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Varicam 3700 Deal?
there is a post over at VaricamUser about a deal on the 3700 that might send many more out to rental houses and owner operators…..
https://www.varicamuser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70
anyone giving up their 27 for a 3700?
http://www.EZSproductions.com
http://www.VaricamUser.com
http://www.ProductionMeeting.com/profile/EthanSigman -
8 Replies
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Might be a nice deal if it’s true, but I would take anything written in that ghost town with a grain of salt…
J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50 -
[John Cummings] “Might be a nice deal if it’s true, but I would take anything written in that ghost town with a grain of salt…
“John
It is true, and they will even take RED cameras too.gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production WorkflowsCheck out
https://www.aja.com/kiprotour/Inside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php -
Well, that’s pretty impressive.
Where can one find the details? I’d like to see the list of cameras they will accept…J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50 -
[John Cummings] “Where can one find the details? I’d like to see the list of cameras they will accept… “
I was told at HD Expo yesterday that Panasonic would take any removable lens “professional” cameras,
(I was told that meant 2/3′ imager or larger) as long as it was working.I cannot wait for the Youtube clip of the crushing.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production WorkflowsCheck out
https://www.aja.com/kiprotour/Inside look at the IoHD
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php -
Which begs the question, just how eager/anxious is Panny to move these P2 cameras? It’s a great offer if you wanna get into P2, but…then you’re in P2. I was at a workshop on tapeless acquisition recently and was impressed by how transitory all the current formats seemed.
Thomas Kaufman, DP
Washington, DC -
Hmm.
Makes me wonder. Anything to read between the lines, here?J Cummings
Cameralogic/Chicago
cameralogic.tv
HDX-900/HDW-730S/DXC-D50 -
It is a telling move by Panasonic that these cameras are not selling.
“Wow, great deal…(as I ponder what camera to dump and where to pull 30k from for a camera I didn’t really want to buy)… 2 minutes later, I’m admitting to myself they really got me going there for a few minutes.
But even at 30k or half the price of a new 3700 its still 30k sitting on the shelf! Nobody in my part of the world wants this system. I’d much rather spend real money on a camera that we have demand for like the new Sony 800. Or a pile of Ex-1’s and Ex-3″s, that’s whats renting right now. Panasonic’s stock is falling fast because of too much investment in P2 tech, and an unclear assortment of too many models to choose from.
Tom is right on the mark saying this feels like “transition time”. That’s one big reason why people don’t want to plunk down 30-40-50-60k into any of these systems, because these flash cards are still relatively new and we can all see how fast the technology is changing and the price drop on memory. Most understand that the idea of paying 2k for a 32gb card these days will be looked at 2 years from now and laughed at. Clearly tape will be gone in years to come, but the next step up will be massive storage for very cheap and it wont be these little cards that cost a bundle, and we can loose so easily.
Panasonic has put way to many eggs into the P2 basket, at a bad time in the economy and a transitionary period in the industry (and will pay the price of the bleeding edge).
We are buying only what there is actual demand for, and waiting this round out if possible. the 3700 is the flagship P2 dog that nobody wants, even at 30k “a dog is a dog” (I wouldn’t buy it for 15k). Sorry Pany, love your tape products, but you have way too many P2 models, and not enough raising the tech bar like you used to do. I’m buying a lot of Sony gear these days because the demand is rising!
Those new cheaper P2 cards are another odd move by this company (planned failure??) bizarre marketing ploy. Well dont load up on those slight cheaper cards because I predict that 3-5 years from now P2 is dying or possibly completely gone because of big advances in storage technology and this P2 card profile will look like child’s play.
Wait this one out, save your money. Use the gear that’s already available to get your job done, things are changing fast.
Erich Roland
http://www.dc-camera.com
HD camera rentals, Washington DC
(and Cameraman) -
Good to read Tom and Erich’s opinion on Panasonic’s deal. At first thought to unload a Beta SP camcorder for a $30,000 rebate seems like a too good to be true proposition-The 3700 is a bit a big gun in what may be turning out to be a smaller and cheaper is better environment. At least from the ground in DC. The 3700 seems to be off the radar as far as what producers are asking for. Although if Panasonic’s 3700 push is successful, its possible this will change. Not sure that is happening, I wonder how many have taken the 3700 deal. Certainly if Panasonic increases the installed base of both P2 and in particular the 3700, in hindsight this deal may have been the thing to do. Yet, $30,000 plus viewfinder is till on the extreme high end of camera systems these days. Not to mention the technology gamble on formats and possible new and improved models( for instance a 1080P camera that can run at 60 frames). That might be worth $30,000 plus in my world.
In an era of transitional production technology its hard to lay down good money on a camera that is not seeing demand on the ground, no matter how attractive the deal. That Erich’s point and I agree. Only problem “What to do with an 18 year old BetaSP Camcorder?”
Dominic
Dominic DeSantis
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