DVX 100 B "Pict enhancements + lower cost" ?

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Jan_Crittenden said:
The list price of the DVX100A is $3995. The DVX100B which does a little more is $3995. The fact is that none of these cameras sell at list price and are comparably priced with the competition, and in fact is far below the only other 24P camcorder out there.
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Jan, thanks for comments. I agree that the DVX is below other cameras out there with 24p (Canon XL2). I think other consumers may look at the Sonys with HDV (and not get the a true 24p) because some are almost half the "list" of the MSRP of the DVX.

I am not one of those consumers and I am chomping at the bit to give Panasonic my money but still think the list price is high. Just my opinion. Could be wrong, but it's my gut reactionon as a consumer. I do think Panasonic made a good move with the rebates for the 100A, even though the main motive is to move stock. But whatever the motive, it is good for the consumer and good for the company.

It's just that the improvements on the 100B don't sound like they warrant keeping the camera at that 4K list. I understand that nothing sells at list but that is the number that a dealer discount works from so the higher the list the higher the discounted actual cost is going to be to us.

And here's the final thing. I know you didn't write the Panasonic European press realease but do you have any comment on why it says prices for ALL mini-DV cameras are being reduced when in fact the list price for the DVX is staying the same?

Could it be that the prices to the dealers are being reduced even though the "list" price remains the same which in turn could mean a reduction in price to the consumer once the dealer discount is applied?

As I stated prior, I assume that all the DVX's are made at the same factory regardless if PAL or NSTC so the production cost reduction mentioned in the press release should apply to camera sold in the US as well Europe, shouldn't it?

I mean, this isn't a rumor we are talking about this is an oficial statement of some sort from Panasonic. Any Ideas?

Thanks again for your time and hope you understand that the passion here is because we (I) really love these cameras. We (I) just want the prices to be at a point were we can buy even more of them!

Kelly
 
I'm not Jan, but let me try to offer something to think about:

For the duration of this year, Jan has been bundling the DVX with various freebies, up to the latest bundle which is about $1200 worth of stuff. Nobody else gets that free stuff, nobody else gets a rebate, nobody else gets the Magic Bullet or the AMQ's, and only New Zealand buyers get the free Book/DVD. So if the other countries are lowering the price, that's more of something that should be looked at as "it's about time" rather than "why doesn't the US do it too?"

The DVX in the USA has been a lot less expensive than in other countries, because of the rebate and freebies. If Panasonic Europe lowers its price, then it's only trying to catch up to the US...
 
Barry, I hope you are hard at work writing the new book for the DVX 100B. I don't want to think about having the B without your guidance!
 
I can't disagree with any of these comments. I think the 100A deal is a bugeyed deal! I drool over the 100B--but am no fetishist in these matters. (Regardless of whether they're dumping lead based cameras on ntsc market:))

The 100B at $3995? Forget it. Must be an inside joke. They're pretty much charging everyone for a firmware upgrade to wring the last centola of the current 100 iteration. Get the A, $4.95 16:9 lcd overlay. Deal with it. (Though I just may opt for B for my own warped "preverted" reasons.) Pshaw. Convince me a few firmware upgrades, itty bitty hardware upgrade sans lead, is worth the same list/street price. It's only worth it because someone else hasn't come along with a comparable product. That's true. The old school of marketing says, "Hey why change until someone else does something? Take the profits off a Wheaties New & Improved promotion." The new way is, "How do we keep this rolling to facilitate and entrench market share." The Panny 200 isn't it. The 100B at 4k (phoney dedicated authorized dealer street price of 3.3k) is a hole waiting for a Canon Kenworth to drive thru. But if and when they do--the dvx may be the "what happended to me?" camera geek limping to catch up. Is the 6k 200 the answer? As I said in another post--24P is no holy grail. It's just 24 whatever that works for now. It's the firmware matched to 24p/optics that makes sense. Dvx got it right. So okay, call it 24f, do it another way. (Sorry, I think the industrial desgn of the 200 is a dud--but then I thought the Beatles were a flash in the pan circa '60s.)

And you know what they say about market share: If you get it, good for you. Entrench it. If you then lose it, kiss all those profits goodbye because the cost for getting it back will subsequently bury you. I get the feeling Panasonic might be getting paunchy around the middle, smoking too many cigars over the dvx line. The 100B intro is totally impressive. Subsequent reviews will only reveal imageware puff. (Of course, if it's good stuff...I would smoke it! 'course, I'd smoke a rope if it was soaked in diesel...)

