P2 vs. Firestore

M

meddesigner

Active member
Quick question as I am putting my final PO together...

Would you buy

2 8GB P2 and a P2 Store

3 or 4 4GB cards and a P2 Store

1 Firestore and no P2 cards

Also...

Any thoughts on the firestore weighing the camea down for handheld?

Thanks for the advise...
 
I'm leaning towards the Firestore once I can find it in stock. Otherwise, during interviews and such, you would have to hire another person to offload. Which could also be distracting, especially with non-talent. Weight is about a pound and it's 1.5 inches thick. It might increase fatigue slightly for handheld, but more weight sometimes gets you steadier too.
 
I personally would not want to be without at least two P2 cards. I suppose it depends on what you are shooting, but the P2 cards are incredibly handy and rugged--the camera was designed around them after all. I could imagine going P2 only, but not firestore only.

I understand the event or run and gun needs, though. How about 1 firestore and one 4gb card? Or better, wait for the Cineporter + one 4gig card.
 
I can't wait for the Cineporter and while I would like to buy P2 - it's run time is way to short. In 1080i I will only get 16 minutes. It really is not usefull for talking head stuff - especially with talent that does not want to be in front of the camera to begin with but is required to as part of their job. The talent is never prepared and what ends up being 10 - 15 minutes edited is 60-80 minutes of material that hasto be sifted thru to create the final edited video.

P2 could be good and I would love to use it but I just think the FireStore might be better for now.

I might could make 2 8GB cards and a P2 store work. I
 
I thought the fire store would work until p2 got more affordable, that was until I saw it a NAB, hah no way that jerry rigged set up will withstand what I would have put it through. Get p2 and p2 store if you need to get it right the first time!!!

So I got 2 8gig cards and a p2 store (ouch, pricey but bomber gear that you can count on).
 
I was all pumped up, ready to jump on the Firestore . . . but having worked the past two months with only two 4gig P2 cards I'm going to pass.

I will be adding a third 4gig P2 card to the "fleet" shortly.

(I also have a P2 Store).

Nice thing about the P2's is that you can record all formats, all frame rates, and they're even seen by the camera as a P2 device! <g>.
 
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Well just talked to the money folks and they said go ahaed and figure the 2 8GB cards with a P2 store.

I think I am going to be happier with this set up.
 
The Firestore sounds like a bandaid. But can someone clarify the limitations of the firestore? I keep hearing vague references to this.
 
JPproductions said:
Other then recording native, and not being able to preview, what are the other limitions to firestore?
Click to expand...

Your quote pretty much spells it out (for me). I shoot pretty much exclusively in 720p/24pn . . . Please, I'm not knocking the FireStore, or your decision to buy one--no offense intended.

What I am saying is that I have gotten used to (and like) the setup I have. Three 4gig cards and a P2 Store give me the potential of up to three hours before I have to think about uploading anything to a PC. Takes a little more shot planning (and manual dexterity), but it works (for me).

At approximately $22 to 28 per gig for the FireStore-P2 Store I can hardly wait to see what "they" will be charging for the larger capacity "A" models in the months ahead?

I must be in the wrong business . . .
 
kito said:
I thought the fire store would work until p2 got more affordable, that was until I saw it a NAB, hah no way that jerry rigged set up will withstand what I would have put it through. Get p2 and p2 store if you need to get it right the first time!!!

So I got 2 8gig cards and a p2 store (ouch, pricey but bomber gear that you can count on).
Click to expand...


Pretty much my feelings too. I love the p2.. love the p2store... would hate to have that brick be my operational medium.... Stone biblical tablets might be more appealing... IMHO.

The one I used with the JVC was also wonky and obtuse.
 
Firestore may very well be a band-aid. And it sounds like the integration of the P2 is solid, as it should be, because it's made by the same people but . . .

For interviews it seems by far the most viable solution. Especially when you're interviewing very busy people who don't want to watch you ask questions while unloading and offloading and reloading P2 cards every 8 minutes.

Harddrive space is like money, you can never have enough. I'm getting the firestore Monday, so I'll let you know how it works for me. Hopefully, well.
 
8 gig p2 cards and p2 store is the only way to go with this camera. it's solid and very reliable.. its great for run and gun. and also sharpening knives, oh never mind, that's something else. haha.. why complicate your shoot with extra cables and mounts & charging batteries, menu steps, firewire ugh.... yeah sure even if you're doing something where you have time to set up, it might be handy, but you don't have the run and gun option..
 
Thought about the laptop, but it seemed risky, loud and slow to me. I don't have a great laptop, so the purchase would been in the dark. Also, you definitely would be tethered to a laptop. Have not used the firestone yet, but my understanding is you can run and gun with it (just maybe not in rainstorms, floods, tornados, bull-runs, war torn countries, and mardi-gra). 1 Cable, 1 mount, 1-2 90 minute batteries, 1 setup. Not so bad
 
I have been running 2 8gig cards and a p2 store and can't see doing it any other way. Stay away from the firestore. It has some big issues. compared to the p2 work flow.
 
After 100 hours of use with the JVC and firestore... I'm happy to not have to lug that brick around on the camera. It's also heavy... plastic and doesn't look like it will stand up to longterm shooting.. Maybe the HVX one will be better but it's not a clean setup.. and I would hate to drop that thing. If I dropped the P2 card I'd only be worried if it fell into a bucket of acid... even water wouldn't hurt the darn thing...

People.. solid state is here for a reason.... Harddrives SUCK. I have 4 dead ones on my shelf right now.... Sure the P2store is a harddrive.. but I keep it close to me.. and that'a also one ruggedized enclosure.. and it runs all day on one battery...

I also know that it's now focus enhancement.. but videonics has always been a company producing buggy knock off crap... I HATED their switchers and gack.. and wouldn't want to be dependent on that plastic hunk...

Keep it on solid state and you'll sleep easy at night...
 
justyn, what happened to your jvc? did you switch over to hvx? If you did why and how do you compare them? thanks
 
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