Attention Sony Memory Card users! Sony has recently issued a product advisory warning for nine of its SD memory cards that could cause you to experience data corruption! Trust me, having experienced data loss once on a shoot, (once is all it took), you really want to do everything in your power to be sure it never happens again, especially with a paying client! The good news is we’ve already detailed several best practices you can do when shooting, (and afterward), to ensure your files are stored correctly and backed up the best way possible.

According to Sony, the cards listed below are the ones that are at risk of damaging your files when recording video;

SF-M Series

  • SF-M64
  • SF-M128
  • SF-M256
    • (Applicable cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card front side.)

SF-M Series Tough Specification

  • SF-M64T
  • SF-M128T
  • SF-M256T

SF-G Series Tough Specification

  • SF-G32T
  • SF-G64T
  • SF-G128T

[Related Reading: The Ultimate Data Storage And Backup Strategy For Photographers]

The good news is that Sony has set up a replacement program through their support page here if you happen to own any of these cards. You can read the full details and advisory text below;

Replacement Program for Some SD Memory Cards

Thank you for your interest in Sony products.

Regarding SD memory cards of SF-M series, SF-M series TOUGH specification, and SF-G series TOUGH specification, recorded data on the card may be damaged or data may not be recorded correctly when shooting video on a camera* in video speed class mode.
* The camera compatible with video speed class V60/V90 etc. as recommended recording media.

We are offering free replacements for affected SD memory cards from June 11, 2020, through Mar. 31, 2022, subject to the limited warranty that accompanied the SD memory card. Please see below to determine if you have an affected SD memory card and call us at 239-768-7669 to arrange for your card replacement.

IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE AND FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Back up the data that you may have on the affected SD memory card to another device and before you return the affected SD memory card to Sony;
  • Delete and clear all SD memory card data before you return the affected SD memory card to Sony;
    You acknowledge and agree that Sony will not be responsible for any data remaining on the SD memory card returned to Sony;
  • You acknowledge and agree that Sony cannot transfer data from your affected SD memory card to the replacement card.
  • We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

As a result of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, some of our services may be impacted.

We will try to minimize this, but delays may occur. We seek your kind understanding during this challenging period.

Applicable SD Memory Cards

Sony Corrupted SD Cards

SF-M Series

  • SF-M64
  • SF-M128
  • SF-M256

Applicable cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card frontside.

SF-M Series TOUGH Specification

  • SF-M64T
  • SF-M128T
  • SF-M256T

SF-G Series

  • SF-G32T
  • SF-G64T
  • SF-G128T

[Related Reading: How to Recover Your Photos with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard]

How to check if your Memory Card is Affected

SF-M Series

Applicable cards can be identified by the presence of V60, R:277MB/s, and W:150MB/s on the card front side. To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower-left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.

SF M Affected

SF-M Series TOUGH Specification

To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark on the lower-left corner on the back of the card. If your card has NO star mark, your card is affected by this issue.

SF M Affected 1

SF-G Series TOUGH Specification

To check whether your card is affected, look for a star mark and an alphanumeric on the lower corner on the back of the card.

If your card has NO star mark and has an alphanumeric beginning with TV, your card is affected by this issue. (If your card has an alphanumeric beginning with TR, your card is not affected by this issue.)

SF GT Affected

[Related Reading: Stellar Photo Recovery Software Review – Some Peace Of Mind In A Stressful Situation]

Here’s hoping that none of our readers have experienced these problems, and if you do own any of these cards, clearly we recommend contacting the official Sony Support page to get the product replacements started as soon as possible! In the meantime, it’s always a good idea to always carry spare cards and ensure your data is backed up as quickly as possible. You can also try to use Data Recovery tools as we’ve recently covered, and reviewed in the past.

Let us know if you’ve used these cards and/or have experienced data loss as described above with any other brands of memory cards out there in the comments below.