Hello all...

Next month I do the travel thing with a client to several cities...but when I am in town and shoot with my Ex3, I usually hand off the cards to the client, who will transfer the files to his computer and get them back the next day.

But when I travel, I will have to do this myself as I am not a tech person and have never done this , as all I want to do is copy or transfer off the camera files to a hard drive to free up space on my 2 16 gb SxS cards, so I can use them the next day......

so please tell me "what do I do"? use clip browser ? or just copy from one to the other?
as I am needing help....


I am looking at the Toshiba 500 GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Dive HDDR500E04XL (Liquid Blue)
as the target hard drive to copy to...
Toshiba 500GB Portable External Hard Drive (Liquid Blue) - Toshiba (http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/adet.to?poid=445558)

TIA....

Yes, use clip browser. I assume your laptop has an ExpressCard slot.

OK, but I don't want to "convert' the files...I just move them from the SxS cards to a hard drive....

No, you don't need Clip Browser for that .... you just need 3 things (1) your EX3 camera 3(2) a laptop computer, or any other computer (3) an external hard drive, such as one of the below:

(I believe Seagates are the best)

seagate hard drive (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=seagate+hard+drive&N=0&InitialSearch=yes)

HI, Bill!

You cannot just transfer files from camera to hard drive.

I strongly recommend the Nexto 2500 (NextoDI (http://www.nextodi.com)). Just insert your SxS (or SDHC) card and it will copy to the internal drive of the Nexto. Then, when you have computer access, transfer the Nexto contents by interfacing Nexto to computer and copying to whatever drive you like. Granted, it has a street price around $2000, but for field work where you just need to offload your cards, it is the most compact option.

A second option would be a computer with the appropriate slot (Express34 for SxS or the ability to connect USB adapter).

One of the selling points of using the SDHC card adapters is that you can purchase many SDHC cards for the price of one SxS card. Thus you may not even need to offload while you are shooting.

Ned Soltz

OK...I have a Sony Vaio that I will use , not the camera.....as I just want to transfer the media....With all the talk of SDHC card failures , and since I will be out of town, and this is a very big client...I dont want to do SDHC, as that that would be a last resort.

Hi William,

The process to archive your media is as follows.

1. Connect camera to computer via USB / insert card into card reader.
2. Use the free Clip Browser software to drag and drop clips to your hard drive. (Latest version is 2.5)
3. Done.

OK ..all.... I am a novice to all of this......so how do you do it, step by step?

I know what I need, but I lack the skills.....

Do what Devin says (with my additions to make it an easier read :)



1. Insert card into your Vaio's card reader.
2. Use the free Clip Browser software
in the bottom window select the SxS card, in the top select your drive.
3. drag and drop clips from SxS window (bottom) to your hard drive (top)
4. Done.

When you do it this way, the correct way, if you have files that span 2 or more cards (eg a 200 minute clip) Clip Browser will automatically stitch the files together. So instead of doing it manually and having two folders, each with a 16gb file, you'd have one 32gb file.

When all else fails, seek out and ask Craig Seeman, without hesitation he'll tell you to use Clip Browser. That's what he tells everyone.

I am often on location in remote areas for weeks at a time, so offloading to HD is a must and I do this each night after the days shoot and sometimes during the shoot!

I strongly suggest getting a laptop with a card slot or a reader for your SxS - if you are nervous about downloading direct from the camera. Off-loading away from the camera is a better workflow, especially if you only have 2 cards.

I use a Macbook and 8 small WD passports for storage - gives me 3TB of portable storage. I just drag and drop from the SxS cards on to the passports. I have been doing this for a year now and not one problem so far.

I would shoot one card at a time to keep things simple.

I would shoot one card at a time to keep things simple.

Ok thanks...but this is transfer issue.........

OK guys...this is where I am at:

1/2 of you say "use the clip browser"

the other half says " use drag and drop"....so my questions is:

who is right? as I am getting confused.....

thanks

William,

Within the Clip Browser tool, the action you perform to offload the clips is a drag and drop motion.

Please know that using this tool is different than simply copying the folders off the card (using windows explorer) onto your hard drive. The Clip Browser software has CRC checking to ensure the transferred files are identical to those on the card.

OK guys...this is where I am at:

1/2 of you say "use the clip browser"

the other half says " use drag and drop"....so my questions is:

who is right? as I am getting confused.....

thanks

There have been a number of posts from users stating they lost clips from the D&D method. The Sony suggested method is to use Clip Browser with CRC checked on (in preferences). Transfer the entire BPAV folder(s) with all contents over to two backup hard drives and spot check the copies back before trashing content on SxS cards.

David you have encapsulated it spot on. I use this method as it gives total peace of mind. If anything is wrong after this workflow method it is down to sod's law.

There have been a number of posts from users stating they lost clips from the D&D method. The Sony suggested method is to use Clip Browser with CRC checked on (in preferences). Transfer the entire BPAV folder(s) with all contents over to two backup hard drives and spot check the copies back before trashing content on SxS cards.

