Camera and drone video recovery in Calgary.
An interrupted recording or formatted camera card can leave footage that ordinary file recovery cannot put back together. We assess the camera format and what remains on the card, then use or develop suitable methods to reconstruct usable clips.
Problems we see with video.
Clip shows 0 bytes or will not open
The video is on the card; the camera never got to write the index.
Battery died while recording
The last clip is left unfinished and can usually be rebuilt.
Card formatted after a shoot
Clips may survive a format if the camera has not erased or overwritten their data.
Drone went down mid-flight
Power loss leaves the last clip open. Pull the card before powering up again.
Sony XAVC files missing
Rebuilt from Sony's own recording structures with our dedicated tool.
How we handle it.
- 01
Copy the card
We image the card and work only from the copy.
- 02
Find the footage
Our tools find video by each camera's recording structures, not by file names.
- 03
Rebuild the index
Missing indexes are rebuilt so each clip plays from start to finish.
- 04
Play it back
Every recovered clip is played back before it is returned.
From the bench.
An MP4 or MOV file keeps the actual video in one part and the index that tells a player where each frame is in another. Many cameras write that index last, when you stop recording. If the battery dies first, all the footage is there but nothing can play it. Rebuilding the index from the raw video is usually what gets it back.
Sony's XAVC formats are a good example of why camera-specific tools matter. We built a recovery tool around how Sony cameras lay out their recordings, used it on a reformatted wedding card, and now publish it free at sonyvideorecovery.com.
Before you bring it in.
Helpful next steps
- Take the card out right away.
- Note the camera model and recording format.
- Tell us roughly when the missing clips were shot.
Best avoided for now
- Keep shooting on the card.
- Use repair apps that save over the original file.
- Let the camera or drone format the card.
What clients said.
The clips that you found work in Resolve!
Our terms, in plain numbers.
- Who does the work
- iCube Development (Calgary) Ltd., recovering data since 2005.
- Where
- One address, and it is our lab: #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE. Recovery is done here by our own staff and is not outsourced. No drop-off depots, no appointment needed.
- Evaluation
- Free standard evaluation within 72 hours, for one device per client. Priority (24 hours) and same-day evaluations, multi-drive arrays and devices another company has opened are quoted before we start.
- Your quote
- In writing, before any recovery work. Nothing extra is done or billed without your approval.
- If we cannot recover your files
- You pay nothing for the recovery, parts included. Any exception, such as a paid diagnostic for a device another company has opened, is agreed with you in writing first.
- Success rate
- We do not publish one. A percentage cannot describe your device; your evaluation tells you what is actually recoverable.
- Your recovered files
- Returned on new media or, with your permission, by secure download. Our working copy is deleted seven days after completion unless you ask in writing to keep it longer.
- Privacy
- Your device and files are handled only by our own staff, who are bound by confidentiality, unless the law requires otherwise.
- Your device
- Please collect it within 30 days. Photo ID is required at pickup.
Questions we get asked.
Can you fix a clip that shows 0 bytes?
Usually. The footage is on the card; the index was never written. We rebuild it.
Do you recover Sony XAVC S and XAVC HS?
Yes, with the same tool we publish free at sonyvideorecovery.com. If you want to try it yourself first, run it on a copy of the card.
Will the recovered clips open in my editor?
They are rebuilt as standard video files and played back before return, so they open like any other clip.
Tell us what happened.
Send the details or call (587) 387-2346. We will tell you what to do with the device in the meantime.
Drop-off: Southcentre Executive Tower, #610 - 11012 Macleod Trail SE, Calgary. Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Friday 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM.