I'm trying to find Sony Authorized dealers for F3 in the USA but can't find an actual list anywhere...

Someone have any info?

Abel Cine is:

Now Accepting Orders for Sony?s PMW-F3 (http://www.abelcine.com/articles/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=570&Itemid=60)

I'd imagine the CineAlta dealers would the people that will handle it.

Band Pro would be another company http://www.bandpro.com/products/new-products-and-specials/96-sony-f3.html.

We are accepting orders now. Just to be fair though and to answer the question. The dealers that I know of (In the US) are: AbelCineTech, Band Pro, B&H, EC Pro, and MidTown Video. Their are probably more.

I posted a video blog on the F3 on our site here: Hands-on with the Sony PMW-F3 | CineTechnica (http://blog.abelcine.com/2010/11/24/sony-f3/)

In the longer term, it would be best to check at Sony when they actually release their list of F3 dealers.

I imagine in the mean time it would be possible to work out the most likely dealers for the camera. I know one UK Sony dealer is promoting it on their website.

anyone know of an authorized dealer in California?

Guiseppe,

Able Cine Tech has a store in Burbank.

Thank you very much for all the replies

Does anyone know if Full Compass will be carrying the F3?

Hi Everyone,

Yes we are accepting Pre-orders for the PMW-F3 as well.

Contact our sales team for details and visit our new site:PMW-F3 Super 35MM (http://ecprovideo.com/site/pmw-f3-super-35mm.html)

I wanted to see an PMW EX3 first hand, I searched their professional site "find a retailer" page, I put in the model # and my zip and the maximum 1500 mile radius and it returned "0" dealers. If there are that few dealers in the U.S. just list them. I am so enthused with sony gear but continuously disappointed by the disfunctional website.

Hello SONY, would someone in the company please wake up.

http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/services.howtobuy.bbsccms-services-howtobuy-howtobuylanding.shtml


UPDATE If you use this page you have to put in the dashes "pmw-ex3 not pmw ex3" there is no pull down menu you have to type in the model #. The company that they listed did not sell pro gear.

Don,
Are you looking for an EX3 or an F3 ?
I'm sure you'd have plenty of places to look at an EX3, since they've been on the market for a couple of years.
But if you're looking for a hands-on at a dealer with an F3, you'll either have to stop by an event where it's being shown, or wait until the camera is released and dealers actually have it in their showrooms. I suspect that it won't really be available in dealer showrooms until it's actually available and purchasable. Most of the many people who have pre-ordered the F3 have presumably seen it at an intro event and been impressed enough by its look and features to pre-order.

I haven't even seen the F3 in person, but the footage, preproduction DP reviews and specs have me sold. I'm on preorder with EC Pro out of New York, NY.

If it's the EX3 that you want hands on with, and you're not near a Sony dealer, you could consider sweettalking your local camera rental house into letting you play with one either in house or for a half-day for free or cheap.

If you give the impression that you're considering renting one for a future shoot they're likely to at least let you check it out in the equipment room for 15 minutes, and may give you a generous offer on taking it out on the town for five hours.

As an EX1 owner, I can say that they're impressive little cameras for the price, small quibbles not withstanding.

I agree, they really should just put the list up. It would take a web-developer no more than a short time to post links and info on the site.

They are very slow to update their websites, including the CineAlta/Production ones.

When I placed my order EC Pro had I think 5 slots left in their initial order.

Dave I was just looking for a hands on dealer for pro equipment. The OP was asking for a list of dealers for the F3 and I was explaining my frustration with sony's site. Once I found out what I was doing wrong on the search page, the dealers listed didn't appear to be brick and mortar. There websites either listed nothing or didn't carry pro gear at all, and that is after there search page directed me to that site for that specific model. Just frustrated with sonys site. As far as I can tell, Florida lacks a well stocked sony store. ( or a well stocked pro video store of any kind ).

Don

I'd love to have you buy the camera from AbelCineTech. I'm from Florida (Lake Mary - near Orlando) if that counts. :)

I do think that MidTownVideo in Miami will be carrying it though, and they are very nice folks - Midtown Video (http://midtownvideo.com/)

On a different note, the F3 will be in house at Abel NY on January 25th.

Andy

Don,
Being near New York City, I tend to get a lot of stuff through EC Professional or Abel. I often bypass manufacturer sites for sales location info and go straight to Google. In less time than it takes to write this response, a quick florida search brought up a DVinfo link asking about places in Florida, and the response mentioned Midtown Video in Miami. The F3 happens to be listed on their website under 'New Products'. I've never dealt with them, but they are at least in your state. Or look around on the web, there may be places even closer to you.

Andy, glad to hear from you, I will take a look for your store.

Dave, funny you mentioned that, I can find sony webpages easier by searching for the exact phrase on the web than by going through the site.

Dave I was just looking for a hands on dealer for pro equipment. The OP was asking for a list of dealers for the F3 and I was explaining my frustration with sony's site. Once I found out what I was doing wrong on the search page, the dealers listed didn't appear to be brick and mortar. There websites either listed nothing or didn't carry pro gear at all, and that is after there search page directed me to that site for that specific model. Just frustrated with sonys site. As far as I can tell, Florida lacks a well stocked sony store. ( or a well stocked pro video store of any kind ).

Don,
Being near New York City, I tend to get a lot of stuff through EC Professional or Abel. I often bypass manufacturer sites for sales location info and go straight to Google. In less time than it takes to write this response, a quick florida search brought up a DVinfo link asking about places in Florida, and the response mentioned Midtown Video in Miami. The F3 happens to be listed on their website under 'New Products'. I've never dealt with them, but they are at least in your state. Or look around on the web, there may be places even closer to you.


Thanks Dave!

@Don, funny that you mentioned your inconvenience with Sony's search function for resellers on a particular model ( which required removing the dashes ). I'm in charge of our website: E.C. Professional Video, Inc. (http://www.ecprovideo.com). We recently launched our new website and we are working on the search function to understand what users are looking for, with or without the dashes, misspellings etc. Sony does have a big site, they probably overlooked that area.

We are also an Authorized Dealer.
PMW-F3 Super 35MM (http://ecprovideo.com/site/pmw-f3-super-35mm.html)

We will also set up a F3 Demo in our Showroom / Lab, once all of our pre-orders are fullfilled.

Hi Don,
was this the page? --

Sony Product Detail Page PMWF3K (http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/mkt-cinematography/mkt-cinematographyvideo/product-PMWF3K/)

I just played with it this morning, and seemed to be working fine on returning results.
Maybe they saw your post and updated overnight?

This one, it just seemed if it was my site I would have a drop down menu, heck, if it was my site, When you selected PMW EX3 from the drop down you wold get a list of links, sales, specifications, learning, updates/downloads etc. with this find a dealer link you select the product by typing it in. Just make sure you use the dashes, which was my pet peeve. Actually, the whole site is clunky, half the time way to slow, and all the time scattered. Check out the dealers for pmw ex3 32757 and 1500 miles. Without dashes zero returns, with dashes, odd websites In Florida that I wouldn't buy from.

Sony | How to Buy and Programs (http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/services.howtobuy.bbsccms-services-howtobuy-howtobuylanding.shtml)