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Advice: Workflow with FCP- P2 cards or HDV
Hi, this is my first post here, although I’ve been using CreativeCOW for answers for a while.
Our company is thinking of buying its own camera after years of renting, and our VP has narrowed it down to two options. One is the Panasonic HVX-200, which I’ve used a few times, and the other is the Sony HVR Z1U, which I’ve never used.
Our company is a little “old-fashioned” in our methods, and I can tell that most of us would like to have little tapes to label and put aside just in case. Still, P2 cards seem to be the way to go.
Anyway, the reason that this is an FCP question is that the VP doing the buying wants us to get whatever will create the least changes in our workflow. Currently, we’re using an RS-422-controlled DV or Beta deck going into an AJA Kona going IEEE 1394 into the Mac G5. We capture with “Log and Capture” in FCP. We have an external XServe with about 3 TB of space, but it’s generally pretty full (with only 400 GB or so free at one time).
We still plan on sourcing from Beta and DV in the future, so which camera would give us the least changes in our workflow, and what changes do we need to make/equipment or software do we need to buy to make it work?
The HVX is a good deal more expensive, so he wants to make sure it’s not something that will cause a huge number of changes before deciding on it.
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3 Replies
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[Katrina Lynn] ” I can tell that most of us would like to have little tapes to label and put aside just in case. “
Well, you can have those little tapes with either camera. With the Sony you will be shooting HDV or Dv and with the HVX you will be shooting DV only to tape. All of the HVX’s HD formats are to P2 card.
[Katrina Lynn] “he wants to make sure it’s not something that will cause a huge number of changes before deciding on it.”
You don’t indicate if you are planning on moving your productions to HD. If this is the case then it won’t matter which camera you decide on there will be changes. If you can post a little more about your goals in purchasing these cameras are then maybe you can have a more concrete answer.
[Katrina Lynn] “Currently, we’re using an RS-422-controlled DV or Beta deck going into an AJA Kona going IEEE 1394 into the Mac G5.”
Do you mean an AJA IO? The Kona is a card that installs in the computer. Is this how you are capturing your DV material as well as the Beta stuff?
Your capture process will change (maybe) with both of these cameras. With the Sony you will capture in real time over firewire. With the Panny, using P2, you will transfer files with FW or USB.
[Katrina Lynn] ” We have an external XServe with about 3 TB of space, but it’s generally pretty full (with only 400 GB or so free at one time). “
You need more storage.
Tell us a little more about what you want to do with this and you will get some good opinions.
K
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Short answer – HDV, being tape based, will cause much less change to your workflow.
When shooting with P2 cards, you will need to consider a storage / backup system for the P2 card images (the original .MXF data), as well as the QT files that you will use in the FCP edit. This effects both production and post.
However, there are advantages to the HVX. Let us know more details, and we can give more specific advice.
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Thanks for the fast replies!
I meant the AJA IO. Sorry about that.
I’m not exactly certain what the VP’s thought is for a future of HD because he him-haws about it quite a lot. Evidence is that need for “little tapes”.
I believe the idea is to be “HD capable”, which is why he doesn’t want to change the workflow too much. We need to be able to switch quickly and easily back to Beta or DV (but mostly Beta). I feel stupid asking this, but what are the major changes we would need to make in order to use P2? What hardware do we need? What software? What software updates?
I think he has this idea that, because I’m young, I know a lot about HD and the HD workflow, but I used mostly film in college and am married to a film-only guy. What I know, I’ve learned by reading, which is not the best way to learn technology.
I told him that we needed a new server array or even a LANshare, but now I have some “fuel” for it.
Thanks for all of your time! I’m so glad to see people who are willing to help without laughing at me for not knowing everything already.
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