P2 work flow w/ a mac ?

[Vali]

Hey guys,
I'm new digital so please bear with me.
Just got my Hvx 200 (yea!)
I just wanted to get some opinions on where to go from here.

I've got a powerbook G-4 (15"), so I suppose a new mac is in my future
but, is Final cut pro the best option for a die-hard mac guy?

I'm sure this will change, but for now I'd like to just download my 720/24p stuff
directly from my camera.


I can load a Panaflex G in less than 10 seconds, but I'm totally green when it comes to editing and just need a couple pointers to get started.

Thanks a lot!
Vali Valus

[David S.]

Final Cut Pro is used by most HVX200 Mac owners from what I've seen.

That PB G4 has a Type II Cardbus slot that will accept and mount the p2 cards once you've installed the drivers.

No need to download from the cam.

[Richard J. Johnson]

If you have a Mac FCP is the best way to go. Plus it is very easy to use. It gets a little trickier once you really dig deep into it, but That is the way to go. Try to get Quad Core MacPro if you have the money. A dual will work but that Quad is a monster.

[David S.]

Don't you mean a quad core MacPro -- not G5?

G5 isn't sold any more

[Richard J. Johnson]

Don't you mean a quad core MacPro -- not G5?

G5 isn't sold any more

Yep. I don't know why I keep calling them G5's. My partners hate it.

[ndavisnd]

you can go directly from cam to mac, but if the mac has the slots, you can get a duel converter, and plug p2 into converter, and converter into mac, and download the 'panasonic six bullets' from google, and you will have no problem reading the cards.

[David S.]

. . . if the mac has the slots, you can get a duel converter, and plug p2 into converter, and converter into mac, and download the 'panasonic six bullets' from google, and you will have no problem reading the cards.

That's not possible with a MacPro.

[David Jimerson]

You should probably at least consider Adobe Creative Suite 3 for the Mac. It does allow you to edit the native MXF files without conversion, it preserves the meta data, and it handles all flavors of 24p with no extra steps or problems. Plus, you get After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., all tightly integrated.

Check it out. Demo each using P2 cards/material. That way, you'll have a good basis for comparison and making your choices.

[Shane Ross]

Raylight will allow you to read the MXF files without conversion too. IT creates small reference movies lickidy split, and the second frame shows all the metadata you need.

But, get whatever software you want. Avid, Premiere, FCP, Edius...all edit P2 files. Vegas does to, with Raylight.

[Vali]

Thanks for all the advice I'll get on it!
Just curious I don't see any slots on my 15" Powerbook, is it still possible to use the dual card reader or is my only option to use the camera till I buy a "Mac Monster" computer.
Thanks again guys ! Killer feedback.
Vali.

[ProfessorU]

I personally think the value for the CS 3 suite is awesome, if you're working on Mac. There seems to be a lot more support for FCP, but CS3 is easy to use.

[Shane Ross]

Look on the left side...next to the Headphone jack. That is the PCMCIA slot.