cheaper Panasonic P2 storage?

J

Johnny Bueno

Active member
About 6 months ago I read here in Dvxuser that Panasonic was releasing a new P2 store for about $300-$400. Has it been release yet? or is it still in the works? Can anyone post me a link to it. Thanks for any help. All I have right now is a macbook pro and a Firewire cable to dump my footage with and it takes too long.
 
Well after searching for a bit I found this in the forums. The Panasonic AJ-PCD2. I assume that this is what I was looking for. But I have a quick question. How fast is it to dump a card with the AJ-PCD2? I own 2 of the old R-series cards. a 32gb and a 16gb. As i said above, I currently use a macbook pro and firewire cable to dump my footage. Now don't get me wrong, I am sold on the AJ-PCD2 as it allows me to keep the HVX shooting at the even instead of having to stop and place the HVX next to the computer to dump footage. But I'm just curious as to how fast it can dump a full 32gb and 16gb card. Lastly and most importantly, is the AJ-PCD2 fully compatible with Macs? Reason is, I made the huge mistake of buying the Duel-Systems adapter which I could never get a card to mount on it and then found out from duel systems that it wasn't mac compatible. So, the AJ-PCD2 is fully compatible with a macbook pro? Thanks for any help. Its greatly appreciated.

Johnny
 
Of course, this is simply a card reader.

It is USB2 based, and writes will equal to USB2 speeds. I've seen about 2 GB/s.

I've not seen reports of issues with a MacBookPro.
 
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ok good. So it is compatible with my macbook pro. But what kind of issue reports did you hear about the AJ-PCD2 with a macbook pro? Thanks for the help
 
No problems at all, Johnny. I searched for posts in many forums listing problems and compatibility issues, but found nothing. I bought one a couple of months ago and have not looked back. The Dual Adaptor Snow Leopard MBP debacle left a sour taste in my mouth (Apple, Panny and DA claimed it was not their problem and could not fix it). Now workflow is truly simplified with the PCD2. In my opinion, this should have been one of the first releases panasonic made, even before high capacity cards. What good is a recording system that has a fundamental breakdown in its workflow? Before the PCD2, I seriously considered moving onto another platform all together.


Jason
 
AwakenedFilms said:
No problems at all, Johnny. I searched for posts in many forums listing problems and compatibility issues, but found nothing. I bought one a couple of months ago and have not looked back. The Dual Adaptor Snow Leopard MBP debacle left a sour taste in my mouth (Apple, Panny and DA claimed it was not their problem and could not fix it). Now workflow is truly simplified with the PCD2. In my opinion, this should have been one of the first releases panasonic made, even before high capacity cards. What good is a recording system that has a fundamental breakdown in its workflow? Before the PCD2, I seriously considered moving onto another platform all together.


Jason
Click to expand...

Thanks. This is exactly what i needed to hear as I felt the same way. I couldn't believe that after spending 5k on the camera and other priority gear that the only p2 store option i had was 2k. Then on top of that the problems with the dual systems adapter. Not fun. But now I cant wait to test out the PCD2. It should hopefully indeed simplify my workflow. Thanks again for the helpful and encouraging info.

EDIT: Lastly, I've read a few complaints about the PCD2 using 2 usb's. Is that bad or good? I have no clue as i have never used the PCD2. But why would people complain about that?
 
Johnny Bueno said:
ok good. So it is compatible with my macbook pro. But what kind of issue reports did you hear about the AJ-PCD2 with a macbook pro? Thanks for the help
Click to expand...

There are no problems except for my mistyping.

I've correct my post to indicate that there are not problems that I've seen reported.
 
David S. said:
There are no problems except for my mistyping.

I've correct my post to indicate that there are not problems that I've seen reported.
Click to expand...

lol Glad to hear it was a typo. That really puts me at ease and I'm ready to order it. Any suggestions as to where to order it from? I usually order from B&H. Hopefully they have in stock.

Also can anyone answer my question above about the usb ports on the PCD2?

EDIT: Just to be positive, this is the Single card reader from panasonic that I need to buy?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=panasonic+aj-pcd2&N=0&InitialSearch=yes

Thanks again.
 
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yes...about $350. The reader is hard to find in stock and if you do, you'll probably pay exorbitant shipping fees.

Try lesser known panny dealers such as:
http://www.ggvideo.com/pan_ajpcd2gpj.php

As for the USB question, I think its simply a complaint that the product uses two ports. Some users need USB for external drives and peripherals. To me, it is a small price to pay. Besides, the 17"MBP i use has 3 USB ports. Incidentally, I have heard rumors that it may run on one USB cable depending on the power supplied though the USB port, but have not tried myself.


Jason
 
They seem to have it in stock at B&H. So I should be good to go. Ill be placing the order later today.

As for the usb port's, do I need any other accessory to properly use and have a smooth workflow with the PCD2? Any other cables or external batteries? As of now all I have is a Macbook pro.
 
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