Panasonic AJ-PX5000G secret formating?

cameragod

Well-known member
Using a Panasonic AJ-PX5000G and the process to format media is driving me nuts. 18 button presses. I mean for goodness sake its mental. Not at all acceptable for an ENG camera in the field to take that long.
So what I want to know is there a ninja fast way to format the cards?
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Cameragod I'm not familiar with the 5000 but I am familiar with Panasonic. Every p2 camera I have used has been formatted the same way. Press thumbnails then menu with the arrow buttons go to format pick which slot card is in then format. That's how I do it everyday on the 600. Let me know if this is what you are doing.
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Oops! I might have forgotten 1 step; press thumbnails button then menu button, on my camera after you press menu I scroll to operations from there scroll to format then to slot number. Yes for format. Done
 

cameragod

Well-known member
Thumbnail
Menu
down to Clip
across to Sub menu
Down 3 times to Format
Select
across to sub menu
Down to Slot#
Select
Up 1 to Yes
select
Select OK (FFS Panasonic)
Up 1 to Exit
Menu to exit menus
Thumbnail to exit thumbnails
Realize you just missed the shot.

I plan ahead as much as I can and format all the cards when I take a kit over, but news is a mad environment and having a full card handed to you in the middle of a shoot is not that uncommon. Having to stop everything to format cards is BS.
 
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At the scene

Well-known member
That's about right. Maybe 1 step more.I do not believe there is any other way. Honestly you do get use to it and will fly through it blindfolded soon. Good luck.
 

Run&Gun

Well-known member
I've been shooting with a P2 Vari since about 2011 and it does seem obscene when you type it out step by step, but like At the scene said, you get used to it and it becomes second nature. The longest part is actually waiting for the camera to update after you format a card so that you can exit out of the menu.
 

cameragod

Well-known member
From Panasonic.

HI Stephen,

I have received your enquiry about formatting the P2 cards. Yes, it is a bit of a process, but some steps can be eliminated from your process. First of all you do not need to use the Exit button to back your way out of the menus. Simply press the menu button to turn off all Menus. Secondly once format is complete and you press OK, you can immediately hit record and the camera will exit the Menus and the thumbnails and start recording.

Having said this, there is a good reason they do not make formatting too easy, as it would be fatal to do it by mistake. Secondly most workflows involve formatting the cards once they have been ingested, rather than in the field under pressure.
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Yes this is true. Unfortunately you still have to go through the same process over and over to format disks. Again Cameragod if you use the camera on a consistent basis I can assure you that it becomes second nature. Thanks for inquiring for a better and faster way.
 
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