EOS R50 Video clips with file size of 0

[elijahrockers]

Hi, just testing out my new camera.

I just returned from playing pickleball with some friends. We played three games and I attempted to record all three games to a 64GB SD card (200MB/s). I stopped recording between each game. The camera created three associated files, but the files are practically empty except for the thumbnails.

The first one is 3 seconds long, at about 50MB (I'm recording at 4k, 29fps) and the other two are 0B filesize. But somehow the thumbnails are there...

Anyway, from some back of the envelope calculations, it looks like the SD card should have been able to fit all three games on there. One thing I did notice is that when I plugged the camera into my PC, the OS showed the card was about 50% full, even though it only had a couple GB worth of files on it (There were a couple other very small video clips of me basically just testing the record functionality for a minute or two). I copied everything the OS recognized over to my storage drive, and reformatted the card using the camera, so if there were some hidden data I wouldn't be able to recover it, and anyway the clips are not that important - I'm just testing the video record function out.

Couple other things, it was about 68 degrees F outside, but I placed the camera in the shade. And I was kinda keeping my eye on it the whole time to make sure nobody knocked over the tripod, etc.

Any ideas what happened with the these clips? This is the first time I tried to use it to record any extended length of video outside, and I'm a computer scientist but I can't really think of any reason it would've generated three empty files.

[Waddizzle]

What shooting mode are you using?  It is more likely cause is some setting that you were experimenting and learning that has been forgotten about.  For example, I believe the camera is able to capture a “video snapshot”, which is a feature that matches your description of your issue. 

Try setting the mode dial to Green[A+] mode and try to capture a test video.  If it works properly, then there is some perfect storm of camera settings causing the issue.  Set the camera shooting mode to P, and find the menu item that resets the camera.  Be sure to reset everything.

This screenshot is from a different camera.  You should have a similar menu in your camera.

[elijahrockers]

So, I was chatting with some other canon folks (on reddit) and it seems the consensus is it's probably the fact that I wasn't using the card reader. I was able to recreate the issue by just taking another 5 minute video, and it doesn't copy to or play from my PC, but the camera is actually able to playback the entire 5 minute video. So it seems to be an issue of actually getting the data over to my PC correctly (makes sense)

[stevet1]

elijahrockers,

What method have you been using to copy the videos from your camera to your computer?

If you have Windows, have you been using EOS Utility?

Steve Thomas

[elijahrockers]

I was just plugging the camera in via USB-C and drag/dropping the files over from the SD card. I do actually have the EOS Webcam Utility installed, but I am not sure if just plugging the camera in and using it basically as an SD card reader would activate it (I thought it was more of a video capture driver)

[stevet1 · Accepted solution]

elijahrockers,

EOS Webcam Utility is not the same thing as EOS Utility.

They are two different programs. The EOS Utility let's you download files from your camera to your computer and put them in a folder of your choosing (along with a few other things like remotely controlling your camera).

It handles the transfer process.

The Webcam Utility let's you use your camera as a webcam.

I don't understand how you could have enough data to generate a thumbnail, but still tell the file has 0 bytes.

That's over my head, I'm afraid.

Steve Thomas

[elijahrockers]

Eyyy! I did not know that, and just tested it out. It was able to transfer the video, thank you, thank you thank you!

Although it seems to be using the Wifi to do it which seems a bit inefficient compared to just plugging it in and transferring over a wired connection but, whatever works. Also it looks like it automatically organizes uploads by date which will be helpful.

I have a bit of background in operating systems, so this is just an educated guess, but the metadata and video data are probably two completely separate "blocks" on the cameras file system (which I just learned is "DCF" - Design rule for Camera File system). It sounds like some kind of miscommunication where the computer was able to read the metadata, but not the actual video data itself. The thumbnail is probably stored with the metadata, separately from the video data - and very likely generated by the camera automatically. (Come to think of it, I assume that's what is displayed when you are reviewing thumbnails on the camera itself)

[stevet1]

elijahrockers,

I use EOS Utlity in a wired mode all the time.

Just run the cable from the USB port on the camera to a USB port on your computer. I always open the program on the computer first. After it loads, I then turn on my camera. The connection is instantaneous.

To ensure that there is no problem with the cable, I use the IFC-600PCU cable from Canon.

Steve Thomas

[stevet1]

elijahrockers,

I just remembered that I have a micro USB-B port on my camera.

You may have a different USB port on your camera. Check your manual for the proper cable to use.

Steve Thomas

[prjctsphynx]

can you drop a link to the eos utility? the webcam utility is the only one i can find.