P2 Card / P2 store availability in UK [Archive] - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

booth

03-30-2006, 09:16 AM

I'm having real trouble trying to get any P2 cards or P2 store in the UK. I'm now on the third supplier who has let me down after saying they could supply them. I spoke to Panasonic UK and they say they have plenty of the cards both 4 and 8gb but the dealers aren't requesting additional stock.

So please, for the love of all things good in the world, if you know of a dealer with any stock please post here as it really is a poor state of affairs that you can buy a DVCProHD camera and not have the media to record it on. It's kind of like buying a car without wheels. And it will help people like myself who are struggling to find stock anywhere. I'm sure there must be stock somewhere on this island.

I'm personally looking for 2x8gb P2 cards and a P2 store.

revolver

03-30-2006, 10:48 AM

Hi Booth

I called Creative Video today and they have the 4gb P2 in stock now - no 8Gb as yet tho.

booth

03-30-2006, 12:10 PM

Thanks, I really need the 8gb cards for my work as I need about 30 mins of DVCPro50 recording in a single go without having to take the cards out (for some situations where I can't use the P2 store). I was going to go for the 4gb then thought 'why compromise because I'm being forced to'. So I'm sticking to my guns and holding out for 8gb cards.

Getting really frustrated though, the 4gb cards are starting to seem really attractive :(

steadicamsteel

03-30-2006, 12:33 PM

Hey Booth,

I thought exactly the same but thought.....wait a minute it's only a matter of time before 4Gb cards will be cheap as chips as will the P2 Store. So I've gone down this route in the hope that a year from now I'll maybe have 3 P2 stores and a rake of 4Gb cards.

Don't hold your breath for the 8Gb cards anytime soon.........

Good Luck whatever avenue you decide to take the leap of faith along.

Rich

booth

03-30-2006, 12:44 PM

Rich, what route did you go down? I remember reading what you got but forgot.

And according to Panasonic they have 8gb cards ready to send to the dealers, but no one is ordering. And Visual Impact have some 8gb cards down in London, but you have to pay by cheque (and wait for it to clear) unless you've bought the camera with them (yep that's what I was told by Paul on the sales team in London).

Sounds like there's a communication problem because 1 of the dealers I spoke to today said that they have an order in for 8gb cards. Another dealer said they hadn't bothered following up because everyone wants 4gb because the 8gb are too expensive.

I really feel like I'm talking to people who are in the wrong jobs when I call these places. No one seems to care that my business may be taken elsewhere. When I was a student filmmaker and couldn't afford stuff, I used to think It'd be easier with a bit of cash so I didn't have to beg and borrow, when infact it's exactly the same when you have the cash!

ROne

03-30-2006, 12:53 PM

Booth I feel your frustration I was given completely mixed signals by lots of dealers when I contacted them, some claiming they had them in stock, then changing their minds, then saying they could get them.. etc etc.

I got the only one from Hpreston, and mit-corp said they would have got me an 8gb by tomorrow if I'd ordered on tuesday.. Creative video said they had two 4gb in stock.

It's almost as if the dealer are too scared to stock the cards, but how stupid when the've just sold everyone £4000 worth of shell.

It's nuts.

CKE don't have any either...

And, I completely agree with your predicament, as a consumer I feel failed by the dealers who don't seem to supporting what is a brilliant product.

Rocketeer

03-30-2006, 01:04 PM

Maybe there reluctance is to do with the much rumored 16gb announcement? (emphasis on the rumored)

booth

03-30-2006, 01:10 PM

It's like Visual Impact, on Tuesday they said they had some 4 and 8gb cards down in London. They told us to call them Wednesday and to put in an order. We did just that, and they told us to call London to pay for them and they would stick them on a lorry to end up at VI Bolton and we could pick up Thursday (today). We called them up in London to be told they didn't have any!

Then today we rang up and they did have them all along. But the guy wouldn't send any to the Bolton branch unless we paid by cheque! Yet the Bolton branch were quite happy to let us pay by card over the phone.

Ridiculous! CKE say they haven't chased up their order because they 'heard' there isn't any. I told them Panasonic had told us they had plenty and they said they'd get onto them straight away (why not do this LAST WEEK).

So yes frustrations all round.

Steve Shovlar

03-31-2006, 04:45 AM

OK I maanged to get my hands on a 4GIG P2 card today. I will pick it up this afternoon from Creative. They said that no 8 gig cards are available anywhere in the UK at present. Also no P2 stores.

So, I have decided to have a go at one of these.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2-5-in-USB-2-0-On-The-Go-External-Enclosure_W0QQitemZ8777387047QQcategoryZ3757QQssPa geNameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pretty cheap. Get a 2.5 inch 60 gig hard drive and it should work just like a P2 store, I hope. Can anyone see any problems I might have with it?

booth

03-31-2006, 05:23 AM

Hi Steve.

They are talking rubbish. I know for a fact that Visual Impact in London have some 8gb cards to sell (but the London branch have been very difficult to deal with for me, despite our DP having a good relationship with them). Panasonic also say that they are out there, and apparently yesterday Panasonic distributed all their stock to the retailers.

So there must be stock somewhere. I think probably a lot of it will have gone to broadcasters and hire companies (which Visual Impact are, but they also sell too).

