Waiting on Sony Service Thread

[Henry Epstein]

For the US buyers, at present, the price of $ 13.960 has been in place since May last year.

Currently there is a promotion (since October 15, 2011 until March 15, 2012) where the end user receive a cash-in rebate of $800 so the price after this is $13,160.00.

Certainly if you buy the S-Log option of $899 after you receive your camera, at the end, your cost will be $14,059.00, but with all the hassle involved. This promotion will expire 3/31/12.

So, I do not understand what you mean in your last post about that the price has been already increased...

And that option you mentioned before that after 4/1/12 the S-Log will be included with the F3 for $13,999 sounds very tempting after all... That's why I still remain with my question:

Where did you get that info?

[Ned Soltz]

Making inquiries under my "press" credentials, I have found that there is no price increase scheduled for April 1. I do not know, nor was I told one way or the other, about inclusion of S-Log as standard in the future. If I was told, I couldn't say. But the one thing that I could confirm and report is that there are no scheduled price increases.

Ned Soltz

[Henry Epstein]

Ned,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply...

Your answer have put me again on track to order the F3 immediately.

I hope to be qualified and on time to buy the $899 S-Log option even though some one in another forum has posted that this program has been already put on hold.

[Ned Soltz]

The information circulating today indicates the promotion is "on hold." Again, using the "press credentials" I could dig a little deeper.

Sony is using existing stock of S-Log upgrades to upgrade each camera individually and then repurpose the SxS card. Sony Teaneck, at least, says they are out of parts and are awaiting management to tell them whether there will be any more or not.

Management says that they are looking into the situation.

So, as of right now, 2/13/2012 at 3:18 EST, things are fluid. Hold tight and let's see what gets resolved.

[Ned Soltz]

Let me add some info to this thread that I learned from Sony today.

They are currently out of stock of the S-Log upgrades. More inventory is on order. Those in the queue will be accomodated.

The offer also extends to new buyers of F-3. So, if you go out and buy an F-3 today, you can get the S-Log for $899. It just may be a couple of weeks before new stock is received.

Again, the way the whole camera was engineered was under the presumption of a user buying the upgrade on the 32gb SxS card which has the unlock code in a secure hidden partition. The 32gb card is then a value-added to the customer. So for both the engineering as well as internal accounting procedures at Sony, the way this has to be handled is one camera/one card at a time. But at that price. the user doesn't get the card.

I am only being the good journalist and reporting information so don't ask my why. That's what it is.

Ned Soltz

[Henry Epstein]

"The offer also extends to new buyers of F-3. So, if you go out and buy an F-3 today, you can get the S-Log for $899. It just may be a couple of weeks before new stock is received."

That's music for my ears...

Thank you so much, Ned!

:D

[Nick Hiltgen]

Just received this email from sony, the title was PMW-F3 CBK-RGB01 S-Log Special upgrade program and ir was from "production" at sony (which I thought was odd)

Hello,

You are receiving this e-mail because you were on the waiting list for the CBK-RGB01 (S-Log package) $899.00 special program upgrade from Sony Service.

That program has now ended. We are re-releasing the CBK-RGB01 back into the marketplace as a regular product with the newly adjusted price.

Please contact your sales channel representative to place an order.

If you have any questions or concerns please let us know by sending a separate e-mail directly to this production e-mail address

Thank you very much for your patience and support as we work through this transition.

Regards

Sony XDCAM EX Team

Sony | Showcase

So I should just order from b&h I guess now. weird, I wonder if they give out cards now?

[Chuck Fishbein]

Seems as if you can buy it directly now:
CBK-RGB01 S-Log

[George Griswold]

The SxS cards with the S-Log will be shipping Mid March, still $899. Got this word directly from XDCAM Marketing yesterday. No more sending in cameras for S-Log at the $899 price. Better for everyone.

[Nick Hiltgen]

I placed my order with b&h but it seems odd that during the "promotion" you had to pay to send your camera in, and they uploaded the firmware but no sxs card and it cost 899, but now the promotion is over you can hold on to your camera and they give you an sxs card for the same price. Don't get me wrong I'm ok with that, but it seems like anyone who took advantage of the promotion should get a card right?

[Chuck Fishbein]

So true. I'm glad I got "locked out" of the first promotion.

[George Griswold]

Ordered mine from B&H Sunday and it shows as shipping today. Does anyone know if the S-Log software is in a locked partition on the SxS card? So if you format the card you don't wipe the software on it.

[Chris Medico]

If the key is on the card the processor on the card itself will not let you format it.

[Nick Hiltgen]

Wow I ordered mine on friday and it still lists it as backordered. oh well. I guess it's a wait.

[Ned Soltz]

Surprised that one is shipping today since Sony actually has not yet released this revised S-Log card. You might be getting some old stock.

As I understand it (and I will post a correction if wrong), this version of the S-Log key upgrades only one camera unlike the original version which could be uninstalled and then unlock another camera. Probably no longer needed since all cameras post 3/1 will have S-Log standard.

It comes as a hidden partition on a 32g SxS-1 card. As with the original version, you can format and use the card as an SxS card without touching the hidden secure partition where the key resides.

Ned Soltz