At a wedding yesterday my 8GB SxS card in slot A recorded till full and then continued recording to Slot B onto my 32gb SxS card. During the service, I thought my SxS card stayed at 70 min (remaining) for longer than it should have.
The record light was still light but it didn't appear to move from the 70 mins.
I started to panic, not knowing what to do, I took the card out and replace it with another SxS card and continued recording.
When I got a chance near the end of the service I put the 32gb sxs card into the camera to look at the clips. Nothing was there, nothing on the card it all.
It looked like most or all of the service wasn't captured at all.
Then I really paniced.
I decided then to continue with my spare camera and from that point everything should be OK.

When I got home I put the 32GB SxS card into the laptop opened CB and saw nothing. Nothing under My Computer at all showing SxS Memory Card as it always did.
I repeated this 1 or 2 times switching of the laptop and still nothing, just as the camera showed no clips earlier that day in the Church.

Cutting a very long story short I put the 32gb SxS card into the Laptop again and low and behold it showed up in CB.
I copied the clips and between having and wanting I have enough to do, nothing worth is missing.
I always use ...its now safe to remove you card method btw.
I put the SxS card into my desktop PC switch it on and again it showed up nothing, it was as if the card wasn't there.Turned the PC off and on a few times and it eventually showed the SxS card so I copied the clips to the HDrive.
Now, I was using my NanoFlash at the same time and was sure if it wasn't recorded to card its not recorded to the NF especially when the nano threw up a warning message, but I cant remember what it said, in the heat of the moment..
Its a bit of a long story but thought, is the NF stopping my sxs card from recording, why is it sitting at 70 mins, so I unplugged the SDI cable, but I'm 100% sure the nano wouldn't have anything to do with the SxS stalling at 70 mins.
The NF did record everything up until i pulled the SDI cable btw.

Is this Sony SxS Card relayable any more?, would you use it at the next wedding?

Whats your thoughts.

Which camera are you using, and what firmware revision is it at?

Cheers,

That was quick, sorry, should have said EX3 and latest firmware. V1.10

I would contact Sony and get the card replaced - as you'll never trust it from now on, will you. It may or may not be a card problem but in your (and indeed my) business you can't really take a chance with a potentially suspect card.

Yes Andy, you are right, I would not use it again.
I bought it about this time last year.
I'll contact my supplier in the morning and hope theres no hassle.
They will probably want to test it but I know they could test till the cows come home and it mightn't happen but you can be almost sure it would let you down when you don't want it to.

How do I stand regarding getting it changed btw.

Don't know how you stand but look at it this way. This is a major professional format that Sony's reputation relies upon heavily..... so I'm sure Sony would rather just give you a new 32GB card and be done with it. You paid a pretty price for that stick I'm sure - because you expect it to work time after time, no problems. Right!

BTW, personally I'd rather have four 8GB or two 16GB.... so all your eggs are not in one basket, but that's just me.

Keep us informed how you get on. Good luck!

Thanks Andy for your advice, yes your right, that's why I bought the SxS card, for so called piece of mind, so much for that, in this case.

I think your right about all your eggs in one basket, I often wondered, was I wise buying the 32GB instead of two 16GBs but the 32gb was cheaper than the two 16s
.
Yes I'll keep posted.

In case you were using an (orange) 32GB SxS-1 card, check out this thread:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/sony-xdcam-ex-cinealta/484234-sxs-1-firmware-update.html

Sony issued a firmware update for the SxS-1 32GB with certain serialnumbers.

Hi Walter,
No, it was the SXS Pro card.

Contact my supplier and they were very understanding and they are going to look into it once I get a chance to send it to them.

I take it that it was the SxS card that is the problem unless someone thinks different.

Is there any possibly that it was the camera that caused this?

People on the web have more often reported issues similar to this when a Digital video camera has to SPAN to the second media.
because of that I Myself was not supposed to rely on a computer to switch the media.
thanks for reminding me, because last shoot i allowed a span when it was not nessisary.
i am going to have to start making lists of all the tings i should and shouldnt do, if the technology keeps getting better like this :-)

I would contact Sony and get the card replaced

I'm still waiting for my supplier to get back to me.

While I'm waiting, should I give Sony a ring as well?

Anthony - you could end up with "bad" information on the card in two ways - a faulty card, or corrupt data being written to it.

Does the card seem to work OK now? From everything I've heard, solid state memory seems to either be faulty from the outset (consumer variants more so than professional), or when it does (very rarely) go faulty after a period, that seems to be it - it stays faulty.

Hence, if your card seems to perform OK now, I'd think it far more likely that the original problem was corrupt data, not a faulty card?

Hence, if your card seems to perform OK now, I'd think it far more likely that the original problem was corrupt data, not a faulty card?

Hi David, I haven't tested the card a lot since but yes, it does appear to be working, but as I said I wont use it at a wedding again.
The card wasn't recognised by the laptop when first inserted, it took a few in/outs and off/on before it eventually seen it and the clips.

When it did decide to work I wanted to copy the card to the desktop, again the PC had to be switch off and on a few times before the card came back to life...again.

In the church, when I got a chance to look, the camera said "no clips". the card was blank.

