Slow memory card? Buffer overruns? Data corruption? Maybe you are dealing with a counterfeit memory card!

One of the more popular articles on my blog is covering the required minimum speed of the Compact Flash card for a Canon 7D. Looking at some of the feedback I got on the article over time, it appears that some people still experience speed issues even though they own high performing cards, cards performing better on paper than the ones I am using and many times way better than what Canon recommends in their user manual. Among the issues people experience are most notably buffer overruns, unstable performance, slower transfer speeds and corrupted data.  Buffer overruns typically occur when the camera cannot write fast enough to the card and hence starts losing some of its data. And corrupted data… well you have certainly come across that in your computing life at least once!

The feedback I got from some people really surprised me because, I never used any high-end card, yet I never experienced a single issue – neither when filming in high-def nor when taking burst shots. So I started researching the topic a bit and found out that the issue at hand is much larger than what I initially expected.  As it turns out, the world is plagued by an abundance of fake memory cards, advertising higher capacities than they can deliver! Of course we all know that there a fakes and imitations out there, but one tends to imagine they are limited to shady vendors or certain regions of the world. Yet you couldn’t be further from the truth! Yes China is a major player in counterfeit memory cards but considering the prevalence of memory cards in digital devices today, the physical size of the product and its market value, it is easy to understand why these products attract counterfeiters of all sorts.

So, to understand how that possibly affects your memory card and therefore your digital cameras, PDAs, phones, etc it is useful to understand how real cards are manufactured in the first place: When a manufacturer produces memory cards, these are of course being quality tested at the end of the production process. Depending on the outcome of the testing, each card is essentially validated for a certain capacity. So a card could be tested against a 64GB test and fail it, but succeed in the subsequent 32GB test. The manufacturer then labels and sells the card with a 32GB capacity even though the card is inherently not different from a 64GB one.

Now, the next step for shady resellers is to buy or source low cost memory cards with little memory, e.g. a load of 4GB cards, and to reprogram the card controllers to a higher capacity, e.g. 32GB so that when you insert the card into your device it actually appears as a 32GB card. An unsuspecting buyer inserts the card into his camera or computer, and the system acknowledges the 32GB card because of the reprogrammed controller. You don’t suspect a thing because your camera hasn’t yet tried to write to each and every sector of the card. Like most people, you probably don’t take 800 pictures in a row without transferring the pictures back to your computer and erasing the card to make room for your next shots. So, like the average user, you will probably not run into problems during the your first uses of the card. But then, one day you leave on vacation and all of a sudden you cross the threshold of 4GB on your counterfeit 32GB card and here the problems start. You start getting read/write errors and data corruption kicks in… and your shots are toast! For people involved in hi-def shooting, where the files are significantly bigger and the read-write performance is essential, this issues will appear much sooner.

By now you probably think “hey I bought my card from a reputable seller on eBay, this doesn’t concern me.” Well unfortunately you are still quite at risk. As you know, the price difference between a 4GB and a 64GB (or higher) card are quite significant. There is a lot of money at stake and counterfeits are difficult to spot. So the market is inundated with fake cards people, and even resellers, believe to be genuine. Many resellers buy their stock from third parties and can’t tell the difference… which means that the cheap electronics store around the corner that manages to sell memory cards at that really great price… could be selling fake cards… without even knowing it!

It is a massive industry and there is plenty of money at stake, so if you experience any problems with your card, you should check it out or return it to the seller.

How to identify a fake memory card?

While there are no guaranteed rules about identifying a counterfeit card, there are sometimes a few give-aways that should make you more cautious:

1. Check the manufacturer’s website

A good starting point should be to go the manufacturers website and see what tools they have available to validate their own brand. Most manufacturers these days offer some quick verification tools that will give you an answer within the minute. While not practical before the purchase simply because you do not have the card and packaging in your hands yet, it is still recommended to perform the test as soon as you can. Manufacturers will ask you to input a serial number, the bar code from the packaging and a few other details and tell you if the card is genuine. If you buy in a retail shop and have access to the internet on your mobile phone, perform the test while in the shop, even when shopping at more established retailers. Below is a sample for a Kingston memory card:

Direct access to the tool here

2. Have a look at the packaging

Most established manufacturers plastic wrap their cards with heavy and solid plastic, include warranty cards, usage instructions and display a hologram on the packaging. While everything can be counterfeit (and is), even the hologram, it takes more effort to duplicate all this packaging, which rules out part of the cheaper knock-offs out there. Never buy a card that is not sealed in the original manufacturer box!

3. Examine the memory card itself

Does it have a serial number? Again, not a guarantee for being the real thing, but it’s another step the bad guys skip from time to time.

4. Test the card… the closest you can get to a real answer

This one is both the easiest and most difficult method. Easiest, because testing the card will give you the most accurate out of all the points above, but the most difficult because it happens AFTER the purchase process… when it might be already too late.

How to test your memory card for genuineness?

As per my explanation above, just taking a few shots is not enough because the first GB of the card are probably in good working order. So to establish whether you card is good or not you need to perform some additional tests

1. Format the card

Do a FULL format… not a quick one as your operating system might offer you by default. A full format does more writing to the card than a quick format. If the format fails, if you get errors, you are likely to either have a genuine but defective card or a fake one.

2. Write/Read test the card

Download H2testw 1.4, the gold standard in detecting counterfeit cards (it’s PC only and freeware but works if running Windows on your Mac). Connect a card reader to your computer and insert your memory card. Follow the instructions provided with the software. The software will write dummy data to the entire card and read it back. It will then compare the written and read data to ensure the card works well. If you get errors like in the example below, you have a fake card

Here is a sample output for a fake 64 GB card (a 4GB card sold as 64GB)

The media is likely to be defective.

3.8 GByte OK (8084847 sectors)

58.6 GByte DATA LOST (122921617 sectors)

Details:710.5 KByte overwritten (1421 sectors)

7.6 MByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 15630 sectors)

58.6 byte corrupted (122904566 sectors)

710.5 KByte aliased memory (1421 sectors)

First error at offset: 0x000000003cef8470

Expected: 0xeb7ac43a237c5170

Found: 0xeb7a843a237c5170

H2testw version 1.3

Writing speed: 9.24 MByte/s

Reading speed: 10.8 MByte/s

H2testw v1.4

This is 4GB USB flash drive not a 64GB USB flash drive. It is of poor quality. A 4GB drive it should be about 3.81 GB formatted (which it is here) but this drive also has 58.6GB lost. This indicates in low level formatting a lot of bad sectors had to be locked out. Usually flash chips like these are rejected for major brands and should be destroyed. Unfortunately instead of the furnace flames these chips are leaving the back door of factories to be resold.

Final Words

My recommendation would be to only buy from established vendors, preferably retail, to whom you can return the card if there is a problem. In spite of all the attractive prices, do not buy on eBay, even from Power Sellers. Not all are fraudsters, but many buy their own stock from what they think are reputable third parties to resell them to you. Unknowingly they resell fake memory cards, thinking they are making a good mark up. And good luck in getting a refund if your card indeed is a fake one.

If you want to read more about the subject, head here, an amazing resource focusing just on fake memory cards.

If you already have a bunch of cards and never encountered an issue, that is great! Hopefully you are in possession of a genuine card. I would still perform the Write/Read test as per above to make sure you have the real deal… because if you don’t, you are likely to only find out the day you are on holidays or on a photo shoot… and then it might be too late, you might have lost a few precious hours or memories.

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Step-by-step tutorial to edit your GoPro files in Final Cut Pro

The GoPro HD is an affordable high performance wearable camera to record sporting and other activities.

