Chris Bell
Forum Replies Created
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It’s great to see Panasonic product managers reading this forum. I again would like encourage Panasonic to continue to develop high-end tape based cameras. I want to own the latest in camera technology, and I have the investment dollars to spend… if only an upgrade existed. I don’t want to be like my network buddies still using their Sony BVW-600s/400s. P2 has its place, but it’s not for everything. This is not about being afraid of tapeless production (I own a RED Camera too). In the 2/3″ video world, my clients demand tape and will continue to demand tape. I’d love to see a tape based 1080p Varicam… i’d buy that camera today.
Chris Bell
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Nope.. I live in Seattle.
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I hope Panasonic realizes there are a large number of users who require tape based acquisition. P2 is great for local ENG, and in-house production. However, those of us in network and commercial production require media we can hand off to the client, immediately. They don’t want P2, they want a tape. I think Panasonic would be well advised to continue development of a high-end tape based camera. I own 2 varicams, and I see no value in the new “varicam” models.
Chris Bell
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I have given up on cleaning tapes and head cleaning. When the heads clog, the only solution is to send the deck to Panasonic for maintenance. Sucks when you are in the middle of a project, but I have found no other solution.
Chris Bell
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Get ready for a very expensive repair… the sdi inputs on my 17″ monitor failed, and the repair was $1800!
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Cool idea… but a bit of a boat anchor. It would be cool if Panasonic developed a P2 card recorder that could mount on the back of the Varicam. Or perhaps a hard drive recorder like the firestore.
Chris Bell
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There is a “secret” engineering menu which will allow the camera to shoot down to 1fps.
I can’t remember how to do it… perhaps Leo will chime in and reveal the path?
Chris Bell
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I had an assistant do the same thing with my Varicam. I spoke with the Varicam tech at Panasonic LA and he told me not to worry. That was 2 years ago, and my camera has been error free. To prevent that from happening again, I labeled the cleaning tape on all sides and I keep it tucked away in a separate case. I keep mine for an emergency, but I have never encountered a need for it (knock on wood).
There is some debate among technicians about the usefulness of the cleaning tape. The DVCPRO HD tape transport is self cleaning and quite robust. Annual service goes a long way to maintaining reliability.
Chris Bell
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You’re out of luck. No deck can record all of the DVCPRO formats. The 1200 and 1400 will play back everything, but you can only record DVCPRO HD EX (LP). The 1400 can do insert edits while the 1200 can not.
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You are essentially editing in on-line quality with the DVCPRO HD codec. Your G5 mac is more than capable of handling the job. (I’ve cut shows on a G4 powerbook). Unless you are already set up for uncompressed editing, it’s probably not worth the trouble and expense. I don’t think you would gain much.
Cut your show, and print back via firewire to DVCPRO HD tape for your master.
Chris Bell