Now that some of you actually have your camera in hand, has anyone yet dared to try an off-the-shelf ExpressCard?

I should have mine by the end of the week, but the suspense is killing me...

I posted elsewhere that Juan Martinez of Sony said that there would be a firmware upgrade to allow other cards to work but that such cards would have to be "certified" first.

Apparently there is something in firmware that would prevent this in the meantime.

At the roadshow the Sony guys weren't sure about card restrictions, but the camera does check that the card is "valid". Obviously SxS cards satisfy that, but what does the check check?

I've tried a lexar 8 gig express card and no go. Camera complains that it sees a "unsupported media". Too bad because you can find them for about 90-100 bucks.

Juan Martinez is not a "Sony guy." Juan Martinez is Sony's Senior Manager for Technology. He says the camera WILL take additional cards. Sony WILL certify them. There WILL be a firmware update that will allow the camera to do this. He did NOT give a date for the firmware update though. He used a Power Point presentation obviously authorized by Sony and gave an example of a the current price of an 8GB card that would work once camera got the firmware update and card certified, at about $190.

I first heard him say this in July at DV Expo East. I heard him say this AGAIN on November 12th at NY Pro Tech Expo.

If Juan Martinez says something it's safe to say that is Sony's OFFICIAL position on the matter.

There WILL be a firmware update to the camera and the camera WILL take less expensive cards. Sony WILL certify which of those cards will work.