Purchasing a Sony EX1

S

Sherwin

Member
I'm an Australian currently living in the SF Bay Area and am making it a goal to return home with an EX1 or comparable camera. I was hoping to consult your expertise on the following:

1. I have read that the EX1 is not constrained by PAL/NTSC and is in fact able to shoot in either mode. Is there a catch?

2. I am on a very tight budget and this purchase is somewhat of a leap of faith. I understand the EX1 to currently retail at around $6500. Is it likely to depreciate in value by the end of 2008 (given the arrival of the EX3)?

3. I have owned a DX100 and was unsatisfied with the quality of footage. I understand the XDcam to be the cheapest HD quality camcorder, but what would be your recommendation within a marginally lower price bracket? I shoot predominantly short films.

I really appreciate the flow of information that goes on here. It has been my number one resource for some years.

Cheers
 
Watch out when you return to Australia. As I understand it, anything over $1000AU and under a year old not purchased in Australia is liable for 10% GST, and possibly 5-10% Import Duty. Often you can get away with it, but if they decide to hassle you they expect you to produce proof of purchase in Australia, such as an invoice.
 
Thanks Dev, I'm prepared to take the (relatively small) risk. I'll just make sure to hide the camera in my backpack and go straight through the 'nothing to declare' queue at customs.
 
Sherwin said:
I'm an Australian currently living in the SF Bay Area and am making it a goal to return home with an EX1 or comparable camera. I was hoping to consult your expertise on the following:

1. I have read that the EX1 is not constrained by PAL/NTSC and is in fact able to shoot in either mode. Is there a catch?

2. I am on a very tight budget and this purchase is somewhat of a leap of faith. I understand the EX1 to currently retail at around $6500. Is it likely to depreciate in value by the end of 2008 (given the arrival of the EX3)?

3. I have owned a DX100 and was unsatisfied with the quality of footage. I understand the XDcam to be the cheapest HD quality camcorder, but what would be your recommendation within a marginally lower price bracket? I shoot predominantly short films.

I really appreciate the flow of information that goes on here. It has been my number one resource for some years.

Cheers
Click to expand...

1. There's no catch, it is fully PAL/NTSC switchable...
2. Everything goes down in price, however I look to the Sony Z1. The Z1 still has a decent resale value to say it came before all the rest. My HVX200 in comparison has depreciated far more from the price I had to pay inc 2x8gb P2 cards.
3. You could maybe wait for the HPX170, but that has drawbacks with the amount of footage you can fit on a card so you may need more cards.

The EX1 is a very good little camera, very capable and I'm still amazed with how easy it is to focus at such a high resolution, compared to my lower rez HVX200.
 
1. The EX1 supports both NTSC and PAL right from the factory. One little menu change and a second or so later and you're shooting in a different format!

2. It will definitely depreciate in value eventually like any piece of camera gear. I'm not sure how much it will by the end of this year but it's a camera that I myself bought because I knew it'd last. If you are buying something to make money with it's a good investment. If however you only make short films on occasion it may be better to rent.

3. Since you say you shoot mostly short film projects I would go with the HVX-200a. It is cheaper and its images are more like film. If you did longer form shoots more often such as events or documentaries I'd say go the EX1 route but since you shoot movies offloading cards on set is not much of a problem. I think the 200a would serve you well.
 
Thanks Adam and Booth,

I'm definitely on board the VX200 over the Z1 - primarily because of the filmy 720p capability and true manual zoom but i wonder if i can pick one up that shoots in PAL...
 
adamr316 said:
3. Since you say you shoot mostly short film projects I would go with the HVX-200a. It is cheaper and its images are more like film. If you did longer form shoots more often such as events or documentaries I'd say go the EX1 route but since you shoot movies offloading cards on set is not much of a problem. I think the 200a would serve you well.
Click to expand...

Although we are all entitled to our opinion of which camera looks "more like film" I wouldn't write off the EX1 for short film projects. I've seen footage from the EX1 that is very much like film when the settings are tweaked. I invite you to look at this trailer for a film by DVXuser member Waterz called "Happy Birthday Rita" (who I hope doesn't mind me using his film to make my point. LOL!):

http://www.vimeo.com/1404402

That, to me, looks very much like film and at the very least shows that short films on the EX1 are beyond doable. There are also other examples that also illustrate the EX1's ability to do short films.

Please don't take my remarks as an EX1 vs. HVX argument as I do agree that the HVX200a is a very good and cheaper alternative to the EX1 and both produce great images for short films. :beer:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top