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Memory card survey for Zaxcom products


bendybones

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Three years ago Jack started asking Nomad users which cards they found good/bad.

 

Most people used Transcend 32GB 133x as they had proven themselves during Jack's beta testing of Nomad.

 

I'd like to revisit that survey in the hope of hearing many more brands and speeds recommended/condemned.

 

Include microSD for Zaxcom body pack transceivers, as well as Nomad Primary and Mirror.

Mention good or bad experiences.

 

I'm happy with these for 3 years now... 

 

Primary:

Transcend 32GB 133x

 

Mirror:

Transcend 32GB 133x

Transcend 16GB 133x

Transcend 8GB 133x
 
micorSD:
None yet

 

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What Jack said -- and certainly never buy them via eBay, where the rate of counterfeits is epidemic.

I've scratched my head often over the years, as Zaxcom clearly, and repeatedly, established that Transcend and SanDisk were recommended, and one user after another would then ask, "Well, what about so and so brand?" almost as if their goal in life was to defiantly install unrecommended cards.

For several years I've successfully used the recommended Transcend Compact Flash cards in a Deva and a Nomad, and SanDisk microSD cards in numerous transmitters. I had several Kingston microSDs, so I tried them and found that they usually worked in the transmitters. Usually is not good enough for me, so I bought a full supply of SanDisk. I have no reason to go on a quest to find what other cards don't work.

If Transcend cards were prohibitively expensive and SanDisk were hard to find, such a quest would make sense, but they're not. Transcend cards are budget priced, and SanDisk are ubiquitous!

My advice is to use the recommended brands and look for other dragons to slay.

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And just to add to what John wrote - other brands of cards SHOULD work fine and I have used Delkin, Kingston and other off brand cards with no issues. And I have no fear that if production hands me some other brand, size, speed card that I will be able to use them.

But the short answer for me is with SanDisc and Transcend so easy to get at a very reasonable price there is no reason to use anything else especially since they have been performing flawlessly for me as well as thousand of other Zaxcom users for several years now.

I am not going to say that SanDisc or Transcend cards will never cause any issues but they do have a good proven track record.

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I've scratched my head often over the years, as Zaxcom clearly, and repeatedly, established that Transcend and SanDisk were recommended

Indeed John. I am aware of that recommendation.

Transcend and SanDisk are not always on the options list however. 

For example in a short-notice situation.

That is the reason for the question. To know of options (or non-options) in advance of their being an issue.

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I am aware of that recommendation.

Transcend and SanDisk are not always on the options list however.

Keep in mind that Zaxcom recorders are much less fussy about recording media than other machines. But the simple answer is to just format the card, engage all the tracks and record a test file for 20 minutes. If nothing locks up and all plays back you should be fine with the card. If a card has an issue it will usually be obvious pretty quickly.
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Keep in mind that Zaxcom recorders are much less fussy about recording media than other machines. But the simple answer is to just format the card, engage all the tracks and record a test file for 20 minutes. If nothing locks up and all plays back you should be fine with the card. If a card has an issue it will usually be obvious pretty quickly.

Top tip. Thanks

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Indeed John. I am aware of that recommendation.

Transcend and SanDisk are not always on the options list however.

For example in a short-notice situation.

That is the reason for the question. To know of options (or non-options) in advance of their being an issue.

I have no idea what "options list" you're talking about. If a person can afford a Nomad or Deva, I fail to understand how they can't afford a supply of cards to go along with it.

Sorry if it sounds harsh, but if someone is so lax at prep that they don't always have a full supply of media on hand, this is probably not the best choice of profession.

Let's face it, if we heard an AC say, "Oh, I didn't bring any SxS cards, can someone send a PA to Walmart to see if they have any?" we would not expect to see that AC on set the next production day.

Bottom line: Carry a good supply of recommended cards, live long and prosper.

