# 5D III Playback Card keeps changing



## bwud (Nov 29, 2014)

I like my playback card to be CF (primarily because I use it to copy to my computer, but also for speed when I occasionally record video). I've noticed that, quite often, the camera reverts to SD, which although being the secondary slot, and slower, is maybe the default in firmware.

I haven't pinned down what causes it to change from CF to SD. It may either be pulling the battery out for a long charge (merely removing it for a few seconds cause it), pulling the CF out long enough to copy to computer (merely pulling it out for a few seconds doesn't cause it), or a combination of the two.

Has anyone else noticed this, and is there a way to lock it into slot 1 (CF) being the playback slot?


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## Jester74 (Nov 29, 2014)

If you close the door of the card slots, the MkIII automatically switches to the SD, if you previously removed the CF-card. So you can grab your camera anytime and shoot without using any menus and loosing something important...
Your camera tries to help you with this hmmm.. kindness...


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## neuroanatomist (Nov 29, 2014)

Jester74 said:


> If you close the door of the card slots, the MkIII automatically switches to the SD, if you previously removed the CF-card. So you can grab your camera anytime and shoot without using any menus and loosing something important...
> Your camera tries to help you with this hmmm.. kindness...



Yep. Close the card door with only one card inserted, that card is used for record/playback even after you insert a second card. You can either always remember to set it back, or what I do is have extra cards and just remove the current one then insert an old one before closing the card door.


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## Jester74 (Nov 29, 2014)

So this is a feature, not a bug...

I wonder what a Sony wonder-MILC with its 100-stop DR and billion-pixel EVF would do in this situation where this poor Canon excels? :


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## bwud (Nov 29, 2014)

Awesome, thanks folks! Knowing what causes is makes for an easily remembered workaround (such as Neuroanatomist's).


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## davidcl0nel (Nov 29, 2014)

Magic Lantern helps here as well. You can set it to use always CF.


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## swampler (Nov 29, 2014)

I just don't close the card door until the images finish copying and the card has been reinserted. Or, if the battery has been removed for charging, then you can choose the for without it changing.


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## cpsico (Nov 30, 2014)

That would be hugely annoying! I would call it a bug!


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## East Wind Photography (Nov 30, 2014)

This is a bug which I reported to Canon shortly after the 5d3 was released. However they only fixed it on the 1dx via a firmware upgrade. Still waiting for them to fix it on the 5d3. However with the prospect of a 5d4 around the corner I doubt we will see any new firmware updates for it.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 30, 2014)

Yes, its Canon's standard thinking for dual slot cameras, and the 7D Mark II works the same way. 

It took a couple of times with this happening, and then I learned.


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## neuroanatomist (Nov 30, 2014)

East Wind Photography said:


> This is a bug which I reported to Canon shortly after the 5d3 was released. However they only fixed it on the 1dx via a firmware upgrade.



Can you clarify the nature of the 'bug' to which you're referring, that was 'fixed' via firmware for the 1D X? 

My 1D X has the current firmware; card 1 is set for playback, but if I remove card 1 and close the door, it switches to card 2 for playback and stays there even after I reinsert card 1. So I believe what the OP describes is the expected behavior.


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## 3kramd5 (Nov 30, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> East Wind Photography said:
> 
> 
> > This is a bug which I reported to Canon shortly after the 5d3 was released. However they only fixed it on the 1dx via a firmware upgrade.
> ...



I'd call it an annoyance, not a bug. It also seems like a solution in search of a problem. Pick it once. If the selected card isn't there, then play from the one that is.

Out of curiosity, does the 1Dx write video to both cards when set to write a copy to the secondary slot? The 5d3 only appears to write video to the playback card.


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## East Wind Photography (Nov 30, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> East Wind Photography said:
> 
> 
> > This is a bug which I reported to Canon shortly after the 5d3 was released. However they only fixed it on the 1dx via a firmware upgrade.
> ...



1.0.6 fixed the card switch issue. So are you saying this issue crept back into the v2 firmware?


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## neuroanatomist (Nov 30, 2014)

East Wind Photography said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > East Wind Photography said:
> ...



Thanks!!

Firmware v.1.0.6 included the following:

[quote author=Canon]
Fixes the following phenomenon: if two CF cards are inserted into the camera and the ‘Standard’ or ‘Auto switch card’ setting is selected for the recording method for [Record func+card/folder sel.], and then one of the CF cards is removed and then reinserted into the card slot, the card selected for recording and playing back images may be switched to the other CF Card.
[/quote]

I do remember that fix, but that's not the behavior either the OP or I appear to be experiencing. The OP specifically mentioned 'merely pulling it out for a few seconds doesn't cause it', but the FW fix suggests that can cause the problem. More importantly, in my case (and I suspect the OP's), the camera is not set to 'standard' or 'auto-switch' as mentioned in the FW update, but rather 'record to multiple' - I write my RAW files to both cards. In that case, you have the option to select the card used for playback. It's worth noting that movies are recorded to the card selected for playback (although personally I don't shoot movies). When I close the door with only one slot occupied, then turn on the camera, I get a warning that recording to multiple cards is not possible, and the playback card is set to the occupied slot (in my case I always have it set to slot 1, if I remove that card it switches playback to slot 2). When I reinsert a card into slot 1, playback remains set to slot 2.


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## bwud (Nov 30, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> More importantly, in my case (and I suspect the OP's), the camera is not set to 'standard' or 'auto-switch' as mentioned in the FW update, but rather 'record to multiple' - I write my RAW files to both cards. In that case, you have the option to select the card used for playback. It's worth noting that movies are recorded to the card selected for playback (although personally I don't shoot movies). When I close the door with only one slot occupied, then turn on the camera, I get a warning that recording to multiple cards is not possible, and the playback card is set to the occupied slot (in my case I always have it set to slot 1, if I remove that card it switches playback to slot 2). When I reinsert a card into slot 1, playback remains set to slot 2.



That is it precisely. And evidently it's a "feature." 

I write RAW to both, and since I have a propensity to break SD cards, I always use CF in my card reader. I didn't know about this feature (should have RTFM, I suppose), and I always close the card door, so it was always switching back to SD. I only ever notice it on the rare occasion I record a short video of my son and it doesn't make it to my computer. 

At least now I know a few workarounds: don't close the card door with the CF out, or change it in the menu every time, or pop out the SD temporarily to have it switch back.

Thanks again for the info guys.


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