Cameras · Canon exFAT camera card
Recover deleted Canon photos: JPG, CR2, and CR3
How do I recover deleted photos from a Canon camera?
Short answer
Yes, often: Canon folder paths such as DCIM/100CANON, sequential IMG_ file names and CR2 or CR3 structure each provide evidence for rebuilding a shoot. Remove the card, scan it read-only for JPG plus the RAW format your model actually records, export elsewhere and check every file at full resolution.
The situation
Canon JPEG or RAW originals were deleted in-camera or during ingest.
Canon cards carry three separate clues: the DCIM/100CANON path, sequential IMG_ file names, and the internal structure of CR2 or CR3. A scan can follow each of them independently, which is why a deleted Canon shoot is often reconstructable even when the folder looks empty.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
In-camera deletion and an interrupted ingest leave the same trace: the exFAT entry is released while the picture clusters simply stop belonging to anything. CR2 is TIFF-derived with an offset table near the front, and CR3 is an ISO-BMFF container built from boxes. Both carry a large embedded JPEG preview, so a recovered Canon RAW can display at once and still be incomplete behind that preview.
Canon card paths, sequential names, and CR2 or CR3 structure provide separate evidence for reconstructing a shoot.
Check the last known path, trash and backups without writing to the original device.
02 / Protect the source
Preserve the best recovery chance
- 1
Power the camera down and remove the card; do not use the in-camera format or the protect function to tidy anything up.
- 2
Check what this model actually records, because older EOS bodies write CR2 and newer ones CR3, and the scan needs the right one.
- 3
Read the card through a card reader and scan read-only for JPG together with CR2 or CR3, preserving the DCIM path information.
- 4
Export to another disk, open each RAW in Digital Photo Professional or Lightroom, then compare the count against the camera's last file number.
Do not let the camera write to the card again, including a protect flag, a new folder, or a format. Avoid the in-camera transfer function while files are missing, and never point the export at the card you are recovering from.
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.
Deleted entries can be found while their clusters stay untouched; frames recorded over are gone for good. File Recovery Hero reads the exFAT card read-only and exports files, yet it does not repair a truncated CR3 and does not handle physically damaged cards.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
A Canon RAW is sound when it develops at full sensor resolution with working exposure and white-balance sliders, not merely when the embedded preview appears. For JPEGs, inspect the bottom rows of the frame. File names such as IMG_0421 should form a continuous run against your import folder.
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 Canon exFAT camera card be recovered in this situation?+
Canon cards carry three separate clues: the DCIM/100CANON path, sequential IMG_ file names, and the internal structure of CR2 or CR3. A scan can follow each of them independently, which is why a deleted Canon shoot is often reconstructable even when the folder looks empty. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let the camera write to the card again, including a protect flag, a new folder, or a format.
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?+
A Canon RAW is sound when it develops at full sensor resolution with working exposure and white-balance sliders, not merely when the embedded preview appears.