Al MacLeod
Well-known member
Lots of 2012 NAB posts...I'll take a stab at this one as the appropriate spot for a question. Any cheap(er) usb3 P2 readers?
p2 reader nab 2012
- Thread starter Al MacLeod
- Start date
Barry_Green
Moderator
No; only usb3 reader is the pcd30 3-slot unit.
Al MacLeod
Well-known member
Sigh...I guess there's always NAB 2013...
Brian@202020
Veteran
By NAB 2013 hopefully Panasonic will evolve away from the barbaric P2 card. They are dangerously becoming JVC, and if they don't learn they will be Ikegami in no time.
Jarek Zabczynski
Veteran
I like P2.
EndCredits
Well-known member
Me too.
eheath
Well-known member
So what is better than p2? A raided memory card? that is now available in the size of an SD card? Seriously, p2 is the best media out right now, followed by SSD follows by CF followed by SD.
This is one of my major complaints with P2 is that the PCM-CIA standard was great in 2001, dead in 2012.
I really don't understand why there aren't more cheap readers. The $330 AJ-PCD2GPJ is fine, but slow. The $2,050 AJ-PCD30PJ costs more than a used HVX these days, and you can pay 60% more to get a fully firewire card reader that doubles as a camera (HPX170).
At least there is the Sonnet Quo which does P2, SxS & CF (plus SDHC) over eStata for $770.
I really think there should be a FW800 , USB3.0 & Thunderbolt card readers for $300 or less, but I don't have too much hope.
I really don't understand why there aren't more cheap readers. The $330 AJ-PCD2GPJ is fine, but slow. The $2,050 AJ-PCD30PJ costs more than a used HVX these days, and you can pay 60% more to get a fully firewire card reader that doubles as a camera (HPX170).
At least there is the Sonnet Quo which does P2, SxS & CF (plus SDHC) over eStata for $770.
I really think there should be a FW800 , USB3.0 & Thunderbolt card readers for $300 or less, but I don't have too much hope.
Barry_Green
Moderator
I hammered them about that, I asked for a PCD3 (my name for a single-slot USB3 reader).
Can't even imagine what would make P2 "barbaric." Could be the ironclad reliability, I suppose.
Thanks. I'm sure your voice has at least little bit of weight with Panasonic. Maybe we'll see something in 2015, at least we'll have MicroP2 SD form factor cards next year.
To me the $2k price on a 3slot reader is a bitter pill b/c I got a FW800 CF reader for $40. Yeah $2k is much cheaper than a $10k VTR, but even the best P2 reader doesn't have nearly as many parts as a VTR.
Video Dave
Member
Barry,
Any chance Panasonic will come out with a lower cost HD-SDI P2 recorder? Considering the PIX 240, etc. 4,700 for the AG-HPG20 seems too high.
Any chance Panasonic will come out with a lower cost HD-SDI P2 recorder? Considering the PIX 240, etc. 4,700 for the AG-HPG20 seems too high.
Barry_Green
Moderator
Any chance? Sure there's a chance, but I don't know if/when. We lobbied quite heavily for it, especially the idea of a MicroP2 recorder that could be tiny.
The HPG20 does lots and lots of things besides recording, so it would seem to me that a simplified recorder would be a product that doesn't directly compete with the HPG20 and therefore should be explored as a new product.
Brian@202020
Veteran
Lots of current memory cards are multiple memory modules in a raid configuration. Back when P2 first came out they were the only ones, but not anymore. I would even venture to say most class 10 and up SD cards over 32 gig are raided and have some sort of error protection, same with the faster SSD's. Not 100% sure about CF cards, but I wouldn't doubt it. There is nothing special about P2 anymore.
tumbleweed
Well-known member
I like P2 and hope it sticks around for a long time. I think the best solution to make it more competitive in the TV world is drop the price of the cards and YES, PROVIDE a cheaper reader. I know, preaching to the choir. I own P2 cards and a PCD2 reader. But because of the price of the cards and many clients chose to shoot on Sony. I personally like the Panasonic look better than Sony. But when they can record for longer with fewer cards it makes it less cost effective for me. My 2 cents.
Matt Gottshalk
Resident Preditor
It is because P2 likes to see other solid state media driven before them, and hear the lamentations of the women and children.
SantaCruzMichael
Well-known member
I like P2 as well. Would love to see more new cams use it.
mburkefilms
Member
I'm about to upgrade to an HPX250 from an HMC150, and I'm really happy to be going to P2. Though it is disappointing I can't afford to transfer footage through firewire.
