64GB P2 Card announcment

Not to play Devil's Advocate here, but I (and all the others who contract out to them with labor and gear) am Discovery HDTheater and BBC.

We producers and photographers (at least temporarily) shoulder the burden of having enough media to shoot on for our production company and network clients. And that means having enough media for a sustained day of shooting for each camera without offloading every few minutes.

I pass through each card in the kit as a rented asset, but the costs are there and someone is paying for all this memory and data. Up front, it's us and $50/GB does feel like a pinch. But the pain is only temporary. For those of us who are really in business, after 20 to 30 rentals, it is someone else who pays. What their tolerance horizon is for renting cards at more than $75 or $100 per day remains to be seen.

Oh, and hello to Andrew and his team! Talk about shooting the messenger! :)

e
 
Barry is a calming voice in all of this. The 16 gig cards are too what I want.. and if they were 450 bucks.. that might really be something still to this P2. A couple more and I'd be good.. but they are not....
 
Spec-Comm said:
The 64GB cards aren't for everyone and Panasonic would be the first to remind us of this. For example, the broadcasters want the smallest cards possible because they only shoot a few minutes of footage and they are done. The Documentary shooters need to go out on "Huba-huba island" somewhere and have nothing but some P2 cards and a toothbrush and that's it. People like that are the ones that may be interested in the 64GB cards. I appreciate the fact that Panasonic has kept the 16GB cards around for that very reason. It's the first time that we have had three cards in the P2 card line that are available all at the same time, catering to the different spectrums of the market.
Click to expand...

Another one who fit the the description but I can't afford the 64 GB card and at this price even if I had the $ I wouldn't.
Just not cost effective.
 
I'd like to chime in as someone who has a definite need for the 64GB (or even 32GB) cards. I shoot mainly long form and 16GB doesn't cut it.

Yet, I don't see anything outrageous or wrong in Panasonic's pricing. Like everyone else - perhaps more so than most - I would really like lower prices on the cards.

I bought 1 4GB card with the camera (at $150/GB), and recorded direct to the computer for a couple of years.

When I had a chance at a good deal on the 16GB cards, that crossed a threshold of utility which the 8GB cards didn't make... with 2 16GB cards I could shoot over 2 hours of SD uninterrupted. That looked useful for a good percentage of my work, and I bought 'em, at about $50/GB. It's made my life easier and my workflow better for a lot of things. A very worthwhile investment.

For HD, the 32GB cards don't quite get me where I need to be in order for them to be worth the investment. The 64GB cards are at the very edge of making the same revolution in my HD workflow as the 16GB cards were for my SD workflow. Yet, they're too expensive for now.

But... it doesn't matter! While everyone sits here and complains that Panasonic doesn't listen to the market and try to meet their needs, Panasonic has listened to the market and met their needs. My needs, anyway... they've just released a camera with the same optics and processing as the P2-based handheld cameras, that records to cheap SD cards. Just bought me some 16GB cards today for $2/GB ... and that GB stretches a lot farther than a P2 GB! The camera is not compromised, crippled, or deficient; in fact, in some ways it's superior to the P2 handhelds. Panasonic has done exactly what everyone's clamoring for; it's sitting right in front of me (the HMC150, in case anyone hasn't figured that out). Panny could easily have taken measures to try to keep the camera from competing with its P2 lineup, but did not*. It made THE EXACT SAME CAMERA available with one version recording DVCProHD to P2 and one recording AVCHD to SD cards.

So, c'mon! Enough whining over P2 prices. Some consider the benefits of P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them great options. Some don't consider P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them with a great option. I for one think Panasonic deserves to be lauded for this, and all you folks should realize HOW MUCH Pannyu has been responsive to our little minority of users here.

Seriously. We get great support; unprecedented direct interaction with high-level Panny executives, and a stream of products that demonstrate clearly that our needs are being listened to and addressed. There are very few situations where consumers have it this good. Take a moment to appreciate this!

