HPX170 & P2 card Help

A

aleebee156

Active member
I just got my new HPX170 in the mail! super excited! i have never shot P2 before, and i have only really been reseaching it for the last few weeks. Anyways, i have a shoot tonight! I need some real quick direction if anyone wouldn't mind. here's what i need;

1- straight out of the box what do i need to do to point and shoot?

2- I read that I need to install new drivers... that is referring to the actual P2 card itself, not the camera correct? Do i need those drivers to film onto the P2 card? or just to log and transfer onto the computer? basically, can i charge the camera, stick the P2 card in and film? or do i need to install the drivers on the P2 card BEFORE I film onto it?

3-Is there any down fall to using my camera as the deck to transfer my footage onto my iMac into FCP? Or is it necessary to get a seperate deck? I know with my DVX it puts un-needed wear and tear on the heads, but with solid state, is there any problem?

4-I have TONS more questions, but ill figure them out, if i could just get the help to get me out there in a few hours to shoot that would be great!!

If there are any other DO NOT DO THIS EVER type things please let me know, or MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS BEFORE.... anything like that, that i might totally ruin or mess something up, please let me know.

Thank you everyone for your help, i would be nowhere fast without the help of the DVXUsers!! I hope that i can do my part in contributing back to the group.

Thanks again,

Chris
 
aleebee156 said:
I just got my new HPX170 in the mail! super excited! i have never shot P2 before, and i have only really been reseaching it for the last few weeks. Anyways, i have a shoot tonight! I need some real quick direction if anyone wouldn't mind. here's what i need;

1- straight out of the box what do i need to do to point and shoot? Read the included book. Charge the battery, insert P2 card, Format P2 card and you're ready. But I hope you are not expecting a point a shoot camera because although the 170 can be run auto iris,focus etc, modes you will not get your best results.

2- I read that I need to install new drivers... that is referring to the actual P2 card itself, not the camera correct? Do i need those drivers to film onto the P2 card? or just to log and transfer onto the computer? basically, can i charge the camera, stick the P2 card in and film? or do i need to install the drivers on the P2 card BEFORE I film onto it? No——see above. The drivers are for your computer but if you have the latest FCP, log and transfer should work just fine.

3-Is there any down fall to using my camera as the deck to transfer my footage onto my iMac into FCP? Or is it necessary to get a seperate deck? I know with my DVX it puts un-needed wear and tear on the heads, but with solid state, is there any problem?It's solid state, no heads to wear out! The only downfall that I can see is to the cable ports if they're not handled carefully but others may have different insights. Personally, I use a Panasonic PCD 35 card reader. It's quick and eliminates the needs to tether the camera to the computer.

4-I have TONS more questions, but ill figure them out, if i could just get the help to get me out there in a few hours to shoot that would be great!!

If there are any other DO NOT DO THIS EVER type things please let me know, or MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS BEFORE.... anything like that, that i might totally ruin or mess something up, please let me know.You might wish to add a protective filter in front of the lens, depending upon the environment in which you intend to shoot but there are those would might disagree.

Thank you everyone for your help, i would be nowhere fast without the help of the DVXUsers!! I hope that i can do my part in contributing back to the group.

Thanks again,

Chris
Click to expand...

Good luck with your new camera, I'm sure you'll love it.
 
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1. This is not really a point and shoot camera. Not enough info on what you will be doing to make a suggestion for scene files and recording format, etc.

2. Depending on whether or not you bought a new US model camera, you probably don't need to do anything to use it with the supplied P2 card. There are drivers available for different things but mostly to provide certain compatability with NLE's, various series P2 cards, etc. Go to the panasonic asset support site to check this. Confirm what version firmware is in your camera.
Good chance you don't need to be concerned before your shoot tonight unless you bought a grey market product or a used camera. Again, not enough info from you to be more specific.

3. No. Basically set 1394 in menu to device mode. Connect firewire cable from camera to iMac. Put camera in MCR mode. Hold button for 2 to 3 seconds until camera says CONNECT.
In FCP open Log and Transfer. Select the NO NAME P2 card (if not automatic). Straight forward from there. When done importing, EJECT the P2 card in FCP L&T. Power camera off and disconnect cable.

4. Search this forum for answers to your tons of more questions. Most of them will probably be discussed here.

Good luck !
 
I do not need a point and shoot camera! i would have gone with my dads $500 consumer sony he just got from Best But if i needed that. No, i will definitley be using the camera for what its worth!

As far as settings go, i think i can figure that out. But if you have advice... I am shooting the setting up for a big Dance being held tomorrow. Its in a large gym, tonight lighting will not be a problem, tomorrow night i will have to supply the light as it will be dark/ disco stlye lights i presume. Final video will be sort of music video stlye. It will be output mainly to the Web but also DVD. I have the 16gb card the camera comes with and also a 32gb E-series card. What recording format would you suggest?

I got the camera brand new from B&H. no grey market stuff for me, I have had experiences with that.

I do have a filter to protect the lens, just a clear UV HD Filter for now. it will work just fine.

Hmmmm.... I think that i feel pretty comfortable about it now... any other advise is always welcome!

Thanks to you both!!! Again, i will post my first footage on the forum once edited!
 
Ron777- you mentioned "Format P2 card" That function/procedure is done in the camera and needs to be done one time(first time), or is to be done each time you want to start off with a fresh Card?
 
Formatting the card is what most of us do in the camera using the menu options and after we uploaded the intact p2 card volume structure to a computer and created a backup.

