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.

[gstrumberger]

I cannot tell you how many problems I've rooted out, and been able to fix myself, through Forums such as this! This particular video footage was extremely important to me, and the band featured in the video, since we needed it in order to submit to a number of music festivals this spring/summer--and the deadline(s) were upon us. Absolutely no time to re-shoot.

Some folks have suggested that Samsung adapters either have better conduction or the material they're made of is thinner/thicker by a millimeter so that it behaves more like a full-sized SD card. It was also speculated that the other adapters bowed a bit when the microSD was inserted which caused a problem. Obviously, we can only guess but whatever the reason, the Samsung worked in this situation!

I also had a close look (bought this via Amazon) at the adapters that came with various Samsung microSD cards and, frankly, they all looked the same on the images. So felt pretty comfortable buying one that didn't cost an arm & a leg ($30 range).

I shied away from the EVO Select that Amazon sells as I got feedback that these were manufactured in China specifically for Amazon. Still Samsung labeled but not the same as (say) EVO Pro (which is what I purchased). Since I already had so many problems with adapters, I didn't care to roll the dice on a China-manufactured part for this test run. Do not know whether it mattered but frankly don't care at this time. What I bought worked and that saved a boatload of blood, sweat, and tears!

[wawite]

Hello, I have 2 Canon Vixia HF-R800 and had the same issue with both, I many kinds of cards and some would work and some did not at varios times. I was able to determine that if I formatted the cards with my Canon EOS Rebel T6 then all my card worked whatever the card, Samung, Sandisk, Cheap 256gig cards from china did not matter. 

So if you have a Canon EOS Rebel T6 or I would assume similar camera you should see the same results I got after formatting.

[ZenGeekDad]

Wawite, thanks for adding to the experience set here.

__________________________________

Hello, I have 2 Canon Vixia HF-R800 and had the same issue with both, I many kinds of cards and some would work and some did not at varios times. I was able to determine that if I formatted the cards with my Canon EOS Rebel T6 then all my card worked whatever the card, Samung, Sandisk, Cheap 256gig cards from china did not matter. 

So if you have a Canon EOS Rebel T6 or I would assume similar camera you should see the same results I got after formatting.

__________________________________

Just so readers are clear, are you saying:

• this about micro SD cards used via an adapter (in a Canon HF-R800)?
• Or are you saying this about standard (full sized) SD cards?

If the former, then it's interesting - but surprising - to learn that the adapter sensitivity can be overcome by what device formats the card.  (I did not see that effect in my testing, but FWIW I didn't have an EOS Rebel T6 to try.)

But if the latter, then it's less surprising, and more of a related but distinct pointer to the community: that is, of another issue to be aware of, and how to fix it.

Either way, thanks for the post, and please reply to clarify which of these two experience sets you are reporting.

[wawite]

I have the micro SD cards and that's what I formatted and as I said it didn't matter what adapter I used nor did it matter what version of micro SD card so long as it was reformatted in the Canon Rebel it would then work in the Canon HF-R800.

[wawite]

As a thought if you want to test it take your card to Best buy pop it in one of their display cameras and format it and then you could try it for free.