-Barry


* Some may say that variable frame rates / time lapse are "crippling"; I don't think so. It seems to me more like an issue of the codecs, and perhaps timing. The VariCam pioneered a way to make DVCProHD work with variable frame rates; this trickled down to the P2 camcorders. There's no such source of easy "trickle down" development for the AVCCAM line; also, as a new codec, support is still limited, and likely throwing variable frame rates into the mix would add too much complexity. Anyway, the ol' HVX is still great for such effects, and for those, the card capacity is not such an issue. HVX and HMC - a great pair! Or, HPX170 with one 16GB card AND HMC150 with a few 16GB or 32GB cards covers you for pretty much all situations better and cheaper than an HPX170 with two 64GB cards!
 
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I personally don't have a huge problem with the pricing, the 64GB will certainly be cheaper than the four 16GB I purchased a while ago.

Also, from a commercial point of view, I am in business to make money - and that I'm doing with the HVX and the HPX, the quality has been noticed, clients pay more. One job covers the cost of the HPX and a 64GB, and the equipment is tax deductible.

Sure I wish the 64GB were cheaper, but price is not the factor - reliability, quality,capacity and speed are the most important elements of the system for me. And that is a price I see worth paying if my business is viable.

There are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there.
 
In 2009 we will be able to choose:

a) 1 64GB card
b) 1 Nikon D800 (like D700 but with 60p FullHD video, fullsize sensor)

I start dreaming about the Nikon....

For underwater videos I'd save about 20 pounds weight if I use a DSLR and I'd profit from potentially very good HD-videos. And for overwater, a DSLR permits to get camera tracking shots that you can't do by a videocamera: without the need of a crane, you just shoot some gigapixel-pictures and animate it with pan&zoom in post. And "zoom" means today, that NEW focal-length pictures will be produces - depending on what you shot before.

Check this out: "modern" pan&zoom

This can be used to create Full-HD, full sensored videoanimations instead of tracking shots with a crane.

Besides usual 60p 35mm Videos....

So what would I need my HVX for?

The Nikon will (as every DSLR) permit "modern" pan&zoom based on animated gigapixel-pictures, as zooming, the picture exposure CHANGES (as you can see here: HDR-HD-View and it's less weight, no need for 35mm adapter, bigger sensor

.... and priced like ONE 64GB card!!!

I had a nice time with my HVX, but I'm really looking forward to film with my Nikkor lenses and a D800 / D900. .... giant sensor.... hmmmmmmmm.... :)
 
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Well said and I pulled that trigger too. Not to mention getting a 3 year warranty with the camera... and that 5 year 170 warranty is incredible.....


ullanta said:
I'd like to chime in as someone who has a definite need for the 64GB (or even 32GB) cards. I shoot mainly long form and 16GB doesn't cut it.

Yet, I don't see anything outrageous or wrong in Panasonic's pricing. Like everyone else - perhaps more so than most - I would really like lower prices on the cards.

I bought 1 4GB card with the camera (at $150/GB), and recorded direct to the computer for a couple of years.

When I had a chance at a good deal on the 16GB cards, that crossed a threshold of utility which the 8GB cards didn't make... with 2 16GB cards I could shoot over 2 hours of SD uninterrupted. That looked useful for a good percentage of my work, and I bought 'em, at about $50/GB. It's made my life easier and my workflow better for a lot of things. A very worthwhile investment.

For HD, the 32GB cards don't quite get me where I need to be in order for them to be worth the investment. The 64GB cards are at the very edge of making the same revolution in my HD workflow as the 16GB cards were for my SD workflow. Yet, they're too expensive for now.

But... it doesn't matter! While everyone sits here and complains that Panasonic doesn't listen to the market and try to meet their needs, Panasonic has listened to the market and met their needs. My needs, anyway... they've just released a camera with the same optics and processing as the P2-based handheld cameras, that records to cheap SD cards. Just bought me some 16GB cards today for $2/GB ... and that GB stretches a lot farther than a P2 GB! The camera is not compromised, crippled, or deficient; in fact, in some ways it's superior to the P2 handhelds. Panasonic has done exactly what everyone's clamoring for; it's sitting right in front of me (the HMC150, in case anyone hasn't figured that out). Panny could easily have taken measures to try to keep the camera from competing with its P2 lineup, but did not*. It made THE EXACT SAME CAMERA available with one version recording DVCProHD to P2 and one recording AVCHD to SD cards.

