Best compact flash cards for Sony Z5 with MRC1K unit at DVinfo.net

Graham Mowbray · November 29th, 2009, 01:30 PM

I would be glad if anyone can recommend from experience the best make and type of compact flash card for use with a HVR-MRC1K fitted to my Sony Z5 camera. I bought a Kingston 16GB 133X card but it doesn't seem to be able to write data quickly enough (PAL 25fps). Any images containing the slightest movement appear jerky and I can only assume that frames are being dropped. Shots of the subject taken at the same time on tape are ok.

Cristian Adrian Olariu · November 30th, 2009, 08:54 AM

You should do some recordings simultaneously on the card and the tape and then compare them to see if the cards are the problem.

Robert Bec · November 30th, 2009, 01:25 PM

i use the sandisk extremeIII 16gig cards never had a problem

Stelios Christofides · November 30th, 2009, 01:54 PM

I also use sandisk extremeIII but the 32gig cards and so far I never had a problem.

Stelios

Graham Mowbray · December 1st, 2009, 04:12 AM

Thanks for the info fellas. The footage was taken simultaneously on card and tape and it is definately the Kingston's slow write speed that is at fault. I will try a Sandisk high speed compact flash card as you suggested.

Steve Renouf · December 2nd, 2009, 09:19 AM

I use Sandisk everywhere - video, stills & audio and I've never had one fail on me yet - touch wood! (touches head ;-))

For the MRC1, I would recommend the 30Mbs ones (they have 30Mbs printed on them) as i have seen the Extreme III without that 30Mbs on them.

Robert Bec · December 14th, 2009, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

I also use sandisk extremeIII but the 32gig cards and so far I never had a problem.

Stelios

32gig cards are not recommended by sony Stelios make sure you record to card and tape

Adam Gold · December 14th, 2009, 12:07 PM

Really? Where does Sony say not to use 32GB cards?

Sony makes no mention of 32GB cards at all that I can find. The bigger cards aren't mentioned in their MRC1k Operating Guide because they didn't exist when the Guide was written. It makes no mention of the Z5, either.

Cian O'Carroll · December 16th, 2009, 10:50 AM

This might explain what happened when I bought my Z5. The Sony dealer quoted me on 32G cards, and just before shipping told me that the Z5 "didn't work" with 32G cards and supplied 2 X 16G cards instead (at a reduced price of course!). They are Pretec 333X cards. I am glad to see that others are using 32G cards, because I need the extra length for conference work. I haven't had a problem with them.

Adam Gold · December 16th, 2009, 11:58 AM

There are already a few threads on this, but FWIW I've had five of seven Kingston 32GB Elite Pro 133xes go total failure on me, just as has been described by others. They've been RMA'ed and I just ordered nine Sandisk Extreme IIIs -- they've got a huge rebate deal going which brings their price down to about the same as the Kingstons ($82 each). We'll see how they work.

Darin Clifton · December 17th, 2009, 10:07 PM

Adam,

where are you purchasing your extreme III's ?

Adam Gold · December 17th, 2009, 10:08 PM

It's not a sponsor here, so email me and I'll send you a link...

But if you go to Bing Shopping and search for "32GB Compact Flash sandisk" you should end up with a (reasonably reputable) vendor selling a 3-pack for $446 after the Bing 3% cash back. Then there's a $200 rebate from Sandisk, which brings the price down to $82 each.

Rob Morse · December 20th, 2009, 11:27 AM

I hate to sound stupid but what is the conversion for the 30MB/s in relation to the cards that go by speed? In other words, my Lexar is 300x, does the 30MB/s convert to a number like that?

Adam Gold · December 20th, 2009, 12:16 PM

I believe it's the equivalent of 200x.

They don't make it easy for you to figure out, do they?

Leslie Wand · January 11th, 2010, 03:57 AM

sorry to re-visit this thread, but i'm getting my z5 sometime this month....

i gather from the above that san disk extreme lll are compatible and widely recommended here.

a. any there any other brands of note?

b. what exactly am i looking for in a cf card? as adam pointed out - it's not easy correlating the card speed to the mb/s of hdv.

c. are 2 x 16 better than 1 x 32gig? in regards to potential failure, etc.,

tia

leslie

November 29th, 2009, 01:30 PM	#1
Graham Mowbray Tourist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Worcester UK Posts: 4	Best compact flash cards for Sony Z5 with MRC1K unit I would be glad if anyone can recommend from experience the best make and type of compact flash card for use with a HVR-MRC1K fitted to my Sony Z5 camera. I bought a Kingston 16GB 133X card but it doesn't seem to be able to write data quickly enough (PAL 25fps). Any images containing the slightest movement appear jerky and I can only assume that frames are being dropped. Shots of the subject taken at the same time on tape are ok.

