u/Consistent_Policy682

Hey everyone,
I’m currently dealing with a massive headache regarding my Lumix S5II (running firmware v3.7) and a corrupted SD card from a recent wedding shoot. I'm trying to figure out if my camera's SD card reader is to blame.
The Setup (for context):
I was using two identical Lexar V60 cards and I started the day with dual-slot backup recording enabled (I always use both slots for weddings). However, both cards filled up halfway through the event. Since I ran out of storage and didn't have extra cards on hand at that moment, I had to format the second card to make room for the rest of the day, so the latter half of the footage was only being recorded to Slot 1. I’m mentioning this so you know I wasn't just being reckless by using only one card.
The Warning Signs (Over the last few months):
For a while now, Slot 1 on my S5II has occasionally been giving me a "This memory card is write-protected" error when inserting any SD card.
The physical lock switch on the cards was never engaged. If I simply popped the card out and pushed it back in a few times, the camera would eventually read it properly. It only happened on Slot 1, and it was completely intermittent (for example, I just tested it today and it accepted the card on the first try with no issues).
The Disaster:
During the dinner break, we tried to offload the files from the Slot 1 card to a PC using an Anker 5-in-1 dongle.
• The PC immediately asked to format the drive (I clicked NO, obviously).
• The card was readable, but the folders appeared empty. However, the PC showed the storage space as "full" (classic corrupted FAT/file system).
• I put it back into the S5II to check, and the camera gave me a "Memory card error. Format this card" prompt with Yes/No options (I clicked NO).
• Put it back into the Anker hub, and now the PC doesn't recognize the card at all. It's completely dead to the system.
Extra Technical Details:
• OS: The PC used for offloading was a Windows PC.
• Recording Settings: I was shooting a mix of 4K 10-bit 4:2:2 50fps and 6K 10-bit Open Gate 4:2:0 25fps.
• Formatting: The card was formatted in-camera prior to the shoot, not on a computer.
• Power: The camera did not die from a low battery, nor was the battery pulled while the camera was still writing to the card.
My Question:
I know data recovery is my next step, but I want to understand the root cause. Has anyone else experienced this fake, intermittent "write-protected" bug on the S5II?
Could the faulty mechanical sensor/pins inside Slot 1 have caused a short or a micro-interruption during writing, which eventually fried the SD card's file system? I want to know if this is a known Lumix defect before I send it in for repair or take the blame for bad media.
Any insight is hugely appreciated!