# 5d3 Raw file corruption



## nismohks (Feb 24, 2013)

i was just importing some files off my sandisk extreme 32gb 60MB/sec card into lightroom 4.3 and i came across an issue where there is some corruption on one image!







the 5d3 is using 1.1.3 firmware

Any idea on what this could be caused by??


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## neuroanatomist (Feb 24, 2013)

The most likely culprit is a corrupt memory card.


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## nismohks (Feb 24, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> The most likely culprit is a corrupt memory card.



hmm if it is, then i guess it's better than the alternative (being my camera)! 

i've never had any sandisk cards fail on me and i have a bunch of extremes and ultras etc for CF...

anyone have any experience with failing sandisk cards?

i just sent an email to Sandisk to see what they say as i think the card is lifetime warranty?

but the only problem with that may be that i bought it online from B&H but i live in australia....


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## 850t5 (Feb 24, 2013)

> anyone have any experience with failing sandisk cards?


Yep, that happened to me with the 5D several years ago. Cause was definetive a defective CF card at the time.
On request SanDisk provided me with a free licence for a SW that recovers lost data from Flash. Not all data could be recoverd though. In fact the damage per picture was reduced, but most pictures had still some kind of damage similar to what you showed. In total the SW could save maybe 10% of the pictures, all other remained lost.
Guess this is why I like the two card feature that allows to write to two flash media parallel. Likelihood to loose data that way is much much lower, altough not impossible either.


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## nismohks (Feb 24, 2013)

850t5 said:


> > anyone have any experience with failing sandisk cards?
> 
> 
> Yep, that happened to me with the 5D several years ago. Cause was definetive a defective CF card at the time.
> ...



ah ok hopefully sandisk can help me out in this case in getting me a replacement

i'll probably get a 32/64 SD card for my 5d3 too to record jpegs onto as a backup of the raws i record on my CF

in emergencies i guess having a jpeg is better than a corrupt file


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## Wilmark (Feb 24, 2013)

This type of corruption has been reported by many users on a previous thread. I experienced it too. Although what ive seen are colored bands in a particular corner of the frame. I dont think its the card (had it with many cards). I feel its more related to the computer where the file was imported. Mines went away after i changed the type of memory on the computer. Others reported different reasons. I suspect that its a Camera problem OR a lightroom/Adobe Raw problem - thats the common denominator. Canon should look into it.


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## Canon_Wisconsin (Feb 26, 2013)

This happened to me in the past and while frustrating, I figured out that if I pull all the images off the card and re-format the card (in the camera), it fixed it and didn't do it since. I believe it was an Extreme III card if I'm not mistaken. That was well over a year ago and the card has been fine since. I have upgrated to a 5DMII (the card in the past was in a Rebel XTi, LOL), but I don't believe it's the camera, I believe it's the memory card.

ETA: the frustrating thing is that it doesn't show corrupted on the preview file on the camera, so I had no idea until I opened the files in Camera Raw.


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## sandymandy (Feb 27, 2013)

Thats the reason cameras with 2 card slots are preffered in reviews


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## magical (Mar 17, 2013)

Wilmark said:


> This type of corruption has been reported by many users on a previous thread. I experienced it too. Although what ive seen are colored bands in a particular corner of the frame. I dont think its the card (had it with many cards). I feel its more related to the computer where the file was imported. Mines went away after i changed the type of memory on the computer. Others reported different reasons. I suspect that its a Camera problem OR a lightroom/Adobe Raw problem - thats the common denominator. Canon should look into it.



If the OP's computer is a PC you can download and check the memory using a program called memtest, this isn't definitive but will certainly help, and if there is a issue with your ram it should come up... here is the link, I use this on all new pcs and surprisingly I do get the odd bad memory module. One pass is all that is necessary, it can take 15-20 minutes to run the pass it all depends upon how much ram you have.

Ultimate Boot CD V5.2.1 is what I use which has a bunch of utilties including memtest.
http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/

to use this you must first burn this to a cd/dvd, then at your bios screen usually press F12 and select your dvd/cd as the first option, then go into the memory, and run memtest.

Good Luck.


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## Elbows (Apr 28, 2013)

Hi All,
I've been getting this same corruption on files from my 1DX as well. At first I suspected the CF cards but not any more!
For me, the problem ONLY occurs when I transfer files directly from the 1DX to my PC using the camera's built-in usb socket and the supplied Canon usb cable. I was seeing roughly 10% of my files corrupted. This was such a problem that I would have to record images to both CF cards in order to, hopefully, obtain one uncorrupted copy. This worked but severely reduced the number of available shots as I was using one 8GB and one 16GB cards.

However if I remove the cards and transfer the raw files onto a backup device first (a Nexto extreme, http://www.nextodi.com/product/eXtreme_en.html) I do not get a single corrupted file. NB. I can then use the same usb cable to transfer from the Nexto to my pc, hence ruling out the cable as well.

Could you guys please see if you can confirm this by using a card reader, or backup device, to take your files off the cards instead of the usb socket on the camera??

If we can trace the problem to the usb socket we will have something to go to Canon with.

Regards.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 28, 2013)

Elbows said:


> Hi All,
> I've been getting this same corruption on files from my 1DX as well. At first I suspected the CF cards but not any more!
> For me, the problem ONLY occurs when I transfer files directly from the 1DX to my PC using the camera's built-in usb socket and the supplied Canon usb cable. I was seeing roughly 10% of my files corrupted. This was such a problem that I would have to record images to both CF cards in order to, hopefully, obtain one uncorrupted copy. This worked but severely reduced the number of available shots as I was using one 8GB and one 16GB cards.
> 
> ...


Only about a million users each day download 1D X files via a card reader. Some also use a USB cable, but that's not the best choice. The USB cable pulling on the camera socket can ruin Camera socket or cable, or it can be a bad USB cable. One or more CR users downloading files with a card reader won't be much of a additional data point.

If the problem is repeatable, and you have tried other USB cables and Computers (Computers get damaged USB ports as well), send the camera to Canon for repair. Canon takes good care of 1 series buyers.


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## Elbows (Apr 28, 2013)

Yeah, all fair points Mt S. I'll be shooting on Tuesday so I'll transfer the files with various usb cables, different usb sockets on the pc etc. to see if there is any repeatability. I'll also try the ethernet cable as this could be a preferred method, rather than removing the cards after each shoot.

The usb socket on my 1DX has always felt quite loose, as it did on my old 7D, so I think I'll stop using it whatever I find. 

I'll report back during the week.

Still, if anyone else who is getting corruption could try a card reader vs usb we might find out something, even with a tiny sample size.

Regards.


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## bakker (Apr 28, 2013)

I also had a problem like yours.. See here: http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=4736.msg96090#msg96090

In my case I think it was solved when I switched from my old 4GB CF card to a new Sandisk Extreme 32GB CF..


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