Memory card management on the day

[Peter Rush]

Hi all - in the heat of battle it's not always possible to pre-empt when is best to change your memory card so it usually needs changing at the worst possible time!

Currently I have a pouch (a converted Tamrac belt filter pouch) on my belt with loose batteries and spare cards. I take a card out and replace it with the spent one, locking it in the process.

The trouble is I'm worried that a card could fall out, plus when hunting for a new one I keep pulling out used ones that are locked, not good when the confetti shot is about to happen!

What solutions are you good folk using?

Pete

[Nathan Buck]

I use these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004W2US...I29WU94MEZFZH0

It holds 8 of my 64GB cards which is usually enough for a wedding with my A (and only haha) cam.

I don't like to use the locking function. They have a tendency to break and if they break whilst in the 'locked' mode you can't fix them! I place all my, pre-formatted, cards 'face up' in the case. When I remove one I place the full card face down so I know it's been used. Simples.

As I start with blank pre-formatted cards and I never format cards at a wedding, I know that if somehow I accidentally place a used card back in the camera (never happened yet) and there is something on it then it is from the same wedding I'm shooting and it's not to be erased.

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

What solutions are you good folk using?

I never change a card at a wedding, all my camera's have cards that are big enough to last me an entire day, that one less worry :)

[Nathan Buck]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

I never change a card at a wedding, all my camera's have cards that are big enough to last me an entire day, that one less worry :)

I must say, I find that rather risky! Better to have eggs in multiple baskets rather than in one!

[Peter Rush]

All my hamdycams and steadicam camera have 64gb cards which are enough for the day but I shoot xavc-s with my main camera and the files are whopping - i use 4 x 64gb cards in a full wedding day (i don't fill them completely up though)

[David Barnett]

I change during cocktail hour, before the entrances. It gives me nice downtime where I can take my time, and be extremely careful, not doing it in a rush. It splits the day up evenly, bridal prep, ceremonies & photo session on 1 card, reception events on the 2nd card. Worse case scenario is I guess I'd still have the Ceremony on camera 2, if I somehow managed to lose the cam 1 card 1.

As to where, I keep them in a specific spot in my camera bag, a pouch. The cards sit in the little plastic cases. While I can be a bit all over the place at times, the cards are one thing I take great care of, and I'm pretty anal about where to keep them & putting them back to their exact location.

[Steve Burkett]

Originally Posted by Nathan Buck

I use these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004W2US...I29WU94MEZFZH0

It holds 8 of my 64GB cards which is usually enough for a wedding with my A (and only haha) cam.

I don't like to use the locking function. They have a tendency to break and if they break whilst in the 'locked' mode you can't fix them!

I use the same case; it holds 2 128gb cards and 6 64gb cards covering my 2 GH4rs. A 2nd case holds cards for my GH4 and GH2. I usually only need 2 64gb cards for the GH4 and 1 64gb card for the GH2. The 128gb cards work well for the start of the day as I alternate between both cameras apart from the Ceremony when they are both running. It means I only need to change cards during the meal.

The case is placed inside a bag I always have on me, so always to hand if needed.

As for card management, contrary to Nathan, I'm always using the lock card switch and not once had any issues with it breaking.

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Nathan Buck

I must say, I find that rather risky! Better to have eggs in multiple baskets rather than in one!

There are pros & cons to either. Is it better not to change cards so you don't damage or lose one alternatively if a card craps out then you may have lost a lot of other footage. Best solution is belt & braces i.e. use a camera that records onto cards simultaneously or record to card & external recorder.

[Nathan Buck]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

There are pros & cons to either. Is it better not to change cards so you don't damage or lose one alternatively if a card craps out then you may have lost a lot of other footage. Best solution is belt & braces i.e. use a camera that records onto cards simultaneously or record to card & external recorder.

My camera will record simultaneously. The only reason I don't do this at the minute is because I simply don't have enough SD cards! Once I get a couple more I'll start doing this for the ceremony, currently I just have it set to switch over to the second card automatically, which is quite useful in itself!

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Nathan Buck

I must say, I find that rather risky! Better to have eggs in multiple baskets rather than in one!

But If you loose one of your smaller card that has your most important footage on it, it doesn't matter what you still have on your other cards, your screwed anyway. My main camera can dual record onto two 128gb cards simultaneously and my other camera's record to one card only, I just don't see the need of replacing cards at a wedding, you might miss a shot in that way, a card can get full on a unmanned camera and you don't see it or you loose a card. Anyone who is not dual recording to a camera is taking a risk.

[David Barnett]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

But If one of you loose a smaller card that has your most important footage on it, it doesn't matter what you still have on your other cards, your screwed anyway. My main camera can dual record onto two 128gb cards simultaneously and my other camera's record to one card only, I just don't see the need of replacing cards at a wedding, you might miss a shot in that way, a card can get full on a unmanned camera and you don't see it or you loose a card. Anyone who is not dual recording to a camera is taking a risk.

Well, if you shoot with only 1 card recording, and let's say you're main camera card is lost or corrupt. You still should have the Camera 2 card of the ceremony. Granted, it's a 1 shot unmanned camera, and you'd lost all the bridal prep, 1st look etc... But you could salvage it by putting in the ceremony, and then reception footage.

I'd probably give a massive discount, or more likely a full credit if that did happen. Again, something I try to be really careful with. My cams don' shoot 2 at a time anyway.

On the flip side tho, one 128GB card & not changing it, you're not likely to lose it anyway, whereas switching cards increases your odds. So there's that. I think stick with whatever you're comfortable with.

[Noa Put]

Anyone recording to one card only takes a risk, no matter how many smaller cards you use. I minimize the risk by dual recording on the camera that records the most important footage, all other camera's is for b-roll, loosing any of those b-roll camera's would also have consequences but it would still enable me to show the most important parts of the day eventhough I also would give the couple a discount in such a case.

[Nathan Buck]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Anyone recording to one card only takes a risk, no matter how many smaller cards you use. I minimize the risk by dual recording on the camera that records the most important footage, all other camera's is for b-roll, loosing any of those b-roll camera's would also have consequences but it would still enable me to show the most important parts of the day eventhough I also would give the couple a discount in such a case.

I see your points! Out of interest, what is your main camera?

[Noa Put]

a jvc gy ls300

[Steve Burkett]

Dual card recording I admit would be useful but I feel more essential if running only 1 or 2 cameras. As I'm running 4, manning 2 in most cases, such a risk is minimized. Its effectively running dual recording, just with 2 cameras instead of 1. I too like to limit the number of times I change cards, hence why I have moved to 128gb cards for my 2 GH4rs to run much of the day. Changing cards can be a pain in a hurry. However if you time it for certain points, there's no reason you should miss a shot.

All that talk of dual recording though, its not a fail safe. I know a Photographer who shot photos to dual cards and both files were corrupted, an issue of the camera rather than the cards and I had a camera with dual card recording just switch off during a conference - a problem with the battery.