Videographer HORROR MOMENTS: I JUST had one...share yours and make me feel better?

I started using it at all my shoots to download cards every time I changed cards. This turned out to be a great benefit because I could back up the card and check the picture and audio every time I had a few minutes.

We had the temporary use of a Macbook Pro to continuously mount and copy the MXF files from our P2 cards, when I was then shooting with the HVX200s. What a breeze that was! I agree with gary huff's post as well, I'm usually pretty anal when it comes to backing up ASAP. Unfortunately I didn't have the proper resources that day. Better prepared next time w/ a card reader! - Also great suggestion with the on-the-spot feedback from the clients. Reduces the risk of any re-edits later!
 
clearly doesn't aply to the OP, but everybody should read this before working at a wedding:

I loved the Acronyms, hahaha. People are so quick to point the blame elsewhere when their clients end up unhappy, but when they're praised they'll take all the credit.
Great article from those with plenty experience. Thanks for sharing!
 
We had the temporary use of a Macbook Pro to continuously mount and copy the MXF files from our P2 cards, when I was then shooting with the HVX200s.

In case you ever shoot on P2 again, let me tell you: a PowerBook connected to an external FW800 drive is insanely fast. Had to do that during the South by Southwest festival here in Austin, and I'm glad I had that laptop at my disposal. Made things so much easier. Of course, the newer 17" MacBook Pros are great if offloading SxS cards since they have that slot as well. Super fast.
 
thank youso much for the response guys! I had no idea about the recovery software...I pretty much just took it at its word and assumed it was all lost. I have had this mistake happen before.

So, of course, I used it. :(

Would this work like a tape would? As in, could I recover anything that was not 'recorded over' ?

If

http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/

If ever anyone formats a card by mistake (before transferring files), use this to retrieve files. This works even if you've already recorded over the old files but of course the more new stuff that gets written to the card, the less of the old stuff will be accessible. I've used it. It works.
 
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http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/

If ever anyone formats a card by mistake (before transferring files), use this to retrieve files. This works even if you've already recorded over the old files but of course the more new stuff that gets written to the card, the less of the old stuff will be accessible. I've used it. It works.

Thanks for sharing the link, I've downloaded the trial and am about to see what I can recover. [ fingers crossed ]
 
Not DSLR related, but applies to the thread title...

35 Minutes into shooting a racing event for HD delivery, and my Z1U started warning me I was reaching the end of the tape.

I had been in DVCAM (SD) mode. Arg.
 
Not DSLR related, but applies to the thread title...

35 Minutes into shooting a racing event for HD delivery, and my Z1U started warning me I was reaching the end of the tape.

I had been in DVCAM (SD) mode. Arg.

I would actually prefer shooting in DVCAM, especially if you wanted better quality as opposed to DV. Did you not bring enough tapes?
 
Just fyi... I've sorta skipped to the end and so someone has probably already stated.
But just in case, all these "Flash" memory cards ALMOST always retain the information. When you format the cards in camera, the camera usually JUST overwrites the directory. It dosent "Zero" out the cards. So when you use a recovery program like Chris linked ( http://www.datarescue.com/photorescue/ ), most of the deleted data will be recoverable. However, if you have used the card again... and depending on how much you filled the card with the new data, you can MAYBE recover some of the old data.
Most all CF and SD cards... and im guessing P2 cards should be recoverable.

Good Luck.

On a side note: Has anyone had experience with the WiFi cards? It would be too slow for large shooting... but a 16Gig card would be decent enough for some shooting needs and cameras (i.e. AVCHD cams like the GH2). Could be a worthwhile investment if it did backup your media while running around.
 
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This is also not DSLR related, but applies to the thread title...

I was on a shoot with my old DVX after a big rain storm. It was not raining anymore and we wanted to get a super low shot of the subjects shoes in a puddle. I got the DVX right down there, hovering just above the devil in disguise body of water below. Everything was just fine until the subject dropped her giant purse in the water! What seemed like a tsunami of water blanketed the DVX and I went into panic mode!
In the end, I got it all dried up and everything was fine. But that sure was a heart stopper.
Lesson learned.
 
I almost had a "horror moment" yesterday. I shot a home for a real estate magazine (the magazine is online and you can click a link to the video) and we were really running out of time for it's publication. I was uploading the video and needed it done by midnight. The upload was 99% complete and at the last second it crashed. Thankfully I tried uploading through a different route and it worked. We got it up and running just when publication started. Phew!
 
I guess I pulled one 2 days ago, shooting some MC at a lounge. during a lens change, I reached into my shoulder bag to fish out a 35mm nikkor, but could not find it. I kept checking every nook and finally swung the bag around to my front to find where the lens had gone. since i was digging through the top mounted zipper, i decided to unhook and open the flap - bad move. The lens was sandwiched between the flap and the outer pockets, missing the main compartment, so it fell about 4 ft to concrete when the flap was opened. On impact, it hit hard enough to rebound into an adjacent wall. but it was ok, not suffering any damage at all - couldn't even find an impact mark on the barrel.
 
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I was editing an short video that would open a 3 day youth conference, big stadium, pyrotechnics. Of course there was last minute changes on the day and I started working on them early in the morning. The venue was an 80 minute drive from home, when I arrived two hours before the show was to open, we discovered the portable drive the file was on refused to mount. A runner was sent to my home to pick up my laptop, apparently the laptop case wasnt closed and the runner didnt have the cooridation to hold a laptop but my 17" 2010 macbook pro took a hard fall onto a concrete curb. The runner didn't make it in time and the show opened with a version of the show that didn't have the newest updates to it. The laptop survived with only minor cosmetic damage.

The moral of the story is when delivering such crucial files... never trust a single drive but have a back up as well. Secondly don't let strangers carry your laptop or camera unless its securely packed in a good case. Thirdly when things start to go wrong there is a tendency to panic in the moment and make quick decisions that will get you deeper in trouble. Stop take 5 minutes to really assess the situation before taking action.
 
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