P2

Panasonic have developed the P2 recording system to record DVCPRO format images and sound onto a solid state removable memory card.

The advantages are that a solid state memory card has no moving parts and is therefore not subject to wear as in video tape, optical disc or hard drive systems. It is also very rugged and copes well with vibration, shock and extreme temperatures.

The main drawback is that the recording time is limited by the capacity of the P2 memory cards. Once the card is full, you have to remove it and transfer the data to a portable hard drive such as the Panasonic 60Gb P2 store. The card can then be put back into the camcorder and re-used. The most commonly available card has a capacity of 16Gb which gives 16 minutes of record time at full High Definition resolution (DVCPRO 100) at 25p. There is also 32Gb card which doubles the recording time. So you'll need to rotate several cards in order to keep shooting and downloading throughout your shooting day.