>> I discovered this site
>>
>> http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/index.htm

I think the following was offlist but I've removed pesonal identifiers 
and content seems generic techo, so

> There's also a program called Data Rescue (now Data Rescue II) from
> Prosoft Engineering that does a very good job of recovering files.
> It takes the approach that the suspect disk is not to be touched.
> All recovered files are written to another drive.

At http://www.prosofteng.net/

MAC version $US99
PC version $US 129.

May provide more functionality than the $US29 Photo Rescue, but PR 
worked very very well for me. I'd definitely not have considered a 
$US129 program at this stage (about the cost of 8 x 512 MB el junko 
CFs or 70% of that in good ones). But $US29 felt good for what it 
did - and what it is liable to do in future. The money back if it 
doesn't work feature is good.

> Both the better grade Sandisk Extreme CF cards and the Lexar 80X CF
> cards come bundled with data recovery software.  I've tested both to
> make sure I have them available if needed.  But then, since I'm 
> using
> pro grade CF cards, I've never needed them for either a Sandisk or
> Lexar card.

I'll have to look at those to see if the extra price is justified by 
the software. Card speed for me has often seemed camera and card 
combination dependant. There are certainly occasions where I'd like a 
faster card write (many shots in sequence at 4 fps) but mostly the 7D 
and anything I have got seems OK. My old 7Hi would with some cards 
work far faster the first time used after formatting. I started with 
premium cards and found they didn't make enough (if any) real world 
difference to be worth the extra.

7D max speed is same at all resolutions.
7Hi had a 1 MP x 7 fps mode.
Useful for eg yumping rally cars or most sports action but low res a 
shame and it then took forever to write the buffer once you stopped 
shooting - better to keep shooting till the camera's ~~ 100 MB 
internal buffer filled 'just in case".

The 7Hi was/is an utterly amazing camera - a far better photo taking 
"system" than the best DSLRs in the world. Photo quality was only 
superb compared to the "ridiculous" of the newer cameras.

> As icing on the cake, each Sandisk Extreme CF comes with a neat
> zippered wallet.

I use a small zippered lady's coin purse discarded by my wife :-)
Holds more CFs than I ever carry but fits in any pocket.
When shooting a function I run a multi-pocket system :-)
Bare / part written / full for download / downloaded but still full.

"Part written" because I interleave cards for security.
"Downloaded but full" because, why delete until you must as extra 
security.

I'm going to change to a system whereby I rename files after 
downloading so there's no doubts - provided speed impact is not too 
high.
Also a PC plus external drive system where files are downloaded to 
laptop HDD, written to external drive, both compared with CF and then 
deleted.
As FC on CF can be slow it MAY be acceptable to FC only between 
internal and external HDD.

Download is to an IBM thinkpad with a Cardbus CF reader,  carried in a 
backpack when required. No extra battery yet (about 2 hours running) 
but may add that too. External drive is USB2 when used.
Camera/electro geeks anonymous :-).
Ma - what's that strange man over there doing ... ?

As you can see, I'm somewhat paranoid about data loss. Several times 
bitten, suitably shy.
If after the next 100,000 photos I have no losses I may get more blase 
again.

On our 2003, 25 country 45,000 photo 9 week sprint I had failures of 
just about every sort but due to duplicates or better at all possible 
stages lost no photos apart from those on the failed 256 MB CF which I 
have now largely recovered.


        RM




 

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