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EOS Rebel SL3 Files Are Corrupting As Soon As Camera Is Turned Off

BigDaddyKaz
Apprentice

Hello, I have an EOS Rebel SL3 that I purchased in April 2022 as a refurbished item from the Canon webstore, and I am using a 256 GB SanDisk Extreme Pro memory card that was purchased new at the same time. I have been taking photos and videos since I purchased the camera, but I haven't looked at them or copied them to an external device since June or so. I just tried to download everything to my PC today. It appears that all photos and videos taken since late June are corrupted. I have done nothing with the camera that would corrupt these photos, but I understand that it can happen. However, I took new photos today as a test. I can view these new photos in the photo viewer, but once I turn the camera off and back on, I can no longer view those photos. It appears that the camera (or memory card) is corrupting them when it turns off (or on). Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? If so, what can I do to prevent it from happening again? Also, do you think there is any hope for the files on the memory card? The file sizes indicate that the correct amount of data is present for each file, so maybe there's a chance they can be saved if I bring them to a specialist. 🤞

7 REPLIES 7

deebatman316
Authority
Authority

Hello BigDaddyKaz welcome to the forums and happy holidays. I recommend using a 32 GB full size class 10 SD card. Lower end Rebels such as the SL3 and T7 have trouble with cards larger than 32 GB SD cards. Even though the manual says otherwise.

-Demetrius

Happy Holidays

EF 16-35mm F/2.8L III USM, EF 24-70mm F/2.8L II USM, EF 28-135mm F/3.5-5.6 IS USM (Retired), EF 50 F/1.8 STM, EF 85mm F/1.8 USM & EF 70-200mm F/2.8L IS III USM

EOS 40D (Retired) & 5D Mark IV

430EX III-RT, 470EX-AI & 600EX II-RT


-Demetrius

Current Gear: EOS 5D Mark IV, EF F/2.8 Trinity, EF 50mm F/1.8 STM, EF 85mm F/1.8 USM, 470EX-AI & 600EX II-RT

Retired Gear: EOS 40D

Hello Demetrius. Thank you and happy holidays! This is good to know. I fleshed out my plan a little more in another reply here, but I'm going to test a 32 GB class 10 card.

Thanks!

normadel
Authority
Authority

256 GB is a HUGE memory card. You are much better off having a number of 32 GB cards, and swapping them. With one huge card, which can hold many thousands of photos, you run a risk of losing everything if a card develops a problem. 

Did you EVER successfully copy/move photos to your computer?

Did you format your SD card in the camera when you first started using it? 

How are you transferring?  Do you have a card reader in your computer, or a USB card reader to put your card into to transfer from it?

We don't know if the problem is with your SD card or with the camera itself.

Thanks for the reply! That's a good point about the risk of losing everything. My plan was never to let eight months of photos build up until I transferred to my PC, but here we are... I should definitely be using a number of smaller cards since I'm prone to building up that kind of backlog.

I have two computers that I have attempted transferring photos to. The first is a laptop, which has a built-in card reader. In June, I was able to transfer photos to the laptop using the card reader. Now, when I use the card reader, I can see all the photos and videos I've ever taken; however, I can only view the ones that were taken in June and earlier. The ones taken in July and later appear to be corrupted, though the files appear to be the correct sizes.

The second computer is a desktop PC. I've tried transferring to that computer using a USB cable connected to the camera. This does not seem to work very well. I can see the SD card, but when I open it, it doesn't show any folder structure or files.

I don't recall if I formatted the SD card when I started using it, but I'm going to assume that I did not format it unless it wouldn't work otherwise.

Based on your reply and deebatman316's, it sounds like my card is too large for the camera to use properly. I would format the card I have now to see if that solves the issue, but since I want to hold out hope that the files can be saved (and since I should be using smaller cards anyway), I'm going to set that card aside and buy a new 32 GB card to test.

Thanks!

Are you trying to view the files on the card, or are you moving them to the computer and viewing them there?

amfoto1
Authority

First, go to the Sandisk website and look for a free image file recovery software there. I know they offer one for folks using their memory cards. I have similar software from Lexar installed on my computer and have used it a couple times with partial success.

