External P2

M

Mac

Well-known member
Several people have suggested that a Firestore device is the answer to the tape playback issue with the Canon.. That, however, negates the whole advantage of a light-weight hand-holdable professional camera for documentary filmmaking.. they're kinda heavy and awkward and create power issues...

Has anyone heard rumors of the possibiluty of an external P2 device that works similarly? It would be lighter, quieter, consume less power, and, if designed well, easier to "change magazines"...
 
Can't handhold an HVX all day, I know, that's why I sold my DVX... There are those of us that depend on the ability to move fast and get rock steady handheld shots - I've been doing it for over 30 years with 16mm cameras that are more than twice as heavy but BALANCE properly (Aaton and Eclair) - Unfortunately the designers at Panasonic (at least in the so-called "prosumer" division) think that a handi-cam is handy - It ain't...
 
I've shot 15 TV shows this year on the DVX and if you develop your technique you can not only be as "Rosk Steady' but you can also get angles and shots that are impossible with a shoulder mount camera. That being said the XL-H1 is still a handy-cam because almost all the weight is still on your hand. It is not like a Beta/SDX where your shoulder takes the majority of the weight.
You will have to add a significant amount of weight to the back of your XL to ger a shoulder mount camera.
 
Firestore runs off its own battery, so I'm not sure how it would create a power issue. An external P2 drive may be smaller and lighter, but probably not by much.

Have you read all the complaints about P2 in the HVX threads? It's expensive and it doesn't have much capacity. For 1080i DVCPro HD, it takes about 1GB to hold 1 minute. HDV is about 1/4 the data rate, but you still need to spend ~$1700 (for 16G) to hold 1 hour of video. Compare that to a $5 tape.
 
I've never liked the XL form factor. Somehow, because of my build or something, I always have to fight to keep the XL level. I is nowwhere near as shoulder mountable as the larger cameras. It is easier for me to shoot with the handi-cam style cameras (DVX, PD-150) than with the XL.
 
Um, I shot every day for 6 months with a DVX on a custom modified Image 2000, battery and wireless receiver mounted on the back of the shoulder brace - the result was the worst case of "tennis Elbow" that my doctor had ever seen - steroid shots in both elbows.. So, please, do not tell me about how handy the camera is... I've used a Stasis too...

(FYI - I've had 11 documentaries on national television and 2 in theaters in 34 years of professional filmmaking... Not to mention literally hundreds of regional and national commercials... I've had a DP card with both IA and NABET, so I'm not a novice, okay)

About the XL-2, I have fitted mine with an Anton Bauer battery and wireless on the back. With the manual lens and mattebox it balances pretty well, not perfect, but certainly better than a DVX...

My point here was not to initiate an argument about the relative merits of these cameras.. The firestore IS heavier (I've used it) and somewhat awkward... A P2 drive should be significantly lighter both on the camera, and in your vest - and much easier to change (just slide out the card)... True, the technology isn't here yet, but it will be soon, and it was my hope that someone out there with a solder gun is thinking about it (and please, no witty remarks about it taking more than someone with a solder gun)...
 
Mac,

Unlike the shoulder supports you mentioned, The DvRig supports, (DvRigPro. and DvRig Junior), use a spring loaded support pod that eliminates all stress from your elbows and wrists.

Danny Natovich
DvTec
 
Thank you, I'll be here all week...

Who am I kidding? I'll be here the rest of my life.

Or at least till I get married!
 
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