GH2 Cost conundrum: SD Cards + Field Monitor OR Atomos Ninja 2

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Inprogress

Well-known member
I'm looking for some input from those who use the Atomos.

I was about to buy two or three 64GB Extreme Pro SD cards so that I can use high quality patches when the thought hit me like a cyclist on the Tour De France: Two (preferably three) 64Gb SD cards, along with a SmallHD AC7 is probably gonna cost more than a Atomos Ninja 2!

The cost implications are more or less the same however, buying just one more (4 SD cards then) 64GB SD card will be the price of a 1TB 2.5" HDD - not solid state.

I've come to that weird point in gear purchases where one is faced with two very distinct gear support paths. It is not so much about the "Better" quality video output as oppose to say Quantum Driftwood patches, it is merely a thing about bang for buck, and future use of said gear as well as future cost implications. When funds are limited, one must strive to purchase quality gear that will last years, that is also, if at all possible flexible and future proof.

I decided on SmallHD cause of various reasons above a Lilliput (try kicking a Lilliput and see if it works), I found I really do need a field monitor as I struggle with focus confidence (I don't like using the EVF). When I edit footage, I transcode to ProRes or DNxHD anyway - but workflows change.

For those who use the Atomos, how has it changed your workflow in ways you haven't thought about?
 
I am just about to splash out on a Samurai Blade, rather than a smallHD plus cards. I like the fact that you can record in 7 formats (I think) and you get a top quality monitor as well. I also have a GH2 a GH3 and an older Sony Z5 that I can upgrade my footage with by using the Blade. Unfortunately by the time you add up the cost of The Blade, a HDMI to SDI connector (for the Z5), Hoodman and HDD it's pretty close to $2K. BTW, don't even bother with a Liiliput unless you just want a monitor for clients - they are very average. I think atomos is the way to go if you have an older camera to upgrade, but not sure if I would go down that path with just GH3's.
 
@malibudutchie Thanks for your input. I looked over my footage time/compression matrix...OOOOOOO, sounds so professional! Nah, I merely made a very basic matrix showing the recording time possible on a 8GB SD card with a few patches I loaded on the GH2. The sad thing is that the moment I want to go for the high bitrate patches, the recording times fall drastically on a 64GB card, which means I will need at least two 64GB Extreme Pro cards. However, the most shocking let down is the reduced recording times. The higher I go, the less I can record - it seems - which is obvious I know, but the ratio in which is falls was rather shocking.

Have you considered the Convergent Design monitor/recorder? I haven't really looked at the option since I thought it will be a future purchase I'll make when things get more serious, however with the serious pricing on SD cards....well. As said, my need is higher bit rate recording but in conjunction with long recording times. The more I think about it the more it seems like a good plan - and it seems the semi-pro consumer market is preferring the external recording, especially with the price of SD cards and the fact that I (like many) Transcode footage anyway; and it smooths out production workflow by not having to manage multiple flash cards. The pricing of flash cards COMPLETELY messed up my plans - three 64GB Extreme Pro cards is just shy of a SmallHD AC7 (where I live).
 
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GH2 and Ninja 2 owner.

External recording on the GH2 is a pain in the rump... The 24p stream is weird and you lose 720 and ETC modes. Transcend UHS-1 cards have worked flawlessly for any high bit recording I've done with the GH, so you could perhaps save yourself some money there.

I use the N2 with my AF100 and HMC150 or industrial/scientific HDMI/SDI output (with converter). As a monitor, it's not very good at all (both af100 and GH2 lcds are better).
 
Inprogress said:
The sad thing is that the moment I want to go for the high bitrate patches, the recording times fall drastically on a 64GB card, which means I will need at least two 64GB Extreme Pro cards.
Click to expand...

Have you tried Lee Powel's excellent Flow Motion ver 2.02 patch?

It's a variable bit-rate 100 Mbps GH2 patch that I've been using for almost 1 year now. Excellent detail, especially with high motion subjects.

I can get about 2 hours of footage on one Sandisk 64 GB 95MB/sec card.
 
The atomos 2 had big problems with the gh2 non-clean hdmi out signal - I don't think that's the case with the GH3. I did have a quick look at convergent design but the model that outputs similar formats as the Blade was over $2K. Yeah tough choice.
 
I seem to recall reading that IQ-wise nothing is gained by capturing GH2 footage with an external recorder over shooting with a hacked GH2.
 
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