all these.

2. Use a good quality card reader and a good quality USB CORD. How do we know if they are good? Well don't buy those generics out there.


I hope this thing wouldn't happen to other photographers out there. But if it does, I'd love to hear from you on how you saved your photos.



Best regards,
Allan Restauro
Photography & Digital Imaging