Unknown Media, please change!
 

I inserted an 8GB SxS Pro card into my PMW320 and got this message.
Unknown Media (A) Please change.

What's that all about?

Is it wise to use this card at my wedding to-day?

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Was the card used in a PMW-500 by any chance?

Try formatting it in a PC using FAT then put it back in the 320.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Hi Alister, no, it wasn't, I've use this card in the 320 before without any error message, ...strange.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Were you able to read the card with your mac/PC or the reader you use?

Re: Unknown Media, please change.
 

Hi Ross,

Just before I left to cover a wedding I inserted an empty 8gb SxS card in slot A and another empty 32gb SxS card into slot B

I would always format my cards in the camera before use btw.

It's when I put the 8gb SxS card into my PMW 320 I got the message saying,

Unknown Media (A) Please change.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Hi Anthony,

You said in your first post that the camera cannot recognise the card, but what I was asking, does any other reader you have read the card.

ie

Is the card read by your reader / mac / PC or however you download, and not by the camera, or

Is the card not read by either.

If the former, then Sony may be able to service the card for you, If the latter, then the card may have completely failed.

My 0.05 is that message points to a problem with the controller chip, and if that is the case, i doubt it would be economic to fix on an 8GB card.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Hi,

I thought I would do a test record during the dancing at the wedding later that day and the SxS card work, as it should do, no message this time and it copied to the PC just fine, with my MxM PCI-e card reader so I don't know what that message was all about.

Thanks anyway Ross.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

The same thing happened to me previously, twice. I pulled out the card, re-inserted, and all was well.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Hi Warren,

Was it an SxS card?

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

I would clean or blow on the contacts on the end of the card. In dealing with Expresscard, I have had to do that from time to time since dust on the contacts would prevent me from using a Firewire controller card on my Laptop.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Just a quick thank you for this site...as well as those who generously share their information.

For the first time I ran into this very problem.

Came here first...and was not disappointed.

Blew into the contacts to gently clean them out and it works!

I also appreciate the civility here.

It above all is what keeps me coming back in times of need.

A heart felt thanks to all...in a "manly way" of course! ;)

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

You should absolutely not blow into your contacts to clean them, use a problem cleaning solution...unless you want to cause issues down the line with your media, unless you think your spit (which will get on the contacts) won't cause any issues.

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

Yep , an air duster would be preferable

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

I've got a big list of things you absolutely must NOT do, that on the job, you have to. Somewhere is the lint free lens cloth, the plastic not metal tweezers, the little fuffoo brush and of course, contact cleaner, air can and proper sized screwdriver. Its always in the pouch with the spare memory card, flat button cell spare, correct size UV filter and ccorrect battery charger.

Blowing on contacts, prodding off a lump of smut from the lens with the tip of the little finger, and bending your front door key doing up a tropid plate are just hazards of the job, which we never, ever, do!

Actually - if you play the flute, you're pretty good at developing a rather dry jet of wind technique, or a splattery one if you so wish. Never, ever, however, be tempted to look inside the bag of a bagpipe!

Re: Unknown Media, please change!
 

That's the thing about bagpipe players -- they make just the worst buskers.

No matter how much you pay them, they still keep on playing and simply won't stop!

(okay, I'll just be going now)

Andrew