How to Recover RAW Photos from Camera?

Eleanor Reed

Apr 10, 2023 • Filed to: Photo/Video/Audio Solutions • Proven solutions

RAW is simply a file type. You may have come across RAW photography and wonder why do many photographers recommend it? Well, this guide will inform you about everything you need to know about RAW. At the end of this article, you will get reasons to shoot in RAW and factors influencing you not want to shoot in RAW.

Part 1: What Is A Raw Image Format?

A raw image format was launched in September 2004 by adobe systems. After two years, several camera manufacturers in the world had started to apply the new image format in their design and features. RAW is a file format that captures all data recorded by the sensor when you take a photo or video.

You may have come across various types of image formats like JPEG, which hold image information in a compressed manner. This makes it vulnerable to data loss. RAW you can produce high-quality images and correct some shooting mistakes.

What does RAW stand for?

The RAW file format is digital photography that contains untouched pixel information straight from the digital camera's sensor. Digital cameras typically develop the RAW file by converting it into full-colour JPEG or TIFF image file.

What is a RAW photo used for?

This type of format gives the user an added advantage as he/she will be to postpone applying image adjustments. This provides more flexibility and time for the photographer to decide which modifications are best suited for every image.

What is the difference between RAW and JPEG?

• Why shoot in RAW?

The quality of JPEG is developed from the RAW format. RAW format is far much better than JPEG as one can edit the photos as desired. Also suitable for printing of wallpapers or other large file output.

• Why shoot in JPEG?

JPEG is the standard format for users around the market. It is more user friendly as the camera performs all the tasks for you. For beginners they should shoot in JPEG format and also the file size of the JPEG format is smaller than the RAW file.

Technically, all cameras shoot raw. The difference with jpeg is that the camera does the whole processing on its own in converting raw to JPEG format. With raw, you can do the processing on your own and transform information into a JPEG format.

How is a RAW file stored on camera?

RAW file format contains unprocessed data which is later developed into the final JPEG or TIFF image in several steps. The camera can store the image in a RAW file. The camera has an internal memory that is backed up by an external memory. This ensures that the camera holds more images in either JPEG or RAW file format.

Part 2: Why Does RAW Photo Get Lost?

RAW images are common in disappearing. RAW images are known for their quality and dynamic range. When the RAW photos are captured by the camera may be subjected to various factors that may lead to loss of RAW files.

There are common scenarios that may lead to the loss of RAW data. Some users may not have any idea of any kind of response they should pose to the situation. Well, this guide got you covered. Below are the scenarios which may lead to loss of data;

• It may occur due to accidental deletion by the user.
• When transferring the RAW photo for editing in the Photoshop application.
• The sudden removal of SD or memory card from camera or halting the transfer process suddenly.
• Corrupted and unnoticeable camera card may lead to distortion of RAW images.
• Unavoidable error messages which make you format your SD card without your full consent. This forces you to format the SD containing RAW images.
• Improper handling of camera or memory card.
• Virus infection of the memory card or camera's motherboard.

To avoid such mistakes of undoing the user should opt for a more user-friendly JPEG image format. This saves you the hassle of editing and continuously transferring RAW data from the camera to your PC.

Part 3: How Can You Recover RAW Photos from Camera?

Windows PC usually comes with inbuilt tools that let users recover files like Raw photos, documents, media just to mention a few. Here's how you can effectively restore missing or deleted files on your Windows computer.

Solution 1: Restore using PC's recycle bin

When you delete anything from your PC, they are put in the Recycle Bin.

Step 1: Access the recycle bin from the desktop. Launch it and wait until all files are displayed.

Step 2: Select all the pictures you want to recover. Right-click on them and select "restore" from the menu displayed. Then, start recovering all deleted files from either the SD card or the computer itself.

Step 3: Preview the files that had been deleted and ensure all the files are restored successfully.

Solution 2: Restore using PC's backup feature

When you accidentally or intentionally delete a photo from your computer, you can easily find them if you had backed up the data.

