SD slot for HMC150

[TingSern Wong]

I am reading the Panny's PDF on their website - I don't have the camera yet.

Right now, I have the P2 version (HPX172 - PAL version). That fellow has a SD slot too - that it is using to keep user config, scene files, etc. The video data is recorded on the P2 slots.

On the HMC150 - I see only 1 SDHC slot. Unless I am wrong, I would imagine that the same slot is used for keeping user config, scene files AND video data as well.

Question - how I do store a copy of my user config and scene files into the SD card - without having the video data coming along for a ride as well? Reason - if I format that SD card (after shooting video) - I will wipe out everything (including user config and scene files), correct?

How you folks do this then?

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

Right now, I have the P2 version (HPX172 - PAL version). That fellow has a SD slot too - .....

Wouldn't it have been fantastic if Panasonic had released a single camera, basically the 170, but which used that SD slot to optionally record AVC-HD?

That option may only have been viable for basic shooting, for overcrank or DVCProHD you may have had to use P2, maybe with an option for non real time dubbing in camera from P2 to SDHC? But wouldn't it have combined the good points of the 151 and the 171 in a single package, made the sum much better than the two halves?

Far fetched? Well, it's effectively what the EX1 now gives you with the option to use SxS or SDHC..... Food for thought, Panasonic?

[TingSern Wong]

Nice thought :-).

But, realistically, I don't think squeezing two different codecs into one camera (AVCHD + (DVCProHD + DVCPro50 + DVCPro)) is likely to work today. Too much power drain on the electronics to encode AVCHD and a DVCPro variant simultaneously.

What I would really like to see is Panasonic put out an AVC-Intra 50mbits/sec camera in the form factor of HPX172 or HMC152 - that will be something worth looking at. And support 2 SDHC slots with automatic fallover from slot1 to slot2 when slot1 is full (like P2 is doing right now).

[Ken Steadman]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

And support 2 SDHC slots with automatic fallover from slot1 to slot2 when slot1 is full (like P2 is doing right now).

That would be great! Sigh...

[David Heath]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

Too much power drain on the electronics to encode AVCHD and a DVCPro variant simultaneously.

I don't see that being a serious problem, and it should be possible to intelligently manage the power consumption anyway - turn off the AVCHD encoder etc when P2 is being used and vice versa.

I also agree that the 151 should have two slots. Apart from what you say, it would also allow in-camera card-card dubbing, and recording to both cards simultaneously.

[Jeff Kellam]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

On the HMC150 - I see only 1 SDHC slot. Unless I am wrong, I would imagine that the same slot is used for keeping user config, scene files AND video data as well.

Question - how I do store a copy of my user config and scene files into the SD card - without having the video data coming along for a ride as well? Reason - if I format that SD card (after shooting video) - I will wipe out everything (including user config and scene files), correct?

How you folks do this then?

1. All data rides on the single SDHC card in the modified BDMV format. Lot of directories and stuff in there.

2. I have not formatted a card with scene files on it and checked to see if some type of smart format is performed sparing the scene files. I would bet they are wiped out.

3. Currently I store my scene files on the 6 (F1-F6) internal scene file presets. Keeping the scene files on the card permanently may not be an option. I may be missing something though.

[TingSern Wong]

That's one of my problems I have right now ... because on my HPX172, the SD card slot is dedicated to save user presets and scene files. I don't like to "recreate" the scene files from scratch in case the camera wipes it out for me. I am really interested to find out how you present owners of HMC150 solve this problem. Thanks.

I have doubts the camera is smart enough NOT to wipe out the user presets and scene files on a SD card if you hit the format option.

[Jeff Kellam]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

That's one of my problems I have right now ... because on my HPX172, the SD card slot is dedicated to save user presets and scene files. I don't like to "recreate" the scene files from scratch in case the camera wipes it out for me. I am really interested to find out how you present owners of HMC150 solve this problem. Thanks.

I have doubts the camera is smart enough NOT to wipe out the user presets and scene files on a SD card if you hit the format option.

I was previously using the XH-A1 which stores the presets on and works off the SDHC card, so I know what you are talking about. For me, I never thought about the scene file issue until this thread. It just hasn't been an issue for me. I haven't looked at my camera since this thread started, but I believe the HMC-150 must import the scene files off the SDHC card to the camera to use them, it dosen't use them directly off the card. So, they are on the camera memory anyway.

The HMC-150 has the dial for 6 scene files. So far, the camera has never lost the settings, and I don't think it will until a firmware update. You can import and export the files on the SDHC card if you like, and store them on your computer for a backup.

I don't see this as an issue unless you need more than 6 scene files for a shoot. Coming from the first gen XH-A1 where it was always difficult to even tell if a scene file was off or on, the HMC-150 scene file rotary dial and on screen file name display is a welcome change.

[TingSern Wong]

Jeff, thanks.

You gave me an idea. I will dedicate one 512MB (or 256MB) SD card to keep user presets and scene files. I will program the HMC150 when I get hands on one - then I store them into this small capacity SD card - and write protect it. Keep it somewhere in safe. I use 32GB SDHC for normal video filming ... if I ever needs to restore presets and scene files - I can reach for that SD card and read it back ...

I think that should work.

I do understand the camera (identical in operations to my HPX172) keep its own copy of presets and scene files inside the camera somewhere - and uses that for its normal operations.

I just don't like the idea of recreating the myriad parameters that make up the scene files.

[Jeff Kellam]

Originally Posted by TingSern Wong

Jeff, thanks.

You gave me an idea. I will dedicate one 512MB (or 256MB) SD card to keep user presets and scene files. I will program the HMC150 when I get hands on one - then I store them into this small capacity SD card - and write protect it. Keep it somewhere in safe. I use 32GB SDHC for normal video filming ... if I ever needs to restore presets and scene files - I can reach for that SD card and read it back ...

I think that should work.

I do understand the camera (identical in operations to my HPX172) keep its own copy of presets and scene files inside the camera somewhere - and uses that for its normal operations.

I just don't like the idea of recreating the myriad parameters that make up the scene files.

Here is a link to a description of the original 6 scene files and some Pana variants.

Scene files - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

There are also lot of posts with modified scene files.

Have fun.