DBoz699
Veteran
It seems barbaric when you place it next to a sleek SxS card which is much thinner than the P2...but it's also a lot younger than P2.
P2 is super reliable. I have had power shortages, been shocked by the camera and the card at times, given where I was on location. Static electricity is a joke for this card. I accidentally shocked an SD card when I was shooting some stills with a 5D, when I went to put into a card reader and the files become corrupted and distorted. P2 is a champ. I'm a little irked that there's a new Micro P2 format. Which will mean...none of my current P2 cards that I have could ever be used in say..the new 4k Vari-cam when that comes out...but we'll see if Panasonic is more generous about that possibility.
They may seem a bit archaic in their physical design, because they're not thin and super sleek like the relatively new SxS or SD cards.
But why does the look and size of the card matter when you're shooting something? It's tucked away into the camera. I prefer a rugged recording medium that will certainly save all of my data, rather than have a 'cool' looking rig and accessories.
Unfortunately in the freelance / independent realms these days, people are getting caught up with the equipment that people own, rather than the quality, reliability and experience they can offer to clients. I have to tell people, in order to get hired, my camera specs and the type of editing machine I can bring to the table. Then they ask me about my experience level...shame really.
Any opportunist could get into this game if they had the capital, but when the going gets tough, experience and reliability for those who know what they're doing will stand to the test..and will get them the next job.
I just really hope Micro P2 is going to be backwards compatible with the current infrastructure that's in place.
We're at the point now where we really need to stop worrying about the formats we record on. Apple invented ProRes and Panny the AVC-Codec. Both are damn impressive considering how far it's come from DVCProHD...I don't even want to get started with the frustrating XDCam.. Most productions finish to low bandwidth formats to broadcast anyways.
Focus on telling a better quality story and getting a better dynamic range and image quality from the camera...the formats that exist today can easily handle the high resolution and high speeds of the cameras already. How much true resolution does one need in order to feel fulfilled? The eye can't even register a full 4k image..
Please stop changing the formats every 5 years just to keep up with fashion statements.
If Micro P2 is to be the new standard...i can't imagine what it should be in 10 years from now. It'll come to a point where the formats and card productions will plateau because they'll be able to transfer GigaBits of data within seconds. The climb for image superiority will still be in full force until the end of time.
P2 is super reliable. I have had power shortages, been shocked by the camera and the card at times, given where I was on location. Static electricity is a joke for this card. I accidentally shocked an SD card when I was shooting some stills with a 5D, when I went to put into a card reader and the files become corrupted and distorted. P2 is a champ. I'm a little irked that there's a new Micro P2 format. Which will mean...none of my current P2 cards that I have could ever be used in say..the new 4k Vari-cam when that comes out...but we'll see if Panasonic is more generous about that possibility.
They may seem a bit archaic in their physical design, because they're not thin and super sleek like the relatively new SxS or SD cards.
But why does the look and size of the card matter when you're shooting something? It's tucked away into the camera. I prefer a rugged recording medium that will certainly save all of my data, rather than have a 'cool' looking rig and accessories.
Unfortunately in the freelance / independent realms these days, people are getting caught up with the equipment that people own, rather than the quality, reliability and experience they can offer to clients. I have to tell people, in order to get hired, my camera specs and the type of editing machine I can bring to the table. Then they ask me about my experience level...shame really.
Any opportunist could get into this game if they had the capital, but when the going gets tough, experience and reliability for those who know what they're doing will stand to the test..and will get them the next job.
I just really hope Micro P2 is going to be backwards compatible with the current infrastructure that's in place.
We're at the point now where we really need to stop worrying about the formats we record on. Apple invented ProRes and Panny the AVC-Codec. Both are damn impressive considering how far it's come from DVCProHD...I don't even want to get started with the frustrating XDCam.. Most productions finish to low bandwidth formats to broadcast anyways.
Focus on telling a better quality story and getting a better dynamic range and image quality from the camera...the formats that exist today can easily handle the high resolution and high speeds of the cameras already. How much true resolution does one need in order to feel fulfilled? The eye can't even register a full 4k image..
Please stop changing the formats every 5 years just to keep up with fashion statements.
If Micro P2 is to be the new standard...i can't imagine what it should be in 10 years from now. It'll come to a point where the formats and card productions will plateau because they'll be able to transfer GigaBits of data within seconds. The climb for image superiority will still be in full force until the end of time.