Cameras · Leica exFAT MP4 card
Recover missing Leica MP4 files
How do I recover deleted Leica MP4 video?
Short answer
First confirm the clips are missing from the ingest destination too, then keep the Leica card unchanged. Scan it read-only for MP4 and export to another drive. A usable result needs the complete ISO-BMFF structure and all media data, so run a full container validation on each clip, not just a preview frame.
The situation
MP4 clips are absent from the card or ingest destination.
Before this becomes a recovery case, settle where the clips should be. An ingest that reported errors can leave the only copies on the Leica card, while a card cleared after a failed ingest puts the MP4 data into unallocated space, where it stays until the next recording claims it.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
An MP4 follows the ISO-BMFF layout: the media data sits in one box, and a separate index box describes which byte range belongs to which frame and sample. Deleting a clip on an exFAT card releases the directory entry but normally leaves both boxes where they were. That is why a scan can still bound a clip precisely, provided no new recording was started.
A valid result needs complete ISO-BMFF structure and media data.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Eject the card from the Leica and set it aside; a new recording is written into the same free space that holds the missing clips.
- 2
Check the ingest destination, the editing software's media folder and any proxy directory for clips that arrived under a different name.
- 3
Scan the card read-only for MP4, so each clip is lifted with its index box and its media data in one piece.
- 4
Export to another drive and keep the reported file sizes; a clip far smaller than its neighbours is the one to inspect first.
Do not reformat the card so the camera accepts it again, and do not copy recovered clips back onto it for a field check. Writing to the source consumes the free blocks the missing recordings still occupy, and a second scan then finds less than the first one did.
03 / Choose the method
Match the tool to the source
For stable, readable exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 or uncompressed IMG, DD, RAW and BIN images.
Unconfirmed exports are marked .UNVERIFIED.
File Recovery Hero exports complete MP4 files from readable exFAT media in a read-only pass; it neither repairs a clip with a missing index box nor reconstructs footage the camera stopped writing. A card the reader cannot address reliably is a hardware case for a laboratory.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
Play each exported clip to the very end, watch the timecode run through without a jump, and confirm that the audio track is present. A clip whose duration matches the recording time shown on the Leica and that decodes completely is safe to cut with; anything shorter is a fragment.
Keep the source until two verified copies exist. One working preview is not enough.
Sources and technical references
FAQ
Questions about this recovery case
Can Leica exFAT MP4 card be recovered in this situation?+
Before this becomes a recovery case, settle where the clips should be. An ingest that reported errors can leave the only copies on the Leica card, while a card cleared after a failed ingest puts the MP4 data into unallocated space, where it stays until the next recording claims it. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not reformat the card so the camera accepts it again, and do not copy recovered clips back onto it for a field check.
Does scanning write to my memory card?+
Your memory card is only read. Nothing is saved to it.
How do I know whether the result is complete?+
Play each exported clip to the very end, watch the timecode run through without a jump, and confirm that the audio track is present.