DVCPRO HD on AJ-1400 through firewire to FCP 5.1.4

[Guillem Ventura]

I’m having the same problem with an AJ-1200A to FCP 6.01…
And sorry to say but the Manual is completelly useless.
Quite often i was getting E-09 errors, referred as “Servo malfunction”… The only thing that happened is this VTR is pretty dumb and you have to tell him exactly what format is the tape.
Isn’t there a way for the VTR to automatically know whether it is 720p25 or 1080 at 59,94? -not in the 1200A
You have to make sure what you are feeding it with.
Even then i can also only capture thru SDI: firewire has proven useless so far.

[Paul Guy]

Thanks ghikikomori,

At least now I know I’m not crazy. I am sorry that you are having the same problem, but I am happy that it’s not just me!

[Rob Gardner]

I am having the same problem with Final Cut 6 not recognising the AJ-1400, did anyone resolve this at all?

[Simon Paules]

Dear all

2 things

The deck has to be set (in system and basic settings in the deck menu) as 720p, 59.94, HD(SP).
This is how the Varicam shoots. Forget all what other people say (DP, Assistants, producers….)

Then in Final Cut to control the deck, you have to put it on DVCPROHD Firewire.
The capture preset has to be set on 720p60, even if you are in 50, 25, 60 fps world, because the camera will only record this on tapes : 720p, 59.94, HD(SP).
I think there you have an image in FCP.

Capture your footage, and then download and install the DVCPROHD frame rate Converter on panasonic’s website.
https://www.panasonic.com/business/provideo/support/fcphd.asp

Consider that the footage you captured is in 59.94 fps.
Go to tools and select the DVCPROHD frame rate converter. Choose your conversion frequency. As I work in Pal for me I choosed 23.94 maybe 23.98 (I can’t remember). Because it was the closest setting for me.

Then open your clip in Cinema tools conform it into 25fps (as I work in Pal).
And the tricks done.

Here’s an another “tutorial” starting at the DVCPROHD converter point :
https://www.outpostpps.com/blog/?p=24

And after this you may say what’s the f**** whith this camera ???
Is life simplier with it ???
I love 35 mm…

simon

editor since FCP 1