New cameras

21st century

21st century

Your right Buck redundancy has become a HUGE issue these days. The need for redundancy never really existed when we were recording to tape. This new digital world of having to move the material around so many times where you cant see the image or feel the tape makes for nervous consumers who are backing up the back ups! I will bet that everyone who uses this new record technology has either lost some material themselves or knows someone who has a sad story to tell. It’s not uncommon to hit the wrong button or have a corrupt file, etc. Life was much easier with tape and the confidence we had is missed today. This very forum is a testament to the many needs people have in navigating these new complicated technologies.

Things have changed fast and it could change again next year, and the year after, this is a big part of the problem I speak of. As someone said over on the cow, “these aren’t cameras, they are computers with lenses”. We all know what happens with computers… every 2 years you need a new one! Well Panasonic and Sony love this idea, but the customer who may be faced with a huge investment does NOT love this idea. A 2,000 dollar computer every 2 years is one thing but how about a 40k Varicam every 2 years! Many cameraman I talk to are very uncomfortable (and not buying) for this reason.

If I were building a camera today I would design a modular system that might have only "built in" 2 memory slots for the smallest memory card for the most “compact” configuration. Then have you P2 brain and module that would connect to the rear in a slick solid contemporary way. I would also design a tape record module also for those wanting tape to bypass that which many struggle with…. how to archive. And then you’re also ready for the next advancement in memory storage without having to trash a great camera. Camera advancements seems much slower then data movement advances so the need for a camera section update might not come nearly as fast as the "rear" of these "Camera-recorders".

Buck, you seem to like the idea of cheap flash media and many other people seem to feel similarly. If they can buy flash memory for close to the price of what we are used to for tape then the producer can possibly justify leaving the original material on the cards as the archive medium and bypass the achieve issue many people have.

There is no one answer and this is why Modularity might capture a large portion of the people who don’t like the idea of P2 and/or don’t like the idea of buying an expensive camera that can quite probably be outdated long before its natural life span is over.

Chis C over in the Varicam area of the "Cow" spoke about the reality of these memory vehicles very well in the thread I pointed towards in my last post here. We have beautiful very capable cameras, and powerful fast edit systems, and many are in a tizzy about how to move 1’s and 0’s from here to there. A lot has been made out of these vehicles, P2, SxS, XD-cam, tape…. I realize there is a company’s record codec, proxie's, etc mixed into the equation, but these are digital memory vehicles that basically store and move digits. Barry went on about how the P2 vehicle is the best most robust vessel made… and it may be just that. But I don’t trust it will stay that way and I like the idea of having a choice in the matter.

I believe Modularity is the way to solve this problem. I’ve been aware of the new JVC cameras for a while and finally got to see the 700 yesterday. Very smart designed camera with modular memory built into the system. Some say JVC, ugh! Well it’s the first Japanese company that I’ve seen get smart about this very issue, and the camera looks great!

Consumers want choices in this 21st century and JVC has designed a cool system to accommodate. Red has also built a system where you can choose an outboard CF drive or a bigger flash module, or a hard drive. Red understand that if you “build in” the digit storage vehicle you are probably building in “obsolescence”, when the next advancement comes (and they are coming fast). Others will soon follow this obvious solution to this 21st century problem of giving the consumer options and “investment security”.

Buck, I appreciate your offer to post my note that started this thread, but most here are hostel and not willing to think outside of there circumstance. They think I’m a troll and have come to bash Panasonic, but they don’t get that I most likely have a bigger investment in Panasonic products then most here by a large margin and want them to prosper and succeed. I’ve followed your invitation over to this forum to see if there were people willing to think about what’s next or what could be a better mousetrap. P2 was first launched when ONE GB memory cards were the largest available! I want these companies to build smarter for “what’s coming next” and not build “obsolescence” into these cameras or (more to the point) actually build “death” into the system like Panasonic has done with the new E series p2 cards.

Why would you build limited life into a memory card? Clearly Panasonic is not interested in building gear to last like they used to do, they would rather you have to replace cameras and cards as fast as possible! This is one reason why many customers don’t trust this company anymore! A lot of the moves this company has made in the last few years are not too smart in my book and many I have talked to agree (3700 anyone?). Barry have at it…. take me back to your DV court.

