C300: A bad time to buy?

S

stupla

Active member
Hi,

I've been offered a second hand Canon C300 for around $10k with a decent lens included.

With NAB just around the corner do you think the price for the c300 will drop much?

10k is still a lot of cash for me but needing to upgrade my camera ASAP.

Thanks in advance.
 
Just before NAB is the worst possible time to buy. But if you need it, you need it. Personally I'd rent until after NAB to see what happens.
 
If you're waiting to see if Canon is going to announce a new camera, I've been told(and I highly trust this source) there will be no new Canon C x00 cameras at NAB.
 
Grug said:
Just before NAB is the worst possible time to buy. But if you need it, you need it. Personally I'd rent until after NAB to see what happens.
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Thats how I feel even though I preordered a GH4, but then it's a fraction of the cost. You just never know what will be introduced from a number of manufacturers, so best to wait. Even if the dream camera is introduced it could take 12 months to get one. BMCC anyone?
 
Canon doesn't seem to follow the "if it's NAB, it's time to bring out new gear" style of thinking. They release a camera when it's ready.
Remember the big Hollywood event when they introduced the C300? It wasn't near NAB time.

C300s still seem to be a highly requested production camera. I've been approached twice for one in the last few months, and I don't even own one. A colleague just had to rent one for a shoot. If I had the cash, it sounds like a good investment.
 
At 10k and with a lens it sounds to be a decent investment. Canon is supporting the C300 with upgrades (dual pixel af) and I won't be surprised if they do some upgrades in the future to unleash some more potential of the camera.
 
That would be breaking the #1 Rule of Used Camera Buying: Wait until NAB. The seller will lose value in his C300 if a new best thing comes out, like the C300A or whatever. I have been on all sides of this situation: Waited too long to sell and something better came out at NAB, waited too long to buy and the worst: Bought close too NAB and then the new best thing came out. Very crappy feeling.

That's my two cents.
 
At this point, I would go with the gh4, docking unit, and some glass. And still come out under 10k. However the c300 is a workhorse, Canons hold value well, much like a Toyota. As others suggest, if you need it now, rent it for the gig, see how it feels, shooting wise and workflow wise, then make a decision from there. If you already know from experience, well then go with your heart, it's not as if it's going to drop value over night, and that's a camera always in demand. It wouldn't be all that hard to recoup your investment.
 
But if a new camera is announced at NAB it's usually at least 3-6 months until they become readily available (or in the case of Blackmagic 9-15 months) ;)
So if you need to do anything in the next half year, get it. If you can wait then wait.
 
If you were asking about buying a camera brand new and at full price, then yeah…it might be better to wait til NAB. Since you're looking at a good deal on a used camera, it's less of an issue. You need to look at what kind of work you're doing and if the C300 is a good fit and will earn you money between now and when (or even if) a new camera comes out that might lower the value of your C300. Think you can make some cash with your C300 over the next six months? Done deal. Buy it. Just buying a new toy to have the latest greatest? Yeah, then you might be a little disappointed if something newer greater comes out at NAB. …but then again, if you're getting a good enough deal on it today, you probably won't lose much or anything selling it off in six months.
 
When I bought my C100, within two weeks I was trying to work out which organs to sell in order to finance a C300. Glad I didn't - I see legit prices have dropped through to 'almost affordable' recently.

However, I am reminded of the salutary lesson of the PMW-F3 from Sony. A fine camera, an excellent camera for the non-broadcast community, on sale at around the same price as the C300, but the price began to droop. Then the F5 was announced. An £11k camera became an £8k camera with £2K S-Log firmware update 'free' (or virtually free). Once the F5 shipped, you could pick up an ever so slightly used F3 for £4K.

Now, which is the bargain? The F5 or the F3? Your choice. It could go either way. New C300 for sensible money, good second hand for half that, or newest of the new for C300 + 50%? Do you want warranty? Are you hiring C300s too much? Do you want to 'settle down' with a camera, or do you want to 'play the field'?

The other side: the future's going 4K, but the market hasn't leaped yet. 10 bit 4:2:2 video from good glass on a strong codec upscales well to 4K. 8 bit video, especially 4L2L0, does not. Do you want to enter 2014 owning, essentially, an 8 bit camera? I spent a few moments thinking about an EF-mount C500 which now seems to the the same price of the original C300. So once again, I'm thinking about how many organs I need to sell...

Edit: Oh bother, just realised I need a couple of extra corneas and a pancreas to pay for the Gemini too.
 
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Ill say this. I've never regretted any camera I've purchased. I've never considered what could come out next month in my buying decision.

I factor the following and in this order:

1/ ROI
2/ Useability
3/ Image

I then go out and see whats available / whats been announced with a definite release date and buy.

What comes out at NAB has 0 effect on my bottom line.
 
Noel Evans said:
Ill say this. I've never regretted any camera I've purchased. I've never considered what could come out next month in my buying decision.

I factor the following and in this order:

1/ ROI
2/ Useability
3/ Image

I then go out and see whats available / whats been announced with a definite release date and buy.

What comes out at NAB has 0 effect on my bottom line.
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Thats exactly how I felt when I bought my C-100 (huge purchase for me). I was able to pay it off within 3 months of getting hired as a DP/CAM OP and renting it out. Image wise it just womps on anything IMO. Sometimes I wonder why I didnt get the BMCC but I then take a moment and think to myself that the only way it really is better than my camera is its recording resolution, it aint all about megapixels!

NAB is always cool, awesome stuff is always being released but honestly its been a huge "keeping up with the joneses" thing for me. People are way too focused on the tools as the creator of creativity, rather than an extension of it. Our tools are so much more affordable than they used to be, yet we find ways to complain about them. Moore's Law is just moving to damn fast. I mean its already been announced 8K Broadcasts are VERY likely for the World Cup.
 
cms86 said:
Thats exactly how I felt when I bought my C-100 (huge purchase for me). I was able to pay it off within 3 months of getting hired as a DP/CAM OP and renting it out. Image wise it just womps on anything IMO. Sometimes I wonder why I didnt get the BMCC but I then take a moment and think to myself that the only way it really is better than my camera is its recording resolution, it aint all about megapixels!

NAB is always cool, awesome stuff is always being released but honestly its been a huge "keeping up with the joneses" thing for me. People are way too focused on the tools as the creator of creativity, rather than an extension of it. Our tools are so much more affordable than they used to be, yet we find ways to complain about them. Moore's Law is just moving to damn fast. I mean its already been announced 8K Broadcasts are VERY likely for the World Cup.
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+1
 
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