EOS Rebel SL1 SD file system issue

[dhumpo]

Hello, 

I have a Rebel SL1 and have now had issues with SD card formatting twice in a row. Up until this point, the card and camera had been working flawlessly. After the first instance, I bought a new SD card, thinking it was a hardware failure, but the same issue occurred with the new card.

One user error I can think of is that I have been removing the battery (while the camera is off) and charging during a shooting session. This is something I did not do regularly before; I would typically remove the SD card before changing to a new battery. 

The issue is the SD card has reverted to a RAW file system. The data is still there as the on-camera preview shows. However, it is currently unreadable on my laptop/other devices. I understand this is a common issue, but most of my research has led to websites trying to sell their software for something that I assume I can do myself. 

I would like some recommendations to avoid this issue in the future, as well as a workflow to convert the RAW file system to a readable format (FAT/NTFS) for a Windows device. 

Thanks 

D

[Stephen]

All of our cards should be formatted as FAT32.

If you already have images on your cards, DO NOT FORMAT YOUR CARDS NOW!

What app are you trying to use to open your images? 
Have you installed the Canon software from HERE? 
Are you using a microSD inside of an adapter, or a full-sized SD card?

If there is anything else you can think that might help us help you, please be sure to let us know!

[dhumpo]

Hey there,

I'm using Lightroom, but Windows File Explorer will give me an error message stating the card needs to formatted/is unreadable. Ill download the Canon software now.

I am using a full-size SD card. Disk Management states it is in a healthy condition, and it is in fact a RAW partition. 

It is a brand-new card, so physical corruption is very unlikely. One issue I can think of is that I did not format the card before shooting.

[Stephen]

If Windows prompts you, but the camera can read the card, it might be a problem with your reader. If it's an external reader, it could also be the cable. 

[dhumpo]

I've checked for SD driver updates as well which does not seem to be the issue. I have not had issues with the reader on this computer so far. Does the SL1 have an alternate means of exporting directly from the camera? As in a hardwire connection/wireless transfer. 

[Stephen]

Absolutely—just connect the camera to your computer via USB. The instructions on how to do this are on page 363 of the MANUAL. 

[dhumpo]

Ill give that a try. Is that connector an old mini-USB or proprietary to Canon?

[Stephen · Accepted solution]

It's a plain old mini-USB (not micro).

[dhumpo]

The USB worked, was able to download CR2s of the camera. I did have to install EOS utility 2.14 using cmd regedit to note. 

[Stephen]

woohoo! 🙌🙌🙌