Beach Camera -How Reputable?

[Tim Scarpino]

If you are buying new, and are in the United States, you MUST be sure you’re buying from an “Authorized Panasonic Dealer” of the DVX-100a

You can find a list at:

https://catalog2.panasonic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ModelDetail?displayTab=O&storeId=11201&catalogId=13051&itemId=68668&catGroupId=14571&modelNo=AG-DVX100A&surfModel=AG-DVX100A

Failure to do so may void any warranty you get with the unit you end up with, as the product you get may NOT have been intended for sale in the US. If the price you’re looking at is below $3,300, I’d be very careful.

Good Luck,

Tim

[Barry Green]

Beach is not an authorized dealer for the DVX. Any camera they sell you may be gray-market, which would mean no warranty, no DVX Book/DVD, no extra battery, no box of AMQ tapes, no Magic Bullet Editors software, etc.

They may sell you an authorized unit (bought by them from an authorized reseller) or they may sell you a gray-market unit. B&H will *only* sell you an authorized unit. Be careful when dealing with a non-authorized seller.

—————–
Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/54u4a)

[Scaramouche]

Barry and Tim…thanks.

One last question.
I’m convinced. It will be either B & H or Snader and Associates, a very reliable local dealer (authorized!).
But since I live in California I would have to pay 7.75 percent sales tax…about $250+ which I would avoid through B and H.
Always a tradeoff. But what would you guys do?

Oh yeh, I left out the part about my not being rich!

Mark

[Barry Green]

Local is always good, especially if they’re authorized.

California has a production equipment sales tax break. There’s a form you can use that will drop the sales tax down to like 3%. That’d cut it to around $100. Might make the local dealer all the more competitive.

Ask ’em if they have that form; if not, do a google search. I know that other dealers have it and make it available.

—————–
Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/54u4a)

[Tim Scarpino]

[Scaramouche] “One last question.
I’m convinced. It will be either B & H or Snader and Associates, a very reliable local dealer (authorized!).
But since I live in California I would have to pay 7.75 percent sales tax…about $250+ which I would avoid through B and H.
Always a tradeoff. But what would you guys do?

Oh yeh, I left out the part about my not being rich!”

Well, if I was rich, I’m not sure I’d be buying the DVX, thought that’s not a slam against the camera!

I just spent $3,900 to buy a DVX + sales tax (.06%). Probably a bit too much, but I bought it from a “traditional” salesman of teleproduction equipment and fully authorized Panasonic Dealer AND service center. For the few extra hundred dollars, I’ve got general peace of mind about where I bought it, probably a replacement unit should this go in for repair, a resource I can call if I’ve got questions AND lunch a couple of times a year.

I’ve known the guy for 15 years and he’s always been helpful to me.

Good luck,

Tim

[Scaramouche]

Barry:

Will that tax break work even if I’m not a business?
I do videos to use for educational audiences and am a professional educator.

Thanks.

Mark

[Barry Green]

I don’t know. I’m not in CA, although I’ve bought some equipment from a dealer there and picked it up there, and they used the form to save me a whole lotta sales tax. But it was bought through my corporation, so I don’t know how to answer the question.

Here’s the description of the form and who it applies to; you should check it out to see if you’d qualify:
https://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/exempt_tele.htm

—————–
Get the most from your DVX camera. The DVX Book and DVX DVD are now available at https://www.dvxuser.com/articles/dvxbook/ and at Amazon (https://tinyurl.com/54u4a)