You might want to at least peek at the manual because there is a basic shooting procedures blurb starting on page 25
 
aleebee156 said:
Ron777- you mentioned "Format P2 card"That function/procedure is done in the camera and needs to be done one time(first time), or is to be done each time you want to start off with a fresh Card?
Click to expand...

The card is probably ready to go, but to be sure, go into the menu and you can select the card by slot and choose format. Only takes a couple seconds.

Usually after cards are filled, either fully or partially by the user, and once properly offloaded and backed up, you just reformat the card for the next shoot.

As far as record formats, everyone will have their preference, and for me, I would prefer to shoot HD at 720/24pN. HOWEVER, in your case with limited light, focusing gets more difficult with low light, especially in 24p, so you may want to consider shooting 720/60P. It will look much more like video (if in Film cam) and absolutely like video (in Video Cam). Try to add as much light as you can at that event.
 
Will do.

Just took my lunch and read as much of the manuel as possible. Two things i could figure out:

1- when i have both P2 cards inserted, will the camera Automatically continue recording onto the second card or do i need to set that up in the camera settings? And is the Top slot the default "record to First" slot? or can that be selected manually?

2- From what i have read, when shooting native footage you get much more time out of the P2 cards? why is that? ie. shooting 720p/24pN you get 40mins on a 16 gb card and shooting 720/24p you only get i think 16minutes(that could be off)?
 
nothing to setup in camera. will automatically record to first P2 card and then cascade to second card. I believe slot 1 records first.

NATIVE mode is recording exactly progressively 1 frame at a time (i.e 24pN shot for 2 seconds gives you 48 distinct images). When using 24p recording is based on 2:3 cadence which records with pulldown resulting in duplicate frames and 24pA uses advanced pulldown with 3:2 cadence, again recording duplicate frames. Both p and pA modes, because of the duplicate frames eat up more of the P2 memory. I think I have explained this correctly, but surely someone will chime in if I did not.
 
Makes perfect sense. Thank you. That brings a differenct question to mind...

Why shoot 24p or 24pA if you can shoot 24pN and get perfect 24fps and use half the space on the card? The end result once transferred into FCP or any other NLE sounds like it would be the same...
 
once you remove the pulldown in p or pA mode, yes, it would be the same as 24pN. The only issue would be with streaming live video over the firewire port. You cannot stream via firewire when the camera is in any of the NATIVE modes.
 
Clarification please:

That is only for LIVE feeds correct (Live feeds would be having the camera hooked up to an external monitor for vewing during the actual shooting/filming) ? If you shoot in 24pN, go home later that night, you can log and transfer onto FCP using the camera as your deck via firewire, right?
 
If you are recording to a computer through Firewire using a utility like onLocation, Scopebox, HD monitor, etc. or a NLE that will accept that input, anything pNative won't stream through Firewire.

Your setting must be non-Native.

I would copy your p2 card volumes intact to a HDD and when write protected rather than ingest directly from the cam.
 
aleebee156 said:
If you shoot in 24pN, go home later that night, you can log and transfer onto FCP using the camera as your deck via firewire, right?
Click to expand...

Yes, you can. But as David S stated, a more secure way (less risk of data corruption) would be to transfer from a copy or exported file of the P2 card that resides on your mac.
When I shoot test footage, or non important stuff, I usually just import from the camera direct to FCP, but if you have an invested project for a paying client, it is worth the effort to copy your card and transfer from that copy, leaving your original on the P2 card intact.
 
Understood. so from what you're saying it sounds like when you "log and Transfer" in FCP it actually takes the footage off the P2 card. so when you are done logging and transferring, the footage will be in FCP and the card will be left empty, did i understand you correctly?
 
ok, last question before i venture out on my own...

how do you, and what do you use to "copy your card" so that you can use that copy to transfer into your NLE? i can think of a ton of different ways in my head, just curious what procedures are used by different people for different reasons.
 
aleebee156 said:
Understood. so from what you're saying it sounds like when you "log and Transfer" in FCP it actually takes the footage off the P2 card. so when you are done logging and transferring, the footage will be in FCP and the card will be left empty, did i understand you correctly?
Click to expand...

no, that is not correct. The data on the P2 card will remain intact whether you log and transfer from the camera directly or whether you do it from an exported copy of the P2 card. The risk of doing it direct from the camera (however minor that may be) is potential data corruption of one or more of the captured files. The only way to delete the contents (aside from accidential corruption) would be to manually erase individual clips from the camera menu selection or formatting the card.
 
aleebee156 said:
ok, last question before i venture out on my own...

how do you, and what do you use to "copy your card" so that you can use that copy to transfer into your NLE? i can think of a ton of different ways in my head, just curious what procedures are used by different people for different reasons.
Click to expand...

drag and drop is one way when you see the NO NAME volume mount on your mac desktop, using Panasonics free P2CMS program will allow you to export a duplicate of the card data, offloading to an external HDD via firewire HOST mode are the most common ways.
 
DGW said:
drag and drop is one way when you see the NO NAME volume mount on your mac desktop, using Panasonics free P2CMS program will allow you to export a duplicate of the card data, offloading to an external HDD via firewire HOST mode are the most common ways.
Click to expand...


Referring to Yellow quote: Do you mean go straight from camera to the HDD? nothing inbetween? and use the camera as the "Host"? ie. the camera, in HOST Mode, will recognize the external HDD and you can tell the camera to transfer the P2 cards footage directly to the external HDD?
 
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