Later, ER
 
Erich,

Hostility aside I appreciate your posts along with Barry, Jan, and everyone else. Good stuff. I do treat the sd cards like tape, they are the archive.

Buck
 
Buck, I appreciate your offer to post my note that started this thread, but most here are hostel and not willing to think outside of there circumstance.

Clearly Panasonic is not interested in building gear to last like they used to do, they would rather you have to replace cameras and cards as fast as possible! This is one reason why many customers don’t trust this company anymore! A lot of the moves this company has made in the last few years are not too smart in my book and many I have talked to agree (3700 anyone?). Barry have at it…. take me back to your DV court.

Later, ER

Erich, where are getting these conclusions.

Not willing to "think outside there [sic] circumstances" means what? Our company, for example, shot to tape for 15 years. We carefully evaluated file based acquisition for 14 months before taking the plunge.

I suspect we are no different than anyone else in this evaluation process.

"many customers" "don't trust [Panasonic] anymore? What does that mean?

How do you quantify that? What demographic are you using.

You claim that people think of you as a "troll" and then you say what I consider to be archetypal troll comments.

You know those of us who have carefully evaluated p2 or other file based video acquisition and buy and use Panasonic products aren't a bunch of mindless lemmings.

Geez.
 
A 2,000 dollar computer every 2 years is one thing but how about a 40k Varicam every 2 years!
Another gross misrepresentation. WHY do you "need" a new computer every 2 years? How many people do you know who bought new Betacams every 2 years?

Just what, exactly, are you trying to accomplish here?

Somehow, it's like you have a "let's see the bad side" filter installed in your glasses. Let's look at it from the other side: how about NO MAINTENANCE? How about nothing ever wearing out? How about a five year warranty?

You long for the days of tape. You're welcome to stay with tape as long as you want, go right ahead. But those who have bought into the P2 system now have a system that they *never* have to replace. The cards don't wear out for years and years, and as long as there's a USB port or SDI port in existence in the world, their system will remain compatible and relevant. It may be superseded by newer/better products, but does that mean yours quits working?

The DVX100 is still going quite strong, 6 years after introduction, and that's a little $3,000 camera that's still tape-based and has a 1-year warranty and needs servicing and head replacements.

How you can complain about a tapeless, indestructible, future-proof system is simply unfathomable.

Buck, you seem to like the idea of cheap flash media and many other people seem to feel similarly. If they can buy flash memory for close to the price of what we are used to for tape then the producer can possibly justify leaving the original material on the cards as the archive medium and bypass the achieve issue many people have.
We're already there, with SD cards. Much cheaper, per minute, than BetaSP or DVCPRO-HD or HDCAM tapes.

Barry went on about how the P2 vehicle is the best most robust vessel made… and it may be just that. But I don’t trust it will stay that way and I like the idea of having a choice in the matter.
How do you not have a choice in the matter? Panasonic offers P2 "A" series, P2 "E" series, SDHC memory, DVCPRO-HD and DV tape. JVC offers SDHC and SxS and HDV tape. Canon offers SDHC and hard disk and HDV tape. Sony offers SxS and optical disc and HDCAM and HDCAM SR and HDV tape and hard disk recorders. Red offers Red Drive hard disk, CF memory, and RED RAM memory. It seems like the problem we have today is too many choices (as opposed to the days that freelancers long for, when BetaSP or DV were ubiquitous and fully intercompatible).

Of course, I further argue that what we have today is, in fact, a far more compatible infrastructure than we ever had before. We have interchangeable files that -- no matter what system you shot on, you can just drop the footage directly onto the timeline. As long as you're not using FCP, an editor which seems specifically engineered to prevent a seamless tapeless file-based workflow. If there is a barrier towards the proliferation of a seamless tapeless workflow, it is named Final Cut Pro.

I want these companies to build smarter for “what’s coming next” and not build “obsolescence” into these cameras or (more to the point) actually build “death” into the system like Panasonic has done with the new E series p2 cards. Why would you build limited life into a memory card? Clearly Panasonic is not interested in building gear to last like they used to do, they would rather you have to replace cameras and cards as fast as possible!
This paragraph that you've written can only be attributed to one of two motives:
1) profound ignorance of memory technology
2) malevolent intent to spread FUD.

