F55: "Restore Media" Error Message WHILE Recording

Run&Gun

Run&Gun

Veteran
I'm sure a lot of people with F5/55's have at one point or another gotten a "Restore Media" error/warning, usually after removing a card. I know I have. But yesterday we got a Restore Media error in the middle of recording. Basically had to shut the camera down. Tried getting everything functioning again, but no dice at the time. Producer was freaking out, because we were already behind schedule(another topic for another thread, but let's just say his schedule was "ambitious"). Ended up popping the card and using another. We finished up with no other(camera related) issues. When I DL'd the cards everything seemed to be fine and after I got back home late yesterday evening I was able to get the camera to Restore Media and it played all the files just fine before the error. And I believe the clip was fine up to the exact point of error, but I can't be sure, I was not the one operating then. This was late in the day and had already shot four full cards. This was number five.

Shooting info:
F55, battery powered(A/B Dionic 90, fresh, so power shouldn't have been an issue, we finished out on that batt, too)
UHD/25P(shooting for a European client)
Cards: Sony G Series 64GB XQD in Sony SxS adapters
Camera was mounted on a Ronin flying upside down so the op could mount it on his Glidecam arm(again, another story for another thread)

I talked to a few friends with F5's and my sales rep and none of them have heard of or had that happen WHILE recording.

My rep wants me to try to semi-duplicate the situation when it failed by shooting with the card again and run around with the camera to see if vibration or shock could have played a role. But it was a pretty vanilla walking shot on level ground when it failed.

We're kind of leaning towards it being a card issue, but I wanted to reach out to the group and ask if anyone else has experienced this or heard of it happening before. I don't think I've ever had the same type of failure/problem with any other solid-state camera and media that I own(P2 VariCam and C300).
 
Sounds like a card issue to me. For critical jobs I'm using the SXS Pro+ cards even though I own plenty of XQD's myself. I just don't know how much I can trust those XQD's.

This week I got a "restore media" message but it was after the camera power died and the camera was turned back on again. Incase it helps anyone else down the road I just hit "execute" to repair the media and everything on the card was ok after that, including the last clip.
 
My opinion is that it's more due to the connection not to cards themselves. Restore Media comes up every time after I connect FS7 to computer directly through usb. So I guess it happens when camera is working on media card and they're suddenly disconnected (when connecting usb both cards go to storage mode). Maybe your card was not pushed enough into slot? Or maybe some micro vibration caused short disconnection?
 
Thanks guys. Alohype, nothing was connected to the camera except a BNC for the Ronin operators monitor and a BNC feeding a Teradek Cube for the producer. But the first time I did get a restore error , I had had a card out of the camera and was either just viewing or DL'ing it on my computer and then put it back in the camera. Dennis, the vibration theory is what my rep is leaning towards, too. I guess it's possible that the card was in "enough" to make a solid connection for the first 10 minutes or so he was moving around and then it vibrated out.

I have had one or two instances when testing at home of a card(maybe this one) not being fully recognized in the camera. I inserted it and the SxS symbol appeared, but wasn't "lit" and there was not time remaining info. Went into the menu and all options to format, update, etc. were greyed out. Pulled it, re-inserted and nothing. Pulled it again, but blew out the contacts and it was fine after that. I chalked it up to something getting into the contacts. The Sony adapters do not come with protective cases like the true SxS cards and after that, I started storing the cards in a ziplock bag in the cam case to try to prevent something like that from happening again.

I'll try try to do some testing this weekend, and looking at how "loose" SxS cards seem to be in the camera slot(how easily they slide in and eject) compared to my P2 and CF cards in their respective cameras, it very well could have been a vibration issue. And that scares the **** out of me because I do a lot of handheld work. I'm almost hoping I can duplicate the problem on that lone card and only that one. Then I can get it replaced and hopefully not have this happen again.
 
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