Ordered my XM2 - and huge thanks

[Lars Siden]

<<<-- Originally posted by Benjamin Taft : Another swede checking in! ;)

What was the total cost of your order in euros or kroner? Also I know that COD means cash on delivery but will the swedish post office accept any thing else? Withdrawing twenty something "Gustav Vasa" bills isn't exactly convenient. -->>>

Hello and Welcome Benjamin - nice not being the only Swede around!

I sincerly hope that I will get a "hämta paket på posten blankett". So that I can pay by card. I don't think they'll accept 23kkr in casch ( too big a chance to be robbed )

If you'd like you may e-mail me directly, that way I can keep you posted on the progress. Adress: lazze@datarutin.se

Best regards,

Lazze Z

[Benjamin Taft]

Hans Henrik, you mention that you will be buying the camera through your company and thereby avoiding the German tax. How does this work? If I buy something for my company here in Sweden I would normally pay the full price including sales taxes and then I can write it off against the VAT included in my incomes. Is the VAT/Sales tax drawn off at the time of purchase or do you get it returned later on? I guess I'll have to check the Swedish rules as well but it would still be interesting to know how you did it.

Also, please keep me posted on what reply you get from Canon on the warranty issue, thanks...

Lazze, I sent of a mail to you!

[Chris Fangio]

Hi there,

I'm German and I ordered my XM2 at www.foto-bartmann.de, too (2138 EUR). Ordered Monday, cam arrived Thursday so everything seems to be ok with them. But if you need batteries and memory cards, you should definitely try www.save-it-smart.de. I bought the 5500mA accu and it's absolutely brillant. The price is 37 EUR (CANON's BP945 ist about 200 EUR and don't last as long as this model). I also orderd a 64MB SD-Card which was 60 EUR.


Chris

[Hans Henrik Bang]

Benjamin, it is the same here in Denmark. If I had bought the camera in Denmark, I would have had to pay 25% VAT. I would subsequently have been able to recoup the tax paid by a deduction in my income, but since I bought it in Germany, I simply give them my company registration number (SE number). They then ship it without charging the sales tax at all.

I will then have to inform the danish tax authorities that I bought it, but the VAT is never really paid. I assume it is because it would be too complicated if I first paid German tax, then deducted it from my own income. In that case the german tax authorities would have to send the money to the danish tax authorities.

I hope that explains it a bit.

Good tip on the batteries Chris

Hans Henrik

[Hans Henrik Bang]

I got a fast reply from Canon regarding the warranty issue. The reply was in Danish, so here is my translation:

"All digital Canon cameras bought in Europe are covered by a pan-european warranty which includes the following countries:

Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Greece, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Holland, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, England."

Then follows an address for Canons service office in Denmark. There is also a disclaimer about cameras bought outside Europe and in ex-eastern Europe.

Sounds good to me...

Hans Henrik

[Mogens Dahl Pallesen]

Hans Henrik, Benjamin and Lazze!

As I mentioned erlier in this thread there is another interesting German site http://www.pixxass.de/ with even lower prices compared to the Foto-Bartmann site. And the on-line ordering system is working. I got my XM2 from Pixxass a couple of weeks ago. Details are mentioned above.

Unfortunately I haven't had much time to play with it until now to get some experience - especially not with the manuel settings.

If you new XM2 users dicoverer/experience some intersting stuff please do not hesitate to share it with another newcommer at this GL2/XM2 page.

I can understand that you are all very exited to recieve your XM2 soon. It's great. Looking forward to make my first footage and can't wait until summer where I am going to make some shoots from atlantic salmon fishing in Norway and see trout fishing in Denmark.

best regards

Mogens Dahl Pallesen

[Lars Siden]

Hello Mogens,

I checked Pixass.de, but they had raised their price, so now Foto-Bartman was 150.- Euro cheaper for the camera.

When I lay awake in bed at night ( I'm a father of a newborn daughter, so there are many nights spent like that ;-) - I plan my coming video-sessions.

I have just realized that I need to learn how to use som 3D program, so that I can add some fun animated stuff to my films, any tips on an easy to learn 3D program that can create AVI ?

I have Truespace Caligari 4 - rather simple... but it craves alot of time. Besides cool animated stuff, I'll need a library with add-on sounds and music....

So much fun to do, and so little time!

Regards,

Lazze Z

[Graham Bernard]

"I need to learn how to use som 3D program" - As you might guess this is a massive area of activity. Could you be a bit more specific? Is it 3D graphics and/or 3D animation? Really it depends on the size of your wallet. You appear to have the pc muscle to cope with a lot of editing. I'm a bit concerned you having just one HD. Even though it is very big the recieved wisdomn form others, and my own hard won expereince has shown me the need to have:

1 - A system disc. solely for the programmes and Windows.
2 - An external daisey chain of firewired supporting video and graphics HDs

It would be my advice to explore and research the options and need for some additional "working" drives. Apart from anything else, in the event your only drive going "South" and you loosing ALL your work - the extra drives can be used for back up and general housekeeping - yeah?

