Demo'd a HPX300 today...

Hey Dan,

Your EPK gig is a nightmare with the 300, I'd try to get the client to pay for a HDX900, there are cheap transfer services that would dump it to a drive, thus avoiding a deck rental. I have been asked about filming in similar situations and can't figure out how to do it in P2, especially with a 300, alone, with just 2 slots. That's one of the reasons I think XDCAM will be the winner in the long run.
 
I agree Ned. As much as I love P2 and the Panasonic cameras, for certain situations, shooting tape or even lame XDCAM HD discs seems to just be more practical. On the post end though, tape sucks and I have never worked with the XDCAM discs so I am not sure about them. But then you have buy a stupid XDCAM HD player, don't you? What do those cost? I do occasionally edit some of my lower end projects myself and for post, I love P2 so much more than tape. But if you only shoot, sometimes P2 can be quite the drag.

This client already spent all of their budget on me for a film I DP'd for them, I am shooting EPK for them as a favor for some small token pay since they paid me well to shoot the film and it is premiering in an IMAX theater in Europe (film was shot 1080, not IMAX). So I know that they have zero budget to rent me anything, I will have to muddle through it with my cards. It will be cool to see our little film on a huge IMAX screen though.

OTOH, I shot a corporate gig today, a presentation, a few soundbite standups and perhaps 20 minutes of B-roll. P2 worked great, although I will have to sit down Monday to dump the cards. But only four cards between two cameras, not bad. It will take perhaps an hour.

Dan
 
“Lame XDCAM HD discs”???

I do hope you take this in the spirit it is intended - unqualified, unprofessional remarks like that help to misinform readers, and with someone who has been working in the industry as long as you have Dan, you do yourself a disservice.

If you would like to understand XDCAM HD a little better you can find plenty information on it, however I add a couple of links to our own reviews in the hope that you may find them helpful.

1: You can firewire the camera into your laptop (Download Free XDCAM HD transfer software from Sony site) or you could hire a handy sized U1 disc drive (Download Free XDCAM HD U1 drive software). Very simple, uncomplicated, and all works perfectly. And if you use XDCAM HD422, this is EBU approved.

2: If there is a need - You can send the proxy files back to the USA via the internet for your studio/client to work on - with the discs - because they are cheap, following in the post/courier - that once loaded will automatically replace the proxies.

http://www.studioscotland.com/SonyF350_review.htm

http://www.studioscotland.com/Sony700_review.htm

http://www.studioscotland.com/Sony422_review.htm

All the very best with your shoot Dan…

Regards: Stu
www.studioscotland.com
 
Hi Stu:

"Lame" is my opinion of any mechanical media today in the age of SSM. I have shot with XDCAM HD, it is okay and I know broadcasters and most of Europe are ga-ga for it but once you have lived with P2 and SxS for the past four years, going back to mechanical, spinning, large, moving media strikes me as a somewhat of a step backwards, from an engineering standpoint, obsolete, hence my opinion of it. But way superior to SSM from the viewpoint of archiving and not having to "dump" your media as you shoot.

That said, I do agree that for certain types of production, news, reality, long form docs, these spinning discs are a significant step up from tape and in the ways outlined, superior to SSM. But having to buy an expensive "deck" after using the slot in my PowerBook does indeed seem lame. How much does the U1 deck cost? And buying shooting media again after four years? My old tape reseller will freak out if I call him to buy some XDCAM HD discs.

Just my take on it, no attack intended.

Dan
 
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Hey Dan,

Got your solution. Go 720/30PN. Reason: You get 69 minutes per 32 card, so you'll have 138 minutes before a media dump. I keep stopwatch records of how long it takes to download from my laptop so when the client asks I will know, and my records show a full 32 card at this rate will take just 16 minutes to download!

Also, since P2 is instantly up to speed I don't record the interviewer's questions if I am trying to save on the card. I'd bring a laptop security cable to chain it up while your back is turned.

Seems like you'll run into a lot of flash photographers and I am not that impressed with the flash band correction. It has an unnatural look and I think the editor in post will have to play with it.

My two cents.

Ned
 
If you're happy with AVC-Intra 50 quality, a 32GB card in 720/24pN mode will actually record for three hours. (well, about 173 minutes, which is almost three hours).
 
Looks like the same as the Addonics and Rosewill. If so, it'll work fine with P2 on Windows, but won't work with P2 on a Mac.
 
Yes, but not for P2 cards.

That's been the big frustration with the Addonics and the Mac -- you can use it for modem cards, or firewire cards, or whatever -- but not with P2 cards. In fact, you can't even use the Addonics on a Mac if you run the Mac in entirely Windows XP mode! There's some sort of hardware conflict that keeps the Addonics adapter from working with a P2 card on a Mac.

And it's really annoying, because I don't like the Duel adapter, I have a Rosewill (same thing as the Addonics) and I think it's a much better design, and a whole lot cheaper. I think Mac users would love it. But it doesn't work.

But, hey, if you want to gamble and try it, please report back and let us know. I think only the Addonics version has actually been tested, so maybe one of these other variants actually would work with P2 cards.
 
Thought I would give you all an update:

Completed my first shoot (two-day corporate) with the 300 and the footage looks amazing. I'm so happy I decided to get the camera. Thanks to everyone that gave input on this thread/board! I will post footage soon.
 
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