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I think it is generally a good idea to post results users might have had with other brand cards than recommended, if only to prevent others from making the same mistakes others have made. That said, I once tried a cheaper brand of large capacity CF cards on my Nomad (from Amazon, called Komputerbay)

 

just format the card, engage all the tracks and record a test file for 20 minutes. If nothing locks up and all plays back you should be fine with the card. If a card has an issue it will usually be obvious pretty quickly.

 

I did that test with the above mentioned card and encountered no issues. Then during the first day I used it on production it failed on me. My own bad, I know, for buying cheap, and I did learn my lesson, but if I can save others from buying the same brand then of course this thread is definitely a good idea.

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i have hundreds of hours on my 3 pairs of Transcend 32gb 133x. i format both primary and mirror every morning and have never had an issue.

 

the only time i had a problem was when i had to use a Kingston card belonging to production, i wasn't able to cut, and the nomad's red stop light started flashing. never again...

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John: there have been times where a production wants me to mirror on to their CF card so at wrap they can grab the card and get out of town. I have done that with my nomad using Delkin and Sandisc and a bunch of other cards and never had a problem. Faster cards than I buy, basically an extra camera card.

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the max capacity Nomad / Maxx can use is 128GB? has the limit been lifted lately?

It's something like 160GB, and that's based on the underlying computer code. I have a feeling it won't get updated in existing machines, but maybe the new Deva32 will be different.

Point being, as of now, don't waste money on a 256GB card for your Nomad. If you want to go bigger than 32GB, stop at a 128GB.

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John: there have been times where a production wants me to mirror on to their CF card so at wrap they can grab the card and get out of town. I have done that with my nomad using Delkin and Sandisc and a bunch of other cards and never had a problem. Faster cards than I buy, basically an extra camera card.

 

I've run into the same thing.  So, the solution is to pop the card in, format it, mirror to it, and check it when it's done.  If everything looks okay, hand them the card and send the bill. 

 

If it doesn't mirror okay, switch to one of your Transcends and add it to the bill with the appropriate handling/restock markup.

 

Point being, that whether or not theirs is a recommended card there's no guarantee that it'll work until you try it -- it could be the best card made but suffer from "battle fatigue."  Like many things in our world, if it's not in your possession and fully under your control, it's an unknown quantity until proven.

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I find my continuous mirroring to be pretty slow when more than 6 tracks are engaged for an extended take. I use legit Transcend 133Xs. 

 

As an early Nomad adopter, I have always set my processor speed to NORMAL as this was the thing to do to avoid freezing issues - so I was told at the time. I do not use an excessive amount of compressors or effects either. 

 

Do any of you run with FAST1 or FAST2 successfully? 

 

Cheers,

Evan M.

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Just to add my 2 cents to the thread : every time i used a card from the production i had problems if i formated only with my nomad..

if the card had been formated before using a computer i had no problems..might be random but it might not..

i tend to think that CF that have been used in 5D carry some kind of "disease" to the nomad that only a computer format can wipe..

But that may be complete fantasy from my brain..

 

Now i only use my Transcend 133 and worries about others things..

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I find my continuous mirroring to be pretty slow when more than 6 tracks are engaged for an extended take. I use legit Transcend 133Xs. 

 

As an early Nomad adopter, I have always set my processor speed to NORMAL as this was the thing to do to avoid freezing issues - so I was told at the time. I do not use an excessive amount of compressors or effects either. 

 

Do any of you run with FAST1 or FAST2 successfully? 

  

FAST1, since way back when.

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Just to add my 2 cents to the thread : every time i used a card from the production i had problems if i formated only with my nomad..

if the card had been formated before using a computer i had no problems..might be random but it might not..

i tend to think that CF that have been used in 5D carry some kind of "disease" to the nomad that only a computer format can wipe..

But that may be complete fantasy from my brain..

Now i only use my Transcend 133 and worries about others things..

I was using cards that spent their normal days in C300s, and no problems. Not sure if I'm lucky, or those cameras format that differently.

Also, all my cards have a sticker with my name number and email address on them.

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