In other words, either you don't know what you're talking about, or you're specifically trying to stir up trouble. Nobody "designed death" into a system, and your choice of words seems specifically chosen to be as discrediting and hostile as possible.

So I will presume that you simply have no idea what you're talking about. In that case I highly recommend you educate yourself as to memory technology. ALL FLASH MEMORY TECHNOLOGY HAS A LIMITED REWRITE LIFESPAN. All of it. Every bit of it ever made will wear out after a certain number of uses. Flash memory, by its very nature, wears out.

There are two types of flash memory: SLC (which is very expensive, and lasts for 100,000 rewrite cycles) and MLC (which is comparatively inexpensive, and lasts for 10,000 rewrite cycles). Panasonc designed P2 around the much more robust SLC memory, and -- surprise surprise, the cards were expensive. People clamored for less-expensive cards, so they came out with the MLC-based "E" series, which should still last for 10 years under reasonable conditions.

And their reward for listening to the customer and giving them exactly what they want? Someone comes on the forum and accuses them of "designing death into their system".

Absolutely ridiculous. And I mean that in the classic dictionary sense of the word, which means that it's "worthy of ridicule".

Barry have at it…. take me back to your DV court.
As long as you post things that are so easily rebuttable, I shall continue to do so.

Connect with the reality of the situation and quit making gross misrepresentations, and I will gladly take a day off.
 
I would like to point out that while P2 has "death built into it", so does tape. There is an entire niche market sprouting up to transfer movies shot and stored on digital tape to film, because film is a better archival medium. Apparently stuff shot even a few years ago is starting to develop drops frames as the tape starts to degrade.

P2 has a shelf life, but so does tape. So do hard drives. Want a medium that will last? Shoot on film. Everything has a trade-off.
 
But P2 doesn't have "death" built into it any more than SD, SDHC, CompactFlash, MemoryStick, SxS, or computer SSD drives have "death" built into them.

So you can say that all memory has a limited lifespan. Or you can accuse a company of specifically engineering "death" into their premium products. One of those statements would be a fair and accurate portrayal of the situation, and the other would be classic FUD.

FUD = Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. It is generally frowned upon in tech forums as a cheap technique to try to enforce one's viewpoint while disregarding the full and complete truth of the argument.

We don't like FUD being spread around here.
 
Sorry Barry, I was being sarcastic with the "death" comment, and pointing out that every medium has a limited lifespan. Should have been clearer on the sarcasm.
 
> Life was much easier with tape and the confidence we had is missed today.

I don't think that many IT professionals miss huge cabinet-size reel-to-reel tape recorders. Loading a tape was a whole big procedure, and finding anything on it was not as fast and simple as moving heads to a sector. Compared to these recorders, even a 20 lbs disk stack was a huge step forward. The only thing tape is good for is archiving.

> As someone said over on the cow, “these aren’t cameras, they are computers with lenses”.

This is what I said three pages back: video is part of IT now and must play by IT rules.

> We all know what happens with computers… every 2 years you need a new one!
> Well Panasonic and Sony love this idea, but the customer who may be faced
> with a huge investment does NOT love this idea.

Funny. Every video book I've read says that a tripod/light/mic lasts forever, but the camera is an expendable and fast-aging product.

> If I were building a camera today I would design a modular system
> that might have only "built in" 2 memory slots for the smallest
> memory card for the most “compact” configuration.

It should have a standard removable block with a bunch of card readers, and a standard USB output. For removable blocks take a look at any industrial device or even at a standard PC computer. 5" and 3.5" bays with standartized internal interface can take anything. This is what a proper camcorder should be. And it will.

> If they can buy flash memory for close to the price
> of what we are used to for tape then the producer
> can possibly justify leaving the original material
> on the cards as the archive medium and bypass
> the achieve issue many people have.

16GB SDHC cards are routinely sold for about $35. This is 2 hours of 17 Mbit/s AVCHD video, which rivals 25 Mbit/s HDV. How much does HDV tapes cost? Not cheap $2.50 DV tapes, but those branded as "HDV" with better formulation? See, the SDHC cards are already in the same price range as tapes. And they will get only cheaper.

