p2 vs. dte (fs-100)

[sick boy]

are there any advantages to p2 over the fs-100 and vice versa regarding post? I know you need to capture the footage from p2s but I am not sure how much this slows down post, opposed to the fs-100 which records directly to quicktime (using FCP for editing). Also, I have heard you can do clip spanning with the p2 but I would think you could do this with the hvx if you record in p2 mode. Any other advantages the p2 has over the fs-100 besides capacity and convience?

Tim

[THoff]

The P2 card advantages are compactness, reliability under adverse conditions (vibration, G-forces/shock, environmental), no moving parts, no batteries, full metadata support with clip markers and annotation, ability to play back and manipulate clips via thumbnails in the camera.

There is no need to "capture" footage from either P2 cards or the FS-100, it's just a transfer, which should be much faster than real-time. Only FCP insists on re-wrapping all assets in a QuickTime wrapper -- with other NLEs you can even edit off the cards themselves, so can can start editing in just a few seconds.

[sick boy]

It seems like there is more steps to the p2 than the fs-100 in terms of post, that is dumping footage to a laptop or p2 store while shooting and then importing it with the final cut to quicktime. I am trying to justify my fs-100 purchase but right now I am in a position to exchange it for one 8gb and a 4gb p2 cards and wondering if it is a smart move.

My biggest worry is if I purchase the cards and try and sell them this summer for a possible cineporter, will their value decrease significantly becuase of the memory market and the new 16gb coming out?

[Shadow]

Interesting question because I still don't know if I go wiyh the FS-100 or P2 and laptop and yes there will be a decrease value for sure, the 32 gb for the end of the year should be less than 1K.

[David Saraceno]

Do we have any confirmation FROM PANASONIC that 32 GB p2 cards will both BE AVAILABLE and cost UNDER $1K?

[Barry_Green]

Not as an official announcement to the public, no. But Studio Monthly posted a video of Russ Walker, Panasonic's director of business development, telling a group that yes, 32GBs will be here in December at "about $1000".
http://www.studiodaily.com/main/technique/casestudies/7736.html

[mjjason]

Would panasonic discontinue the 4 and 8GB cards once the 32 is released? Probably not the 8 but surely the 4GB card. An 8GB at $250 or less would be really good for independant film makers.

[sick boy]

Well, it dont matter now since they dont have any p2 cards in stock, so I will end up waiting for the fs-100 to come in stock next week. The value of the fs-100 will not change much with the p2 cards coming out in the next couple months, so I will probably stick with it (and maybe sell it and switch to the p2 32 or cineporter later this year). Sucks though cause I will end up shooting this weekend with tapes, defeating the whole point of getting the hvx, bla.

Having the 32gb will be the best option when it comes out though, for the portability will overcome the dte hd based system because the capacity issue will be long gone.

[sick boy]

indie makers will be watching ebay around that time, cause people will have 8gb laying around and throw them up for a quick buck. I will probably switch to p2 when 32 comes out since I want 2 cards, so I will go for 2 16gb, so I can swap them, and still have about 40min footage per card. I am sure 16gb will come down when 32 comes out, keeping the price decent.

[THoff]

Well, it dont matter now since they dont have any p2 cards in stock[...]Who is "they"? What sources have you tried? You could always rent a couple of P2 cards for the weekend instead of compromising and shooting DV25.

[sick boy]

Studio Exchange, it is not my shoot and the director does not mind since he has been using dv for a while. I had to send my fs-100 back to SE cause a problem with it and they were out of stock for a new one, so now I have to wait. I thoght a viable option was to exchange it for some p2 cards, but they are out of stock on them too. They expect everything in stock by next week, typical. This is just a small side project I agreed to do, so it is no biggy. When I shoot my projects though, I will shoot it all the right way.

Thanks for the advice!