Sony AXAVC recovery tool

[WebClaw]

We keep seeing a lot of these in our shop; figured we publish a free tool we created to recover data from them:
https://sonyvideorecovery.com/

[fzabkar]

Thanks!

[fzabkar]

I saw your post in another forum. I was reminded that Sony cameras low-level format the cards. I believe this results in physical erasure. In fact, you allude to this blog:

https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/recovering-videos-my-sony-camera-i-stupidly-deleted/

And I know it's impossible to recover photos off SD cards on Sony cameras when the card has been formatted, due to the way Sony's cameras perform the formatting operation. Don't ask me how I know.

It's not a quick erase like I was used to on my Nikon cameras; it goes in and issues a direct erasure of the entire SD card filesystem in a way photorec can't recover it.

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65772094/what-is-the-sd-card-erase-process

[WebClaw]

Agreed - it's an odd one.

The way I figure it is some Sony models don't use the CMD38; while others do.

Then, to complicate things worse, some SD cards (like some Lexar Pro series) don't appear to immediately execute the CMD38 request - making recovery possible while background operations complete.

Creation of such a "this card is not recoverable, vs. this is" not possible. However a review under HEX can quickly determine if there is any value to a software solution. However, I found this "check" problematic / could create a false positives and didn't want to add it to the software. Perhaps in the future...

I've updated the site w/your feedback:
https://sonyvideorecovery.com/#sd-erase

Bottom line, it's worked for us and hopefully it helps someone else.

[WebClaw]

Lexar card - formatted on the 22nd of Aug. All default structures are the same. Was a Sony ZV-E1. 100% recovery.

Attachments

[fzabkar]

https://helpguide.sony.net/ilc/2310/v1/en/contents/0601_memory_format.html

MENU → (Shooting) → [Media] → [Format].

Select [Enter]. (Quick formatting)

If you press the (Delete) button, a message to perform full formatting will be displayed. You can launch full formatting by selecting [Enter].

[WebClaw]

I would conclude that Sony cameras can perform materially different formatting operations.

A normal quick format may leave recoverable media data intact, while full formatting and card-specific erase/TRIM behaviour may make recovery impossible.

It's all up the end user Shame there is not a static default.

[Arch Stanton]

Agreed - it's an odd one.

The way I figure it is some Sony models don't use the CMD38; while others do.

Then, to complicate things worse, some SD cards (like some Lexar Pro series) don't appear to immediately execute the CMD38 request - making recovery possible while background operations complete.

Creation of such a "this card is not recoverable, vs. this is" not possible. However a review under HEX can quickly determine if there is any value to a software solution. However, I found this "check" problematic / could create a false positives and didn't want to add it to the software. Perhaps in the future...

I've updated the site w/your feedback:
https://sonyvideorecovery.com/#sd-erase

Bottom line, it's worked for us and hopefully it helps someone else.

But files were deleted, or? It's a different scenario in that case.

[WebClaw]

Client states it was a quick format, not file deletion.
HEX supports that, as do PC-3000, R-Studio and DMDE.

If the files had simply been deleted, I would expect different filesystem evidence. The screenshots I posted are consistent with a format/recreated filesystem rather than individual file deletion. Full scan via RS shows 3 MP4 (that do not play). No other exFAT results.

So yes, different scenario.

This is also not an isolated case. We would not have built a recovery engine around a single successful recovery. We developed it because we have encountered this pattern repeatedly and recovered data from multiple Sony-formatted cards.

Attachments

[Arch Stanton]

Oh, I was referring to this: https://www.jeffgeerling.com/blog/2025/ ... y-deleted/

[WebClaw]

I'm not sure, I've reached out to Jeff. If he replies I'll share his feedback. His blog description suggestions delete which is why he was able to still recover artifacts with PhotoRec.

[Arch Stanton]

What I mean to say is, deletion and format are different scenarios with regards to "TRIM" (CMD 38 etc.). On those Sony cameras that "TRIM", it happens on quick format, not file deletion.

[WebClaw]

Thanks for the feedback folks, I've updated to the page in efforts to communicate the variances we've all encountered.

[WebClaw]

As long as Sony didn't change what we've proven for x264; it should be working with x265 shoots now. I also added a validator bypass - in the event FFmpeg fails. No need to have our eggs in a single basket.

[Arch Stanton]

Thanks for the feedback folks, I've updated to the page in efforts to communicate the variances we've all encountered.

Yeah, I am sorry I can't send you the disk image (u/disturbed_android) but if time permits I can run any test you want me to.

[WebClaw]

Thanks Arch Stanton - I do know the x264 works - we've proven that with the validator.

Based on your output the new build now correctly recognizes the contents as 40 AVC + 16 HEVC recordings, so the codec-detection change worked. But it still finds 15,353 raw kkad signatures and accepts exactly zero.

Code:

video codecs: AVC=40 HEVC=16 other=0
valid XAVC=56 kkad=0 (strict=0 compatible=0 seq0=0) moov=56
raw XAVC=56 kkad=15353 moov=61


Based on that, the source ILCE-7SM3 uses a different kkad record structure, sequencing convention, or chunk-map representation.

If your willing to help, I'd like to send you a customized version of the software that would aid is us fixing this.

[Arch Stanton]

Based on that, the source ILCE-7SM3 uses a different kkad record structure, sequencing convention, or chunk-map representation.

If your willing to help, I'd like to send you a customized version of the software that would aid is us fixing this.

Want me to grab some kkad records for you?

[WebClaw]

I'll send you the program, run it and send me the the output as you did on the other site. Helps me tons.

Last edited by WebClaw on August 31st, 2026, 20:31, edited 1 time in total.

[WebClaw]

PM'd you. though it's stuck in Outbox.

[WebClaw]

I’ve been approaching this the wrong way.

The latest build now has a diagnostic bundle specifically for cases the recovery engine does not understand.

Select the working directory, select the image, then:

Advanced > Create diagnostic bundle

Post or email me the resulting bundle.

It does not require sending the disk image. It gives me the structural information needed to compare unsupported Sony XAVC variants and improve the recovery engine.

Hopefully this makes it easier to investigate failures from other cameras and cards as they turn up.