> these are digital memory vehicles that basically store and move digits.

Right, storage devices.

> I’ve been aware of the new JVC cameras for a while
> and finally got to see the 700 yesterday. Very smart
> designed camera with modular memory built into the system.

Can it output live via USB onto an external drive? I mean, not output VIDEO, but record a FILE onto an external device while shooting? Apparently, the Sony EX can.
 
>
Can it output live via USB onto an external drive? I mean, not output VIDEO, but record a FILE onto an external device while shooting? Apparently, the Sony EX can.

How would this be an advantage over a solid state memory solution? at least with P2 you're dealing with no moving parts and a product that can withstand temperatures that tape and and definitely a hdd could not. If you need the proof see the Ititarod footage. As far as newer cameras making older cameras obsolete I just don't see it. Discovery networks are still raving about the HVX200 and you still hear about it more than you do the HPX170. I just don't see the issue.
 
P2, when you engineer for the future, you get the future. AVC-Ultra anyone?

Best,

Jan

For those of us who are not in the AVC-Intra/Ultra nor P2 capable market, most of the discussion doesn't have a whole lot of applicability... but, since I'm holding off on buying whatever I may for my move up to HD, why would I be interested in Panasonic, as opposed the lower end Red Scarlets. Since I've pretty much not been interested in Sony since Hi-8... I don't think I've really looked at whatever is the equivalent Sony...

Now, why would I be interested in a Red <anything I can afford...> vs. whatever Panasonic may have in the same price range. Well, I do like the 'one sensor' 2/3" size vs. the 3 1/3". To me this suggests that Panasonic is not keeping up on that sort of technology (now if a low end Panasonic had 3 2/3" sensors... well, that would be interesting...).

The other interest is in the 'natural' ability to use interchangable lenses. Since I don't presume you have check out other threads, suffice it to say, I'm not a fan of having to buy an 'adapter', put that on the front of whatever fixed lense may have been the original manufacturer's idea of an 'optimal' lens for the covered market.

Hence a manufacturer that gives me that capability at a price I can afford, or twists The Wife's arm to elicit agreement to afford... may move ahead unless there is some other over riding feature or option from the similarly priced offerings from others.

As a note, the HMC 40, really doesn't do it for me... and HMC 150 was a little disappointing, although I only rented one for a weekend to do a shoot.

One of the more agravating items in how 'video' manufacturers spec their products is how much light to I 'really' need to get a good image. Trying to deduce that from the specs which seem to be geared at 'betting the competition for low light with gain at max', doesn't really lead to ease use. The fact that the HMC units have wave form monitors does 'help', if one has the camera setup at the set... doesn't help with apriori estimates.
 
How would this be an advantage over a solid state memory solution? at least with P2 you're dealing with no moving parts and a product that can withstand temperatures that tape and and definitely a hdd could not.
Because you can connect anything with USB: HDD, SSD, memory card through adapter, a huge RAID rack, anything. That is the beauty of common interface. Proprietary interfaces suck for a consumer, this is what every IT professional will tell you. It is a lock-in. Also, proprietary interfaces keep the market from growing. Compare closed Apple architecture to open IBM PC architecture 25 years ago. If not for stupid iTunes and then for iPhone, Apple would have been dead. Apple computers are still being manufactured, sold and purchased because Apple switched to PC hardware. If anything, modern Apples are just PCs in a pretty case with custom Unix OS. So much for Apple's proprietary way. Now they are trying to lock customers into locked iPhones and they make it hard for 3rd party vendors to create software for iPhone. Have history taught them well?

Amazing how Panasonic and others keep protecting their market niches and model ranges. The consumer TM300 has the same internals as the HMC40, but records 1080i and screwy 24p-over-60i at 17 Mbit/s, while the HMC40 records 1080p and 720p at 24 Mbit/s. Why? There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that prevents Panasonic from implementing these other modes on a consumer model, and R&D have already been done, so there is no additional money loss, but Panasonic is afraid that some may prefer the TM300 to the HMC40 for 50% of the price. Will I prefer the TM300 to the HMC40? I don't know. But at least I would not feel cheated.
 