But the dvx/200, sans interchangeable lens option? No. That's no answer. <titter, titter> No cinematographer--indie or otherwise--would ever want to be tied to a one lens option to craft an image or look--regardless how well they light. (Though a broadcast dude might...)

The dvx 100B is destined to be a 100A king with no clothes. Don't blink on the 200. All indie/broadcast cameras without interchangeable lenses are peas under the shell, potential denuded kings. The good news is they can get up on the big screen--with coaxing. And short of a Cinealta--do the pea under the shell for 6-10k. (Smoke/mirrors, whatever...)

Still, the king with no clothes can make a good buck. Great place to show craft skills...without the image. (Read Phil Parmet/NSchrieber "It is what it is" dvxuser article pieces. Can we love a whore? You betcha x 2! So when has a cinematrographer commited to an image ever been a moralist?) The moral is don't fall in love with hardware. The image transcends mere boxes...)

I want to see success--for the right reasons. Panasonic is at the cusp but no more than a precipice. The king of the hill is never king long. And when he has no clothes is fully exposed...

Long live dvx!
 
hmmm...all black body?

that looks exactly like the DVC-80 body.....I guess they got stuck with all those 80's. Long live the recycle concept!
 
35mmadapter.html

wohoo! I didn't know I had the DVX100B already in my hands....yes!
 
Minus 24P! Does look good though. I've seen this camera before. My comment then is as now--where can I get the adapter for my 100B, angenieux. Just where is my old Beaulieu16? Whoops, sold it. That's when I was looking at a BeaulieuSuper8 I never bought, circa '90. Sigh.

Maybe that's the way! Get out the dremel and have at it! To hell with Panny warranty. To hades with them all! I say we go grey market, strip 100A puppy down, do a retro with an angenieux, sell'm on ebay with no warranty.

Whadya say? I'm telling you--there's a...black...market out there ripe for the pick'in!
 
Jan_Crittenden said:
The price on the DVX100B is $3995. It will be available at the end of October. Many of the features are in the IBC thread, but Barry and Jarred have something cooking that should launch next week or so.
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This would be great. Barry and/or Jarred, when will you be serving what you are cooking?

We're starved.
 
Barry_Green said:
For the duration of this year, Jan has been bundling the DVX with various freebies, up to the latest bundle which is about $1200 worth of stuff.
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Does that mean the current bundle will be continuing past the October 31st deadline? :undecided
 
No, I meant "from the beginning of this year". Or, "for the duration of this year so far". I have no idea what Panasonic may choose to do regarding bundling or rebates or whatnot with the 100B, nor do I know its exact release date.
 
Kelly Olsen said:
This would be great. Barry and/or Jarred, when will you be serving what you are cooking?
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The chef is done, now the waiter just has to bring it to your table...

I don't know exactly when it'll be posted.
 
hey man
I can't wait to hear what's new and improved


I haven't been able to sleep, thinking about it
please keep me updated

Jan, Barry and Jerrod ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Barry_Green said:
The chef is done, now the waiter just has to bring it to your table...

I don't know exactly when it'll be posted.
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Jarred, we have finished our appetizer and await the main course with great anticipation!

(And it would be great if Panasonic could whittle the bill down a bit)
 
I wonder if the new TC sync via firewire could actually, somehow, genlock the camcorders together (phase and all)? Wishful thinking, I know!
 
Uhmm... since the beggining of the year, when 100B was announced (or was it just rumours back then?) Jan has been saying that the camera will be nothing new technically, that we shouldn't expect anything other than a lighter version of 100a without lead incorporated during it's production (some environment reguluations issues).
Now it suddenly gets enhanced color reproduction, 16x9 LCD mode, black finish and even the speaker moved to a more comfortable position. I may be wrong, but this isn't something that happens if you just exclude lead from the development cycle. I really hope that the image part is just a firmware upgrade, that 100/a users can get their hands on. Otherwise, I would feel rather screwed for not waiting and getting an (now) old model, as I'm sure many others here would.
 
Jan never said it wouldn't have any new features. She only said "I don't know what new features it may have, the only thing I can tell you is that it won't have lead and it will have a new color." In fact, IIRC, there was one memo where she said "I've asked for a few things, but I don't know whether we'll get them."

There are many nice changes in the 100B. I don't know anything about "color enhancements" though.

People keep mentioning the idea of a "firmware upgrade". Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there has never been a "firmware upgrade" in the history of prosumer cameras, has there?
 
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