I had a fleeting thought about selling the HVX last night and purchasing another one when cards are more readily available. Don't want to but it doesn't seem such a worthwhile investment now, I can only do what I could do with my trusty old DVX.

booth

03-31-2006, 07:57 AM

Get in there! I called H Preston and guess what? Two 8gb cards are being delivered to me tomorrow. Result!!!!!!

Milezee

03-31-2006, 08:10 AM

Well there you go. After a week of calling every dealer in the uk. :)

Mind if I ask what you're paying for them?

booth

03-31-2006, 10:38 AM

£930 each + VAT. I know, it's expensive but they will make their money back.

steadicamsteel

03-31-2006, 10:47 AM

booth

03-31-2006, 01:42 PM

I've had contact with several dealers who've said that Panasonic aren't distributing 8gb cards and P2 stores in the UK yet. One dealer even said that the P2 store had gone the way of the Firestore. I politely explained that unlike the Firestore they are in distribution in the US, and infact people have purchased them in the UK.

They also told me 'good luck with finding the bigger cards' and laughed (meaning the 8gb). Well I feel like phoning that person back up and telling them I've got two :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)

Steve Shovlar

03-31-2006, 03:40 PM

I picked up a 4 gig card today from Creative in Studley. Bloody expensive at $449 + VAT ( £527)

Sounds like the 8 gig was a fair deal at £930 +VAT (£1092.75)

Interestingly I spoke to the main man at Creative who swore blind there were no 8 gig cards available in the UK, or P2 stores for that matter. He said the 4 gig cards are out the door as fast as he can get them. I pointed out to him that 8 gig cards are about but he was having none of it. Perhaps he should phoe around himself and find out what he is missing!

I might get another 4 gig next week and that should tie me over if I get some type of "on the go" enclosure up and running.

booth

03-31-2006, 03:42 PM

For 8gb cards tell him to phone either H Preston or Visual Impact London. And apparently Mitcorp have some too. Mine should be on a lorry somewhere now ready for delivery tomorrow.

And yes £930 + VAT is a good price. Usually about £100 more I think. I think you may have got your 4gb card a bit cheaper at H Preston. They had some in for £430 + vat. I know you don't want to hear that now you've bought one but if you're buying another it'll save you a few quid.

Steve Shovlar

03-31-2006, 03:49 PM

Thanks Booth but when I phoned them yesterday they were out of stock :(
As I got my camera from them I could try and get a bit extra discount on an 8 gig card perhaps.

It is possible to use a 4 gig in one slot and an 8 gig in the other?

booth

03-31-2006, 03:54 PM

I guess so, but they had 4gb cards in today I think because he asked if I definitely wanted 8gb as they also stocked 4gb. Whether he said that without checking I don't know, but I think they had a delivery today because I was told by another dealer yesterday that Panasonic had sent out a load of stock to the dealers and they were awaiting the delivery. And lo and behold H Preston suddenly get P2 cards the next day.

H Preston didn't have any 8gb a couple of days ago.

Ask to be put through to John in sales, he's a really nice bloke and seems to know his stuff.

steadicamsteel

04-01-2006, 04:49 AM

I think Panasonic should take hold of this situation and stop rumours about what is and whats not available in the UK. I can tell you for a fact that P2 Stores are available as I have one. I can tell you for a fact that 8Gb cards are available because I was offered them but decided the 4Gb route instead.

Below is a link to prove that P2 Stores are availble here in the UK.

[img=http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/7216/1650peli28lt.th.jpg] (http://img90.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1650peli28lt.jpg)

booth

04-01-2006, 07:50 AM

I got my two 8gb cards this morning, so I can say that they are DEFINITELY in circulation in the UK because they are right in front of me as a type.

Steve Shovlar

04-01-2006, 09:56 AM

I used my 4 gig card for the first time this morning and filled it so quickly it was a joke. Can't see 8 gig cards being too much better without an offloader to dump to.

Need 32 gig cards. NOW!

booth

04-01-2006, 10:31 AM

I don't know, I was testing the cards to see how they worked and one 8gb card - recording mostly 720pn, a bit of DVCPro50 and a bit of 1080i went quite a long way I thought. But I was being really selective about what I shot, so I don't know. Offloading to a laptop with PCMCIA is really easy once you've got the relevent drivers installed. I'm just offloading a full 8gb card to an external drive now. I'd say it's taken about 5 minutes and there still quarter left to copy.

Going to try and bring some of the streams into Avid, though I already know that the 720 clips won't work.

Steve Shovlar

04-01-2006, 12:46 PM

Loading the cards into FCP is an absolute doddle.

steadicamsteel

04-21-2006, 06:04 AM

I used my 4 gig card for the first time this morning and filled it so quickly it was a joke. Can't see 8 gig cards being too much better without an offloader to dump to.

Need 32 gig cards. NOW!

I think your missing the point on how you should be using the cards. If your not from a film background then it's difficult to appreciate the value of the space available on the cards. If your a run and gun type of guy then you've invested in the wrong product.

I personally think this whole 4Gb deal is going to help improve standards of what is and what is not acceptable in quality of a production/shot. No more running tape in the hope of capturing something interesting.

This whole P2 thing is a fantastic opportunity to discipline camera operators in all aspects of filming. I can only see that as a very positive step in this ubsurd industry.

Regards

Rich

www.steadicams.com