P2 Media Detection

I'm trying to import media directly from my camera's P2 card into Final Cut Pro X. I've done this many times before but now, FCP doesn't detect the cards. I can see them in Finder but FCP just won't see them. Any ideas?

Assuming you have offloaded your P2 contents to a drive, select "Import from Camera" and then choose to open a camera archive. From here you can browse to the top level of whatever directory you offloaded the contents to and you should see all your clips and can choose which ones you want to import.

If you haven't offloaded to a drive and are trying to import directly from an attached camera, you may need to create a camera archive first. I never import directly from the camera so I can't be sure of that process.

Is this how you are trying to do it?

P2 should import directly from the camera, unlike DSLR's. It's a real video camera. Cards, if mounted on the Desktop simply show up in the Import From Camera window on the left had side under "Connected Devices". Archive is not necessary, nor is copying to a hard drive. I'm doing it myself at this very moment with a HVX-170.

What specific camera is this, and what format was the footage recorded in?

Yes, agreed BenB. But for my purpose, once I complete filming on a card, I export that card to (3) different drives as backups. Then I prefer to import from one of those backups I refer to as a work drive. If I forget to have the card write-protected and access it directly I stand a chance, abeit small, that I corrupt my data. So I am in the habit of importing from a copy of the card. Hence, the copy to hard drive.

I'm using the HPX3100 and I just recorded in standard def DV. I've been playing around with it and I think the cards are just corrupted. I've tried plugging in other cards with success, so it doesn't look good for the other cards.

For my P2 cards, I always ingest directly from the cards, as I don't have time to offload anything in the field. I do an Archive while importing, both at the same time in FCP X, so I have my backup there.

It could be bad cards. How old are they? Contact the reseller you purchased them from, cause I know there's some warranty on them. I've found P2 cards to be very durable and last forever. Curious you're recording standard definition on such a great camera. What is the purpose?

I'd format the cards in the camera, and do a high def 720p30 recording on them as a test.