P2 card to external HDD
 

Has anyone transfered video from a P2 card directly to an external hard drive thru a laptop.

I've read about people transfering P2 to laptop HDD, and THEN from there to Ext HDD.
Is it possible to do it in one step? or to bothy at the same time?

I haven't. But what I have done a lot is plug in a bus powered USB 2.5" drive directly
to my HPX-370 and download the P2 card directly to the hard-drive. This has been great for location shoots around the world. I can be in the mountain jungles of Mexico with 2 64Gig P2 cards and download up to 7 cards to each 500g drive (that I can carry in my pocket).
Ed

You can use software like Shotput pro.. about $99 if I remember ..you can even download to up to 3 or 4 HDD,s at the same time.. but will be slower than 1.This is great software IMO

Pana have only relatively recently come out with a simple one card USD reader.. about $350 I think..

I have a ten year old powerbook G4 with a PCMIA slot and can copy the cards direct to a firewire 400 hard drive, it keeps the P2 directory structure so is sometimes useful on location.

The camera to USB drive is better though as it verifies as you transfer but it is useful to have as many options available as possible, either way I tend to clone the cards for a days shooting and then transcode to pro res HQ on the macbook pro to a firewire 800 drive.

I have also gone straight from the camera to pro res HQ on a firewire 800 drive on my macbook pro via the USB link.

Almost every shoot I go from a P2 card thru a computer to external HD. On my mac Yes you can copy to both internal and external at the same time. I don't do it often as I like to verify read and write from the HD Copies and I do this by copying the copy before putting the P2 card back in service.

Hi Dan

Which card reader are you using with your laptop..?

I'm not Dan. :-) But I'll chime in. I have the single P2 card reader, the Panny AJ-PCD2. It has 2 USB cables, so you lose the use of your mouse on a laptop. It transfers about 1GB/minute. I think it cost me about $350.
Ed

Hey Robin,
I have a duel adapter with my older 15 inch Macbookpro. If you have an SXS slot and stay on Leopard this works well. Otherwise on the newer computers the single slot box is the least expensive option I know of.

1 GB per minute is about real time isnt it.. at AVC100 or DVCpro HD.. seems a bit slow..?

It's very slow, but I typically don't shoot enough to justify the $2,000+ 5 slot reader that's blazingly fast.
The 1gbpm off-loading speed increases a little when loading directly to my RAID, but to my MBP, it's slow (it's a USB2 connection after all).
Ed

sorry whats an MBP..

Am I right in thinking the 5 card reader is not usable with laptops.. ?

Thanks

MBP= Mac Book Pro

To the bat cave Robin! ;0)

sorry couldn't resist!

haha yes the boy plunder indeed..! but answer the question :) or the utility belt comes out..!

Robin,
There are different versions of the Five Card reader. One of them has Firewire and USB as an option

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/455632-REG/Panasonic_AJPCD20PJ_AJPCD20_P2_Drive.html
AJ-PCD20

Some need a card to go in a computer to be used.

Ok thanks..