How much money will it cost to go tapless?

Richard J. Johnson

Richard J. Johnson

Joystick Member
I have the DVX100a with the LEX,editing with FCP on a G5 dual with 4 gigs of RAM and I will be purchasing the HVX or the HPX in september. And I was curious about how Much $ it is going to cost me after the camera cost when going to the tapless work flow? Should I go with a Firestore or the cards? Or Can I dump Uncompressed footage from the HPX to a decent laptop and skip the P2 or firestore all together? I have been MiniDV for so long, I really don't know too much about what I need and don't need. There seem to be a lot of options here. Right now the HPX is looking like the better of the two. any input would be helpful.
 
The amount of $ all depends on what you shoot. If you're doing event videography where you have to run for several hours at a time, you're looking at a pretty steep investment--possibly as much or more than the cost of the camera itself (unless you've got an assistant to dump your cards for you as you shoot). Same with documentaries where you're out in the field and have a long time before you're able to make it back to dump onto a laptop. If you're doing narrative or staged productions where you can shoot for a while and then everyone takes a breather while you dump footage, then you'll be okay with just a couple P2 cards.

Unless you're planning on tethering your camera to a computer via firewire (see all the threads regarding the issues with the HVX's firewire port) or composite/component inputs with outboard gear, you won't be able to record anything without a P2 card.

Your record times also depend on what you're recording: Is it DVCPro 50, DVCPro 100, or DVCPro HD? Is it 1080 or 720? Lots of variables there.

I'm in the process of buying an HVX right now for doing promotional video production and I'll be purchasing a 16GB card to go along with the 16GB card that is included in the camera. My shoots will all be pretty short between dump times, so I can do that. I'm planning to get more cards eventually, but I'm waiting until Fuji releases their P2 cards in hopes that the competition will drive the price down a little bit (supposed to happen in Sept/Oct from what I'm told).

So yeah, it all depends on what you're working with. Event videography or commercials? Short films or documentaries?
 
Thanks for the info. I only Shoot Narrative and Music Videos. So it seems I could just get 2 16gb cards or have it connected to laptop at all times(Negative). I am not really versed on DVCpro or what it means. All I know is that I want to shoot 720 24p and dump the footage in the field if I need to. Regardless it looks like I will be spending another 3 GRAND to get a smooth workflow. Damn. Going Tapless is not cheap. But it seems to be worth it.
 
DVCPro, DVCPro 25, DVCPro 50, DVCPro 100, and DVCPro HD are the different names for the two codecs used by the Panasonic cameras to compress the footage into the digital video file. For more info on those, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DV#DVCPRO.

If you're just looking at another 16GB card, it certainly shouldn't be $3k. One card is shipped with the camera (assuming you go with the HVX... I'm not sure if the new HPX will ship with one or not). You can get additional 16GB cards from BH for $850
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/489949-REG/Panasonic_AJ_P2C016RG_AJ_P2C016RG_16GB_P2_High.html

Then if you're using a PC laptop, make sure you've got one with a PCMCIA slot (most do). If you're using a Mac laptop, get a Duel Adapter for $120
http://www.duel-systemsadapters.com/shop.cfm?categoryid=2

That will allow you to dump your footage in the field. Make sure to download the Panasonic drivers and download software. AND BE CERTAIN TO WRITE PROTECT YOUR P2 CARDS BEFORE YOU PUT THEM IN THE COMPUTER!!!
 
That does not sound too bad then. I forgot you can get one card with the camera. I am about to make the jump I just did not want to spend a ton of money on cards and readers and computer upgrades. Thanks for the links! So it seems all I would "need" is one more P2 card, a decent laptop and a Large capacity external hard drive. you made my descison easier. Now... HVX or HPX hmmmmmm?
 
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haha! Good question indeed. Again, I would say you should think about what you're going to be doing. If you're only doing narrative and music videos, then you should be fine with either one. If you ever forsee yourself doing wedding or other event work (even for a friend) then you should consider the HVX because you still have the option of recording SD to tape for the longer events. That said, there are a LOT of changes in the HPX that sound pretty cool. I'm not as much up on those, so check out this thread and read the accompanying article for more info on that.
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=132592

Also, watch this video interview with Panasonic rep Jan Crittenden Livingston at the NAB2008 tradeshow. She talks specifically about the differences between the HVX and the HPX.
http://freshdv.dreamhosters.com/video/nab08/freshdv_nab08_panasonic_hpx170.mov
 
it costs me $50 per shoot. i picked up the hvx200a a few months back, which included 1 16gig p2 card. i do event work, so pretty much i'm recording the entire day. i rent a second 16gig p2 for $50/day, then set up my macbook pro with a dual adapter. after i finish a card, i start copying the files over from the p2 to an external drive. that takes like 30 seconds to get going. i go back and shoot for a bit, then come back and start doing a log and transfer in final cut to check my shots. when that looks good, i switch cards and do it all over again.

the dual adapter cost me $119 i think. and the p2 workflow is awesome. sooooooooo much better than tape. i still use my dvx100b for a backup cam, but its days are numbered. you're going to love it.
 
We know where your mind is, might want to get outside a bit. Put the cam down! =) I'm pretty sure people would be paying him, NOT to go topless. (A new way to raise money for your cam?)
 
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