NO DATA - Empty cards from Canon 5DM3 post shoot

[kater85]

I just shot an event yesterday, and both cards (CF / SD) are coming up 'no images.' I was scrolling through reviewing images in-camera over dinner, and then only took a few more shots before finishing for the night. Came home to immediately back up–and they were gone. Settings were the same as my other 5dm3, and cards were purchased within L10 months. Is there any hope of data being actually on the cards and recoverable? 

I find it hard to believe that both could be corrupt, and lead me to believe it was a camera writing error. Camera behaved as usual without any indiciation during the day of an error. Has this happened to anyone else before? Thoughts on best next step?  

[Peter]

Try Recuva if you are a Windows user. Then try Phoorec if Recuva fails.

[kater85]

---

@Peter wrote:
Try Recuva if you are a Windows user. Then try Phoorec if Recuva fails.

---

Same suggestions for Mac? 

[Peter]

Photorec works with OS X. There are some tutorials at Youtube.

[RobertTheFat]

Have you tried reading the cards via a card reader?

[Waddizzle]

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

Have you tried reading the cards via a card reader?

---

I think the "No Images" message is coming from the camera.  It takes a whole lot of shots to fill up a memory card.

It is remotely possible that the photos may have been accidentally deleted while handling the camera, moving it in and out of a camera bag.  I know I have accidentally hit buttons, like flip the switch that sets Live View to Movie Mode.  You pull the camera out of your bag, turn on power, and suddenly you think it is stuck in Live View mode, and cannot take any photos.

I wonder if the Playback folder setting is the problem.

[RobertTheFat]

---

@Waddizzle wrote:

---

@RobertTheFat wrote:

Have you tried reading the cards via a card reader?

---

I think the "No Images" message is coming from the camera.  It takes a whole lot of shots to fill up a memory card.

It is remotely possible that the photos may have been accidentally deleted while handling the camera, moving it in and out of a camera bag.  I know I have accidentally hit buttons, like flip the switch that sets Live View to Movie Mode.  You pull the camera out of your bag, turn on power, and suddenly you think it is stuck in Live View mode, and cannot take any photos.

I wonder if the Playback folder setting is the problem.

---

I suppose accidentally reformatting the cards could do it, but that's not an easy mistake to make.

[Hunterphoto]

I had a similiar issue with a 1 Ds mark ii and its double card slots a number of years ago.  One of the programs rescued most of the images. 

I thought camera was at fault or the cards had gone bad, because at first i could see images on the LCD while the shots were being taken, before they disappeared.

So before the "rescue", i put a new card in, and the camera and card both worked great. 

Conclusion was that it was operator error.  Either I deleted them all or managed to reformat the cards by accident, possibly taking it in or out of bag, or somehow pushing the wrong button(s), although there is or should have been a popup that says something like " are you sure you want to do this" or something like this. 

Later  I used of the same set of cards that worked perfectly fine.  However, I did not trust them, so I tossed them, perhaps unnecessarily. 

[Waddizzle]

---

@Hunterphoto wrote:

I had a similiar issue with a 1 Ds mark ii and its double card slots a number of years ago.  One of the programs rescued most of the images. 

I thought camera was at fault or the cards had gone bad, because at first i could see images on the LCD while the shots were being taken, before they disappeared.

So before the "rescue", i put a new card in, and the camera and card both worked great. 

Conclusion was that it was operator error.  Either I deleted them all or managed to reformat the cards by accident, possibly taking it in or out of bag, or somehow pushing the wrong button(s), although there is or should have been a popup that says something like " are you sure you want to do this" or something like this. 

Later  I used of the same set of cards that worked perfectly fine.  However, I did not trust them, so I tossed them, perhaps unnecessarily. 

---

This is the DSLR equivalent of "pocket dialing" someone on your smart phone.  I always turn off my cameras when not in use.

[ebiggs1]

I am not buying the accidental deleting or formatting.  Both cards at the same time, not likely at all. I am not buying both cards got corrupted at the same time. Although possible not probable at all.

First put the cards in your computer or card reader to see if they are actually there. Your computer will tel you if something is on the cards even if it is a corrupted file.  If there are truly no images on them it really doesn't matter how, does it?  But you do need to examine your set up.  You may thought you set it to file bothe cards but didn't for instance.