Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Hello all and thanks for any help you can provide.

Need to use an F5 for a job next week. Shooting 1080/60I @ 35Mbit.

Been using/renting the F3 of late and using SanDisk Extreme Plus 95MB/s cards with no issues.

Can I do the same with the F5 if not shooting slow mo? Warn me if there will potentially be trouble, please.

Thanks!

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

The lowest the F5 goes to is 50 Mbps.. XDCAM 422 HD.. not sure if thats a problem for you..

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

That is actually a big problem cause XDCAM HD422 by default is UDF. Sony does not allow you to format SD cards as UDF.

You have to use the Sony MEAD-SD02 adapter with exFAT formatting (which means 64GB or higher) and even then I cannot guarantee this would work cause I've never experienced said configuration. The MEAD-SD01 will NOT work on the F5. exFAT SDXC cards IN THEORY should work with XDCAM HD422, but to be sure, rent a SxS-1.

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

All codec,s are EXFAT in the F5.. even XDCAM 422 HD.. you can rent the "cheap" yellow SXS for just XDCAM.. you wont have time lapse or S&Q in XDCAM either.. I agree with Jack.. just going SXS is really going to give you a lot less stress on the day.. 1 X 32GB .. will give you about 1 hr..

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Point taken. Thanks.

As it turns out this client is now saying they will be supplying their own SxS cards.

Appreciate the advice. Interestingly, the rental house could not tell me if they work either way : (

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Im pretty sure there are people using SD cards with the F5, with adaptors for SxS card slots.. personally I never would, its just another thing that can and seems sometimes does go wrong.. I,d hate to have to say to a dir/producer that their shoot is toast because I was recording to SD cards.. unless they knew up front and it was a reflection of a very bad rate :)..

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

I switched so that the primary first copy goes to an XQD card. People have been reporting great success with XQD and the entire Sony 4K professional lineup.

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Yes I presume there is a XQD to SxS card adaptor.. I would feel safer with an XQD card than SD IMHO..

There has been some confusion.. along the line of old Varicam/HDX900 tape size of yesteryear .. of prod co,s thinking the FS7 takes SxS.. I also originally thought the FS7 was SxS.. I was a bit surprised it was XQD only..

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

On the flip side, the good thing about SD cards (and why some people actually specify XDCAM 35Mbs, even when XDCAM 422 is possible) is that they can simply take the card away at the end of the shoot if that's what they need to do. It's like the best part of using tape, with all the solid state advantages.

Personally, I've never had a problem with an SD card (but make sure you're using a good make) but if you're worried don't forget you can shhot to SxS, then clone the card to SD in camera. (So you can give that to a director and keep your SxS copy.)

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

No there aren't. You can't use SD cards with the F5, F55, or FS7.

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Ok thanks for the info.. thats probably a good thing too! .. can you use XQD with adaptor .. in F5/55

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Yes so they can lose it rather than the DP.. :)

They just don't have file recovery/robustness etc that SxS has.. each to their own.. Im sure Im on the twitchy side ! anything that can lessen the worry factor Im willing to pay for it.. but really i think for any shoot paying a proper professional wage .. I feel there is an obligation on my part to provide the "best " gear too.. but just my personal and no doubt paranoid thinking :)

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Yes, XQD cards with an adapter are fine in the F5/55. S and G cards are recommended, rather than H or N.

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

In the vast majority of cases where I've heard of "lost" data, it's been down to human error - typically formatting the wrong card - rather than hardware failure, and this is common to all solid state formats. It's normally come down to an operator thinking they've transferred a card, and formatting it for reuse before realising they haven't...... And it's normally been someone who thought "I'd never do that!!"

So whilst SD cards may be (very slightly) more prone to hardware failure than such as SxS or P2, that their cheapness means far less pressure to transfer/format/reuse may actually improve overall reliability.

Re: Renting an F5: Can I use my SD cards?
 

Yes thats a good point.. if your just handing over the cards ..(although many directors are not the best at keeping hold of stuff.. e.g. scripts,any keys and monitors :) and agree must be 90% of errors are human ones.. !. Ive had about twice rental batteries die on me during a shot.. with SXS this is no problem .. you get a repair file message (or similar) and hit execute and your back in business.. I believe with SD you would lose that shot .. as I say its a lot to do with your threshold to worry..mine is low and so to have SD cards in an adaptor is just something for me to worry about ! ...