Where to pre-order Sony HDV

[Paul Frederick]

Anyone know of a good reputable dealer who is taking pre-orders for the new Sony HDV? Also is there a due date yet?

[Rob Lohman]

I'm wondering why you would want to pre-order a camera that
you've neither seen or worked with or anyone even reviewed.

[Paul Frederick]

Well Rob it's a long story but here is my reasoning...I do programs for Public Television stations in New York state. I specialize in shooting Nature/Scenic programs which are broadcast and then I sell them retail on DVD. I need to shoot 4 seasons for each show, if I wait until next spring then I'm that much further behind in producing a show. Stations are also looking for HiDef programming NOW. I'd rather be ahead of the curve rather than behind the eight ball! I'm going to use it to aquire footage for a year or so, the pro version just appears to upgrade the audio, no biggy to me. So I'm going to get a camera ASAP.

I have alot of confidence in this format, as most of my imagery is NOT fast moving, I think this camera will be adequate for my projects. I've seen the test footage, I've downloaded it, brought it in After Effects and Precomped it in to an anamorphic comp and it looks VERY nice on a TV monitor in anamorphic mode downrezed to SD resolution, like what will most likely be on DVD for retail. That was from a compressed for web file but it still looks better than "regular" DV when you render it out. Even when compared to my PDX-10 with true Anamorphic chips.

Fall folliage in New York is happening NOW, I would LOVE to be shooting TODAY with this camera, if it comes out in Mid-October I may still be OK getting enought fall scenics.

I'm also a SONY man! I have a PD-150 and a PDX-10 and love them both. So why should I think SONY will come out with a piece of junk now?

I don't. I've held off from buying the JVC HDV because it was a one chip camera with not enough manual controls, the FX1 is different and I feel ready for prime time.

Go ahead and wait for all the reviews to come out and then hem and haw about getting one, I'll be well on my way to having a show produced by that point!

[Rob Lohman]

I just hope you know what you are doing. It's quite a big leap to
take in my opinion. But ofcourse you are the only person who
can judge this for yourself.

Just out of curiousity. How is a HD TV station going to air your
HD footage? In other words how is the bridge between HDV and
the MPEG2 HD (which they are transmitting I presume) going to
be made?

[Paul Frederick]

I disagree that it's a big leap. I'm from old school broadcast world where a camera used to cost close to $50k-$75k. $3.7k is nothing compared to that! It'll probably be closer to $3k when it does street.

As for the brodcast format, I think I'll have to dub the HDV master over to whatever format the stations are using be it HDCAM or whatever. Also right now I get programs fed on a satellite, allowing each station to record to whatever format they want. I suspect it'll be the same with HD. Albeit more expensive to feed from a satellite. Again, that'll all need to be worked out but the important thing to me is to aquire footage ASAP.

Plus, it'll shoot in regular DV to boot! Who can't use another camera for multicam shoots! Looks like a win, win to me!

[Ron Evans]

I agree with you Paul. As a pure improvement over the VX2100 its worth the price difference and HDV is a bonus. SOny often does things that upset me from a marketing point of view but the products usually perform as advertised. I have ordered my FZ1 due some time early November in Canada. I will use more in DV mode initially while I experiment with HDV.

Ron Evans

[Paul Frederick]

Ron,

Where are you buying your camera in Canada? I live an hour from Montreal but don't know where to go to even check one out up there. Also with the exchange rate, I just might look into buying one in Canada.

[Christopher C. Murphy]

Hey Paul and Ron, I'm just south of Montreal in New Hampshire...maybe we can get a deal if we buy three FX1's at once??

Will the exchange rate be worth it? It would be $100's saved right? I don't know where to look for the exchange rate!

Murph

[Betsy Moore]

re:" I just hope you know what you are doing. It's quite a big leap to take in my opinion. "

Well, it is from Sony, it is a format most everyone on this section of the site has tried and likes, it is for all intents and purposes their new flagship, and it is the follow-up/spiritual child of the best prosumer cameras ever--and if you don't pre-order and it sells out and you're put on a six month waiting list you might run the risk of waiting too long to do what you want to do.

[Rob Lohman]

I was thinking it was a big leap because:

1. you are going to trust your production to a camera you have not seen or shot with. You don't know how it will handle, what the picture quality will be like or what bugs the first batch will have.

2. it looks like you have no path yet to go from HDV to broadcast format

These two things seem like a big leap to take for me. Then again,
that is just a personal observation. I don't work in broadcast
nor have your job.

I wish everyone well and enjoy the new camera!

[Ron Evans]

I just ordered it from the Sony dealer in town ( Ottawa ). I think any dealer in Canada can pre order from Sony. As I said the present estimate of arrival is 8 Nov now. There are none in Canada at the moment to look at. I just ordered because I didn't want to wait until next summer to get one!!!! I think they will be in short supply. I was all set to buy an Ag DVC30 , GL2 or VX2100. I know the FX1 is a little more expensive but still less than an AGDVX100 by about $1000 Can in Ottawa. Initially I will use a lot more in DV mode than HDV.

Ron Evans

[Paul Frederick]

Murph,
I'll try and find a place in Montreal to pre-order the camera. Then I'll see if they do multi purchase discounts! I'd sure like to get one in November too.

Rob,
No worries, I can understand your position. I'm going to have to update my edit system too before I can edit HDV, so there are a lot of unknowns. I do know that future cams will be improved upon, but like a computer, if you keep waiting for the next best thing, you end up with nothing and everyone else is passing you by. For my needs, I need excellent picture quality (audio is secondary) andI figured I've waited long enough (Passed on the JVC's) but am gambling that the format is on the right track and I'm willing to bet this camera will be worth the cost (and then some).

[Brian Broz]

In vancouver you can order from www.llsr.com
No on-line ordering but you can email them.
1st week of Nov is the ETA.

Brian

[Marc Young]

Even though it's a financial stretch, I'd order one as well, sight unseen. My motto: shoot footage first, then worry about what you're going to do with it later. I'm not satisfied with any of the standard DVCAMs on the market. They are all ancient technology, to my eyes. I also stayed away from JVC's first foray into HD. My niece is just 2 years old and my son is 10. This time of life will not be repeated again. Either capture it or lose it. I want to do it in high resolution, not crappy SD.
I'll buy the Sony from our sponsor, B&H when they have it in stock. My friend with a PD-150 is just drooling at the thought of borrowing my HDR-FX1.

[Rob Lohman]

Marc, I find it weird that you mention the following in one post:

" I'm not satisfied with any of the standard DVCAMs on the market. "

and earlier:

" My motta: shoot footage first, then worry about what you're doing with it later "

These two are in my mind mutual exclusive. How can you say
your not satisfied with certain camera's and then say you just
shoot and worry later. That makes no sense.

Then you go on to say:

" They are all ancient technology, to my eyes "

How can your eyes see if technology is ancient? I'm wondering
why you are considering this Sony camera? You are solely basing
this on HD versus SD?