[John Christie]

Hi Jonathan

Can’t speak directly to the XF100 utility as I haven’t used it. I’m guessing that maybe it has verification added to it to make it more bullet proof. Sony’s XDcam software also allows for verification when copying, but we’ve never bothered using it in the field.

We send crews out around the world and haven’t had any issues with our workflow, but it’s always a good idea to follow the manufacturers suggestions for maximum safety.

And make sure they follow all the steps I listed above regarding leaving the computer alone and copying to multiple drives.

Cheers

JC

[John Christie]

Hi Jonathan

Nothing wrong with copying the card contents to a hard drive as long as you copy the whole folder structure. For instance, with an EX1 make sure you take the whole BPAV folder, not just files from inside that folder. You will need the extra metadata when ingesting to FCP later.

Mac OSX doesn’t do a verify after copying, so I would recommend not doing anything else on the computer while it’s copying. No writing emails, no peeking at footage, just leave it alone and let it do it’s thing.

I would also make sure you copy to at least 2 hard drives for safeties sake before you delete the original cards. Also, use the get info function to compare the folder size and number of files after you’ve copied the folders. The size may not match exactly, but the number of files should match up after a copy.

We do this all the time with EX1 sony footage and Canon DSLR footage and haven’t had a problem.

Also, when re-using cards, always re-format them on the camera you’re shooting with, not on the computer.

Cheers

John

[John Christie]

Check out the Panasonic AC130 or it’s bigger brother the 160. It seems to fit everything on your list. SD and HD, variable HD data rates, XLR inputs, etc. Shoots up to 12 hours in a single clip!

[John Christie]

Jordi

The software that ships with the Canon 7D allows remote tethering to a laptop over USB. You’d still record in the camera, but you can monitor the picture and remote start/stop on the laptop. It’s pretty cool, but there’s a one or two second lag introduced with the USB connection. I’ve used it with the 7D mounted on a jib and it did the trick.

Cheaper than an outboard recorder!

Cheers

John

[John Christie]

Steev

I’ve always found that copying a project and deleting the unused elements doesn’t work as well as dragging elements into to a new project. FCP seems to hang onto things in the project file, even if they’ve been deleted.

Cheers

John

[John Christie]

I have a Pegasus R6 and the latest gen iMac and it’s been flawless. You should demand a full replacement unit from Pegasus, especially if it’s only 2 weeks old.

[John Christie]

Hi James

That’s three to four different jobs with three to four different pay levels. In Vancouver I would expect to see a range from $250 to $400 per day.

Cheers

John

[John Christie]

OOOPS, Meant to say Blend Fields. Although Smart Deinterlace might be worth a look as well

[John Christie]

Too Much Too Soon filters – Smart Deinterlace. The filters are free but you can donate to the developer.

[John Christie]

OMF works great with FCP7 to Audition. Then export a stereo pair out of Audition and bring it back into FCP. FCP only exports OMF, you can’t import.