CTG file from PowerShot SX150 IS

[vldunlap]

what is a ctg file...and how do I retireve my photos from this file from my Powershot sx150?  it.looks like this "M0105.ctg"

[hsbn · Accepted solution]

"Catalog index file created on Canon digital cameras; stored in the CANONMSC folder and corresponds to other folders saved on the memory card; i.e. "382.CTG" contains information about images in the folder "382CANON."

CTG files contain information about the number of images stored in each folder on the memory card (typically up to 99). They should not be manually opened or edited by the user. The camera will automatically delete the CTG files when the corresponding images are erased.

CTG files are much smaller than .JPG files and do not contain any image data. Therefore they cannot be converted to JPEG files."

Here is the source: http://www.fileinfo.com/extension/ctg

You looked for your images in the wrong folder that's why you see strange file.

On Canon image files are located under:

DCIM

xxxCANON

or

\DCIM
    \xxxEOS1D
    \xxxCANON
        \***YYYY.JPG

    \CANONMISC
        (DCIM control metadata)
\MISC
 

[barbarakscott]

My memory chip has jpg files, but several hundred new files in CTG format. I can see the images on the camera, but cannot open them when I transfer the files to my computer. What is the best way to open these images on my computer?

[Haven42]

If you can view your pictures on the camera, the jpg files are there. I found, when you have to many pictures saved on your sd card, more then a 1000, the canon camera is not happy about letting you download them to your computer. Take the flash card out of the camera and plug it into your laptop (if it has an SD slot) or use a card reader. No problem that way. The ctg file is only an index. Not the picture !!! After downloading the pictures to atleast two different storage devices such as Your computer and an external hard drive, they can be deleted from the SD card. I can not stress enought that you need atleast two backups. These are your pictures and a virus or a failure of one of those storage devices can lose them forever. A lot of people just buy another SD card and hope they will last forever on the card. They will not, and it's very easy to lose it. .  

[John_]

Files that contain the .ctg file extension are Catalog index files. These files are created by certain Canon digital cameras. When a Canon digital camera takes a photograph, it stores the photo in a folder on the camera's memory card. 

The CTG file stores information about the number of pictures that are stored in each folder located on the camera's memory card. These files allow your computer to index the files and populate them to your computer. The CTG file does not contain any actual image data, rather it just contains an index of the data contained in the folder.

You should have another file/folder that is what you'd expect like jpg, png, raw etc. those are the pictures.

[TrevorW]

Hi - yes - I went through all these suggestions on this link before posting my note - I've already looked through all the folders on the memory chip - and there's nothing relating to these pics. I suspect there just wasn't enough room to actually save the photos - just for the index. But thanks.

[Annise88]

Did you ever find a solution to this Trevor? My CanonSX60 is doing the same thing. It's happening when there's lots of space on my SD card too, not saving photo's only CTG files...

[TrevorW]

My SX260 hs only saved a folder full of CTG files. There is nothing else alongside it. The reason seems to be that the chip is almost full, and it only saved the index, not any actual photos. Unless anyone knows differently?

[John_]

And you cant playback the images on your camera either?

When you say the chip is full do you mean the SD card?  Either way it should have stored the images up to when it was to full or to full.

If there is no DCIM file then you lost the images somehow.

Id reset the camera and reformat the SD card in the camera before attempting anymore shots.

[tcs]

I can view the photoes via my camera which have the ctg extension.  I can not down load them.  As I have read in this string there is no way to recover them to a jpeg or other viewable format.  Is that accurate?