Proprietary interfaces suck for a consumer, this is what every IT professional will tell you. It is a lock-in. Also, proprietary interfaces keep the market from growing. Compare closed Apple architecture to open IBM PC architecture 25 years ago. If not for stupid iTunes and then for iPhone, Apple would have been dead. Apple computers are still being manufactured, sold and purchased because Apple switched to PC hardware. If anything, modern Apples are just PCs in a pretty case with custom Unix OS. So much for Apple's proprietary way. Now they are trying to lock customers into locked iPhones and they make it hard for 3rd party vendors to create software for iPhone. Have history taught them well?

That goes back to what I was saying about apple, Panasonic and every other company out there 'for profit'. It's always going to be about profit, if they can get you to spend more money they sure as hell will. This all is a big sacrifice on the progression of technology which seriously hurts the consumer.

You think we needed to wait 3 years for a 3gs video iphone? common if they gave that out with the 1st one, they would have had us all upgrade 3 times!

These cameras are essentially computers as previously stated, well then computers can be hacked and made to do things the 'company' doesn't want. Now we need hack to make the frame rate variable in hmc for starters, if it can shoot 60p, it can shoot everywhere between 0-60p.
 
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Amazing how Panasonic and others keep protecting their market niches and model ranges. The consumer TM300 has the same internals as the HMC40, but records 1080i and screwy 24p-over-60i at 17 Mbit/s, while the HMC40 records 1080p and 720p at 24 Mbit/s. Why? There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that prevents Panasonic from implementing these other modes on a consumer model, and R&D have already been done, so there is no additional money loss, but Panasonic is afraid that some may prefer the TM300 to the HMC40 for 50% of the price. Will I prefer the TM300 to the HMC40? I don't know. But at least I would not feel cheated.

Cheated how? No one is forcing you to go with Panasonic. If you don't like it, Don't use it, plain and simple, it does not get any more black and white than that.
 
Barry you’re a strong and able defender of this company. Panasonic is the perfect camera company, and you are the perfect advocate for them. I wish you both well.

I came here by invitation by Buck who saw my postings on the Cow and liked the conversation about looking forward. I’m not here to pick a fight with you (or anybody) but to try figure out how we came to where we are and stimulate thoughts and ideas about where we might be headed. In general as consumers we are not used to thinking about what these cameras COULD be, but we look at what’s available and choose which suits us best from what’s been produced.

Our rental P2 cameras are not working much in 2/3” and falling fast in the mini category to Sony’s 1/2” EX cameras, so I have questioned WHY that may be. I’m not out to slam Panasonic or Sony (I think they both have issues) but to identify what could be wrong and figure out what might work better because often (if not always) compromises and choices have to made (as with everything).

I want Panasonic and Sony to succeed and build better cameras. You and Jan are full of statistics of fantastic and brilliant sales but in the street I don’t see it. The news organizations may have adapted to P2, but the general professional “film maker” community (where I live) mostly has not (I know you disagree). This opinion, comes from talking to lots of people about pro’s and cons, and our own statistics from a well placed and respected rental facility (and cameraman). Do I know it all… absolutely not. Is this a worthy conversation….. depends on your viewpoint. People here seem happy and flock to "Green’s laws", but I have found many elsewhere who are not happy with current products and gravitate towards this conversation. My rental business doesn’t much care what’s popular; I will buy what the customer demands and get rid of the cameras that they don’t rent. We will likely succeed no matter who’s cameras are being used by the general renting public, because we are small enough to adapt quickly to the trends and stock what the customer demands.

In the last 2 years or so much has changed and the market pie is getting carved up more and more to other players from Red, to Canon, Nikon, JVC (particularly in the under 10k segment). Who knows who will have the next innovative product because technology is changing fast, and the most nimble companies might just have the edge because of they’re willingness to adapt and give up strongly held positions, or technologies from yesterday's best bet.

The full form (shoulder mounted) camera that has made Panasonic Broadcast who they are today seems to be a dieing breed or at least at the higher price points where the big easy profits were. So the market is increasingly aimed at lower priced products, which are where the competition has heated up, and the margins are much thinner.

(disclamer.... there are some opinions in this thread written by me that belong to me, feel free to have a different opinion!)

The market will do what it’s going to do no matter what you or I say.

I’m done here!

Good luck, ER
 
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