HVX200 with tape only?

T

THoff

Member With Answers
I'm seriously considering an HVX200, but the shooting I do is of live performances, rehearsals, and other long events where interruptions and reshoots are out of the question. As such, I am uncertain about P2 cards and their limited storage capacity.

I like the concept of solid-state media and the workflow advantages, but I cannot see myself swapping P2 cards several times per hour, knocking the camera around to do that, or spending $3000 just for 30 - 40 minutes of recording capacity (depending on the framerate). I also don't trust the Firestore devices or how they connect (why can't someone come up with a latch or something for Firewire cables?). I am more positive about the Cineporter, which would give me the recording capacity I need, uses a more sturdy connection, and offers potentially complete P2 emulation.

Would it make sense for me to get the HVX200 now and shoot using DV tape only for the time being, familiarize myself with it / use it as a second camera, and wait for the Cineporter? I would consider P2 cards in the future, but not until 16GB or larger cards become available, and the price still concerns me.
 
If DV is good enough, why not? And if you don't move during shooting, you also may stream to a notebook. You could also get like a XL2 just for DV recording and sell it when the Cineporter comes out, but I don't know if you want that.
 
I don't need to move during these shoots and the camera is always on a tripod. I have been on a shoot where one of the cameras was tethered to a laptop running DVRack, and I'd rather use that setup than a Firestore, but I'm still concerned about the flimsy 4-pin Firewire connector.

I spoke to Karl Soule of Serious Magic at Cinegear yesterday, and if I get the HVX200, I will definitely get DVRack with HVX200 support just so I don't put all of my eggs into the MiniDV tape basket.

Thanks to all who responded -- any and all opinions are welcome!
 
If you want long record times and do not want to deal with hotswapping multiple and expensive p2cards, check out the cineporter. There is a sticky about it in the hardware section.
 
Yes, the Cineporter is on my short list, although I will wait for its release and some feedback from owners before I commit to it. I suspect that by the time it arrives, the 16GB cards will be out, and that will make the whole game more interesting.

I ordered my HVX-200 and a few accessories from Shawn at Full Compass today, and I also picked up DV Rack. Since my shooting doesn't require me to move, I will record on tape or using DV Rack for the time being.
 
The 16gig cards will make the game more interesting but the cineporter will still be 2,200 for 160gigs, and GOD knows what the new 16gig P2 will be. Just imagine the yellow guy is your wallet and the green guy is the 16gig P2. :nads:
 
Actually, I have also bought two 8GB cards from Full Compass since I wrote that -- that's more than a Cineporter would have cost, but since that isn't available yet, it was a no-brainer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top