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I deleted a set of files on a CF card with a Canon 5DM3 and would appreciate advice on how (or if) to recover the images.  Both Windows 10 and Mac Air is available.  I downloaded and installed several programs that promised to recover deleted CR2 files, but none showed a list of files that the program could actually recover without first paying the $40.  I don't want to pay $40 only to discover that the program can't recover the images.  Suggestions much appreciated.  The card is a SanDisk Extreme Pro 16G and I use a Lexar Pro USB 3 reader.

I've used this several times with great success as long as the card has not been re-formatted: https://www.ccleaner.com/recuva

Do you still have the case and little pamphlet that came with the SanDisk card? If so, there might be info on a free download of SanDisk Rescue Pro Deluxe on the "pamphlet". I have used it a couple of times with excellent results.

If it'
s just a simple delete, any of the memory card recovery programs can do it.  If you've ever purchased a Sandisk Extreme card, it came with a coupon for a free one year license to Rescue Pro...  There are many solutions but for a simpledelete, it should be easy for any of them to handle it.

I accidentally deleted photos from a Sandisk card also. I spoke to my local photography store about it and they reached behind the counter and handed me a Sandisk free coupon for recovery (Rescue Pro sounds familiar) it worked as advertised and recovered the photos. Good Luck.

The delete was accomplished by the 5dm3. Doesn’t that amount to a format? The camera indicates Lo-level format for the sd card, but there is no mention of format on the LCD when deleting files on the cf card.

I do have the coupon that came with the card, but it seems to be expired.

The 5D3 (or any camera) doesn't actually delete the files, it just deletes the entry in the file allocation table which is the table of contents. As long as you have not overwritten the files, they are recoverable.

Good to know that all the camera did was to change the file allocation table and not do a low level format. The card has not been written to since the files were deleted, so recover should be possible.

The camera is incapable of doing a low level format. Even a format of the card in the camera merely erases the FAT. In fact on badly corrupted cards, the first thing I do in the recovery step is to do a quick format of the card as that wipes out the corrupt FAT and allows the recovery software to recreate the FAT from the actual file data on the card. the only thing you lose by doing that is the original file name that the camera assigned. This is no big deal since most people rename their files anyway.