Sandisk SDHC card formatting question

[Tom Sheats]

I apologize in advance if this is posted in the wrong forum.

I recently purchased a Panasonic 130a, my first foray into the tapeless world. While formatting a new, out-of-the-hard-to-open-package Sandisk Extreme SDHC card, I received a message -- I forget the exact words -- "Formatting will overwrite AVCHD clip! Proceed?"

Is this usual? The camera was in DV mode at the time.

[Mike Beckett]

Perfectly normal. If I format my SDHC cards in my AC130a in HD mode, it warns me that I'll lose any DV clips too. Format away, and be happy with a superb camera!

[Tom Sheats]

Thanks, Mike! Good to know about that message appearing while formatting in HD mode. That would have concerned me ever more.

[Trond Saetre]

Tom, in general and not only for the cameras, any formatting of a card, harddrive and so on, will delete any files on that card /hdd.

[Tom Sheats]

Yes, I was just wondering why that message would appear while formatting a brand new card that shouldn't have any files on it.

Actually, I don't need to know why, just some assurance that there wasn't a problem with the card or that I didn't do something wrong.

[Peter Bosse]

I would like to warn all users for SanDisk Extreme (1) class 10
I had 2 and in less than 4 months they broke down, the first was not even used for 4 hours in 1 month!
All my work twice is gone.
I have Lexar Professional older than 2 years and they are ok no problems what so ever.
So stay away with this bad quality of SanDisk

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Peter Bosse

I would like to warn all users for SanDisk Extreme (1) class 10
I had 2 and in less than 4 months they broke down, the first was not even used for 4 hours in 1 month!
All my work twice is gone.
I have Lexar Professional older than 2 years and they are ok no problems what so ever.
So stay away with this bad quality of SanDisk

Where did you happen to purchase these SanDisk cards? eBay?

[Trond Saetre]

Peter, I think making a general warning about one brand and one of their memory cards just because one person has personal negative experience with a couple cards, is wrong.

Personally I have used several of these cards for years now, and never experienced any issues.

[Seth Bloombaum]

Some very popular cards have been counterfeited, and these imitations are usually of very poor quality.

Sandisk have a lot of copies. I avoid buying cards previously used, and have purchased most from B&H. You really should buy cards from a reputable source.

As Mr. Bosse knows, card failure can be very painful.

I've been very happy with Sandisk and Delkin Devices cards from B&H, and with lower-cost lower-speed Patriot cards from Fry's Electronics.

[Peter Bosse]

Originally Posted by Trond Saetre

Peter, I think making a general warning about one brand and one of their memory cards just because one person has personal negative experience with a couple cards, is wrong.

Personally I have used several of these cards for years now, and never experienced any issues.

Well let me tell you that this warning is not based on just the cards I used but on going around with fellow camera broadcast friends.
SanDisk as you said was great years ago, I am warning about the new type, and they are not false or copies. It comes with the official warranty.
I have 2 friendly companies I work together with and they had a bad experience too, I will try to invite them on this board and you can read their horror story with the 45 MB/s SDHC
I have in fact another card of 8 GB which is over 2 years old from SanDisk and its still working.
Again the newest models and feel free to google around to see that the SanDisk 16/32 45MB/s are having problems.
I am in this line of work almost 40 years now, I went to Digital as soon as it came out so please believe me that my posting has nothing to do with a personal crusade against SanDisk

They also, just came out have problems now with their mini SD card class 10
Thats official news!
But take it or leave it, just tried to share and help others

[Noa Put]

Seriously? I just ordered 2 of these cards, now you have got me worried.
Have not used them yet, can I ask, you said you lost your work, was there no warning in camera during record or was the data on the card just corrupted? What camera and codec did you use to record onto the card? Have you also got a response from Sandisc about the lost footage? Sorry for so many questions but since all my camera's record to one single card they need to perform flawlessly, I wonder if the 32 or 64 sdxc cards would be more reliable then.

[Frank Glencairn]

I had a fake SanDisk once - all others never gave me trouble (knock on wood), but yeah all flash memory can be flaky, depending on which batch you get.

If someone is interested in some deeper information, I wrote an article on this:

Why the same type of SD card can work just fine, or drop frames like mad. | Frank Glencairn

[Peter Bosse]

Hi Noa
The first signs of the corrupted SanDisk are that sometimes it will say no card found.
I had twice that message 1 time on my Canon mark II after that on my Sony PMWF3L with a SDHC Media Adapter and the same sometimes happened again. I took the SD card out and again in and it worked.
Just keep those signs in mind.

I am using now mostly Lexar Professional 600X they are great.
I am only talking about the new SDHC from Sandisk with the 45MB/s
In my near circle of contacts there are (besides mine) 3 known corrupted card and they are all original purchased through an known professional shop.

I lost my faith in the Extreme SD cards and I was for many years their user.
They replied ones and when I gave them more details and the other stories they stopped writing me back.
Very bad service.

Still I would like to go back to M-DV tapes with sync recording on SDHC cards that solution was still the best for me but with the new 1080p sadly not possible....

[Trond Saetre]

Originally Posted by Peter Bosse

They replied ones and when I gave them more details and the other stories they stopped writing me back.
Very bad service...

That's a good way to loose customers.

Only info I found on SanDisk website, is this:
SanDisk device NOT detected by Windows PC

[Peter Bosse]

today they replied and offering a free get your data back and to send the card to the US.
BTW who has more questions about the mini card in this forum also a nice subject
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/micro-po...-problems.html