Thanks David for you thoughts.

I'm still waiting for my supplier to get back to me. While I'm waiting, should I give Sony a ring as well?

Hi again!

Well I would first check with the supplier and find out where this "is at" - and then I'd call Sony if there is any hint of a delay. After all, you're without a big chunk of media to record weddings onto until it's replaced - and you paid to have that capability (and reliability) whenever you need it....otherwise you'd have bought Kensington adapters (or other variants) and some cheaper SDHC cards, right?

[BTW, I have four of them, KYS and KYT, each 16GB capability and which cost me about £200 in total - they have their uses, but not for any critical paying work. Anything important gets the SXS sticks!]

This is assuming you've got brave (foolish?) couples willing to risk being filmed with the windswept, wet dog/drowned rat look that our current UK wide November weather might "add" at their wedding arrangements!

Latest firmware is v1.15

Hi again!

This is assuming you've got brave (foolish?) couples willing to risk being filmed with the windswept, wet dog/drowned rat look that our current UK wide November weather might throw at their wedding arrangements!

Thats exactly the kind of night it is here :)

Hello Andy, I'll give them a ring again and as you advised, I then might ring Sony.
I only emailed and rang once since this happened. It isn't their fault either. I know its silly but I almost feel I'm pestering by ringing, I don't want to bother them but I had my share of bother that weekend.

No way will I use this SxS card,.. for anything. Lucky enough I don't have a wedding this weekend so I have a little time to get it sorted.

Thanks Andy.

.

No way will I use this SxS card,.. for anything. Lucky enough I don't have a wedding this weekend so I have a little time to get it sorted.
Hmmm, you see, my feeling then is why are you not prepared to use the card - but are prepared to use the camera/nanoFlash combination?

I don't see anything in the symptoms you've described which would make me think it's more likely to be one over the other.

.. why are you not prepared to use the card - but are prepared to use the camera/nanoFlash combination?


Hello David,
Would you use that card for recording a wedding? If you would, your a braver man than I, especially after the way it behaved when inserted in to the laptop and desktop.

Say for instance nothing happen at this wedding. Everything went as usual, no problems at all regarding this SxS card.
Then, when I arrived home and inserted the card into the laptop and nothing happened. Laptop didn't see the SxS card, card out and in again still nothing showing up in My Computer and again the same happening in the Desktop, would you not think, there must be something wrong with this card (especially when the other SxS card copied 100% first time to the PC's) and would be very brave to use it at my next wedding.

Now, I could be completely wrong here but it looks like card problem to me. May be its the camera. Could it be? If someone thinks different please say.


.. but are prepared to use the camera/nanoFlash combination?


I want to use both, thats the idea, I duel recording system, a backup.
I would not be prepared just yet, to use the NF on its own without the camera recording, a backup.
I hope to use the NF as an independent recording device, along with the EX3.

Again thanks David for your thoughts, thanks.

Would you use that card for recording a wedding? If you would, your a braver man than I, especially after the way it behaved when inserted in to the laptop and desktop.
I'd be as happy to use the card *as I would the equipment that recorded onto it*. I would have as many doubts about the camera as the card. More, probably. As I said before, the few instances I've heard of card problems, then once dead, they stay dead. That doesn't seem the case here.

You say "the way it behaved when inserted in ......" - but what I'm asking is what if the CARD behaved perfectly, it was the way the CAMERA wrote data to it that was the problem?

By the sound of it, it was probably a one-off event. In practical terms, what I would do is check, check, and check again the equipment, in exactly the configuration (with NF etc) you'll next be using it for real. And do it with both the card you are suspicious of, and other cards.

Hi David and thanks,

You could very well be right, it could be the camera, I just don't know.
I intend to test again, as you suggested and see what happens.

Thanks again.

Anthony.

I'm getting the faulty card replaced.

When I insert the new card (SBS-32G1A) into the camera slot will i get the message saying i need to format the card in order to use it or are these new SBS-32G1A cards ready to go and don't need formating.

Thanks in advance.

Hi Tony.
Always format

Hi Tony.
Always format

Thanks Colin.

What I also want to know is.
If its a brand new unused SBS-32G1A card and I put it into the camera will it say in the VF that it has to be formated first.

What I also want to know is.If its a brand new unused SBS-32G1A card and I put it into the camera will it say in the VF that it has to be formated first.

If it's a new card right out of the package you shouldn't get the format prompt from the camera. Sony will have already formatted the card in FAT32 before it leaves the factory. This has been my experience but I've always used the camera to format every new card I've purchased before I've used it. It's the same as getting a new hard drive. Format before use.

- Don

If it's a new card right out of the package you shouldn't get the format prompt from the camera. Sony will have already formatted the card in FAT32 before it leaves the factory. This has been my experience but I've always used the camera to format every new card I've purchased before I've used it. It's the same as getting a new hard drive. Format before use.

- Don

Thanks Don for that.

I got a new card out from the package (toren a bit) and inserted it into the camera.
I didn't get the "you need to format the card" message and immediately thought "its not a new card".
I just thought,... if its a brand new, I need to format and if it doesn't need formating, its not new.

So, if its already formated by Sony it looks like its a new, unused card after all.

Thank you.