FS100 & the HVX200

[FlyFisher]

What do you do with the FS100 while you are shooting? Mount it on the top, where it on your belt, something else? Thanks.

J

[Ryan Capranica]

We use a "Jimmy Box"...it sucks, I really wish we would have gone with p2 cards over the FS100.

I have also seen something similar to the jimmy box that has a slide out tray, which looks a LOT nicer than the jimmy box. Maybe someone on here knows what im talking about.

[Charlie Anderson]

I bought a Jimmy box, never used it, was a waste of money. Rubber bands to tripod legs works a lot better than the jimmy box IMO

[Denada Chile]

Belt...FS100 is the best you can get if editing in FCP... hours of stuff

[rSh]

I'm selling my fs-100 now and going with P2 cards. The firestore while great storage wise is too klunky for me. Plus it's only a matter of time until large P2s make it obolete.

[vortex677]

obsolete is a strong word. I dont think p2 will ever out do firestores. I went to a convention sometime ago when they had them out for 60gigs or so I asked the representative. He told me that they would go even to a tb if they had to. You see firestore is a external hd which means they can add way more space then p2 cards will ever be. It's just a matter of work flow. If you go to run and gun shoots i would use a p2 when I do weddings i find it horrible that everytime i have to offload footage when I have a 3 hr or so shoot with moments that only occure once and can't be redone for that I would use the firestore and p2 will never sell me at that point. Now I am working on some productions and yes p2 would be good but I love the firestore mainly because I have allot of room before I have to tell all the actors hold on guys have to off load. Now if your a millionare which I am not you can by loads of p2 cards and your good to go. for me a firestore is practicle and worth every cent. I acualy postion mine ontop of my rods with velcrow and don't even know it's there with all my huge setup (matbox,letus extreem,etc...) its not a problem to put one more piece on it. Its all a matter of taste, but obsolete, No way.

[nsoltz]

I mount my FS-100 in a Geardear cage which I then mount either on the DVMultiRig for portable use or on rails on the Zacuto rail system when on tripod. As a so-called "industry expert" and writer, I always welcome the comments of other industry experts who declare functional products moribund and on their way to obsolescence. But then, be prepared for a rebuttal. The fact is, the FS-100 is now the lifesaver for FCP 6.0.2 users with its ability to record in QT format... at least until Apple fixes P2 import in FCP 6.0.2.

Ned Soltz

[RWM]

Clip and Belt - quick and easy!

[Stephen Mick]

I keep mine mounted on the accessory plate of my DVRig Pro.

And after the belt clip came apart and my FS-100 went tumbling down a stone spiral staircase, I won't ever hook it to that again. Thankfully, Focus makes a pretty robust piece of kit, because once I put it all back together, it still works perfectly.

-SM

[nsoltz]

Exactly why I use the Geardear cage and bolt it to the MultiRig....

Good testimonial for Focus. Reminds me of a friend dropped his betacam off an overpass. Landed 30 feet belowand just had a couple of nicks on the case. It all depends upon where and how the item lands!

But there are a number of ways of securing the device and I also find the cage is a great investment!

Ned Soltz

[SeanEmer]

I normally put the FS-100 on a belt clip either on my belt or on the right side of the camera. I prefer using P2 cards however. The FS-100 makes noise, and in a crampt film set, the audio guys can get pretty pissed pretty quick. P2 cards, however, are silent, lightweight, and completely functional in a film environment.

If you were shooting real film, you'd be changing your mags every ten minutes (or even less) anyway, so why be afraid of swapping P2 cards? All you need is two P2 cards. Record on one while you dump the other. It works great and you don't need to worry about the firestore losing data from vibration, bumps, etc.

That's another reason to find a nice sturdy mounting system for the firestore... moving the firewire cable or shocking/vibrating the unit itself can corrupt your files (it has happened to me, and its not fun to deal with), so make sure everything is locked down as tightly as possible. I don't have a rail system or mounting arm to get my firestore nice and cozy, which is one more reason I'm pro P2.

[Haydenrensch]

hi im have just acquired a fs-100 and cant seem to get my camera to read it does anyone have any help?

[drdimento]

We rented the FS100 and thought the whole process sucked! Another battery to deal with (like that isn't a problem in itself), another cord to deal with (just what we need - more cords), and poor tracking of what is going on with the thing (I actually had to ask the talent what was on the screen so I'd know what time is left), let alone when it's full, we're shut down for an hour plus (which really made EVERYONE happy.

With just went with three cards (three 8 Gb cards used are less than an FS100) and I can start recording and not stop. I LOVE IT! Now with the 16 Gb cards out and under $900 . . AND . . the long distance 32Gb cards hitting the market . . WoW! I can hear the flaming noise . . BUT THE PRICE ?? No hard drive to freeze up (ours did), no battery to deal with, and simple pimple 123 operation and programming . . let alone I know exactly what is going on with my drive.

If it were me, I'd dump the FS100 while the price is still strong and get a couple 16Gb cards or add a couple bucks and get three then you have unlimited recording time :o)

[Charlie Anderson]

I personally like the FS-100, but that's because I can't afford to switch to P2 right now heh

[Stephen Mick]

Honestly, there are things I like the Firestore for, and things I don't. I love it for interviews, because I can just let it roll without worrying about how much time I have left. I use the P2 cards when I want the camera to be mobile in any shooting environments.

--SM

[Timothy Harry]

I use the HVX for wedding and event as well as corporate video. I guess I am just sick, and have too much money to blow on storage, but I could not be happier with the camera/combo. Sure its a little grainy in low light, but its not something that cannot be worked around if you know your limitations. I use the firestore for events and for wedding ceremonies. I use P2 for everything else, they both have their strongpoints.

edit:
forgot to mention that it is mounted on the top of the camera in the focus dock thing. Does the trick for now. You could not pay me enough to mount the thing to my belt....