Considering selling my EA50...

[Dmitri Zigany]

I recently got myself an FS700R, and my original plan was to keep the EA50 as a b cam. But seeing what an Convergent Designs 7Q can do to the FS700 footage has tempted me to maybe sell the EA50 to fund a 7Q.
Not sure if it's the best move or not. And maybe the EA50 can cover the 7Q, but then I need the FS700 codecs and SSDs. Decisions decisions ;)
Has anyone seen what used EA50s sell for in Europe?

[Steven Digges]

Dmitri,

I believe I have read almost all of your posts so I know the story of your road to the FS700R. But I do have a question. I have never been sure if your theater work (or anything you shoot) is your passion or if they are clients? That would weigh heavily on my decision to keep or sell the EA50. . Your stuff looks very professional. If you are doing it for fun you can shoot it any way you want. And no tragedy if your camera goes down. As a professional, I am a huge advocate of backup systems. The backup camera may not always have to be the exact same as the A-cam, but there must be one. In my OPINION it is unprofessional for someone to accept a paid gig and risk it all on one camera. One way or another, if the A-cam goes down, a professional must be able to keep shooting.

I would say keep it either way, if it was me, but that’s me. I don’t like taking the hit on rapid depreciation. And I guess I am weird. I have two old Canon XL2 Mini DV rigs still hanging around. Even though I bought and sold other cameras as that line advanced. I kept them just so I would still have a matched pair of DV cameras if I needed them. But hey, they are collecting dust.

Steve

[James Manford]

I've seen them sell for as little as £1500 on eBay upwards to £2000.

Just buy yourself a high end handicam as a means for a B cam. It will do the job and I doubt your client's will know any better ...

[Dmitri Zigany]

Thanks Steven.

The live performance movies I do are usually for acquaintances and the money I earn from those are not great. But at least they get some food on the table. I had an idea of trying to step up the live performance level a bit with the FS700 and the EA50 in combination. But to do that there would also be a need for a second operator. I doubt there's any money for that stuff in the scene I operate, at least not in the near future.

So what I'm looking to do is to step up my game making music videos and other videos that are not "live".

I'm really interested in quality imagery and lighting etc and that's where I want to improve. The Odyssey 7Q would bring that higher level.
But if I keep the EA50, I can bring it to the less paying gigs, and keep doing some live things when they come around.

I'm not making enough money currently so I can't see myself being able to afford the 7Q in any other way than to sell the EA50. If there was, it would be a no brainer to keep it. It's a tough call.

I don't consider myself a professional video maker yet. On the other hand I've been DJing for 20 years and don't consider myself a DJ either ;)
Both cameras are bought from money made from other ventures than video work. I'm still new to this (have only been filming for a little more than a year) and made the investments mostly to learn. But it's about time to start making more money off this now. And that's not happening filming burlesque shows, that's for sure! ;)

[Dmitri Zigany]

Originally Posted by James Manford

I've seen them sell for as little as £1500 on eBay upwards to £2000.

Just buy yourself a high end handicam as a means for a B cam. It will do the job and I doubt your client's will know any better ...

So that should be around €1800-2200... Hmmm. They seem to be going for around €3100 new, so it should be possible to get €2000 for it at least. I hope.

Hmm, I'm still in it mostly for myself. I'm interested in making beautiful things. I never work just for money, if I did I wouldn't have spent my entire life in performing arts ;)
I'd rather spend my life doing quality things with quality people for no money than filming corporate bastards with a handicam for sacks of cash.
Sometimes I wish I was more interested in money though.

[Steven Digges]

If you go the e-bay route, consider selling the camera and lens separate. The kit lens is hot so over here everyone is selling them separate. The 18-200mm EA50 kit lens fits lots of bodys. They are selling for $800.00 / $900.00 US dollars.

Steve

[Noa Put]

Originally Posted by Dmitri Zigany

Sometimes I wish I was more interested in money though.

Says the guy who has and uses a ea50 and a fs700r just for fun :)

+1 on Steve's comment, selling lens and camerabody separately will increase the salesprice of the camera.

[Dmitri Zigany]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Says the guy who has and uses a ea50 and a fs700r just for fun :)

Hehe, it's not really just for fun. They are my investment, and my means to teach myself filmmaking. And I'm hoping to be able to partly make my living from the video making sooner rather than later. I'm still DJing and making music as well. Of the three, DJing is the thing I solely do for money with no interest in it other than a source of income. And it is what paid for my EA50. I was lucky to get a chunk of money so I could get the FS700, but dead broke now because of it.

I guess my problem with mainly filming artists is that I never charge enough, I guess, being an artist myself I know how hard it is to make ends meet. I'm the worst business man in the world ;)

[Dmitri Zigany]

Thanks for the idea to sell camera and lens separately!

I have also thinking of selling the EA50 and keeping the 18-200 PZ just because it's quite good for filming live performances... A bit to slow on the EA50 though.