Canon Vixia HF-R800 "Cannot Record"

[ZenGeekDad]

My Canon Vixia HF-R800 is unable to record to a new top-brand micro-SD card (64 GB).

(This is just to provide a record of it.  I doubt anyone has a fix.  But, feel free to prove me wrong!)

Details:

Camcorder = Canon Vixia HF-R800.  Relatively new (<1 yr old) / very light use / never abused (I'm a middle-aged video hobbiest and am very fussy with my gear; this is a spare camera for me; used for maybe 6 shoots).

Camcorder has recorded trouble-free to prior SD cards -- e.g., to a PNY 32 GB Class 10 / UHS-1 / V90 / "95MB/s R/W".

The currently-failing SD card is a Sandisk Ultra, 64 GB micro SD XC-I (class 10 / UHS 1).  This SD card works flawlessly in ever other camera I use it in (Canon XC15, Nikon D7200, Panasonix TM700, GoPro Hero5), and works fine with my PC.

I initialized this failing SD card in the Canon HF-R800.  (Home icon on touch screen > Other Settings [screwdriver & hammer] > wrench tab at far right > Initialize (4th up from bottom) > Initialize (button at bottom of screen) > Complete Initialization (bottom button of scrren again).  This did not help.

I also tried wiping the card in my PC, by doing a standard format (as opposed to a Quick Format), then trying as is, and when that failed to allow the Canon Vixia to record to it, then repeating the Complete Initialization in the Canon HF-R800.  Again, no luck.

I've repeated the in-Canon HF-R800 Complete Initialization a couple-few times, just to give it every chance to work.  No luck.

I've confirmed the Canon HF-R800 currently records just fine to another 64 GB micro SD card (in this case, a Samsung Closs 10 / UHS-1 claiming 48 MB/s R/W).

Note: Canon's 1st-level monitors / staff here might try to claim this problem is due to using a poor SD card.  But that doesn't wash.  Sandisk is about as reliable a brand as they come.  And that Sandisk SD card is working just fine in every other camera and device I own.

I'm not trying to gain anything here.  Just sharing my experience.  That way, if a lot of this sort of experience gets posted, we can start to sort out the patterns, and make more informed buying decisions.

[BurnUnit]

Are you recording in AVCHD or MP4 mode? Have you changed any settings, maybe accidentally, as far as recording to internal memory, SD card, or both? Have you changed any settings that control WiFi functions?

There's probably something in the manual that tells you how to reset the camera back to its default functions, if you haven't done so already.

[gstrumberger]

I tried a new adapter for the micro SD card yesterday--didn't work. Then, put a full sized SDXC card in, did a test recording and everything opened up, etc. the way it should.

I actually did try a Reset to default settings but it retained the "record to SD" part! That was a WTF moment.

During the initial setup, selected to record to removable memory card. That was on purpose. Didn't think for a moment that I'd be stuck with that forever. I honestly thought "well, once the card's out, the thing ought to detect there's no card and automatically record to internal memory." Um. No.

I did read through the Advanced section of the PDF User Manual and saw nothing about switching back to internal memory. Will scour it some more.

I didn't mess with WiFi settings because I doubted I'd use it that way--so just left the defaults.

And, although I don't remember selecting this option, the videos have been recording as MP4's. At least, that is what it shows on screen when I play back the files on the camera's screen. My test video also recorded MP4 but I had no problems opening and playing it on my computer--and it did kick Canon's transfer program in and I was able to transfer that file to my computer.

I really REALLY hate the idea that this footage is unusable. 

[BurnUnit]

Check page 31 of your manual. The camera itself can use SDXC cards, but it warns to make sure that your computer, operating system, and card reader are SDXC compatible. Are you using Windows or Mac? What OS?

Did you ever format the cards in your camcorder and set the clock and calendar? Hold off on formatting that micro SD card until you're absolutely sure that your files can't be recovered intact. Stick to shooting in MP4 format for now. It seems to be a more nearly universal file type compared to AVCHD.

[gstrumberger]

Thank you.

