Photos stored on the Sigma camera SD card disappeared? Was Sigma’s camera memory card corrupted? How to recover deleted photos from Sigma camera? Read this post on MiniTool Software to get the best data recovery software for X3F RAW photo recovery.
Although Sigma cameras are not as popular as some mainstream brands, they still have their unique advantages, such as high image quality, accurate color reproduction, and superior durability. Photos taken by Sigma cameras are stored in two formats by default: X3F and JPEG. The former is a format unique to Sigma cameras that retains the original image and provides high-quality images and greater post-processing freedom. The latter is a common image format that is more widely used and can be viewed by a variety of image viewers.
However, when using a Sigma camera or organizing photos on the camera, your photos may be deleted or lost due to various subjective or objective factors. Under these circumstances, can you recover deleted photos from Sigma camera? It depends.
Is It Possible to Recover Deleted Photos From Sigma Camera
Depending on the reasons why your photos were lost, the possibility of Sigma camera SD card photo recovery varies. Here are some common situations.
Situations when you are able to recover photos from Sigma camera:
- The photos on the camera SD card are deleted: Photos deleted due to human error, virus attack, etc. are usually logical deletion rather than physical deletion, and can generally be recovered using professional and free data recovery software.
- The memory card is formatted: If you format the SD card with the “Quick Format” option ticked, then there is a chance that the photos on the formatted card can be recovered.
- The SD card is corrupted: When the camera card is logically damaged or not working properly on the camera, you have a chance to recover inaccessible or lost photos.
Situations when you cannot recover photos from Sigma camera:
- The lost photos are overwritten by new data: There is no possibility to recover deleted photos when they are overwritten by new data. This usually happens when you continue to take new photos after the data loss or long after the photos have been lost.
- The camera SD card is physically damaged: If your card is physically damaged, such as broken or soaked in water, it usually cannot be recognized by computers or data recovery software anymore, so data recovery is impossible.
- The memory card is fully formatted: Formatting the card without checking the “Quick Format” option will completely delete all data on the disk. In this case, you will not be able to recover the data.
If your data loss scenario qualifies as recoverable, continue reading for detailed recovery steps.
How to Perform Sigma Camera SD Card Photo Recovery
We will introduce two secure data recovery services to help you recover deleted photos from Sigma camera.
Choice 1. Use MiniTool Power Data Recovery
The most recommended recovery tool for Sigma camera SD card photo recovery is MiniTool Power Data Recovery.
This Windows file recovery software is capable of recovering photos in a wide range of image formats, from common PNG or JPG to unique X3F, NEF, CR2, TIFF, and more. Also, it supports recovering photos or videos from various camera brands, including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, and so on.
Moreover, in addition to recovering photos from cameras, this tool excels at restoring other types of files (documents, videos, audio, emails, archives, etc.) from other file storage media. For example, it is good at SSD data recovery, HDD file recovery, USB flash drive recovery, and more.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery offers multiple editions with different data recovery limits. The free edition allows you to recover 1 GB of photos without any charge.
Now, make the following preparations and start recovering your photos:
- Remove the SD card from your Sigma camera and then connect it to your computer via a card reader.
- Click the button below to download the free edition of this read-only photo recovery tool and perform secure data recovery.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1. Select the camera SD card to scan.
After launching MiniTool Power Data Recovery, you will see its main interface. Here you should locate and hover over the camera SD card, and then click the Scan button. After that, the software will begin to scan for lost, deleted, and existing files on the card.
Step 2. Find and tick the wanted X3F or JPEG photos.
After scanning, it is time to find all the needed photos and then tick the checkboxes next to them.
By default, all found items are listed in a tree structure under Path. Since you want to recover X3F and JPEG photos, you can switch to the Type category list where all files are organized by file type. Then you can expand the Picture type and focus on the X3F and JPG formats. There will be a bracket to the right of the file type indicating the number of files found.
Furthermore, this software allows you to preview listed photos before recovering them. Supported image formats include JPG, JPEG, PNG, ARW, and so on. To preview a JPEG picture, just double-click on it.
Step 3. Save the required photos to a safe location.
Finally, tick all required JPEG and X3F photos and click Save. Then you will receive a new small window, asking you to select a directory to save the recovered files. Just do it. But you should not save the recovered photos to the original SD card where they were since this may cause data overwriting.
Suppose there are more than 1 GB of photos that need to be recovered, you should upgrade the free edition to a full edition. You can opt for an appropriate edition according to the license comparison.
Choice 2. Use MiniTool Photo Recovery
Apart from MiniTool Power Data Recovery, MiniTool Software has released another professional photo recovery tool – MiniTool Photo Recovery.
This easy-to-use photo recovery tool specializes in recovering photos, videos, and audio files from digital cameras, SD cards, HDDs, SSDs, USB drives, and so on. The X3F and JPEG image formats are supported by this tool.
Now you can download its free edition and use it to recover up to 200 MB of files safely.
