I have the AJ-PCD2GPJ Card reader. It has 2 USB connections. I know I can offload to my PC in the field, but is there an external hard drive with the 2 USB connections I can also offload to? Or would the workflow be first offloading to my PC and then to an external hard drive? Thanks for any advice!

Ralph, I'm not sure if I understood your questions correctly but I'm pretty sure you will need a computer between the card reader and a hard drive and you can't just plug in the card reader to an external hard drive.

There is a device call a nexto which isn't cheap, I think about $1000 that has multiple memory card slots and a built in hard drive that can offload cards quickly and easily in the field.

You can also have the reader plugged into a computer and just copy the files straight to the external drive and not save them on your computer. There is a program called shotput pro that is able to automate this process and copy to multiple destinations automatically and verify the contents of the card to make sure everything is good. Feel free to give me a call if you have any more questions.

Marshall

There are several options and you may be aware of some of them and others have been already mentioned:

1: You can get a USB drive and just offload to it from the camera, there is also an option to verify the card data.

2: You can use your adaptor to offload to your PC drive which I think is what you do already.

3: You can use your adaptor to offload to an external drive connected to your PC, this can be a USB/firewire drive so you can copy the card data or if you have editing software you could re-wrap the files to a firewire drive read for editing.

As said though you will need a PC inbetween the card reader and any ext hard drive you cannot connect the hard drive direct to the reader.

Personally I tend to use option 1 and clone/verify the card data to a bus powered USB drive connected straight to the camera, this is then my back-up and is used to then ingest the card data into final cut pro where it is re-wrapped as .MOV files ready for edit.

My second option is that I have a powerbook G4 mac with a PCMIA slot and copy the card data to an external firewire drive.

I also have a macbook pro and mac pro where I can connect the camera and do a re-wrap to .MOV files in final cut pro so that they are ready to edit. This is also what happens to any cloned cards that are held as back-up on a USB drive.

I also do news where I use DVCPro and I can then use the powerbook G4 to ingest and re-wrap the card files straight to a firewire drive via the PCMIA slot.

I have also heard of several people just using a PC with a PCMIA slot as a copy machine to clone the card data to an external USB/firewire drive.

IIRC, the PCD2 uses one USB port for data, the other for power... so both will have to be plugged directly into a computer to function. If you want to offload to an external drive, you'll then need a third USB port on the machine for the drive.

Going from PCD2 directly to an external HDD is not possible.

Can the power USB be used direct into the AC (wall plug) with an adaptor.. and the other for data..
No good in the field ofcourse.. but if your laptop only has 2 USB,s and your inside a room with AC.. can you just plug the power USB into the wall and down load.. using the now free USB for the ext drive..?

If your laptop is a Mac you can use the USB ports for the card and the Firewire port (or Express slot if yours has one) for the hard drive. In the field I do what Gary does, camera to a bus powered USB drive.
Ed

I also find that getting productions to get used to the workflow helps, so I have four 32gb cards and that generally is enough for most of a days of shooting.

I do have the ability to do back-ups during the shoot but usually leave it running and verifying from the camera to the USB drive at the end of the day, I also tend to be sat having a beer in the local pub to wind down at the same time!

If your laptop is a Mac you can use the USB ports for the card and the Firewire port (or Express slot if yours has one) for the hard drive. In the field I do what Gary does, camera to a bus powered USB drive.
Ed

Yes good idea.Im hoping that Pana and HDD makers will start putting out thunderbolt port hardware..
Guess i shouldnt hold my breath :)

Actually I was surprised by the lack of enthusiasm or comment re thunderbolt and down loading cards.. sounds an answer to many prayers ..?

It would be great to see a Thunderbolt version of the P2 card, but I'm not holding my breath either. I also do what Gary does at the end of the day; if we had Thunderbolt P2 readers, we'd have no time for a beer. :-)

Ed

is there any particular reason you down load from the camera,instead of using a card reader/laptop route ?

Yes considering the number of people in this industry who seem to use mac,s.. its a shame it will probably take yrs before pana make a thunderbolt card reader..!!!

If you down load from the camera there is an option to verify the data after is has been copied, it takes longer but for broadcast and long term feature work it is worth it for peace of mind.

It is also my workflow as it allows me to use low cost small bus powered hitachi 2.5 inch 160gb USB drives as my back-up and then load to FCP the verified card data from four cards to the edit drive in one process.

I normally use up to four 32gb cards on each days shoot so it is a good defined workflow and I keep the cloned copies for each days shooting till the programme is on air.

P.S these are the drives I use and they are small so they can be kept in the camera bag or the body armour pouch: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330481518346&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_1258wt_907

Gary,

Is there an option to download from the camera on all P2 camera models? It definitely sounds like a clean and safe way to work. I currently still use tape (HDX900) and use a nanoflash for a tapeless solution. Your suggestion of downloading straight from the camera would be a great alternative.

David

Hi David I use the HPX371 and the HPX3700 and they both offer download straight to a usb hard drive or a host computer, I would imagine all the pro camera's do this inc the latest HPX3100.

On an original flavor HVX200, it will offload via USB, but won't verify; it will verify via Firewire, but won't provide FW bus power.

I just use a Dell D410 with P2CMS

Ralph, I'm not sure if I understood your questions correctly but I'm pretty sure you will need a computer between the card reader and a hard drive and you can't just plug in the card reader to an external hard drive.

There is a device call a nexto which isn't cheap, I think about $1000 that has multiple memory card slots and a built in hard drive that can offload cards quickly and easily in the field.

You can also have the reader plugged into a computer and just copy the files straight to the external drive and not save them on your computer. There is a program called shotput pro that is able to automate this process and copy to multiple destinations automatically and verify the contents of the card to make sure everything is good. Feel free to give me a call if you have any more questions.

Marshall

I figured as much, but was hoping there was something out there affordable to be able to go directly to external hard drives. Marshall . . . email me your contact info. Don't have it. Are you still at TV13?