Yes, I did see all of that - I think the Guide that came with the camera had that info as well. I followed the initial setup verbatim in order to make sure recording came off properly. Which, I suppose, it did. Just the transference that's the issue.

I actually shot test footage before filming the concert. Played it back, while in the camera, to make sure everything recorded the way I wanted it to. However, didn't think to try transferring it to my computer. Who would have thought that would be a problem? I sure didn't.

My OS is Windows 10. I shot another video (using a different camcorder) using a micro-SD and transferred them without incident. Using the same card reader as I did for this. Another reason I wouldn't have thought this camera/card combo would give me problems.

Not happy. But, I guess, some lessons are learned the hard way.

[ZenGeekDad]

TLDR:  Try a Samsung adapter.

_______________________

The fact that your test with another card (the standard SD card) went cleanly (no problems) is interesting.

FWIW, I tested various adapters, micro-SD cards, and cameras.  Only the Vixia failed when using a micro-SD card in an adapter (the other cameras worked fine with every combination of card & adapter).  And among adapters, only one fixed the Vixia's fussiness: a Samsung adapter.  In fact, that one combination worked so reliably, that I've been using it since (trouble-free).

My point?  You said you tried changing adapters. Note that I tried maybe ten different adpaters -- many generic or store brands, but a couple SanDisk (a top brand) -- with no luck.  Only the Samsung adapter worked.  I have no idea if the brand is the magic, or if it's just that one particular adapter, or its manufacturing lot, or such.  But, if you haven't tried a Samsung adapater yet, do so.  You might get lucky.

[gstrumberger]

You know, I'd sure be willing to at least try it. The first adaptor is/was a Sandisk. The second, Transcend. Actually thought a moment about trying a Samsung instead but Transcend was better rated. But then, this is a different User situation altogether.

Which type of Samsung did you try? Other brands have Premium, Pro, etc. - don't know if that matters really but at this point, I'm inclined to be precise.

Thanks!

[gstrumberger · Accepted solution]

Yes-ssss!

I bought a Samsung microSD adaptor. At first disappointed because I still could not transfer files while the card was inside the camcorder. Still received the error message that files weren't detected.

Then, I thought I'd remove it and see what happened when I used it in my card reader (plugged into my computer). I was able to play the video WITH audio in my Media Player, copy the vid files from the microSD card into my hard drive, and then load it into my editor.

THANK YOU all so much for sharing all of your experiences with this problem! The video that was stored on this microSD card was extremely important on a few levels. Am so happy that, with your help, they weren't lost.

[BurnUnit]

Well played! Glad you stuck with it till you figured out a solution. As long as they played OK on the camera I figured there had to be a good, complete file somewhere on your card. Just a matter of figuring out how to get the files moved intact.

And you might want to scroll back a couple posts and give ZenGeekDad a kudo for his suggestions.

If you end up posting your video online somewhere, post a link to it here and let us see how you did.

[gstrumberger]

See below - it worked!

[ZenGeekDad]

Hey!  That's great news!

Thanks for sticking it out, in terms of working to a solution, and then posting your results.  This sort of methodical trouble-shooting + documentation can be a lifesaver for future readers, for at least a couple-few years (while the camera model remains in common use; hmm ... and/or any similarly-behaving future cameras).

Sorry I missed your question about "what kind of Samsing adapter" to try.  But for future readers of this thread, I've taken a strong magnifying glass to every angle of my Samsung adapters, and have never seen a model number or serial number or unique identifier of any kind.  So I don't know if their adapaters vary such as with the type of micro-SD card they came with, or are all the same, or perhaps only vary incidentally (from production run to run, or which factory they jobbed it out to).

It's hard to imagine why the different adpaters (Samsung vs. Sandisk/generic/Transcend/etc.) give different results.  I would think they all just provide conductive paths between the various leads of the micro-SD card and the leads on a standard SD port.  But then I'm not an electrical engineer.  And it's not just current being conveyed, but rather a dense information flow, in the form of extremely rapidly varying current.  Perhaps there are transient effects (like inductive power drain, from the rapidly changing current) which -- in an imperfectly designed adpater -- might throw a challenge to the overall system?  Just a guess; it's been decades since circuits class.