RAW files deleted on the camera, or lost when the card was formatted, are usually still on the card. Cameras don’t erase photos when they delete them or when they quick-format a card; they only rewrite the card’s list of files. The photos stay where they were until new pictures are taken over them. So the first step is the most important: stop shooting on that card, and don’t format it again.
The one exception is a full or low-level format. Some Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras offer it, especially for CFexpress cards, and it wipes the whole card. After that, no software can bring the photos back.
Before you plug the card in
- Take the card out of the camera and set the write-protect switch on a full-size SD card, if it has one.
- Close Photos, Lightroom and any other importer. Don’t import, and never choose “Delete items after import”.
- If macOS says the disk isn’t readable and offers to initialize it, click Ignore. Initializing erases the card.
- If the camera says the card needs formatting, say no.
Which formats can still be recovered
| What happened | Chances | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Photos deleted in the camera | Good | Only the file list changes; the photo data stays. |
| Card quick-formatted in the camera or on the Mac | Good | A new, empty file list is written; the photos stay until reused. |
| New photos taken after deleting or formatting | Partial | Cameras usually write from the start of the card, so the oldest-placed photos go first. |
| Full or low-level format (some Canon, Nikon, Sony models) | None | The camera erases the whole card, and it reads back empty. |
| Card not seen by the Mac at all | Lab only | If it’s not in Disk Utility, no app can read it. |
Canon calls the full wipe “Low level format” (a checkbox under Format). Some Nikon cameras offer a full format for CFexpress cards too. Sony’s menu lists Full Format next to Quick Format. If you chose one of these, recovery software will find nothing.
Check the free places first
If you imported the card before, look in your library: Photos keeps deleted pictures in Recently Deleted for 30 days, and Lightroom catalogs keep the original files in the folder you imported to. A Time Machine backup of that folder may have them too.
Recover RAW files with Reco
Reco is free for Mac, with no limit on files or data. It recognizes RAW files by their contents, so it finds them even when the card’s file list is gone. Supported RAW formats include Canon CR3 and CR2, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Panasonic RW2, Olympus ORF, Hasselblad 3FR and DNG, along with JPEG, HEIC and camera videos.
- Put the card in a card reader on your Mac. CompactFlash and CFexpress cards need a reader that takes them; SD and microSD work in the Mac’s slot or any reader.
- Choose the card in Reco and scan. A deep scan reads every part of the card at the card’s own speed. A small card takes minutes; a large CFexpress card takes longer. You can pause or unplug and carry on later.
- Review. RAW files show as thumbnails while the scan runs. Each file shows how intact it is, and original names and folders (such as
DCIM/100CANON) come back where the card still remembers them. Show each file once hides duplicates. - Recover to your Mac or another drive, never to the card. Reco opens the card read-only and won’t save onto it. Names and dates come back where they survive, and a recovery report with checksums is saved alongside.
macOS asks for your password or for Full Disk Access the first time, because reading a whole card is protected. Reco explains which one it needs before it asks.
RAW and JPEG pairs
If you shot RAW+JPEG, you’ll usually find both. Recover both: if a RAW file comes back damaged, its JPEG twin may be whole, and the other way round. Photos that the card stored in two pieces are rebuilt by Reco when it can match them.
If the card is failing
If the card disconnects, reports errors, or makes Finder hang, don’t scan it again and again. Use Copy first to make one careful copy of the card to a disk image, then scan the copy. A card that shows the wrong size, such as 0 bytes, or doesn’t appear in Disk Utility, has a controller fault that needs a data recovery lab.
So it doesn’t happen again
- Copy every card to your Mac, and back that up, before you format it.
- Format in the camera with the normal (quick) format, not the full or low-level one, unless you mean to wipe the card.
- If your camera has two slots, record to both for important shoots.
Questions
Can I recover RAW photos after formatting the card in my camera?
After a normal (quick) format, usually yes: the camera only rewrites the card’s file list, and the photos stay until new ones are taken. After a full or low-level format, which Canon, Nikon and Sony offer on some models and cards, the card is wiped and nothing can be recovered.
Which RAW formats can be recovered on a Mac?
Reco recovers Canon CR3 and CR2, Nikon NEF, Sony ARW, Fujifilm RAF, Panasonic RW2, Olympus ORF, Hasselblad 3FR and DNG, along with JPEG and HEIC. It’s free, with no limit on how many files you recover.
Why do some recovered RAW files show only a small preview or a gray area?
Usually because part of the file was written over by a later photo, or the file was stored in pieces the card no longer links together. Reco grades files it finds damaged as damaged, so you can tell before you recover them.
Should I let Photos or Lightroom import the card first?
No. Close importers before you plug the card in, and never choose an option that deletes photos after import. Scan the card first and save what you recover to your Mac.