[Will Salley]

Have you performed an “ALL RESET” under the “OTHERS” menu?

Try that if not, then do a firmware update to version 1.10

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

Many of the Panasonic cameras, especially the smaller prosumer models, will have a processing delay of around 150ms. It’s easy to hear when you have headphones plugged into the camera and listen to dialog E/E. You can also test it by shooting a timecode slate with TC fed by the camera and observing the offset when in playback pause. It’s given me fits for years as a sound recordist, but I’ve learned to expect it and know how to workaround.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

Jason, Those application packages are really complementary and not really a “one or the other” choice.

Adobe Production suite has Photoshop and After Effects, among others. While After Effects is a compositing app and has a 3D capability, it is not a a true 3D application. Cinema 4D is a modeling / animation package that allows the user artist to create 3D objects and environments completely within the app; While After Effects is a very useful tool to composite all those objects and elements together.

Ultimately, You should learn and use both a compositing app and a 3D app. I happen to use both of those apps a lot, but there are, as Ron mentioned, others available. The two work together really well and both companies have done a good job of integration of the workflow.

That being said, I recommend the Adobe suite and then you can add the animation apps later.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

Wait till you have to sequence the playback order. That’s the nightmare.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

It works, but it’s fussy and frustrating.

It has to 24-bit/48k with “Little Endian” checked. Stereo or discrete channels.

Most, if not all, cameras record 16-bit audio so why the Ki Pro won’t accept that is a mystery. Adding 8 bits is a waste when it starts at 16.

[Will Salley]

I’ve had LTO fail as well. Not only the retrieval, but the actual cartridge. Anything is subject to failure.

I currently do a project level back to two separate but identical hard drives. I store one in a vault and the other I keep in my office. I use airtight storage containers (Snapware) for the vault, which is in another building. When the project data is small, say below 50GB, I’ll go to BluRay as well.

I’ve got over 20TB of redundant drivespace (not all full)and no critical failures in the last five years. I do not “exercise” the drives in the vault, although it can’t hurt.

In my opinion, redundancy is the best back up plan.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

Don’t use the electronic shutter (turn it off). You’re going to have issues, as the others have noted, with fast pans at 24fps. Fix it in After Effects using interpolated motion blur.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

Remember that there will be the usual round of camera angles for a scripted / dramatic production. It’s very different with “reality” style productions, where just about everything is wireless and ADR is unheard of.

With scripted shoots, you have the opportunity to boom each close up and get cover dialog for the wide shots. It’s a lot more critical to get good dialog on the close up than the wide shot, so set up for that scenario – if you are indeed doing a scripted shoot. If it’s reality style, invest in a bunch of wireless and get ready to wire everyone up.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

I’ve had good luck with these:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211470

I’ve bought dozens and had no issues, although I’m using them mainly as placebo / backup to Ki Pro.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.

[Will Salley]

[AJA Sales Department] “AJA does not typically recommend disabling the use of the custom clip take, but in some situations, overwriting an existing file may be desirable.”

I cannot imagine any situation where automatically erasing a file in the field is desirable.

I mainly posted this to warn others users who, like myself, may not have photographic memory of every page of every piece of gear they may own. Something as catastrophic as automatically erasing previous clips should be noted on the first page of the manual in a real big font, or better yet, having that possibility eliminated from the function of the device.

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.3 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite – FC7.0.2 – CS4 Prod Prem.