MiniTool Windows Photo RecoveryClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 1. Connect the Sigma camera to your PC directly or insert the SD card into a card reader and then connect the card reader to your computer.
Step 2. Launch MiniTool Photo Recovery, and then click Start from its main interface.
Step 3. Now you can click Setting and customize the file types you want to recover. Since you need to recover deleted X3F photos and JPEG images, you can just check JPEG Camera file (*.jpg), JPEG Graphics file (*.jpg), and Sigma Foveon X3 raw picture (*.x3f) under Graphics & Picture.
Next, you should select the camera SD card and then click the Scan button.
Step 4. Once the scan is completed, you can select the wanted photos and then click Save to recover them.
How to Open an X3F File on Windows
X3F files cannot be opened with the Photos tool on Windows like common image formats such as PNG, JPG, etc. So, how can you open an X3F photo on a Windows PC? Typically, you have the option of viewing the image online or downloading a photo viewer that supports the X3F format.
Online:
Many websites offer convenient online image viewers. For example, you can visit the website of Jumpshare to view X3F pictures without having to download any app or sign up for an account. To view an X3F image, click Choose X3F File to choose the target photo or simply drag and drop your photo onto the area to begin uploading it. Wait for a few seconds, and then click View Your Image.
In addition, this tool allows you to share your X3F photos by using a secure link or via email. Moreover, you will have the ability to receive comments from other users on your X3F files or lock your X3F files with a password to disable downloading.
Photo viewer:
Here are some photo viewers that allow you to view or edit X3F images. You can download them and follow the official instructions to view or edit your X3F photos.
- SIGMA Photo Pro: SIGMA Photo Pro is specialized software designed for viewing and editing RAW photos taken with Sigma digital cameras on a computer, including processing X3F file formats.
- PaintShop Pro: PaintShop Pro is a professional digital image editing software. It supports viewing and creating RAW files of more than 800 camera models, including X3F files.
- Adobe Photoshop CC: You can also use Adobe Photoshop CC to view X3F images as long as you install the SIGMA X3F Plug-in for Photoshop, a plug-in specifically designed for processing RAW images taken with Sigma digital cameras.
In a word, viewing and processing X3F photos on a Windows computer is not an impossible task if you choose an appropriate tool.
How to Prevent Sigma Camera SD Card Photo Loss/Corruption
After learning how to recover deleted photos from your Sigma camera and open the X3F files, you should take note of the following tips to prevent camera photo loss or corruption.
Tip 1. Take Regular Backups
Unlike deleting files from your computer’s internal hard drive, files deleted from your camera’s SD card are not placed in the Recycle Bin but are directly and permanently deleted. Then you have no choice but to use data recovery software or seek help from a data recovery agency. However, if you have backed up the important photos to another location, data recovery will be easy.
For camera SD card photo backup, there are multiple ways you can choose. For example, you can purchase a USB drive or external hard drive with sufficient storage space, and then transfer the significant photos to the removable disk for backup. Alternatively, you can opt for a preferred cloud service like Google Drive or OneDrive, and upload your pictures to the cloud for backup. However, you should note that most cloud services have a free storage space limit.
Also, you can choose a professional data backup tool like MiniTool ShadowMaker for photo backup. It is reliable Windows file backup software that is designed to back up documents, pictures, videos, audio, etc. Furthermore, it supports backing up partitions, disks, or Windows systems.
Download MiniTool ShadowMaker Trial Edition and enjoy it for free within 30 days.
MiniTool ShadowMaker TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Tip 2. Do Not Remove the SD Card Violently
Forcefully removing the SD card from your camera is a major cause of photo loss/corruption. This is because this operation may damage the card’s interface, internal circuits, chips, or other parts, causing the card to not work properly. In addition, if you suddenly remove the SD card while the camera is reading or writing data, the unfinished read/write operation may render the files corrupted or inaccessible.
Therefore, it’s important to ensure that all reading and writing tasks have finished before carefully taking the SD card out of your camera.
Tip 3. Avoid Sudden Power Outage of Your Camera
Maintaining adequate battery charge when using the camera is also important to prevent SD card corruption and data loss. Try not to take photos when the camera is low on battery.
Tip 4. Check the Memory Card Regularly
Checking the memory card condition on a regular basis is vital. When the SD card has obvious physical damage, such as scratches, deformation, or breakage, you should consider replacing it with a new one.
To Sum Up
After reading this tutorial, you should know how to recover deleted photos from Sigma camera and how to prevent your pictures from being lost. Hope the information we provide is helpful to you.
For any assistance related to MiniTool software, please reach out to the support team via [email protected]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Shirley graduated from English major and is currently an editor of MiniTool Team. She likes browsing and writing IT-related articles, and is committed to becoming a professional IT problem solver. The topic of her articles are generally about data recovery, data backup, and computer disk management, as well as other IT issues. In spare time, she likes watching movies, hiking and fishing.