So, c'mon! Enough whining over P2 prices. Some consider the benefits of P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them great options. Some don't consider P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them with a great option. I for one think Panasonic deserves to be lauded for this, and all you folks should realize HOW MUCH Pannyu has been responsive to our little minority of users here.

Seriously. We get great support; unprecedented direct interaction with high-level Panny executives, and a stream of products that demonstrate clearly that our needs are being listened to and addressed. There are very few situations where consumers have it this good. Take a moment to appreciate this!

-Barry


* Some may say that variable frame rates / time lapse are "crippling"; I don't think so. It seems to me more like an issue of the codecs, and perhaps timing. The VariCam pioneered a way to make DVCProHD work with variable frame rates; this trickled down to the P2 camcorders. There's no such source of easy "trickle down" development for the AVCCAM line; also, as a new codec, support is still limited, and likely throwing variable frame rates into the mix would add too much complexity. Anyway, the ol' HVX is still great for such effects, and for those, the card capacity is not such an issue. HVX and HMC - a great pair! Or, HPX170 with one 16GB card AND HMC150 with a few 16GB or 32GB cards covers you for pretty much all situations better and cheaper than an HPX170 with two 64GB cards!
Click to expand...
 
Justyn said:
and that 5 year 170 warranty is incredible.....
Click to expand...

Is it? Have you read the specifics of what it does & does not cover?

"This extended warranty does not cover CCD block, LCD panel, fan, handle, cases, viewfinder mount and consumable and cosmetic parts such as the ones made of rubber beyond regular warranty. This extended warranty does not cover accessories such as batteries, AC adapter, P2 cards, viewfinder or cables."

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/manuals/WT_PBTS_P2HD.pdf
 
CW-35 said:
Is it? Have you read the specifics of what it does & does not cover?

"This extended warranty does not cover CCD block, LCD panel, fan, handle, cases, viewfinder mount and consumable and cosmetic parts such as the ones made of rubber beyond regular warranty. This extended warranty does not cover accessories such as batteries, AC adapter, P2 cards, viewfinder or cables."

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/manuals/WT_PBTS_P2HD.pdf
Click to expand...

Wow, I don't own this camera and even I feel cheated :crybaby:
 
Back in January 2007, Panasonic did some products introduction at the Editors Lounge event held by Alpha Dog in Burbank, CA. There, a Panasonic rep was proudly announcing the new 32GB P2 card to be available later that year. Both, the rep and the audience were very exited with the announcement that the new 32GB would be less than $1,000 at year's end. That was back in 2007 and here we are one year after the estimated time for the price drop and not even the availability of the 64GB cards have triggered the expected price reduction on the old 16GB one. This is why I am disappointed . I wonder if that Panasonic rep got fired for estimating future prices.
 
ullanta said:
But... it doesn't matter! While everyone sits here and complains that Panasonic doesn't listen to the market and try to meet their needs, Panasonic has listened to the market and met their needs. My needs, anyway... they've just released a camera with the same optics and processing as the P2-based handheld cameras, that records to cheap SD cards. Just bought me some 16GB cards today for $2/GB ... and that GB stretches a lot farther than a P2 GB! The camera is not compromised, crippled, or deficient; in fact, in some ways it's superior to the P2 handhelds. Panasonic has done exactly what everyone's clamoring for; it's sitting right in front of me (the HMC150, in case anyone hasn't figured that out). Panny could easily have taken measures to try to keep the camera from competing with its P2 lineup, but did not*. It made THE EXACT SAME CAMERA available with one version recording DVCProHD to P2 and one recording AVCHD to SD cards.

So, c'mon! Enough whining over P2 prices. Some consider the benefits of P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them great options. Some don't consider P2/DVCProHD worth the investment, and Panny has provided them with a great option. I for one think Panasonic deserves to be lauded for this, and all you folks should realize HOW MUCH Pannyu has been responsive to our little minority of users here.
Click to expand...

Great post.

