best offload of SDHC memory card -- in production

J

JWinter

Well-known member
whats the best offload method of SDHC memory card when in production situation where it has to be fast and not using the camera?

can i get some sort of usb thing? are some methods faster than others?


note: im already goona be using my macbook pro to offload P2 but I also have a powerbook and a pc if needed ....
 
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If it absolutely has to be fast so you can free up the card, I'd say best bet is to buy more cards to be honest. It's probably the cheapest approach and saves you the headache of organizing where each card's files are going, verifying that they have completed and are backed up, and then wiping the right card. In my personal experience, the offload process is slow at best (figure ten minutes to transfer a card, but a bit more or less based on a lot of variables) and the worst thing that can happen is you accidently wipe a card that you think you've already offloaded.

The fact that all of the clips and files and folders have identical names makes it very difficult to determine which is which. I resorted to viewing the properties for the PRIVATE folder and writing down the last six digits of the "total bits" count; the only unique identifier I could think of.

That said, your best bet for doing things fast is to get a few USB SD readers, pop in several cards, and copy them to TWO hard drives (one if you're in a real hurry, but be sure to backup ASAP and not to drop it, hard drives are darned fragile and I've seen several die instantly falling just a few feet). Do some verification to make sure transfers worked, then delete files off the cards, and put them in a new pile that you know are blank.

But honestly, I'd prefer any day to just keep shooting and shooting and worry about offloading later when there's less pressure. You're far less likely to make any mistakes or accidentally wipe a card you haven't offloaded yet.
 
TigerFX said:
figure ten minutes to transfer a card,
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10 minutes a card of what size? and using which "usb" device?

where is the bottleneck if Im using a clas 6 card can the usb device be slower than that?


Im using ShotPut Pro so the naming thing is not that big of a deal but i do see your point
 
The ten minutes came out of my head - I've yet to actually time one but my working Windows installation (Vista) is pretty bloated with programs and at times it estimated 30 - 40 minutes remaining. The integrated SD slot is much slower than the free USB reader that came with my card, so I'm sure there are lots of variables I am not aware of.

I'm sure you can look at the class ratings and measure the theoretical max and calculate your theoretical max offload speed, but I wouldn't bank on it necessarily being faster than 20 or 10 minutes, somewhere in that neck of the woods. It's not instant, is all I'm saying.

Cheap = lots of us are using Transcend 16GB cards which are going for about $35 shipped on NewEgg. I'm using three Patrioit 16GB SD cards plus one 16GB Transcend which I got for around the same price.
 
wow thanks for the new egg tip...much better price


if anyone knows i good deal on a usb offload stick that works well please let me know
 
Looks like the one I got is now discontinued, but if you can find that anywhere else I quite like it.

Also make sure you don't get the red class 2 card. Make sure it's class 4 or higher.
 
JWinter said:
i just paid 277.90 for 2 at adorama

for

2 Delkin 32 GB Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) Class 6 Memory Card

is that what you mean by cheap?
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No, I call this ripoff. Cheap to me is $30-35 per 16GB card, TigerFX beat me to this. I use mostly 4GB cards -- PQI, Patriot, Kingston, even AData -- and have one 16GB PQI card, no problems at all. There are other places besides NewEgg, for example SuperMediaStore.
 
TigerFX said:
Looks like the one I got is now discontinued, but if you can find that anywhere else I quite like it.

Also make sure you don't get the red class 2 card. Make sure it's class 4 or higher.
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Are no-name brands reliable? I've read that a certain brand is unreliable but I can't remember which one it was. Supermediastore has a few different no name brand 16gb class 6's for around $35, but I'm worried buying from brands that I've never heard of such as OCZ, A-Data and PQI. Has anyone been using these cards for a while without any problems?
 
I have PQi, A-data, and Transcend. No problems after 1 year of use. A lot of people really don't like A-data, and have had problems. OCZ is a big solid state memory manufacturer.
 
Cory Braun said:
Are no-name brands reliable?
Click to expand...

Just my .02: The footage one gathers with any camera is relatively valuable. Why then would someone want to trust capturing that footage to media which - although it may prove to be reliable - may not perform to the higher standards of some of the better known manufacturers? This thought also transfers to different DV tape brands as well, because some are reported to have more dropouts and head clogs than others. What was done in that regard? Find a brand that gives the best result in the camera and stick with it.

SanDisk Extreme III, OCZ Gold and Transcend class 6 are all purported to have been used with good, reliable results. The lesser known brands available through the 'super' online stores may be cheaper, but...

I dunno. Maybe I'm paying too much by using SanDisk Extreme III's (Transcends when necessary). Maybe the other brands will perform well and last as long, who knows? But I have yet to have any problems with either in my HMC. And from a cost basis, heck, it's not like I'm buying P2 R or E series cards. :smile:
 
I've shot well over a 100 kingston 8gb class 6 cards with no problems (I don't keep them I distribute to clients). I think after a while when you have good luck with a brand it becomes a supersticion and you are not comfortable with anything else.

Adata is the only card I've ever used that gave me problems. It was minor but several times the camera would stop recording for no reason although the files were good.

I've used PQI a couple of times with no problems. Transcends had a great reputation until they had some failures.

I check playback after my first recording on a card and several times during a shoot. Supermediastore.com and Meritline.com usually have good prices.
 
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well i got hosed with the PQI....my delkins work fine but i just got 4 PQI 16 and they. "failed to initialize"

they failed in 2 different camera....bad luck i guess

---

HFS11 > New Card > Initialize >"process terminated with error"

Now the card in camera reads as empty and not usable.
 
JWinter said:
well i got hosed with the PQI....my delkins work fine but i just got 4 PQI 16 and they. "failed to initialize" they failed in 2 different camera....bad luck i guess
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Damn, I feel like it is my fault. Honestly, I don't have problems with my PQIs. I hope you will be able to get them exchanged.
 
if anyone is keeping track i just popped in 2 Transcend 8GB and they worked fine (at least i know its not the camera!)
 
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