I use a combination of 1x60gb + 80gb + 2x 120gb external firewire drives. I use these for various combinations of Capture; Render to; Pre-render; Graphics and music; mpeg tests and other NEw Software test bedding etc etc - yeah?

Hope this helps. A bit "Off-Topic" but within the same area of getting ready to-do stuff.

[Lars Siden]

Hi Graham,

<<<-- Originally posted by Graham Bernard : "I need to learn massive area of activity. Could you be a bit more specific? Is it 3D graphics and/or 3D animation? Really it depends on the size of
>>>

3D-animation should fit my needs best. I'm just doing video editing as a hobby so the budget isn't that large. My main interest in computers is developing programs ( yepp, I'm a genuine nerd, started Before the commodore 64 ). I've found that working with stills & video really gets my creative thinking into high gear, so it isn't just fun, it's good for work as well ;-)

As I said, I have bought Truespace 4, just got an offer to update to v6.5 with a facial animation pack included...

What I would like to do in 3D is some kind of funny-toon that can introduce my videos and act as a guide ( when doing some kind of documentary videos ).

My fist planned project is a documentary about a castle in the neighbourhood - for that shooting I'd like some "ghostly" animated fifteencentury dancers ( you know, white powdered in old fashioned clothing )

So the ideal 3D-program for me should be something with alot of pre-made, ready to use stuff.

>>>>>>>>>>>
your wallet. You appear to have the pc muscle to cope with a lot of editing. I'm a bit concerned you having just one HD. Even though it is very big the recieved wisdomn form others, and my own hard won expereince has shown me the need to have:
-->>>

oh *s* I just wrote the short short version of my hardware. I have 2 computers at home. One workstation ( @2.53ghz) and one server ( P4@1.5ghz ). I have 2x 80gb in the workstation, and 2x80 in the Server(+ 80gb system drive ). All drives going in a RAID(mirror).

I'm planning to get 2x 120gb Serial ATA drives that I'll STRIPE for maximum performance. The striped partition is very vulnerable so I'll only use it when doing the editing and final render. Then I will back up the material, either on a DV tape or on DVD.

I'm also planning to get a gigabit ethernet at home, the prices on gigabit NIC:s is down to about 50 USD ( a switch is still expensive, but having just 2 computers I could use a cross-over copper cable )

Ohh, I think I went quite out of subject here ;-)

Best regards,

Lazze Z

[Graham Bernard]

Woah! You're way ahead of me! Nice to read all your experience and your "muscle" power - That reminds me to add my spec and CV to my signature - taught me a lesson here - cheers!

My only other "advice", would be to scout some more dedicated Forums - dedicated to 3D animation etc etc. But I guess you knew that too - yeah? - You could wait for one of the colleagues here to respond.

[Hans Henrik Bang]

My package with XM2 just arrived from Germany in fine order. Everything seems to be in order, so hereby my recommendation of Foto-Bartmann.

Now I remember what Christmas feels like for an 8 year old :-)

No more time to write... Got better things to do.

Hans Henrik

[Rob Lohman]

Glad you received it okay, Hans! Go shoot some things!!

[Lars Siden]

<<<-- Originally posted by Hans Henrik Bang : My package with XM2 just arrived from Germany in fine order. Everything seems to be in order, so hereby my recommendation of Foto-Bartmann.

Now I remember what Christmas feels like for an 8 year old :-)

No more time to write... Got better things to do.

Hans Henrik -->>>

Hello Hans Henrik,

I'm so glad for you ... and for me ;-) Cause I still have the thrill of opening the box ahead of me! My package was sent 19/3... so I should receive it about 25/3 or so ...

I'm waiting for a full report from you, I want ALL details on the camera and your first impressions!

Friday night - Time for some booze and women(oh, I'm engaged, damn! ;-)

// Lazze

[Graham Bernard]

"Time for some booze and women(oh, I'm engaged, damn! ;-)
" wellll 1 out of 2 aint bad . . . and then you get your XM2 too!

[Lars Siden]

<<<-- Originally posted by Graham Bernard : "Time for some booze and women(oh, I'm engaged, damn! ;-)
" wellll 1 out of 2 aint bad . . . and then you get your XM2 too! -->>>

Haha, You're right Graham! And to be totally honest, I already got 2 wonderful women .... one of them only 6 months old... the same one that will be target number one when the XM2 arrives!

BTW -> Just tested Windows Media Encoder 9 -> Good result! a 1.3gb AVI compressed to 77mb .wmw file. The quality is above average ( but it took long time, 5min video took almost 30 minutes to encode on my P4@2.53ghz ).

Even VERY good quality considering the small file size.

Hick, time for another glass ;-)

// Lazze