External recorders and SxS cards. I don't get this

[ex1r777]

Well i'm yet to figure this out rogar-BlackEye(DBG

Ex1r records 35mbits 4:2:0 onto SxS cards, which a 32gb version is sold for 650$ on B&H. The nanoflash, which is a 2k$ unit, records 4:2:2 50mbits and upwards onto Compact Flash cards. The most expensive 32gb CF card that i found on B&H is sold for 250$. Now adding to that, the Sony ex1r manual states (page 167) that the media block is capable of 50mbits+ writing AND reading rates. So in the end what we have is; you record less data onto more expensive cards, and more data onto cheaper cards, and everybody seems to be fine with this.

Is there something that i'm missing in here? Or is this just a good example of showing how Sony is ripping off people?

And if you are going to say "SxS has error correction, that's why it's so expensive", then how come these external recorders don't support it?

At this point i wish i could just attach one cable to my sdi out and insert the other end directly into the sxs slot tbh :-Dum(DBG): This whole thing seems very absurd to me.

Edit: I'm using mxm adapters with sdhc cards, and another external 250gb hdd as my recording media. I'm not planning to buy any SxS cards or an external recorder. This issue was bugging me so i just wanted to share my thoughts.

 

[nosys70]

just check forums for problem with media recording. You will find a ratio of 20 to 1 for SD versus SxS and a bit less for compact flash.
If you take extra care, SD is ok, but once you will press the rec button or switch the camera too fast and have to explain the customer why
you get nothing to show him.....

 

[ex1r777]

Uhm, this topic isn't about if SD is OK or not, or how safe it is etc.

You want better picture quality out of your camera so you buy an external recorder, yet it records onto either CF or SSD and NOT SxS cards. I mean, nanoflash can reach up to 220mbits, right? That's 7 times more data comparing to internal sxs recording, am i correct?

Let me ask it this way then: Do you constantly have problems with your shootings getting corrupted, deleted etc, while you are using these external recorders? If so, then the companies making these products are dumb, plain and simple. They should be using SxS as their recording media then, shouldn't they? I mean, saying something like: "client wanted better image so we bought this recorder but it doesn't record onto SxS cards so god help us during this shooting" would sound dumb, don't you agree?

But if that's not the case, and if everything is working flawless for those people, then these recorders DO make SxS cards pretty obsolete.

 

[robzila27]

FWIW...we use both on our EX3. External Samurai via SDI and SxS internally as a back up. To directly address your question, yes we HAVE had problems with corrupted clips using the external recorder and NEVER have we had an issue with any clip on the SxS card. The piece of mind knowing we are covered with the SxS back-up is priceless...at least to us.

Do I wish that the cost of SxS or P2 media cards was more affordable? Absolutely! Are they just about the most stable form of media capture I have run across...you guessed it...absolutely!

We have never experienced any major issues with SD cards on our AF-100 and GH2's but you are limited to 4:2:0 and 8bit. If the EX1/3 could record 4:2:2 10bit at 220mbps to SD cards I would jump at that in a minute...but they can't so we continue to deal with work arounds that fit in our workflow and budget.

My $.02

 

[Marek Bilski]

just check forums for problem with media recording. You will find a ratio of 20 to 1 for SD versus SxS and a bit less for compact flash.
If you take extra care, SD is ok, but once you will press the rec button or switch the camera too fast and have to explain the customer why
you get nothing to show him.....

Yes that's true about the media, a lot of users choose cheap or unprofessional media to record to.. If you stick quality media you should have no problems. 20 to 1 is harsh! ...there is a lot on forum on failing SxS media.. Quality SDHC or UHS media is fast enough to rec 50mbs 4:2:2 codec...however Sony is making sure you won't be able to do that. Reliability is not an issue with quality media, but rather cheap and consumer grade media with variable production quality, which has caused and will cause a lot of pain and trouble.

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