Copying an entire sxs card.

[Chris Lambert]

Hello all

 

I currently own one 8gb sxs card and a PMW-EX3 which i will be filming a shoot soon with soon which will be shot mostly on slow motion. Is there a way to copy the entire contents of the sxs card onto the 16gb sdhc without having to copy the clips individually? Am I also correct in thinking that this will not alter the original file in any way.

 

Also is it recomended as a freelance camera man to get a contract drawn up with the client particuarly in relation to insurance details etc, as my upcoming job will be my first since film school.

 

Chris

[Adrian Sierkowski]

I don't see how it would be any different than copying off to a hard drive as is. Create a folder inside of the SDHC card named "Card A_1" or whatever, can copy the BPAV folder and EVERYTHING INSIDE OF IT AS IT IS into this folder, so you'd have your SDHC Card with a subfolder called "Card A_1" and below that a folder called BPAV with all it's other folders (CLPR and TAKR or something like that. Rinse and repeat as needed.

For myself I just bring 2 self powered USB 2.0 hard drives out and I copy to both of those. I have 2 160 gb and 1 320 gb, they're cheap (enough) reusable and can hold more data. This was my work flow when I was in Senegal:

 

Fill card and copy to macbook pro (verify)

once complete, copy from macbook pro to 2x external hard drives. At this point reformat card (once verified it's on the macbook) in the camera. Repeat as needed. Then it's spanned across 3 different places-- macbook pro desktop (where I like to keep it) and 2 x hard drives in the Field. At night or when wrapped, I would back it up to a 3rd hard drive left in the hotel room (1TB Seagate) and then erase the "dailies" from the macbook.

[Jim Hyslop]

I don't see how it would be any different than copying off to a hard drive as is. Create a folder inside of the SDHC card named "Card A_1" or whatever, can copy the BPAV folder and EVERYTHING INSIDE OF IT AS IT IS into this folder

 

What Adrian says is VERY IMPORTANT - keep the entire BPAV folder intact. One of the surest ways to get into trouble is to try to copy individual files. Same goes for Panasonic P2 cards.

 

--

Jim

[David Williams]

He might be meaning in camera copying card to card? I "think" you can only do that clip by clip? I do that sometimes, moving over cranked clips from SxS to SDHC, to clear space for more overcranked shots.

[Chris Lambert]

He might be meaning in camera copying card to card? I "think" you can only do that clip by clip? I do that sometimes, moving over cranked clips from SxS to SDHC, to clear space for more overcranked shots.

 

 

Hi David

 

That's exactly what I meant, seems bizare that Sony would omit a feature which feels as though it should be there by intuition.

[Jim Hyslop]

Hi David

 

That's exactly what I meant, seems bizare that Sony would omit a feature which feels as though it should be there by intuition.

 

Ah, I see. I take it the SDHC card is in an adapter of some sort then?

 

It'd be easier just to use a laptop which has a PCI Express port, or rent a PCI Express/USB reader. That's how I do it, anyway.

 

Sony's approach may have been to assume that copying would happen off-camera, since it's a time-consuming process no matter how you do it, and in many cases you'll want to be ready to shoot within seconds (or even continuously, by swapping cards while recording).

 

--

Jim

Edited August 22, 2009 by Jim Hyslop