HVX200 & FS-100 Combo Advice

J

jamesgleason

Member
Hi all, I hope this Christmas/New Year season finds you well. I'm giving up waiting for the CinePorter (Summer is too far off for me) and I would like to hear input on those of you with FireStore FS-100 using it with the HVX.

My need is to film a 30-45min program each weekend in DVCPRO HD (1080i). Has anyone had this kind of long-form experience with the FS-100? Anything to be aware of before I purchase? I would have the camera on a tripod and the FS mounted on the HVX, so there wouldn't be any movement of the unit (a problem I've heard).

Is it easy to just have it capture as a .mov file so that there would be no need to import and endless amount of P2 files? I'll be editing this program each Monday and want a quick workflow (I've downloaded the manuals, but without the device in my hands it's a little unclear).

There are many posts about the FS-100, but none about this type of usage. Any help would be appreciated. What is your opinion on the best vendor/best price?

I'll be posting this over at DVinfo.net as well. Thank you all.
 
You cannot capture as a .mov file yet-- when the 3.0 firmware rev appears in a few weeks you will be able to do so.

I think the only issue with doing long form at the moment is the problem that we seem to be experiencing with Mac OS and MXF files. I only have the problem intermittently on FCP 5.1.2 (not on 5.1.1). Others can confirm that it is an OS issue. The problem manifests itself in clips that fail to import to FCP but which can be imported into a PC. Or which import into FCP after several attempts.

I have shot the HVX+FS-100 combo run and gun and have had no problems, so movement is not much of an issue.

Since the FS-100 limits each file segment to 2 gb, you will have one file for every 2 min or so (2:16 to be precise). FCP 5.1.2 is supposed to span those and see them as one clip. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Even when we are dealing with .mov files in the next rev, you will still have segments just owing to the file structure of the FS-100.

To ensure maximum compatibility, the FS-100 is formatted FAT32. While FAT32 itself has a 4 gb limit, Focus has chosen to impose a 2 gig limit on FS-100 segments.

But the simple answer is the FS-100 works great for long form.

Another option-- capture directly into FCP.

Ned Soltz
 
If the problem doesn't happen with FCP 5.1.1, and doesn't always happen with FCP 5.1.2, it probably isn't a problem with the OS, but FCP itself. Given the redesign of P2/MXF support in FCP 5.1.2, there is probably a bug in some of the new code.
 
My feeling is that the problem is in FCP 5.1.2. BenB, whose opinions I respect greatly, believes it to be an issue with the OS. I can only report personal experience and in my case the problem is restricted to FCP 5.1.2

Ned
 
Thanks Ned. I have had the P2 problem with OSX and my 8GB card, so I'm familier with it. I appreciate the word on the FS-100. Even with 16GB cards coming soon, I would need to go with the FS as I need to record over 32 minutes at a time.

I have captured to FCP with no problems, but not for that long at a time and I would be worried about a hiccup during that long of a capture. I'll have to try it and test it out. Now only if 32 GB cards were handy...
 
I tried to reproduce the problem on an 8 gig P2 card but was unable to do so. It is totally random. It's one of those things that when you've got it, you know it.

I remain impressed on many levels with the FS-100. I look forward to seeing Cineporter since with each new announcement, the feature set grows.

Ned Soltz
 
THoff said:
If the problem doesn't happen with FCP 5.1.1, and doesn't always happen with FCP 5.1.2, it probably isn't a problem with the OS, but FCP itself. Given the redesign of P2/MXF support in FCP 5.1.2, there is probably a bug in some of the new code.
Click to expand...
Actually, I have heard from people who get it in 5.1.1. It has been narrowed done in my opinion, in Barry's opinion, in many people's opinion that it is in fact the OS level support. FYI, I've also heard from folks who have the problem with P2 Log and P2 Genie.

Never happens on my Powerbook, happens often on my Quad Core G5, but I know Powerbook users who have had the problem.

It's the OS based on the folks I've communicated with over the past couple of months.

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