DO NOT format your memory card until you have tried the image recovery process. However, if you ever accidentally do format a card in error, until you actually start to take photos again, likely you would be able to recover many of  the older files on the card.

I format every memory card in the camera before first use AND before every use there-after. (See below.)

I agree that you should get and use smaller memory cards.You have 6 months or more worth of photographs on an easily lost, little memory card! You also need to copy those images to your computer much, much more often.

I shoot sporting events with two or three cameras, sometimes even with four... frequently taking 1500, 3000, 6000 or more images in a day. I have twenty memory cards, all 32GB. Each camera holds two cards, although normally I don't back up images in-camera. But if it's an important shoot, I will switch to backing up the images in-camera.

My Canon camera that produces 24MP images like your SL3 gets roughly 900 RAW files per 32GB memory card. I don't know how many JPEGs the card would hold, but am sure it would be quite a few more than that. I use card cases to store my memory cards and have a simple method of placing the cards face up when they are ready to use, face down when they are full of fresh images.

I almost always download images promptly the same day they're taken. I never use WiFi or the USB cable from the camera. I always use a memory card reader. It's by far the safest and usually the fastest way to do downloads.

To get the images onto my computer I don't do anything fancy... I just use the computer' operating system to copy images from the memory card to a folder I've prepared for them on my computer. I don't trust fancy software that tries to control downloads. And, once again, I COPY the image files... I don't move them. This leaves the originals on the memory card until I can check them on the computer and back them up. That's a good precaution, just in case something goes wrong with the copy process. 

Once all the images have been copied off my memory cards, I just leave the old files on them and put them back in their case face up. Then when I go to use them, I always format them.

With perhaps 100+ memory cards I've used over the years, many of them with a lot of repeated use, I have had exactly two cards fail. One of those wouldn't work at all, right out of the package. The other worked once and then "locked up". It so happened I'd lent it to someone who was helping me shoot an event, so I have no idea what they did with it. We were able to download the JPEG files from it, but after that could not get the RAW files or reformat it.

The only time I have had corrupted files on a memory card, it was my own fault for opening the memory card door and ejecting a card while the camera was still writing to the card (newer cameras write so fast, that's not a problem). I also had one download "fail", but it also was my own fault. I had connected something to my computer and didn't have enough USB ports, so I got a USB hub. The card reader I was using at the time didn't like being connected through that hub, so I had a bunch of files show corruption. As soon as I reconnected the card reader directly to the computer again, the problem was solved.

To recap:

  • First get the recovery software from Sandisk and try to recover the image files already on that gigantic memory card.
  • Then get yourself some smaller memory cards... maybe 32GB, 64GB?
  • Then be sure to format the cards in your camera before using them.
  • I also recommend some kind of case to keep your cards organized
  • Also write your name and email or phone number on each card, in case you lose it and someone finds it.
  • Then copy your image files off of your cards more frequently....- the longer you leave them on the card and haven't copied to your computer, the more risk of losing them.
  • I also highly recommend you get organized on your computer. It's best to do so at the beginning, before you have tens of thousands of images!
  • AND back up your image files, maybe to "the cloud" or on an external drive. I buy two drives and keep one off site, then swap them out every couple weeks. That way if anything happens to one of them, that's the most I'll lose.

I hope this helps and solves your problem.

***********


Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2), EOS M5, some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

Good advice above.  Be sure to only use the full size SD cards, not micro-SD cards the need to use the plastic adapters.

Why are 32GB SD cards being recommended?  The specifications say to use SD, SDHC, or SDXC memory cards.  These different SD cards differ only in their storage capacity.  The SD cards are pretty much obsolete and too small, so do not use them.  SDHC cards have a maximum storage of 32GB.  The SDXC cards have storage capacities of 64GB and up.

Many of the entry level cameras seem to have issues with the SDXC cards, 64GB and up, for some unknown reason.  If you stick to the SDHC cards, up to 32GB, the cameras seem to function without any memory card related issues.

[EDIT] 

SDHC - SD High Capacity

SDXC - SD Extended Capacity

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