The GoPro HD records in MPEG-4 and outputs its files as .MP4 files (the container). Files are compressed using the h.264 codec (as opposed to AAC or Xvid and DivX usually found in .AVI containers). So the files you are getting out of GoPro HD are suited to be delivered as is, which is usually not what you want. The GoPro HD being an “always-on” type of camera worn on your helmet, attached to your bike, surfboard or other, you usually end up with long sequences of footage you then need to edit down.

Since the MP4 codec is a final delivery codec it is not one you want to use for editing. Therefore you first need to convert it to a more editing-friendly format, such a Final Cut Pro’s ProRes.

First you need to download MPEG Streamclip, a powerful high-quality video converter, player and editor. If you are editing with Final Cut Pro (FCP), chances are you already installed this great free utility. If not, download it it from here.

So, what does the workflow look like?

1) Create a folder with the original GoPro .MP4 files on your hard drive.

2) Launch MPEG Streamclip

3) Select LIST / BATCH LIST in the menu toolbar. This opens a BATCH LIST window. Select all your .MP4 files in your folder, drag & drop them into this BATCH LIST window.

4) Another window automatically opens with a task to choose. Leave the default selection EXPORT TO QUICKTIME. Do not tick any of the other fields. Press OK.

5) The SELECT THE DESTINATION FOLDER window opens. Create a folder for your converted files and SELECT it.

6) The MOVIE EXPORTER windows opens. Select the options as follows:

• COMPRESSION: APPLE PRORES 422 (LT). Please note that you will only see the Apple ProRes Codecs if you have Final Cut Pro installed as they are being shipped as part of this editing suite.
• QUALITY: Increase to 100%
• FRAME SIZE: This will depend on what settings you used to film your original footage so you need to select the one that says UNSCALED. In my case this is 1280×720 (UNSCALED).

Set the FRAME RATE options as follows:

• FRAME BLENDING: OFF
• BETTER DOWNSCALING: OFF
• INTERLACED SCALING: ON
• DEINTERLACE VIDEO: OFF
• Finally, FIELD DOMINANCE is set to UPPER FIELD FIRST.

Leave the rest unchanged, then click TO BATCH. This will put all your files in the conversion queue.

Then click GO and your files will be converted into .MOV files ready to be imported into FCP.

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Step-by-step tutorial to set your Canon’s C1, C2 and C3 custom modes.

One of the 7D’s very useful features is the ability to have custom setups. Your photography setup will most likely not use the same configuration as your video shooting. The 3 custom modes (C1, C2, C3) accessible with the MODE DIAL on top of your camera are very helpful for setting your own configurations. The MODE DIAL will allow you to quickly switch between each.

Please note that the settings below are the ones I have configured for my needs but might differ depending on your own needs. My priority is to have one Photo profile and two Video profiles. I use Final Cut Studio Suite for my editing and want to ensure that my footage leaves me enough flexibility in post production. The 7D produces some amazing colours out of the box, but if you want a little more flexibility to colour your footage in post, then you might want to use a much more neutral picture style when shooting to capture the appropriate dynamic range.

I have defined the following three profiles:

• C1 – Photo shooting in RAW mode
• C2 – Video shooting in 24p Full HD (1920*1080) with an adjusted colour profile to facilitate Colour Correction in post-production
• C3 – Video shooting in 50p HD (1280*720) for Slow Motion with an adjusted colour profile to facilitate Colour Correction in post-production

As you will notice I have set up my profiles for PAL countries, but if you’re in the States you will most likely choose the NTSC mode.

Also note that this tutorial has been written to be carried out SEQUENTIALLY. This means that when configuring the C3 video mode, it uses some of the configurations made in the C2 setup. If you intend to only setup one video mode, pick my C2 description below as it is the most complete.

