How long will a 32G SD card last on video?

Wolfden

Arachnopeon
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Does anyone know how long a 32G SD card will last on video in a Canon Rebel T3? I am hoping to get video of my T molting, of course I have to work, and I won't be home to change out the card if need be.
 

SDCPs

Arachnolord
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You could probably find out by shooting video at the desired quality setting for a minute or two then look at the size of the file! Simple math would give you a good estimate of how long you can leave the cam. Not sure how else to do it, wouldn't know off the top of my head.
 

Wolfden

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unfortunately my camera only seems to do video for about 30 minutes. It has a setting for 30 or 25 nothing higher than that. I can't figure out how to make any higher either. Its a Canon Rebel T3.
 

Eek

Arachnosquire
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I've found a couple of interesting quirks with my own video recorder. When in night-vision mode the data consumed recording is significantly less and can record one or two entire days without issue. But, when color enters the scene I am able to get maybe 12 hours of video.

One thing you can do to determine how much time your camera can handle is to record the video for 5 minutes and then look at how much data is consumed during that time. You can then do the math as follows: ((SD card size)/(Five minute data usage))*5 and you have (roughly) the amount of time (in minutes) you can record video. To be safe, I'd shave 15 minutes off from that to account for file headers and whatnot.

Cheers.
 

The Snark

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I am really hoping an expert weighs in here. I've been trying to determine this as well and am royally confused. Some of the things I have discovered that limit video duration.
1. Camera internal settings. Some cut off after the battery reaches a certain level. Only cheap cameras will run until the battery dies - and the video is lost. But not always.
2. Camera adjustable presets. Where you can tell it the duration. This may get over-ridden.
3. Pixels. High or low resolution can determine 1 and 2.
4. Metadata stored with the video. Black and white, gray scale, limited color spectrum, full true color.
5. Video format. Some cameras offer various options.
6. Camera addressing capabilities. Some cameras won't utilize more than a certain amount of memory regardless how much you have. (This one blitzed my brain: 1+1=7?)
7. Capture interval. Normally counted in frames per second. Usually goes hand in hand with DPI but can be two different issues.

I'm more confused now than when I started researching this.
 

The Snark

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My other tried to make a video this afternoon. Camera cut off after 3 1/2 minutes. She tried again. Cut off after 90 seconds. I got out the camera manual and double checked every setting and confirmed the batteries were charged. She tried a third time and it took the entire video of 17 minutes. I'm leaning towards gremlins.
 

Cirith Ungol

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Depending on the manufacturer there are cameras that can only record up to a certain point and then will automatically stop. I only know the exact times for Canon 7D and 7D mkII, which is 30 min of continuous recording - and there is nothing you can do to change that. A low end camera might have an auto cut off that is much shorter. If it's always the same maximum amount of time, then you can be sure it's that.
 

The Snark

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Upon reviewing the video my other made where the camera was cutting off, we noticed it had reset the quality setting to the lowest, 144 DPI, of it's own accord. That is a nasty little surprise which possibly explains why it was acting so weird. It seems possible cameras manufacturers can program little quirks like this in for an assortment of reasons.
 

Cirith Ungol

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Upon reviewing the video my other made where the camera was cutting off, we noticed it had reset the quality setting to the lowest, 144 DPI, of it's own accord. That is a nasty little surprise which possibly explains why it was acting so weird. It seems possible cameras manufacturers can program little quirks like this in for an assortment of reasons.
That can depend on how the settings are saved. I also have a compact camera that, in its previous version, insisted on resetting certain settings that I had made upon every restart. Other settings it totally left alone. It was very weird, but also there, always the same.
 

The Snark

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That can depend on how the settings are saved. I also have a compact camera that, in its previous version, insisted on resetting certain settings that I had made upon every restart. Other settings it totally left alone. It was very weird, but also there, always the same.
That just gave me a couple of revelations. Explains a lot. If you have a camera that has any automatic features it may over ride any settings you have made, and you will be none the wiser until, like us reviewing the video, surprise surprise. I'm sure that is exactly what it did.
And with these idiot proof cameras, what you see in the settings menu and what it is actually doing may be two different things.
 
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Wolfden

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Mar 12, 2016
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Thanks sad that my camera can only record for so long but oh well. Will just have to find another way to record my t molting.
 

Cirith Ungol

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Thanks sad that my camera can only record for so long but oh well. Will just have to find another way to record my t molting.
Got a timer function on your camera? Let it take a shot every 20 seconds, especially when it starts popping its back out. Then combine the shots into a video. Problem solved.
 

Wolfden

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Got a timer function on your camera? Let it take a shot every 20 seconds, especially when it starts popping its back out. Then combine the shots into a video. Problem solved.
Thank you it does have a timer on it. I will have to do that next time.
 

Cirith Ungol

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Thank you it does have a timer on it. I will have to do that next time.
Be sure to actually try it all out first, on something else, so you know exactly how to work it. Remember also to have a fully charged battery! If you can turn off the screen while doing this or not show any previews after every shot, you will prolong your staying power. Also make sure to empty your memory card, and to put one in that is large enough to store enough images. Oh, and before you actually start with your timed shots - do a few test shots to see if you have enough light and don't for any reason let the camera flash every time. After 20 pictures the battery will be drained!
 

The Snark

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Batteries!! Another little foop our camera threw our way. The dang thing knows the current availability of the battery installed. This is why our camera was automatically shutting off on it's own. 2200 mah and 2600 mah makes a significant difference to how it acts.
 
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