P2 CARD FORMATTER FOR MAC!
The original workflow I had when working with P2 was pretty slick. Shoot to P2, offload onto a Powerbook with a PCMCIA slot (or now to a MacBook Pro with the Duel Systems Adapter), erase the card (or simply trash the contents on the card), and return it to the field. They'd put it back into the camera and recording would continue.
I was quite surprised to find that workflow was no longer possible. I got my hands onto an HVX-200 camera so that I could do P2 demos at MacWorld. I went out to shoot footage and when I tried to apply this workflow, I found that I couldn't trash the contents. They were locked and I could not unlock them. READ ONLY. And if I reformatted the card as MS-DOS (FAT-32) then put the card back into the camera, it was an unrecognized format. I HAD to reformat the card in the camera. That was the only solution. Oh, I could open the LOG AND TRANSFER interface in Final Cut Pro and delete the files in there. But that is slow and not too slick. And while the P2 Viewer that Panasonic makes can reformat the card...it is PC only. So us Mac guys, a HUGE part of the HVX-200 and P2 market, were left in the cold.
Until now it seems.
This post at DVXUser announced that Able Cine in Los Angeles has posted a P2 format utility for the Mac (that's a lotta links for one sentence).
DUDE! SWEET!
Oh, wait...BUMMER! I JUST returned the camera and P2 cards today...so I cannot test this! GAH! I downloaded the application and installed it, but I have to wait until someone confirms this. Then when I get my hands on another camera I can get back to my original workflow.
OK...flying back in the AM. Gotta get some zzzz's.
6 comments:
I just downloaded the formatter. I am running 10.4.10 with QT 7.1.6. I have the Duel adapter and Panasonic's PCMS software. I ran a couple of test clips on the HVX 200 and copied the data to my desktop. After I verified the data was good I ejected the card reset the write protect switch and reinserted the card. I open the p2 formatter and renamed the card anjd hit the format button and viola done. I set the card in the camera and shot a few more test clips and repeated the process. Worked like a charm. The card name even stuck after formatting on the desktop. I don't know about reformatting in the p2 store of the camera. This little widget will save me from having to eject the card put it into the p2 store reformat the card. The less stuff I have to carry on the road the better. I can't tell you how much your writing has helped me over the last few years. My boss has created a new title for me for invoicing and pricing purposes based on the Workflow I have developed ove the last year. I am now the Digital Media Manager/Consultant. I handle all the media as it comes out of the camera while on the road shooting, I digitize and log all the footage once we return to the edit bay and use the fundamentals established in your DVD to organize all my media.
Thanks for everything
Alex
Space City Films
Above & Beyond....
If you copy the files from a BLANK formated p2 card and save them to your computer before shooting... Then when offloading delete all the files on the p2 and add the original files(empty), that should allow for continuous shooting without the need to format...
Sorry Ptlauxis...that doesn't work. Tried that. It must have worked at one point, because the guy who showed me was surprised it didn't work. But the Contents folder on the card is locked. You cannot overwrite it, or move it to the trash. You have READ ONLY permission, and you cannot unlock.
This is due to the firmware update to make the cameras work with the 16GB cards.
Weird... Just shot a 2 cam 8hr presentation on 16gb cards and it worked fine... When I would put the empty card it would give me an ERROR but still worked
Well, when I get the camera back I'll test again. But I did it in front of Barry Green, THE HVX guru, and he couldn't do it.
Not that I'll have the need, not with the card formatter out now.
I am a few days away from purchasing the HVX200. Any last minute advice?
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