To recover a raw image that was deleted, simply go to Backup and Restore Utility.

Step 1: Hit on "Start". Then, select "Settings

Step 2: From the window displayed, go to "Update & Security"

Step 3: Choose "Backup" and then "More options" (situated beneath "Back up using File History")

Step 4: Under the "Related Settings" select "Restore files from a current backup"

Step 5: Search for the photo(s), you want to recover. You can do that by entering the names of the files and searching them. Once you have identified the files, select them and then select "Restore". The files will be restored to their initial location.

Solution 3: Use Recoverit Photo Recovery

Windowshare Recoverit is a free data recovery software with the capacity of retrieving lost data, documents, and files lost in different scenarios. The software is efficient as it retrieves lost and deleted files within minutes. Recoverit is a flexible data recovery software that offers various data recovery features that come packed in a simple and highly intuitive user-interface.

What Recoverit can do:

• Can recover files from the formatted hard drive.
• Can recover files lost/ deleted during partitioning.
• Can do system crash data recovery.
• Can get back data lost due to virus or malware attack.
• Restore documents, files, and data lost due to power failure.

Other features:

• Works in just three clicks (Select, Scan, and Recovery)
• Supports data recovery for all devices with FAT16, NTFS, FAT32, HFS+, etc.
• Supports over 1000 data formats including all image formats, multimedia files, emails, etc.
• Fast scanning speed.

From the description, Windowshare Recoverit can help you recover lost pictures from your camera in three simple steps:

Step 1. Select your digital camera

Select an external storage device. Make sure your digital camera is connected. Select the raw photos to restore and click on scanning.

Step 2. Make a scan on your camera

Scan your digital camera and wait until the process is over. This may take several minutes to complete the scan.

Step 3. Preview and recover photos

Preview and recover your data and make sure all files are recovered. The recovered files will appear on the left by grouped by file type. Preview every single file will help you recover specific data.

Please don't transfer the recovered raw images to your digital camera after the recovery process.

Part 4. What Can You Do to Avoid Lost RAW Photo?

Technology has made photography to be professional and upgraded to suit modern customer requirements. Cameras have improved since their invention since then; innovation has been part of the photography industry. Backing up data should be a priority to avoid losing raw photos. There are various data back methods one can use in this scenario;

• Cloud storage back up
• Network-attached storage back up
• External hard drive
• Disks and tapes backups
• Online backup clash plan

Cloud storage back up

Cloud storage as backup is becoming popular in different industries due to the benefits it offers. The technology helps companies store their information in online serviced platforms. The process is confidential and secure from fraudsters. Well, for a photographer cloud storage is an ideal option to avoid losing raw pictures considering one can access them anytime using any smart device.

Experts will like the fact that you can see thumbnails and RAW files on the web and the mobile versions of different cloud storage platforms. some of the cloud storage platforms one can use include P-cloud, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Hybrid cloud backup among others.

Backup your photos to a spare hard drive

Maintaining a spare drive with your RAW photos will help you recover your photos without recovery software. By adding an extra hard drive, the user must move it to another location to reduce the chances of destruction by natural disasters or fire. This is the best professional move that photographers take to back up their data. Additionally, the spare hard disk should not be far from where you operate.

Network Attached Storage

Network-attached storage involves using a reserved device with its IP address. The device can be used as a multimedia serve and functions as a lightweight database server. NAS mainly offers data redundancy meaning it will always generate a backup for your raw images. This ensures your images are fully protected.

Disks and Tape Backup

Disks and tape backup are the oldest backup methods in this list that can help you avoid losing your images. Tapes are inexpensive and tend to offer slow backup and recovery though they offer amazing solutions. With tapes, one backs up their data on a physical device. Disks on the other hand offer faster backup and recovery processes compared to rapes.

RAW files are excellent for professionals who are familiar with editing capabilities. JPEG and TIFF are the user-friendly formats that are secure from vulnerable loss. Whenever you lose RAW images, opt for platforms like Recoverit to recover them effectively. Make your artistic vision so you can get the shot you desire every time!