Shooting on 1TB Mini Mag vs 2 512GB Mini Mags

[Randy Panado]

I'm all for not keeping your eggs in one basket though as media got cheaper and more reliable, I've bought larger and larger cards for DSLR / Canon Cinema cameras. I did have the canon cinema cameras in dual record mode so I always had a backup but I stopped using so many 8GB / 16GB cards from when I first started to using a couple 64GB cards. Less to lose physically as well!

Now moving onto the RED platform, I was contemplating starting off with a 1TB card along with the 120GB card the S-W comes with. Is there any other reason other than spreading data across several cards to buy 2 512GB vs 1 1TB? Eventually I'll buy another card or two though I figure the 120GB is enough to use while the 1TB is being dumped. I asked a while ago about data reliability with the mini mags and everyone has resoundingly said that its been bullet proof for them.

Cheers

 

[jordan levy]

i would get two 512's rather then 1tb, for me id rather dump footage sooner then later. rotate the 512s and have the 120 as a back up.

 

[Ketch Rossi]

Two reasons to go the 1TB route,

First been out of necessity, meaning you have very long shots, high frame rates, low compression, high resolution, and or shooting R3D & Prores 4k, and need the 1TB to cover the workflow of such needs...

Second the saving it brings in buying the 1TB vs the 512GB...

However I would not just have 1 single card... Just absolutely not enough... At a very minimum you must always have 2!

But if you can afford to have 2x1TB then by all means go for it, and save few k's... Having the 1TB SSD's does not means you must fill it up before downloading... But you have it if needed, and of course there is the 8k coming, so the 1TB will have a much needed platform there...

 

[Matthew Quinn]

I've gone through a whole day shoot on a 512. GB card on a dragon 6k. I think you will be safe for a while with the 512+ the 120gb cards for the scarlet-w 5k

 

[jordan levy]

Two reasons to go the 1TB route,

First been out of necessity, meaning you have very long shots, high frame rates, low compression, high resolution, and or shooting R3D & Prores 4k, and need the 1TB to cover the workflow of such needs...

Second the saving it brings in buying the 1TB vs the 512GB...

However I would not just have 1 single card... Just absolutely not enough... At a very minimum you must always have 2!

But if you can afford to have 2x1TB then by all means go for it, and save few k's... Having the 1TB SSD's does not means you must fill it up before downloading... But you have it if needed, and of course there is the 8k coming, so the 1TB will have a much needed platform there...

the question was should he have ONE 1tb or TWO 512s…
and your answer was TWO 1TBs, so doesnt really answer the question.
i think you got your answer when ketch also said you must always have 2 cards.

 

[sam windell]

Unless you plan on recording 8K soon, the 512GB SSD's will do just fine. That's the route I'm taking at Weapon MG 6K

 

[Josh Becker]

I bought two 512GBs. 1TB is a lot of footage on one card plus it means it will take twice as long to unload. So with two 512's, you basically have no downtime while unloading a card. With one 1TB, you've got guaranteed down time if you have to unload.

 

[Brian F Kobylarz]

As a general work practice, when I can, I start each shooting day with a smaller capacity mag, then move to a higher capacity as soon as the first appropriate break comes into play.

This gets the first mag into the hands of whoever is wrangling the data as soon as possible. No sense having them sit waiting for longer than possible.
With the first mag downloaded, the first shots can be reviewed by the client, graded and checked by the right people, additional backups started - and most important, any issues identified earlier rather than later.
All of this before you are deep into the larger capacity mag.

 

[Josh Becker]

As a general work practice, when I can, I start each shooting day with a smaller capacity mag, then move to a higher capacity as soon as the first appropriate break comes into play.

This gets the first mag into the hands of whoever is wrangling the data as soon as possible. No sense having them sit waiting for longer than possible.
With the first mag downloaded, the first shots can be reviewed by the client, graded and checked by the right people, additional backups started - and most important, any issues identified earlier rather than later.
All of this before you are deep into the larger capacity mag.

That's a good idea. Maybe I'll get more use out of the 120GB from the Scarlet-W kit than I thought!

 

[Nick Fury]

Yep. That is the reason that I am keeping one 512 and getting the 1Tb 4 pack.

Also, notice that there are/will be subspecialty situations, wherein it is not possible/desireable to easily get to the camera (accessibility) to change the media out, especially if recording Pro Res and R3d, which make(s) the Tb capacity of some additional benefit.

Thank you very much

Fury

 

[Bobby Farokhzad]

For me, the issue is really very simple. Do you put your faith and trust in Red and their media or not. I never understood this fear so many people have of loosing media. I've been shooting Red for about 4 years now and except for one or two times that the battery died while a clip was being recorded (completely my fault), I never had an issue with my media. I've also been shooting on P2 cards for about 9 years now and never had an issue with them. Redmags are reliable and very much bullet proof. I haven't upgraded to the minimags yet but for me the 1 TB is a no brainer. It's faster, and you can record for a longer period of time. It is also less expensive than two 512 GB cards. It never really mattered to me if I was filming a very high end project or a very low end one, I always knew my media was safe and I never had this urge to go and back up as soon as possible. Now, if only Red could maintain this level of data integrity and allow us to delete clips.....

 

[Curran Giddens]

As a general work practice, when I can, I start each shooting day with a smaller capacity mag, then move to a higher capacity as soon as the first appropriate break comes into play.

This gets the first mag into the hands of whoever is wrangling the data as soon as possible. No sense having them sit waiting for longer than possible.
With the first mag downloaded, the first shots can be reviewed by the client, graded and checked by the right people, additional backups started - and most important, any issues identified earlier rather than later.
All of this before you are deep into the larger capacity mag.

Good idea! I'm going to buy a 120 or 240 to go with the 512 I already have.