Ok are you saying to use "drag and drop" inside clip browser....like this:

William,
First, do you know the Sony laptop can read the SxS card ? Please try it first. Insert the SxS card to the card reader slot and if the laptop regconize the card. You will be in good shape (please try an empty card).

Next - Install the Sony Clip Browser to you laptop - download the clip browser (you Sony laptop is running windows so run the window version not the mac version).

Plug your portable hard drive to the USB port (most standard for the portable hard drive). Your laptop should recognize this device.

I would recommend to create each directory for each card. Therefore if you are planning to use total 10 cards (even you have only 2 SxS cards). You will create 10 directories total as:
1. double click on your portable hard drive - it will open that drive
2. on top of that window select FILE - NEW - FOLDER (type card1 or whatever name you want).
Repeat step 2 for the next directory (folder) name ....

After shooting one card, you take SxS and insert into the reader.
Run the Sony Clip Browser. It will open with 3 windows: 2 on top of each other on the left side and the Preview is on the right side.
on the top left window (Explorer) it will show all the devices (hard drive which connected to computer).
When you select your SxS card (click on the card), it will display all the thumbnails for you.

now go to the lower left window (EXplorer) - you click on your portable drive.
Click on directory CARD1 (to open this directory / folder).

Now go back to the upper left window with all the thumbnails of your SxS card - right click on the mouse - Select All (all the thumbnails / clips will be highlighted). Hold the left button on the mouse and drag it down to the lower window (you will see the (+) sign) - release your left button of the mouse.

All files on your SxS are copied to your portable drive.

Typical I would create 2 copies. One on the portable drive and one on my laptop for safer. What if one failed I still have other one.

Best of lucks

Tuy Le

Many thanks to Tuy Le for his email to me.....it has helped alot.

This is with a Mac Laptop with an Express card reader.
1) Create a project folder on your hard drive for your project.
2) Open Clip Browser. Under XDCAM Clip Browser>Preferences where it says Copy all files to.. navigate to and enter the project folder from step one.
3) Insert your SxS card and open it in an Explorer window in Clip Browser (if it doesn't come up on its own.)
4) In the top center of the explorer window, find the copy all icon in the center of the icons.
Click on it and wait for the files to transfer.
Than you only have to repeat steps 3 and 4 for every card. Each new set of images will be given a new number under the project file. I resort and rename and backup images later.

Hello all...

I have to rent this camera for a shoot next week and the client wants me to download the files I shoot to an external HD they will send me.

Can someone tell me how to copy the files right off the camera?

I will not have a reader nor will I have the Sony Viao computer,

I have only a desktop running Windows XPpro. Hope this is enough for the task at hand : ).

Thanks,
George

You just need USB cable from EX3 to USB on your computer & Sony ClipBrowser program.
You can copy to an usb drive or any drive on your computer.

I use the method of connecting my EX3 to my Mac via USB cable and then using Clip Browser to transfer the files. The only risk I recently discovered (the hard way) is that I didn't notice that one of my recordings had gone onto my second SxS card and so I didn't transfer the file from the second card along with the files from the first card. When I checked the recording in clip browser after transferring the file to the Mac, I didn't go right to the end of the recording and therefore didn't notice that it was missing. So, lesson learned: Check, double check and triple check. Other than the human element, I have found this method to be easy and consistently reliable.

Use one card at a time and avoid any complications. Don't forget to use CRC on the clip browser to ensure all is well with the copy.

Thanks, Bruce for the advice about CRC checking. I've now set the Clip Browser for CRC checking each time. I also noticed today that the Clip Browser has a nice little icon in the top right corner that indicates a file that has been split to another card. I have a PHU-60K hard-drive and 2 - 8 gigabyte cards. I often use the PHU-60K to record long form programs. Last night I recorded a talk and didn't notice that after power up, the camera defaulted to the 8 gigabyte card in slot #1. I would have normally recorded the entire event on the PHU-60K, but instead ended up recording the first 28 minutes on the 8 gigabyte card and then it switched to the PHU-60K. Since I got bit once, I was very careful in my transfer today to ensure I transferred both files and I then checked the entire playback to ensure that I had it all before I erased the clips from the card and PHU-60K.

Is there any reason I cannot use standard 8 GB dual layer DVD's (as data discs) to save the material to?

I would first copy the files from the cards to my hard drive (using the Browser and CRC as suggested... thanks) but then, rather than send them my hard drive and have then send it back (hopefully in once piece) I would then burn the files to 8 GB DVD's and send them these.

Does this sound reasonable?

BTW: Once the files are on the hard drive is it necessary to continue to use the clip browser when moving them. That is, are they now just like any other video file where you can copy and paste at will?

George, dual-layer DVDs are a great way to backup your files. Just make sure to make two copies of everything.

You can move files around without the use of Clip Browser as long as you move entire BPAV folders. Don't move any individual files within the folder, and don't make any changes inside the folder. In fact, don't even look in there. :-)