Sony HD memory stick cam GOOD/BAD

[double r]

Well i've had the HDR-CX7 for a few weeks now and have mixed thoughts. On the plus it is light/portable,easy to shoot footage, good battery running times and HD quality appears excellent. On the negative (and I would be interested to know how others have fared) I cannot use 8GB sticks to film clips any longer than about 10s. If I try a message exclaiming "buffer run overload" (or similar) appears on the lcd screen and the cam reverts to pause. 2GB & 4GB sticks seem to be fine. I would also add that I purchased an NTSC model and have only filmed in the highest quality mode. Any ideas ?
Also just getting used to Imovie 08 - seems ok but have yet to find a quick way to export HDV back to a mini DV tape. Any input greatly appreciated.

[chowyunfatt]

Hi, I have the same cam and haven't tried 8gig stick only 4 and they work fine.
Try recording with out index see if that works.

Also i just copy from mem stick on to ps3 and watch like that with out any converting and messing about, very easy and convenient.

Also i just press the burn to disk button on the dock to make a DVD back up which also plays in the ps3. If you like to edit try vegas 7

This camcorder is excellent and very well partnered with the ps3.

[rhubarbe]

Is it a Sony branded memory Stick, and possibly more importantly, do you trust your source 100% to have sold you a genuine Sony product?

[double r]

Thanks for replies thus far. I will try a few different tweeks/settings with an 8GB card as soon as I can. I have 2 Sony 8GB cards, both of which are originals. Curiously, when I load 4GB or 8 GB sticks the cam displays the message "This memory stick may not be able to record or play images correctly". Now this has me thinking are there accurate replicated/fake memory sticks out there? Have purchased from a number of different sources but all look like the real thing in correct packaging etc.

[rhubarbe]

The vast majority of Sony branded memory stick on eBay are fake. Or, such is popular belief.

Even if the "memory stick" comes in what looks like absolutely genuine Sony packaging, even down to the hologram, it can still be fake. There are various articles on eBay and on the web showing you how to tell. A year or so ago it was the welds on the blister pack that gave the game away: Sony had few, long welds around the blister, and fakes had either spot welds or even glue. Being as these fakes come from quite state of the art factories in China it is not at all beyond the realms of possibility that the packaging, fake to genuine, is now indistinguishable.

[redbull2075]

Hi,

I have purchased a couple of 8gig Sony memory sticks from Play.com and they work perfectly on my CX6 and they have been used lots !!

Very very impressed with this Handy cam - I have really played with the various settings and having owned 6 camcorders previously this really is incredible !

I just can not believe it does not make any noise and is so so light--it is also ultra convienent !

I think you may have dodgy sticks !!

[rhubarbe]

My 8GB stick from Play.com works just fine, too. Though I don't have a CX6 to shove it into.

[double r]

Wow! I feel a bit naive about this. All my sticks have come off ebay (from different sources). I am going to order an 8GB stick from Play.com right now and will post up the results. I wonder how many others have/will be duped. I guess this is another example of trying to save money backfiring.

[rhubarbe]

We've all done it, one way or another.

[rhubarbe]

Originally Posted by redbull2075

Hi,

I have purchased a couple of 8gig Sony memory sticks from Play.com and they work perfectly on my CX6 and they have been used lots !!

Very very impressed with this Handy cam - I have really played with the various settings and having owned 6 camcorders previously this really is incredible !

I just can not believe it does not make any noise and is so so light--it is also ultra convienent !

I think you may have dodgy sticks !!

Some seriously impressive sample footage from the HDR-CX7 on here:

http://www.hdr-cx7.blogspot.com/

It's a tempter....

[double r]

Some more observations. It seems my cam will record ok in all quality modes except the highest (HD XP). In HD XP I get a consistent 26 secs of recording before the camera displays the "buffer overflow" message appears. This in most cases (for me) will actually suffice as the camera will be filming short bursts of extreme sports (BMX/Skatebaording). Nonetheless it is far from ideal and hope the newly purchased 8GB stick purchased from a reputable retailer will cover all bases.

[rhubarbe]

Well, if it doesn't then you know you have a problem with the cam.

[redbull2075]

fingers crossed it is the memory stick !!

[rhubarbe]

You haven't formatted the memory stick in a PC, have you? And you do have the series II memory stick drivers loaded on your PC, do you?

Or maybe you are just dumping the video to PS3?

[double r]

For the record I am presently importing footage into Imovie 08' on a Macbook Pro, chopping and trimming then exporting as full quality Quicktime movies, importing into ImovieHD and then exporting the HD onto DV tape. This is very convoluted but Imovie 08 does not yet appear to provide an export to tape option or a means to send/store footage back to memory sticks, though I have only had a few sessions on Imovie 08 so cant profess to know much about it. One of the blessings of the memory stick cam is the ability to trim clips "in camera" to free up space and just keep what you want/need. I find this a little slow paced but am now realising it saves time further on in my afformentioned process. I have tried fromatting the two 8GB sticks in camera but it has not affected their behaviour. Thanks again for advise/responces.