How to Get Camera Card Offloading and Verification Right
Copying footage from camera cards to storage with checksum verification before cards are formatted and reused.
Tomas Lindqvist
At a glance
- Checksums MD5 and xxHash values confirm files copied correctly
- Resolve Clone DaVinci Resolve can clone cards with checksum verification
- Multiple copies productions usually keep at least two copies before formatting
- Logs offload reports record what was copied
Why it matters
Why it matters: Footage lost to failed copies cannot be recovered, and verification proves copies match the originals.
Best practice
- Verify every copy with checksums
- Keep two copies on separate drives
- Label cards and drives clearly
- Log offloads with reports
- Format cards only after verification
Common pitfalls
Watch out for:
- Drag-and-drop copies without verification
- Formatting cards too early
- Single copies on one drive
- Unlabeled media
When to call in a specialist
Bottom line Bring in help when productions shoot large volumes of footage.
Where this comes from
- Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual
- National Institute of Standards and Technology — Secure Hash Standard
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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