My new (used) Sony Betacam BVW400!

Ralph Oshiro

Ralph Oshiro

Veteran
Well, I finally got a 2/3" camera! A used Sony BVW400 Betacam! Plus, I got it FREE (it totally doesn't work, but the red light goes on!)! Will post pictures later--gotta buy an Anton Bauer Gold Mount plate for the back. This is going to be my prop "news" camera for my yet unwritten news cameraguy movie!
 
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Me likes :)

I've been looking at GY-DV500 personally. Not that I really need it, but it looks cool, it performs great and unlike Betacam I could actually use it. And they're cheaper than DVX these days.
 
Well, the price certainly was certainly right! Guess its a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Seriously, you could probably rent this thing out as a prop for some pretty decent money.

I would assume that the glass is in OK condition and perhaps the viewfinder as well. You might be able to sell those two for enough to put a bit of it toward the DSR450 your looking to get.
 
xl70e3 said:
I've been looking at GY-DV500 personally. Not that I really need it, but it looks cool, it performs great and unlike Betacam I could actually use it. And they're cheaper than DVX these days.
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I heard there was a Sony DSR500 on EBay for like $4,000 or $5,000 (just looked, not there anymore). That's a DAMN nice camera for the money! Check the used market for DSR500s--they're beautiful 2/3" cameras. I think they're also 850-line, f/11@2,000 lux cameras.
 
khmuse said:
Seriously, you could probably rent this thing out as a prop for some pretty decent money.
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Hey there, kh! There's a company in town that rents fake Betacams with Anton Bauer sunguns and real bricks on 'em. They're weird--they don't seem to be real Betacams, but look just like them (maybe fiberglas molds?). Also, the Betacam logo on the tape door is bigger and looks a little different. Anyway, the sunguns work (at a real low Wattage) and the tally lights work. I heard they rent for $450 a day (more than a REAL Betacam)!

The lens on my prop Betacam has a bad servo. The VF, I dunno. This is my prize prop, though, I'm not selling any part of it! I'm going to go to BandPro today and dress it up with a Gold Mount so I can put a real brick on it!
 
NBCshooter said:
I heard there was a Sony DSR500 on EBay for like $4,000 or $5,000 (just looked, not there anymore). That's a DAMN nice camera for the money! Check the used market for DSR500s--they're beautiful 2/3" cameras. I think they're also 850-line, f/11@2,000 lux cameras.
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Here it is. But by cheap I meant this cheap. $4k (without the lens!) I can find better ways to spend :cheesy:
 
NBCshooter said:
HOLY CRAP! I had no idea DV500s were THAT cheap!!! Hmmmm, that DSR500 is a goddamned WIDESCREEN, with a LENS!!!
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Ah, right, it has a lens. Well... GET IT! You know you want to! :evil:
 
NBCshooter said:
Hey there, kh! There's a company in town that rents fake Betacams with Anton Bauer sunguns and real bricks on 'em. They're weird--they don't seem to be real Betacams, but look just like them (maybe fiberglas molds?). Also, the Betacam logo on the tape door is bigger and looks a little different. Anyway, the sunguns work (at a real low Wattage) and the tally lights work. I heard they rent for $450 a day (more than a REAL Betacam)!

The lens on my prop Betacam has a bad servo. The VF, I dunno. This is my prize prop, though, I'm not selling any part of it! I'm going to go to BandPro today and dress it up with a Gold Mount so I can put a real brick on it!
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$450 a day? Holly crap, thats unbelievable! Guess that explains why there are so many prop houses around town. There making a killing.

This should make for a really cool prop! I wonder how long a full size brick will run just a tally light?

What a great find!
 
khmuse said:
This should make for a really cool prop! I wonder how long a full size brick will run just a tally light?
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Well, one of my best friends owns a used broadcast equipment business in L.A. and I always get to "steal" stuff from his inventory (with his permission, of course). Anyway, I just got to NBC, and I showed my prop camera to our engineer, and he was cool enough to give me an old BVW400 camera mic and bracket that I was missing, and an old Anton Bauer brick!

The camera probably won't run too long with the tally light, cause when you power the camera, the tape transport whines like it's trying to load a tape forever. I can't wait to get it all gussied up and take more pictures of it later!
 
Its good to have connections in high places!

I think that I would just pull the internal connectors to the transport section and the VF to reduce the power consumption.

Do post some more images when you get it all done. Way too cool for almost no money invested!

Lets see, at $450 a day times how many days will you be shooting? You will be saving yourself enough to buy something really cool. How about a S281? I do seem to recall reading something that indicated that you have a love of fast cars at some point (before getting a wife, business and kids, that is where I used to spend all my money).

By the way, does your friend in the used broadcast equipment business know of any standing news sets? I know someone who is looking for one to rent out for a film he is making.
 
That's a GREAT idea! I'm gonna open the camera right now and look for the connectors . . .

By the way, I'd actually much prefer the Saleen S281 SC (gotta be BLOWN!), but you're on the right track, there, kh! I am sooo jonesing for the '06 Cobra, but you know those are gonna be expensive/hard-to-get. As to your other question, no sets that I know of are available.
 
Yeah, the SC... (commencing to wipe the drool off my face)

Hell, if your gonna go that direction, why not just lust after the S7?

I have a really low milage (under 4k) 87' Saleen that I bought back then and put away to see what it might be worth when its 25 model years old. My daughters keep asking if I am going to give it to them, can't repeat my answer to them here as this is a public forum!

I used to piss so much money away on cars that I don't even let myself think about them much any more (I've owned both open wheel and GTU cars way back in the day). Now I drive 50 - 60k miles a year in a four door sedan and with LA traffic probably average about 20 MPH.

This getting older crap really blows.
 
I drive a four-door sedan, too! I have an '03 Mercury Marauder (black, of course) that I'm DYING to have blown. It has the DOHC Mach I engine. I can drop a ProCharger blower in there for about $5K and get 450HP to the wheels. I've got only minor mods, but the thing has been dropped nearly two inches between lower-series tires and some Eibach springs and looks pretty bad ass.
 
Man, I wish I could get a charger for mine for $5k. Kleemann is $19K here including work (and they won't sell just the unit itself), while in US it costs 8-9k w/o work... but then there comes S&H...
So I'm stuck with stock :undecided

*sigh*
 
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