November 30th, 2009, 01:54 PM	#4
Stelios Christofides Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nicosia, CYPRUS Posts: 1,080	I also use sandisk extremeIII but the 32gig cards and so far I never had a problem. Stelios __________________ My Blog: http://steliosc.blogspot.com "I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free" Nikos Kazantzakis

December 1st, 2009, 04:12 AM	#5
Graham Mowbray Tourist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Worcester UK Posts: 4	Thanks for the advice Thanks for the info fellas. The footage was taken simultaneously on card and tape and it is definately the Kingston's slow write speed that is at fault. I will try a Sandisk high speed compact flash card as you suggested.

December 2nd, 2009, 09:19 AM	#6
Steve Renouf Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Jersey, GB Posts: 182	Sandisk I use Sandisk everywhere - video, stills & audio and I've never had one fail on me yet - touch wood! (touches head ;-)) For the MRC1, I would recommend the 30Mbs ones (they have 30Mbs printed on them) as i have seen the Extreme III without that 30Mbs on them.

December 14th, 2009, 12:07 PM	#8
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	Really? Where does Sony say not to use 32GB cards? Sony makes no mention of 32GB cards at all that I can find. The bigger cards aren't mentioned in their MRC1k Operating Guide because they didn't exist when the Guide was written. It makes no mention of the Z5, either. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error." Last edited by Adam Gold; December 14th, 2009 at 06:43 PM.

November 30th, 2009, 08:54 AM	#2
Cristian Adrian Olariu Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iasi, Romania Posts: 121	You should do some recordings simultaneously on the card and the tape and then compare them to see if the cards are the problem.

November 30th, 2009, 01:25 PM	#3
Robert Bec Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 358	i use the sandisk extremeIII 16gig cards never had a problem

December 16th, 2009, 10:50 AM	#9
Cian O'Carroll Tourist Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Waterford, Ireland Posts: 3	This might explain what happened when I bought my Z5. The Sony dealer quoted me on 32G cards, and just before shipping told me that the Z5 "didn't work" with 32G cards and supplied 2 X 16G cards instead (at a reduced price of course!). They are Pretec 333X cards. I am glad to see that others are using 32G cards, because I need the extra length for conference work. I haven't had a problem with them.

December 16th, 2009, 11:58 AM	#10
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	There are already a few threads on this, but FWIW I've had five of seven Kingston 32GB Elite Pro 133xes go total failure on me, just as has been described by others. They've been RMA'ed and I just ordered nine Sandisk Extreme IIIs -- they've got a huge rebate deal going which brings their price down to about the same as the Kingstons ($82 each). We'll see how they work. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."

December 17th, 2009, 10:07 PM	#11
Darin Clifton Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Sulligent, Alabama Posts: 132	cf cards Adam, where are you purchasing your extreme III's ?

December 17th, 2009, 10:08 PM	#12
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	It's not a sponsor here, so email me and I'll send you a link... But if you go to Bing Shopping and search for "32GB Compact Flash sandisk" you should end up with a (reasonably reputable) vendor selling a 3-pack for $446 after the Bing 3% cash back. Then there's a $200 rebate from Sandisk, which brings the price down to $82 each. __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."

December 20th, 2009, 11:27 AM	#13
Rob Morse Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 427	I hate to sound stupid but what is the conversion for the 30MB/s in relation to the cards that go by speed? In other words, my Lexar is 300x, does the 30MB/s convert to a number like that?

December 20th, 2009, 12:16 PM	#14
Adam Gold Inner Circle Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Woodinville, WA USA Posts: 3,467	I believe it's the equivalent of 200x. They don't make it easy for you to figure out, do they? __________________ "It can only be attributable to human error... This sort of thing has cropped up before, and it has always been due to human error."

January 11th, 2010, 03:57 AM	#15
Leslie Wand Trustee Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: upper hunter, australia Posts: 1,410	sorry to re-visit this thread, but i'm getting my z5 sometime this month.... i gather from the above that san disk extreme lll are compatible and widely recommended here. a. any there any other brands of note? b. what exactly am i looking for in a cf card? as adam pointed out - it's not easy correlating the card speed to the mb/s of hdv. c. are 2 x 16 better than 1 x 32gig? in regards to potential failure, etc., tia leslie