All right, let’s get started…

First of all, here’s a reminder of most of the key buttons we will be using (click to magnify):

The first series of settings are being set on the Viewfinder (the big LCD screen)

Step 1 – Reset your Custom Settings to their default values

Set MODE DIAL to MANUAL (M)
Press MENU
Navigate to TAB 11 – CLEAR ALL CAMERA SETTINGS

This will reset all your custom modes (C1, C2, C3)

Step 2 – Setting Custom Mode C1: Photo shooting in RAW mode

Set mode MANUAL (M)

Press MENU

Navigate to TAB 1
QUALITY: set to RAW

Navigate to TAB 2
White Balance: set to AWB
Picture Style: set to STANDARD

Navigate to TAB 4
AF MODE: set to QUICK MODE
Grid Display: set to GRID 1
Metering Timer: set to 30 MIN.

Navigate to TAB 6
AF POINT DISP: set to DISABLE

Navigate to TAB 7
AUTO ROTATE: set to ON (Computer only)

Navigate to TAB 8
DATE/TIME: set accurately
VIDEO SYSTEM: set to PAL (or NTSC if you’re in the US)

Navigate to TAB 10
Navigate to sub-menu C.FN.III – AUTOFOCUS/DRIVE
Navigate to sub-setting 6 – SELECT AF AREA
TICK all five AF Areas
SELECT ENABLE

Navigate to sub-menu C.FN.IV – OPERATION/OTHERS
Navigate to sub-setting 1 – CUSTOM CONTROLS
Press SET
A METERING AND AF START menu appears
Navigate to AF POINT DIRECT SELECTION (Last item in second column)
Press SET
Select the AF POINT DIRECT SELECTION
Press SET

The next series of settings are being set on the Top LCD screen.

Press the ISO button
Select ISO 100

Press AF-DRIVE button
Select ONE SHOT

Press METERING-WB button
Select EVALUATIVE METERING (the first option)

Back to the Viewfinder LCD

Press MENU

Navigate to TAB 9
Camera User Setting: select REGISTER, select C1, press SET

Step 3 – Setting Custom Mode C2: Video shooting in 24p Full HD (1920*1080) with Custom Picture Style

Navigate to TAB 2
Select PICTURE STYLE
Press SET
Scroll down to and highlight USER DEF 1
Press INFO
Set PICTURE STYLE to NEUTRAL
Set SHARPNESS to 0
Set CONTRAST to -4
Set SATURATION to -2
Set COLOR TONE to 0

Navigate to TAB 10
Navigate to sub-menu C.FN.II – IMAGE
Navigate to sub-setting 3 – HIGHLIGHT TONE PRIORITY
Set to ENABLE

Note:
ISO is now automatically set to a minimum of 200
The D+ next to the ISO setting on the top LCD now indicates that Highlight Tone priority is enabled

Switch from PHOTO MODE to VIDEO MODE

Navigate to TAB 4
Set MOVIE REC SIZE to 1920×1080 24p

Press MENU

On the TOP LCD

Set the Shutter Speed to 50 (=1/50)

Press MENU

Navigate to TAB 9
Camera User Setting: select REGISTER, select C2, press SET

Step 4 – Setting Custom Mode C3: Video shooting in 50p HD (1280*720) with Custom Picture Style

Switch from PHOTO MODE to VIDEO MODE

Navigate to TAB 4
Set MOVIE REC SIZE to 1280×720 50p (if PAL, choose 60p for NTSC)

Press MENU

On the TOP LCD

Set the Shutter Speed to 100 (=1/100)

On the Viewfinder LCD

Press MENU

Navigate to TAB 9
Camera User Setting: select REGISTER, select C3, press SET

Done! – That’s it… You’re set.

You can now switch between your different custom setups using the MODE DIAL and your C1, C2 or C3 programs.

A big thank you to all the people on various forums and sites who have come up with these settings. I hope that this transcription will be of use to many of you! :)

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How fast should the compact flash card for your 7D be?

