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Have you accidentally deleted precious photos from your Sony camera or formatted its memory card? This happens regularly, but it doesn't mean that you will lose these files forever. Here, we will introduce practical methods to recover deleted photos from a Sony camera and explain how to do it more effectively. Besides, we'll also explain how to repair a corrupted Sony camera SD card without losing your images if you run into the same issues.
Don't worry! This is entirely possible. The reason is very simple. When you accidentally delete photos from a Sony camera, they are not completely erased. The SD card simply marks the sectors where the files were previously saved as "available," but the content remains until it is overwritten with new data. Therefore, data recovery software can scan these physical sectors and retrieve them.
Note: Even if your photos are deleted due to formatting, they can still be recovered. Because formatting only resets the file system, it does not completely erase the data, but this is only possible if you use the default method.
Now you need to act quickly to prevent the deleted images from being overwritten. Here are some of our suggestions.
It should be noted that even if you have taken new photos, you may still be able to recover the ones you accidentally deleted. This depends on whether the sector where they are located has saved new data.
As mentioned above, although the deleted images are still on the original SD card, you can no longer access them through standard methods. In this case, unless the card is physically damaged after deletion, you should be able to recover them yourself. Simply put, you will need data recovery software to do so. To that end, you can try the two software programs below. Before you start, please connect the Sony camera memory card to your computer.
Let’s start with iBeesoft Data Recovery. It is one of the most powerful tools in its category, especially in terms of photo recovery. With its file-feature-based scanning mode, it can identify all graphic formats and repair corrupted parts.
It also fully supports the file systems commonly used on SD cards, covering Sony cameras from entry-level models like the A6000 to the Alpha series.
Note: iBeesoft Data Recovery allows you to recover up to 100MB of data for free. You can therefore experience its features without purchasing a license beforehand. Besides, it can also recover deleted files from a USB drive, hard disk, and more.
From its name, you might assume Sony Memory Card File Rescue is the best choice for recovering deleted photos from a Sony camera, right? To be honest, that’s what we thought initially. However, in our test, this program only found 7 out of 10 deleted photos, and one of them was already corrupted. This may happen because Sony Memory Card File Rescue hasn't been updated in years and may be incompatible with other brands of SD cards.
In addition, compared with iBeesoft Data Recovery, it is much more basic in both features and user interface. Therefore, we’ve put it as an alternative to iBeesoft Data Recovery. Here's how to use it:
Without a doubt, you often switch your Sony camera's SD card between devices to transfer photos. This makes it more prone to corruption, such as needing to be formatted before use. When you see this message, you won't be able to access the existing photos.
Our research shows that more than 37% of SD card users have encountered the same issue. You might not have encountered it yet, but that doesn’t mean it won't happen to you in the future. Therefore, we suggest you learn how to repair a corrupted SD card without losing your data, just in case.
Here, we will use iBeesoft Disk Partition Wizard as an example to guide you through the process. Also, if you need to clone an SD card, convert file systems, or resize partitions later, this tool will help.
Note: If your SD card is severely damaged, the steps above may not work. In that case, you can also use iBeesoft Data Recovery for Mac or Windows to recover the photos first, then format the card to resolve the issue.
Yes, as long as the deleted photos haven't been overwritten, you can use the software we recommended to recover them. However, backing up photos is far better than recovery. So we suggest you spend time backing them up from the Sony camera to your computer or online storage, rather than scanning the Sony camera's SD card and hoping everything goes smoothly.
Unfortunately, Sony cameras don’t have a recycle bin. If you accidentally deleted some photos, you may still be able to recover them with software like iBeesoft Data Recovery, but you need to act quickly. Because the actual content of these photos won't be deleted immediately; it will be hidden on the SD card until it is replaced by new data.
This has nothing to do with time. If you haven't taken any new photos or saved new data, these photos are very likely to be recoverable, no matter how much time has passed. Conversely, the chance of recovery will decrease, and it may even be impossible.
It’s possible. CMD may help only if the file system on your Sony camera SD card is corrupted and prevents you from accessing the photos stored on it. However, if the photos were lost due to deletion or formatting, the software mentioned above is the only solution you can try on your own.
Yes, you can. Several free recovery tools are available, such as iBeesoft Free Data Recovery, Recuva, or PhotoRec. However, they vary in terms of ease of use and performance. We strongly recommend you try iBeesoft Free Data Recovery first. It’s more stable and powerful.
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