Video · 10-bit production card
10-bit Log MP4: recover after an interrupted recording
What can I do with 10-bit Log recordings in MP4 after a recording interruption?
Short answer
Only repair a copy: an interrupted 10-bit Log clip usually lacks its moov index, and repair tools rebuild it from a reference clip. That reference must match camera model, Log profile, bit depth, chroma sampling and resolution, or the rebuild may fail or show artifacts. Power down, copy the card, then repair.
The situation
10-bit Log recordings in MP4 is missing, too short or unreadable after power loss, a card error or an unsafe stop.
Power loss during a take leaves picture and sound samples on the card but no moov index describing them, so the file reports zero length or refuses to open. The footage is usually still there in full; what is missing is the table a player needs to find the frames.
01 / Diagnose
Work out what actually disappeared
A camera writes the MP4 index when it closes a recording. If the battery dies, the card is pulled or the recorder faults before that moment, the container stays open-ended. On some models the unfinished take is not even listed in the folder, and the camera offers to repair it on the next insertion, which writes to the card.
The payload may have been written before duration fields, indexes, directory entries or closing structures were committed. For 10-bit Log MP4, this matters because bit depth, color profile and codec parameters affect whether a valid stream displays correctly
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 recorder down, remove the card and decline any repair the camera offers the next time it starts with that card inside.
- 2
Copy the whole card to an image file, or at least the damaged clip, so that later repair work happens on a duplicate and the original stays untouched.
- 3
Record a short reference clip on a different card with the same camera, Log profile, bit depth, chroma sampling, resolution and frame rate.
- 4
Run a container repair tool on the copy with that reference, then keep the rebuilt file next to the untouched original instead of replacing it.
Do not let the camera repair the clip on the only card you have, and do not point the repair tool at the original file. A failed rebuild can write over the very samples you are trying to keep, and the second attempt then has nothing left to work with.
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 recovers files from exFAT, NTFS and FAT16/FAT32 media read-only; it does not rebuild a broken MP4 container, so the repair itself belongs to a dedicated tool. A scan helps only if the unfinished take vanished from the card as well.
04 / Verify
Check the recovered content, not just its name
The rebuild worked when the clip reports the running time the take actually had, plays from the first frame to the end without stalling, keeps audio in sync and accepts the Log LUT normally. Frames that break into blocks at the tail simply mark the moment the recording stopped.
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 10-bit production card be recovered in this situation?+
Power loss during a take leaves picture and sound samples on the card but no moov index describing them, so the file reports zero length or refuses to open. The footage is usually still there in full; what is missing is the table a player needs to find the frames. The result still depends on what remains readable on the source.
What should I avoid before scanning?+
Do not let the camera repair the clip on the only card you have, and do not point the repair tool at the original file.
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?+
The rebuild worked when the clip reports the running time the take actually had, plays from the first frame to the end without stalling, keeps audio in sync and accepts the Log LUT normally.