EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! at DVinfo.net

Kalunga Lima · February 21st, 2011, 08:21 AM

A local production company saw all it's equipment lost in a fire including 3 EX1 cameras. Out of curiosity I fished the SxS memory cards out of the melted cameras, to my surprise, not only were they still good, but all the data in them at the time was usable.

Andy Wilkinson · February 21st, 2011, 08:46 AM

Wow - That's impressive ruggedness!!! How did the fire start? They were insured, right?

Craig Seeman · February 21st, 2011, 08:46 AM

Contact Sony with the story and photos. You may be part of their next marketing campaign. Maybe with "compensation" too.

Marcus Durham · February 21st, 2011, 09:32 AM

Impressive, but most flash media is very durable. There was a UK technology TV show a few years back that tested various flash cards in different ways, one of which was driving over them and another was a hot cycle in a washing machine.

Go out onto the web and you can find all sorts of tales, even people who test cards for kicks.

John Peterson · February 21st, 2011, 02:33 PM

I am surprised the card was left in the camera when it was stored.

John

Kalunga Lima · February 21st, 2011, 11:05 PM

Good point John. During this moment of grief, I'll make sure to lecture them on better media storage practices.

Keith Dobie · February 22nd, 2011, 01:58 AM

OK I'll bite. I'm a fairly new EX1R user, but I'll admit that's the first I've read about removing cards from the camera when not in use. I just looked through the manual and did a quick forum & google search but found nothing.

Andy Wilkinson · February 22nd, 2011, 02:34 AM

I leave cards in mine too. Don't worry about it!

Keith Dobie · February 22nd, 2011, 03:30 AM

Thanks Andy. I always left a CF card in my digital camera. Seems like it would be more wear on the camera to swap SxS cards in and out constantly.

Kalunga Lima · February 22nd, 2011, 06:39 AM

Clearly one can leave the memory cards in the camera, all the more as the camera can serve as a memory card reader when connected to your computer via USB. As someone mentioned above, I would think that continuous removal and putting back memory cards could be more problematic than leaving the card in the camera in the long run. Likewise, as a photographer I don't remove the flash card from my 5D at the end of every shoot.

When filming concerts, I also routinely removed a card for downloading whilst the camera is filming on the other memory card, without any issues at all.

All this is the benefit of a tapeless solutions. The point of my post was to show just how reliable memory card are, and not really to debate media management practices. I, for one, am completely sold on Sony EX solutions (EX1, EX3 and PMW-350) and hope to get a F3 shortly as well.

Vincent Oliver · February 23rd, 2011, 02:21 AM

This thread reminds of a story from the 9/11 disaster. In the rubble they found a squashed Canon digital camera and the memory card was still intact, not sure what pictures were on it though.

When you consider that memory cards are encased within the camera, then they have an extra layer of protection against rain, snow, wind and in this case fire.

Serge Petchenyi · March 8th, 2011, 10:01 PM

man, this is just unbelievably crazy! the cards are indeed impressive.

Hirata Tomoki · March 8th, 2011, 11:43 PM

Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob Hart · March 9th, 2011, 12:18 AM

I would not be entirely surprised if the core electronic internals of the camera still worked after a cleanup of soot off the boards. The peripheral stuff which melted obviously cannot as conductors will be shorting together.

I have an Hitachi stereo amp which got roasted in a housefire and still works to this day.

There was a story a while back of a memory camera having gone to the bottom of the Atlantic from an ocean liner, getting fished back up again in a trawl net and the memory card was still operable. The owner got his happy snaps back.

February 21st, 2011, 08:21 AM	#1
Kalunga Lima Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Luanda - ANGOLA & Lisbon - PORTUGAL Posts: 160	EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! A local production company saw all it's equipment lost in a fire including 3 EX1 cameras. Out of curiosity I fished the SxS memory cards out of the melted cameras, to my surprise, not only were they still good, but all the data in them at the time was usable. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Kalunga Lima PMW-350, PDW-F350, PDW-EX1, MacBookPro, MacPro 8-Core, Final Cut Studio 2, Canon 5D MkII

February 21st, 2011, 08:46 AM	#2
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Wow - That's impressive ruggedness!!! How did the fire start? They were insured, right? __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

February 21st, 2011, 08:46 AM	#3
Craig Seeman Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brooklyn, NY, USA Posts: 3,841	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Contact Sony with the story and photos. You may be part of their next marketing campaign. Maybe with "compensation" too.

