Sony HDR-CX240

[JFTS]

Hello. I am a hobbyist cinematographer for many years shooting mainly events and small projects. I generally use a Panasonic AG-HVX201 camcorder which I'm very happy with.

I wanted to also get a cheap backup camera (actually, the cheapest/good camera I could find) to use just in case and settled to the Sony HDR-CX240. My only concern is what happens when the video recording exceeds the 4 GB limit on FAT32 memory cards. Does it automatically split the files or does it stop recording? I read that some cameras have this feature and some not. The format is AVCHD of course and I think the container is .mts .

Is anyone able to provide me with more information?

[smrpix]

what happens when the video recording exceeds the 4 GB limit on FAT32 memory cards. Does it automatically split the files...

It actually splits them at ~2.075 GB, but it works the way you want. Be sure to transfer either directly from the camera or copy the entire card structure to a pro-level NLE to join the spanned clips on import.

[JFTS]

So that means I can set it to record for over an hour and then join the clips inside the editing program, right?

I have been working only with DV tapes for event recordings so I didn't know how these cameras handle the files.

[smrpix]

So that means I can set it to record for over an hour and then join the clips inside the editing program, right?

I have been working only with DV tapes for event recordings so I didn't know how these cameras handle the files.

Yes. If you do it properly (transfer directly from the camera's usb port, or import the entire card folder structure into i.e. Avid, Premiere or Vegas) the clips will be "automatically" joined with no sync issues, etc.

If you import only the mts clips, you can butt them end to end in your NLE, but there is the possibility of skipped or duplicated frames or sync errors. But remember, this is a consumer camcorder, so as long as you don't try to outsmart it, it will do what you want.

[JFTS]

Thanks for your answer! Now I can order it without worries.