Special CF card for single slot CF card Medium Format cameras.

[FredBGG]

Just an idea.

Today most new high end cameras have dual memory card slots that offer redundancy.
If one card goes bad the other still works and saves the day.

So how about a special CF card for single slot CF card cameras, like MF backs.
A CF card with a built in SD card adapter. Not a simple adapter, but a CF card with CF memory and a SD
adapter that can take an SD card. The CF card would pass on the data to the SD card.
This way you would have the same sort of redundancy as a modern two card DSLR.

If could even be designed so that the SD card could not be formatted without being seated directly
in an SD card reader thus avoiding most accidental formatting problems.

Now that said CF cards are remarkably robust, but being so if they do fail it's a real disaster.
It's also important to keep in mind that cards can fail when being transferred to a computer.
Also there are already special SD cards that are even waterproof.

I have had two CF cards fail. It was lucky that they did not fail at a CRITICAL MOMENT.
I nearly always shot each situation of two separate cards or at least moved the files to a computer with raid before moving
on to another situation.  

While this would give MF backs, even older ones, similar redundancy as newer two slot DSLR camera I think the market for such cards would go beyond
the MF market. I mentioned this to a Hollywood sound guy and he said he would love it for some of his compact sound recorders.

[Ben Rubinstein]

Doesn't help if there is a problem with the input to the card or with the transfer to the card. Single card slots do bring us back to the old film days, will the roll come back ok from the lab moments but far worse as then it was 12 shots, now it's 5 zillion on a card. Redundancy is really the only answer and kudos to Pentax for having dual slots in their camera. I suppose when MFDB's started they were almost all shot tethered so the redundancy was part of the workflow. I'm not sure that even now it will ever make it into MFDB's, most pro's are still using tethered shooting and that's where the majority of the requirement would come from. Given that they are now a small and declining percentage of MFDB shooters by what we hear...

[FredBGG]

Actually it would help. If either the CF part of the SD card go bad you still have the other.
Also removing the SD card from the CF card the SD card can be read directly. This way if the CF card readout circuit is bad
you red out from the SD card.

You are right about it not helping if the problem is in the input of the CF card, but if that happens you are going to know about it while you are shooting.

[Guy Mancuso]

I only used Sandisk extreme pros in all of my Phase backs. Mostly 16gb and never had issues there. In my Nikon I use also some Transcends the fastest CF cards they have and so far no issues. Sandisks to me seem some of the most reliable as I have not heard to many issues with them.

[FredBGG]

While CF cards are very reliable they can still fail.
The problem is that because they are very reliable we don't expect them to fail.
When they do it can be a major problem.

I have had two cards fail. Only two in quite a long time and I was lucky that it was not at a critical momentl
I also only use the best Sandisk and the waterproof, shockproof, and magnet proof Samsung SD cards.

Anyway here are a few cases of CF card failure:

->> Had my first failed Compact Flash Card today. Shot some photos outdoors, looked through them on the camera during the shoot and when I got home to download them the message "This Card is Not Formatted, It is not readable on your computer" came up. No Photos.
Used RescuePro from Sandisk and it could not find any photos. I am bummed, it was a good photo shoot. Any idea's?
Nikon D3 with a SanDisk Extreme III 8G card

I'm furious because I've lost 3 cards so far. They are all Sandisk 32 Gig cards. I shot with one and the same day my computer won't recognize the card. Then I put it in my camera and it says that I need to format the card. So I can't get video clips off the card now. I was working for a client so this is not cool. I was told not to fill up the card by a guy working at Calumet in Boston. Don't you allthink that Sandisk should be responsible for getting our data back? Any tips on making sure cards don't fail would be much appreciated.

3 X 32GB cards have failed on me also.
All 3 are Extreme 60MB/s UDMA are all now Extremely 0MB/s
Good news is, it's "only" $1000 down the toilet.
-CKeiser

.......

Same here guys, I'm using Canon 5D mk II, 32GB.

I was looking info on the net when I found this forum, with this problem.... Any one found how to solve this ??

It's quite urgent since I have got a wedding to shoot this weekend. 

Even SanDisk cards can fail.

[kdphotography]

Dual card slots on my DSLR is a nice touch, though I've never had to rely on the dual slots from any card failure.

And thankfully, Phase backs feature their secure storage system which checks the structure of the CF memory card prior to use to help insure an enjoyable medium format digital experience to those that actually use medium format digital backs.  Over the course of approximately ten years and five different digital backs I've never had a CF memory card failure, so I guess it never happens to anyone.  Oh, wait, that's a hasty generalization...  

[Guy Mancuso]

Something not mentioned here and it's something to be aware of . Sandisk are often counterfeit as well. I got some off of eBay couple years ago and they where not the real thing. Just use caution where you buy them. I buy all my cards from B&H since I know they are the real deal. Just watch some of the heavy discounted places. Also a lot of issues with cards are folks not using there cards correctly as well not formatting them and also a lot of card reader issues as well. I have helped a number of people on this and you do see some conflicts in the card reader area.

[FredBGG]

Cameras generally are not the cause of the problem.
The problem is once they are removed.
Some cameras do not automatically shut down when the CF slot door is opened.
On some cameras this is not an issue, on some it is.

The bigger side of the problem is on the read side.
Card readers can go bad, there can be static or a bad pin.

Regardless of the problem being on the card reader side redundancy that originates from the camera
it a good safety measure if possible. The Pentax 645D has two slots.

[BernardLanguillier]

The last of dual slots on the backs has been puzzling me for years. For me it is one of the key reasons why they don't seem suitable for critical landscape work that typically is about once in a lifetime opportunities.

I had 2 memory cards go back on me over the years and the redundancy in the cameras I was using pretty much saved my day.

Cheers,
Bernard