Formatted card prior to downloading it
 

I came across this thread while searching for the solution to my first problem with Sony SxS cards. I shot a footage of turtles today, few excellent shots. I have two 8 GB cards and download the footage with direct USB connection between camcorder and the desktop. Sony ClipBrowser software shows the two card slots as two drives. I was in rush, selected all clips, downloaded and then formatted the cards in camcorder. To my horror I realized that I forgot to select THE OTHER card and download it too! I did not shot a second on those cards and have been trying to recover files on a laptop with express slot, but no luck so far. I guess the footage from one of the cards is completely gone. And it was the best part of my day...

Either Sony needs to make look the two slots as one drive or remind you that you only downloaded one card or format the cards in a way that they can be recovered.

Otherwise I like the EX1, this is my first big disappointment.

Ouch! That sounds painful... and there are such beautiful turtles (among other things) around here! I'm working on the UWOL challenge this month and I filmed everything right at Fort Clinch in Fernandina, just a county away! :)

Best of luck replacing those clips with more good footage!

i hate to say it but you just gotta check everything before you wipe. its a tough way to learn but i never erase my cards until i am sure i have a safe copy. too paranoid!!

When I'm done pulling media off my cam on to my field computer I always do three things.

1) pull a copy on to a 80 gb firewire drive
2) spot check 5-10 randon clips from the firewire drive
3) check the size of the folders on the computer and the firewire drice and make sure they're identical byte for byte.

That usually takes a few minutes so it's also a time for me to just take a deep breath and make sure I did everything before formatting.

Seconded. The onus is on the operator here.

Also- you realize this was a problem in tape based video too. Good old bulk erasers got rid of your video good.

Thanks Carl. I did replace the footage with even better one! Mounted my camcorder on a surf board that I turned into remote controlled boat using parts from a toy boat, camouflaged the thing with paint, leaves and branches and navigated right next to turtles!

I am accepting that wiping the card is operator's error. What I am suggesting that a software company should make software "fool-proof". I am in medical software industry and the lesson you learn here is that you have to make sure the software supports customers; it is a life or death situation in healthcare. The software must be intuitive to use and work around most common mistakes. It is the responsibility of developers to make this effort. "It works" approach is not enough. If there is a way to make it better (and there is always a way) - you should do it, preferably before you release it to general public. Alternatively there should be a way to recover from a mistake.

And this brings me to my original question - did anybody figure how to recover files from formatted SxS card? I tried all open source and commercial products that had trials and it seems the SxS cards have new file structure that is not supported currently. Where is Sony "un-eraser"?

True, but in the DV/HDV world tape is not so costly so we never wipe it out anymore. I'm sure if the solid state media was as cheap we'd do the same thing here too.