A question that frequently pops up when people want to shoot video with their Canon EOS 7D is regarding the required minimum speed of the Compact Flash card. Card speed is usually specified in “x” ratings, e.g. 8x, 20x, 133x. This is the same system used for CD-ROMs and gives the data rate as a multiple of the data rate of the first CD-ROMs (i.e. the data rate of an audio CD). The base rate is 150 kB/s, so for example, 20x = 20 * 150 kB/s = 3.0 MB/s. The following table lists some common ratings and their respective maximum transfer rates.

Rating = Speed (MB/s)

6x = 0.9 MB/sec
8X = 1.2 MB/sec
12X = 1.8 MB/sec
20X = 3.0 MB/sec
25X = 3.8 MB/sec
30X = 4.5 MB/sec
32x = 4.8 MB/sec
40x = 6.0 MB/sec
60X = 9.0 MB/sec
66x = 10.0 MB/sec
80X = 12.0 MB/sec
90X = 13.5 MB/sec
100x = 15.0 MB/sec
133x = 20.0 MB/sec
150x = 22.5 MB/sec
200x = 30.0 MB/sec
266x = 40.0 MB/sec
280x = 42.0 MB/sec
300x = 45.0 MB/sec
433x = 65.0 MB/sec
600x = 90.0 MB/sec
666x = 100.0 MB/sec

For Video, Canon recommends at least 8MB/sec. Since all cards do not necessarily perform at their indicated speed, it is recommended to get a faster card. A 133x would be both safe and cheap. The money you are saving by not buying a more expensive cards, would be well spend getting a higher capacity card.

Personally I have been using several Kingston Elite Pro 32GB x133 without any issues, but your mileage may vary.

Important note:

This card works absolutely fine. If you have speed issues with your card (or if you have purchased it off eBay, you might want to read this article: How to spot a fake memory card

Oeding.com

Detailed settings to balance your Canon HF11 with a Steadicam Merlin

I finally got myself a Steadicam Merlin. I set it up with my Canon HF11 camcorder which is not an easy task. And I still don’t have it it 100% right. But reading through many posts here and there, I realised that many Steadicam owners struggle with the initial setup. The initial configuration to properly balance a camera on the Merlin involves determining a number of factors such as camera weight, center of gravity and vertical center of gravity as well as a good deal of trial & error.

The Canon HF11 is a very light camera (425g) which makes it particularly tricky to balance properly. I believe the Merlin would work much better with a heavier camera.

Somehow I never managed to make proper use of the online spreadsheet (Merlin CookBook) that allows you to calculate the proper balance for your camera, the reason being that I struggle determining the camera’s vertical centre of gravity. My setup always ended up excessively top or bottom heavy.

So I switched to using simple logic and a feel for what seemed right. I think I am pretty close now but I get the sense that it will never be perfect because the camera is simply too light. Maybe I should consider making it heavier, adding accessories such as a wide-angle lens and an external mic.

So, what are my current settings?

These settings are to be used with a fully opened viewfinder, positioned straight (not inclined in any way).

• One forward finish weight
• One bottom finish weight
• Arc size of 21mm
• Mounting Hole C on dovetail plate
• Stage position -1.2
• Z-turns -1 (from fully closed)
• Fore-and-Aft Trim Roller 1.75mm
• Side-to-Side Trim Roller 0.75mm

My drop time is about 2 seconds.

How are these settings working so far?

Well, the camera is reasonably balanced. When I place the handle on a table corner, I get a pendulum movement of a few millimetres until the camera stabilises. That can however easily take up to 30 seconds. So not a great deal of movement, but not as fully stable as I think it should be either. The camera is also VERY sensitive when operating the guide ring. The slightest touch can push the camera into a combined horizontal/vertical movement. This, in my opinion, is due again to the weight of the camera. Being too light, there is not enough gravity to keep the camera stable.

I will try to film my setup and drop time and post the video here.

I would also be very interested in hearing from other people what settings they have used with the above combination.

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