An AJ-HPX2700 for $19,500.00!?!

[Michael Sacci]

[Dan Brockett] “Go forth and purchase. If this isn’t an economic stimulus package, I don’t know what would be. “

Paying customer! 🙂

[Steve Eisen]

No need to explain. This says it all.

http://ftp.panasonic.com/pub/panasonic/business/provideo/promotions/ajhpx2700_promotion_2009-10.pdf

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Board of Directors
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Jeff Walters]

I’m still in shock that one of these cameras will soon be arriving at my home. I blame it all on Dan! After
hearing that I love the IQ and form factor of the SDX900 that Jan Crittenden steered me towards back in 2003, he made it clear that I should go for the 2700, rather than a smaller camera.

Last night I visited the Panasonic site, and the price literally knocked me out of my chair. Deal done… and on top of that my 7D arrived today. Information overload!!! Learning how to make the 7D look correct plus P2 workflow from scratch will be keeping me occupied.

So thanks Jan for great results over the past six years, and Dan for what lay ahead.

[Dan Brockett]

I am so happy for you Jeff, this is huge and I am green with envy. Please let us know how you like the camera when it arrives and you get a chance to put it through its paces.

Man, 7D and a 2700 in one week, you are sitting pretty.

Dan

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[Jeff Regan]

I’ve had an HPX2700 for a few weeks now and it’s an amazing camera. The latitude and high contrast handling are amazing. It’s 10 stops in AVC Intra, more with Film-Rec at 600%. ASA rating is 640.

It has the same frame rate flexibility as the original Varicam, I really like DRS 3 if not using Film-Rec gamma, the camera is quieter than my HDX900 and AVC Intra 100 is so clean and natural looking compared to DVCPRO HD, which seems to add a layer of noise and doesn’t have the color depth and gradation. The only downside is that Intra seems to make optical issues such as CA more apparent.

The only problem I’m having, assuming my Fuji HA18X7.6 lens CAC retrofit works well, is that Preset is cold, showing 2600K.

I’ve never experienced a video camera with so much latitude. Shooting with the 2700 and my Letus Ultimate 35mm adapter/B4 Pro 2/3″ relay and Nikon lenses make for very natural, film like images, especially with the 10-bit color depth. It is really a big step above my HDX900, and AVC Intra can handle more grading and color correction than DVCPRO HD, according to my editor.
He claimed 200% vs. 120% with FCP. AVC Intra is very easy to work with natively using Final Cut Studio 7, even on a Macbook Pro laptop.

Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com

[Steve Phillipps]

Don’t tell me I jumped in a couple of weeks early AGAIN! Just got my 2700 a short time ago, have I now paid thousands more than I needed to (and than it’s now worth?)
Steve

[Jeff Regan]

Steve, yes, Panasonic’s recent 50% reductions in price of the 3700 and now 2700 risk angering many good customers who bought in at the old price, shows how overpriced the products were and will affect resale value of all Panasonic 2/3″ cameras. I’ve known for years that my large rental house competition has been paying half price, just as TV stations do.

I’m lucky that I bought an unopened B-stock 2700 in mid-September that was a good deal relative to a new 2700 before the current trade-in. Unfortunately, I’ve been trying for two weeks to register the camera, but it’s already been registered supposedly to Panasonic engineering and repeated promises by my salesman to address this have not materialized. I will be examining all options available to me next week, be it with American Express and/or my attorney.

So, not being able to register a camera that has just been reduced by 50% in price just adds to the frustration. I will have to think long and hard before ever buying any expensive Panasonic product going forward. My emails to the 2700/3700 product manager, Steve Cooperman have gone unanswered. It’s a shame, I used to think Panasonic was more responsive than other camera manufacturers. The 2700 is a great camera, though.

Jeff Regan
Shooting Star Video
http://www.ssv.com

[Dan Brockett]

Jeff:

Perhaps Jan can act as an intermediary if the other rep is not getting you taken care of? Even though Jan may not be the product manager, she is definitely helpful and responsive and should be able to help you move things along.

Dan

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[Christopher Wright]

Even at 50% off, this camera will be a doorstop in two years.
For anything this expensive it is definitely better to just rent the camera when you need it for jobs that demand it. It will lose value two months after you have bought it and used it anyway.

Dual 2.5 G5, IO, Kona LH, IO, Medea Raid, UL4D, NVidia 6800, 4Gig RAM
Nehalem Octocore 12 GB Ram, Nvidia card, MBP, MXO, MXO2 mini, Windows Vista Adobe Studio CS4, Vegas 9.0, Lightwave 9.6, Sound Forge 9, Acid Pro 7, Continuum 6, Boris Red 4, Combustion 2008, Sapphire Effects

[Dan Brockett]

I can’t deny what you say Christopher but you could say it for any other camera on the market as well.

Renting is by far a more intelligent choice unless you are shooting so much that rentals end up costing more than the camera. I have been in that position before with a Betacam and with Betacam decks, I recall on 1999, I spent over $28k on Beta SP deck rentals. At that point, it made a lot more sense to just buy it. I think I posted this on one of the other boards I frequent, but the only people who should be buying a camera like this are doing at least a couple of hundred grand of business per year if not more.

If you are doing freelance and just work here and there, I agree, it is unwise to buy any camera at this point, other than maybe something really cheap because the technology changes too quickly and all of these cameras are outdated too soon. Look at my 170, I paid $5,300.00 for it, now you can buy the 300, a much more sophisticated too for just a couple of thousand more.

Dan

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