With the recent announcement of Panasonic’s new AU-XPD1 Usb 3.0 p2 reader, it’s a reminder why the P2 format is getting left behind.
Years back we relied solely on the Panasonic line of cameras. SDX-900s, HDX-900s, HVX-200s, HPX-500s and so on. About 3 years ago our projects were getting bottlenecked because off the off-load time of the P2. Panasonic offered a USB 2.0 card reader for over $300 or a firewire reader for over $2000. We looked into a new camera the Canon C300 which had better compression rates and shot to CF card. A usb 3.0 card reader runs under $20.
We also invested in the Sony SXS cameras. A 64GB card can record 144 minutes of footage and transfers via usb 3.0 4X faster than the p2. Our p2 cameras sat on the shelf for over a year until sonnet released a thunderbolt to p2 reader for under $300. While more expensive than a CF reader it was a great investment to make our cameras relevant again.
Which is why today’s announcement reinforces why Panasonic is going the way of the dinosaur. A usb 3.0 drive for $495. Panasonic, the saying goes “Good/Fast/Cheap, pick 2”. Your giving us Outdated/Slow/Expensive.