February 21st, 2011, 09:32 AM	#4
Marcus Durham Major Player Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hampshire, UK Posts: 693	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Impressive, but most flash media is very durable. There was a UK technology TV show a few years back that tested various flash cards in different ways, one of which was driving over them and another was a hot cycle in a washing machine. Go out onto the web and you can find all sorts of tales, even people who test cards for kicks. __________________ Marcus Durham Media2u, Corporate Video Production For Your Business - http://www.media2u.co.uk

February 21st, 2011, 02:33 PM	#5
John Peterson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Monroe, NY Posts: 703	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! I am surprised the card was left in the camera when it was stored. John

February 21st, 2011, 11:05 PM	#6
Kalunga Lima Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Luanda - ANGOLA & Lisbon - PORTUGAL Posts: 160	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Good point John. During this moment of grief, I'll make sure to lecture them on better media storage practices. __________________ Kalunga Lima PMW-350, PDW-F350, PDW-EX1, MacBookPro, MacPro 8-Core, Final Cut Studio 2, Canon 5D MkII

February 22nd, 2011, 01:58 AM	#7
Keith Dobie Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 172	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! OK I'll bite. I'm a fairly new EX1R user, but I'll admit that's the first I've read about removing cards from the camera when not in use. I just looked through the manual and did a quick forum & google search but found nothing.

February 22nd, 2011, 02:34 AM	#8
Andy Wilkinson Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 2,853	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! I leave cards in mine too. Don't worry about it! __________________ Andy K Wilkinson - https://www.shootingimage.co.uk Cambridge (UK) Corporate Video Production

February 22nd, 2011, 03:30 AM	#9
Keith Dobie Regular Crew Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 172	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Thanks Andy. I always left a CF card in my digital camera. Seems like it would be more wear on the camera to swap SxS cards in and out constantly.

February 22nd, 2011, 06:39 AM	#10
Kalunga Lima Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Luanda - ANGOLA & Lisbon - PORTUGAL Posts: 160	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Clearly one can leave the memory cards in the camera, all the more as the camera can serve as a memory card reader when connected to your computer via USB. As someone mentioned above, I would think that continuous removal and putting back memory cards could be more problematic than leaving the card in the camera in the long run. Likewise, as a photographer I don't remove the flash card from my 5D at the end of every shoot. When filming concerts, I also routinely removed a card for downloading whilst the camera is filming on the other memory card, without any issues at all. All this is the benefit of a tapeless solutions. The point of my post was to show just how reliable memory card are, and not really to debate media management practices. I, for one, am completely sold on Sony EX solutions (EX1, EX3 and PMW-350) and hope to get a F3 shortly as well. __________________ Kalunga Lima PMW-350, PDW-F350, PDW-EX1, MacBookPro, MacPro 8-Core, Final Cut Studio 2, Canon 5D MkII

February 23rd, 2011, 02:21 AM	#11
Vincent Oliver Trustee Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chislehurst, London Posts: 1,724	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! This thread reminds of a story from the 9/11 disaster. In the rubble they found a squashed Canon digital camera and the memory card was still intact, not sure what pictures were on it though. When you consider that memory cards are encased within the camera, then they have an extra layer of protection against rain, snow, wind and in this case fire. __________________ Eyes are a deaf man’s ears. Ears are a blind man’s eyes

March 8th, 2011, 10:01 PM	#12
Serge Petchenyi Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 34	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! man, this is just unbelievably crazy! the cards are indeed impressive.

March 8th, 2011, 11:43 PM	#13
Hirata Tomoki New Boot Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Japan Posts: 24	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! Omg!!!!!!!!!!!!

March 9th, 2011, 12:18 AM	#14
Bob Hart Inner Circle Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: PERTH. W.A. AUSTRALIA. Posts: 4,477	Re: EX1 destroyed in fire but SxS memory card still work! I would not be entirely surprised if the core electronic internals of the camera still worked after a cleanup of soot off the boards. The peripheral stuff which melted obviously cannot as conductors will be shorting together. I have an Hitachi stereo amp which got roasted in a housefire and still works to this day. There was a story a while back of a memory camera having gone to the bottom of the Atlantic from an ocean liner, getting fished back up again in a trawl net and the memory card was still operable. The owner got his happy snaps back.