Have to agree. The company HAS listened and responded more than any other manufacturer. From someone who ordered cases and cases of BetaSP years ago to the tune of thousands of dollars over time......the cost of one or two 64GB cards isn't much when you break it down.
 
CW-35 said:
Is it? Have you read the specifics of what it does & does not cover?

"This extended warranty does not cover CCD block, LCD panel, fan, handle, cases, viewfinder mount and consumable and cosmetic parts such as the ones made of rubber beyond regular warranty. This extended warranty does not cover accessories such as batteries, AC adapter, P2 cards, viewfinder or cables."

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/manuals/WT_PBTS_P2HD.pdf
Click to expand...

Ha! LOL

Thats worse than the 2 year used car warranty I read that said: "Excludes engine, transmission, rear end, wheel bearings, brakes, electrical and a/c system."
 
shorelinedigital said:
Great post.

Have to agree. The company HAS listened and responded more than any other manufacturer. From someone who ordered cases and cases of BetaSP years ago to the tune of thousands of dollars over time......the cost of one or two 64GB cards isn't much when you break it down.
Click to expand...

Red.com
 
You know, I may have to somewhat apologize, maybe - maybe not.

That link to that PDF may not be the actual coverage for the extended warranty for the 170, as it is not listed with the cameras cited.

But, since the 170 camera that I purchased didn't actually come with any specifics about what the additional coverage was other than a weblink to a website in which I cannot find what the actual coverage is, this all I can find when googling...

So, if anyone can point to the specific coverage of the "limited 5 year warranty" for the 170, that might be good.

(Good luck finding it though...)




CW-35 said:
Is it? Have you read the specifics of what it does & does not cover?

"This extended warranty does not cover CCD block, LCD panel, fan, handle, cases, viewfinder mount and consumable and cosmetic parts such as the ones made of rubber beyond regular warranty. This extended warranty does not cover accessories such as batteries, AC adapter, P2 cards, viewfinder or cables."

ftp://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/Panasonic/Drivers/PBTS/manuals/WT_PBTS_P2HD.pdf
Click to expand...
 
ChipG said:
Ha! LOL

Thats worse than the 2 year used car warranty I read that said: "Excludes engine, transmission, rear end, wheel bearings, brakes, electrical and a/c system."
Click to expand...

Let's be realistic here. Would you really expect rubber parts and batteries to be covered under a 5 year warranty?? Please. It's great to poke fun and mock the others when one's loyalties may be elsewhere (red.com *snicker*).

Whatever.

I'm getting work done today with a smooth and easy workflow.....paid off my investment and providing a good quality product in the meantime.
 
i could swear someone posted a link or info about a free utility from panasonic that transcodes AVCHC to DVCProHD. Can someone post that info again? I'm not able to find it.

I shot some footage with a friend's 150, and need to see if it's time to jump the p2 ship or not.

thanks in advance.
 
CW-35 said:
You know, I may have to somewhat apologize, maybe - maybe not.

That link to that PDF may not be the actual coverage for the extended warranty for the 170, as it is not listed with the cameras cited.

But, since the 170 camera that I purchased didn't actually come with any specifics about what the additional coverage was other than a weblink to a website in which I cannot find what the actual coverage is, this all I can find when googling...

So, if anyone can point to the specific coverage of the "limited 5 year warranty" for the 170, that might be good.

(Good luck finding it though...)
Click to expand...

Most of what you can find is here:

May need to register camera for further details:

http://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/p2-hd/products.asp
 
shorelinedigital said:
Let's be realistic here. Would you really expect rubber parts and batteries to be covered under a 5 year warranty?? Please. It's great to poke fun and mock the others when one's loyalties may be elsewhere (red.com *snicker*).

Whatever.

I'm getting work done today with a smooth and easy workflow.....paid off my investment and providing a good quality product in the meantime.
Click to expand...

Thats why I left tires and battery out of it :)

I have 2 hvx's, thank you.

I do not have a red but it's not hard to realize they are #1 for listening to customers.

Does the Panasonic CEO chime in here to address our questions or issues?

Hello? Waiting....
 
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