"Unable to Display" photos on camera (a6400) after importing to my mac.

[GerardoR_19]

Hello everyone, good day!

I've noticed that after I import my photos to my laptop and put the memory card back in the camera, many of the photos become "Unable to Display".

Does anybody know how to fix this and why it happens?

Thanks!

-G.

[Pieter]

If you delete your photos from the memory card on your laptop, the image library on the card gets bugged: the deleted photos are still in the library, but not actually on the card. Hence they are 'unable to display'.

Fix 1: don't delete photos from the card on your laptop, only delete them in-camera.

Fix2: Format the memory card in-camera after transferring photos to your laptop.

[tadwil]

Is this a bug pertinent to A6400 and a Mac PC or is this applicable to all e mount cameras?

[Pieter]

Applicable to all E-mount cameras as far as I know, and not related to Mac. The only way to properly delete photos from the card is in-camera, or format the card in-camera after deleting photos on the card on some other device.

[XKAES]

Gerard did not say that he deleted the photos on his laptop.  All he said was that he imported them.

[Pieter]

True, that was just my assumption. Very similar case to this one, where OP also didn't mention he deleted the files in his first post:

https://www.sonyalphaforum.com/topic/15664-blank-files-on-mac-finder-photos/

[XKAES]

It is unfortunate that we have to deal with the dearth of information that troubled shutterbugs typically provide.

[tadwil]

19 hours ago, Pieter said:

Applicable to all E-mount cameras as far as I know, and not related to Mac. The only way to properly delete photos from the card is in-camera, or format the card in-camera after deleting photos on the card on some other device.

I just took five shots around the room, displayed them on the PC then deleted them.  Remove the SD card from the PC and plugged back into the A7II and pressed Play button and I get "No images in this view" message.  The same message that I get when I format the SD card in the A7II.

I shot 7 random photos, plugged the SD card in the PC and deleted 4 photos.  After dismounting the SD card from the PC, I plugged it back in the A7II and the 3 remaining photos were reviewable on the camera monitor and the 4 deleted images stayed deleted.  No unable to view message popped up.

I took another five shots. viewed the photos on the PC then did a quick format on the PC.  Removed the SD card from the PC, plugged it in the A7II.  Power on the A7II and immediately get "Image Database Not Found, Create?" message.  If cancel is pressed the camera tells you to re-plug in the card and format.  After I accept to create the image database and press Play button, I get the "No images in this view" message.

In conclusion (at least with my A7II), deleting any or all photos outside of the camera doesn't cause any problem but an SD card needs to be formatted in the camera in order for the camera to recognize the SD card and record media.

[Pieter]

Apparently I don't know all E-mount cameras 😉 Good that you verified. My two cameras both get the 'unable to display' message when externally deleting photos from card.

Edited December 10, 2021 by Pieter

[Vikraman G]

I'm using 7RM4A and facing the same issue. Looks like a glitch or a bad design. The camera illtreats the card when the photos are deleted from it using any means other than the camera like deleting them using a computer and card reader. It is really hard to delete all the residue files manually from the camera and formatting them would help but I doubt if any SD card could bear only a certain number of times formatting it which is limited during the life span of a photographer or the card itself.

[flz47]

When you take a picture, an index file inside AVF_INFO (hidden folder) is updated. The camera is loading the picture list from there when you are in playback mode.

[FunWithCameras]

On 6/24/2024 at 8:55 PM, flz47 said:

When you take a picture, an index file inside AVF_INFO (hidden folder) is updated. The camera is loading the picture list from there when you are in playback mode.

Yes, it's Sony's infamous "image database" that is recorded on the memory card as the camera takes photos. I don't know why Sony does this, but they have been doing it for a long time (I have been using Sony cameras for almost 10 years, and they have been doing it at least that long, and probably much longer).

If you delete the image files from the card on a computer, but don't reformat it, the image database says the files are there, but they aren't, so the camera gets upset trying to find them.

Some programs import images and delete them from the card so you can re-use the card without having to worry. That works fine with most other brands of camera, but not with Sony.

I recommend reformatting the card in the camera, but only after uploading them to the computer AND backing them up to another disk. If you have more than one memory card (which I recommend), then I'd hold off reformatting the card until after you have checked the images using your editing program, at least.