More Frustrations with XDCam EX Format

[W. Lawrence stevens]

UPDATE: The frustration continues.

All recently shot cards uploaded from the A Camera work fine with my workflow. All the cards from the B cam, however, exhibit the same problem which started this thread. Every byte of data is transferred and accounted for from the original SD discs but the drives which hold the data won’t read in Browser or Transfer. The data is managed exactly the same for each camera. Only the B camera (EX1R) files won’t read in Transfer or Browser. I have experimented with every possible combination to figure out why there is a difference when the workflow for A cam files and B cam files is identical.

The only difference is the type of SD cards. The A Cam is using Sandisk “Extreme” and the B Cam is using the Extreme “Pro” discs. How could this be an issue if all the data is there?

I’m fairly fed up.

PMW-350
EX1-R
Nikon D3
(wlstevens.com)

[Don Greening]

[W. Lawrence Stevens] “I’m fairly fed up.”

Please don’t take this the wrong way, but whatever the issue is, blame it on the fact that you use SDHC cards and not the recommended SxS cards. In other words, don’t blame the camera. Sony won’t condone the use of 3rd party cards for a very good reason: some work wonderfully and some will not work properly at all, even those of the same make, model and manufacturing lot number. Same goes for the SDHC 3rd party adapters. Go figure. If you find an SDHC card and adapter that works reliably then you’ve found some inexpensive media and more power to you. But you can also be badly burned and lose clients in the process.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve talked to camera people that shoot with EX cameras and travel all over the world and use SDHC cards exclusively. They can’t understand why I don’t use them too because they haven’t had a problem. That’s fine for them. But I also hear stories like yours. I don’t hear these stories from using SxS.

Personally, I’m willing to pay (a lot) more for SxS Pro cards and at the end of the day know I’m going to be able to transfer and edit all my clips without a hitch. I’ve owned an EX1 since December of 2007 and now have an EX1R and an EX3. In that time I’ve never had a media transfer or recording issue. Never.

I don’t like losing clients because of something I did, like having equipment failure. Your choice.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[W. Lawrence stevens]

Hi Don: Your points are all well taken and you have helped me before.

I just checked some older B cam files and it appears everything was working fine with the B camera until July of this year when half way through the day, it appears something broke down causing the problem I’m having now with resulting transfer of files. I have 14 8Gb SD cards (for each camera) and two adaptors and they all functioned without a hitch. I’m pretty certain this is not a card or adaptor failure or inconsistence or I would have experienced it before.

I’m now focusing on the a potential problem with the EX1-R. Ever since the shooting in July, my B cam disks have not been able to transfer to hardrive back up. I am going to start another thread to see if anyone else has experienced this.

Many thanks.

PMW-350
EX1-R
Nikon D3
(wlstevens.com)

[Don Greening]

Best of luck with solving this issue. I wish I could be more helpful but I have no experience at all with SDHC.

Suggestions:

• Try someone’s SxS card and see if the issue persists.
• RESET ALL from the OTHERS menu.
• Pull memory and main battery for 15 minutes (you never know….)

If the issue is the same with a borrowed SxS card then send the damn thing into Sony and tell them to fix it. The expense will be well worth it if the problem goes away.

Cheers my friend.

– Don

Don Greening
A Vancouver Video Production Company
Reeltime Videoworks
http://www.reeltimevideoworks.com

[Andy Mees]

Hey Steven

Probably too obvious, but have you tried the cards and adapter from the A cam in the B cam? You might be able to isolate the problem or fault as being with the specific media and/or SDHD adapter. Also, have you updated your camera firmware anywhere along the way?

Cheers
Andy