jrv3034 said:This is exactly what I'm going to do when I get an HVX for narrative filmmaking. I don't need a Firestore, and I don't need a laptop. I don't even need to take the P2 card out of the camera.
HVX200 camera only for around $5800
One 4GB P2 card for around $1000 (possibly less)
One off the shelf 250GB Firewire HDD for around $200 (cheaper if I use an enclosure and internal drives which can swap out)
TOTAL= Approx $7000
With this setup, I can record 4 minutes of 1080/24p, and while changing camera setups, just plug in the Firewire HDD and dump the footage directly from the camera to the Hard Disk. No laptop, no lost P2 card (because it never leaves the camera), no dropouts, and no time spent digitizing the footage later on. 1080/24p 4:2:2 DVCProHD for $7000. Heaven.
I am going to be shooting the same way. For narrative films, the 4 minute capacity is not so much of a big deal in my opinion. While you are dealing with owners not showing up to let you into their places or people showing up late, you will have plenty of time to transfer the data.