New or Used DSR11?

[Jorge Julian]

I've been looking around now for a used DSR11 or 25 but cannot seem to find one. Can you pros tell me whether it is worth the trouble and anxiety of waiting till I find one or should I just shell out the approx. $3-400 I can save and get a new one for the warranty and ease of mind?

How reliable are these types of machines when they come used? I imagine that one is more likely to come across a hobby or weekend photographers that may have purchased a DSLR for 1-2k and decide to sell it after a few months of it gathering dust. On the other hand, I imagine that someone who purchases a deck is sort of hard core vs someone who is not a pro and is occasionally using the camcorder as a deck. My point is that even if I find a used deck, are they so robust and well put together that they will still have a useful life after I get them or will they most likely be run down?


Jorge

[Richard Alvarez]

You seem to have answered your question already. Are you a sort of part time photographer, who is not likely to use the deck a lot, or are you a hard core editor, bound to put hard heavy hours on a deck?

If you are going to put heavy use on it, go with a new one. The 300 dollars you might save used isn't generally worth the savings.

They are however, fairly robust decks with the exception of the plastic door hinges. (These are easily broken. Doesn't prevent the deck from operating, but its a sixty dollar part to replace.)

[Jorge Julian]

Thanks Richard,

You're right. I will probably not use it as much as a seasoned pro but will use it more than occasionally.

You see, sometimes if we listen we actually do already know the answer to things!

Jorge

[Mike Rehmus]

Used DSR-25's are probably hard to find. DSR-20's come up regularly. Visit multiple web sites and look in their for-sale forums.

I've got over 1100 hours on a DSR-20 with never a hickup. I expect to achieve around 1500 hours before requiring new heads.

[Jorge Julian]

Thanks Mike,

I just picked up a new DSR11. Can I expect the same kind of head life expectancy?

Jorge

[Jacques Mersereau]

<<<I've got over 1100 hours on a DSR-20 with never a hickup. I expect to achieve around 1500 hours before requiring new heads.>>>

Good luck! Sorry to say, but we've purchased 5 DSR-11s. The first one
to go into the shop did so with probably less than 500 hours on it. It's
transport had a horrible whine when in rewind. That was over $450 bucks to
fix. THE VERY FIRST TIME I tried it after being "fixed", NOTHING. DEAD as a STONE.
Hmmm. I called up and bitched up a storm and the repair place came and
got it. A call came in and said that they didn't know what the trouble was,
but it had to go back to SONY. Another $700(!!!) later (The fix had nothing
to do with the other issue, or so they claimed) it is back and
the next DSR-11 is having trouble. I called another trusted video repair
man and he said that they are getting calls from all the schools who bought
DSR-11s that the baskets are going bad. This is the 9TH(!!!) revision for
the basket design, so that says how crummy that they are. The doors ALWAYS
fall off, and that goes with the one that just came back from repair. The
third time I flipped it open with a nail that door came off and the plastic part is
BROKEN. Cheap, cheap cheap! And they replaced the door . . . ha ha ha ;(

OTOH, I have a DSR-40 at home. That machine has done THOUSANDS of hours
and only now is beginning to show some signs of it's age and tremendous
use. I am pushing the bosses to get rid of the 11s and buy either 25s or 45s.
Hopefully before it becomes common knowledge, we can broom the 11s.

Just my *experience*, and as always, your milage may vary.

PS There is NO WAY I would buy a used DSR-11.

[Aaron Koolen]

Jacques, have you had any experience with the Panasonic dv2500's etc?

Cheers
Aaron

[Jacques Mersereau]

No, but we have 4 of the 1000s. They are pretty cool, but right now
we have two of them in the repair shop ;|