UK PRICE GBP 4200.00 +VAT Camera only GBP 5800.00 +VAT

Yes, they can. Usually is aleatory but i think they can ask for the receipt or the warranty to know if it has been legally bought in Europe and all this kind of poo poo. You can get lucky or not. If not, pokuta. Fine.

There was an australian dealer that sent internationally, i forgot the name. If they have some kind of offer or bundle, plus the Mack warranty and saving the trip, it could be not a bad deal. Usually we don´t get any bundle at all, so...
 
Well, I guess £4200 is fairly close to the Panasonic Europe list price of €5990... But still, it's so much more than the US price...

It's at this point I start lobbying for free trade.

I'm so tempted by the idea of getting the US version... available (probably) in time for a shoot in April... 60 to 24 slowmo... and considerably cheaper... But knowing my luck, I'd end up in customs, bent over with my pants round my ankles, and a burly customs official donning a surgical glove behind me. <shudder>
 
Hello, the presentgation was done i n Hamburg, Germany on Jan 12th at a dealer
called MPEC (www.mepec-gmbh.de). I mailed them for prices and availability but no
answer yet. Rumors in Germany say it will be March for the first PAL HVX 200 to hit the market. Needless to say - I am waiting too. Pete
 
jazzx said:
What about plane tickets? What's the cost? Will the PAL camera be available when you get there and how can you arrange something like that without a million headaches? Something else, can you live with the anxiety of checking in a hand luggage through the X-RAY and having to deal with official asking questions and maybe paying a fine, and talked down to?

How much will you actually gain in terms of white hair<->boy I'm in trouble<->thank god nothing happened<->I gained money<->I lost money<->I'll never do it again, ratio ?
I have been in and out of the US with all kind of cameras from 90 000 Digibetas to my good old PD 150 - and never have I been asked where did you buy this camera ...
No risk - no fun - no saving but of course there is always a first or an exception..
 
Michael Mann said:
jazzx said:
Will the PAL camera be available when you get there?
I might as well get the NTSC version.
Nobody can detect the motion difference between 24p and 25p, and the 4% pitch increase of the audio can be fixed in post production. In addition, I'll get 60p for slow motion, the PAL version will only have 50p.
Now that I am thinking of it ... I might REALLY do that!
What do you think, fellow European customers? Is there any other relevant drawback?

Michael, does it mean that you think you can get away with NTSC version for a competitive PAL content, if necessary? I mean, if we manage to shoot in NTSC (and get all the goodies as a plus to that) and then convert to PAL in post so that local TV gets satisfied, boy, NTSC it is then!
 
pete archer said:
I have been in and out of the US with all kind of cameras from 90 000 Digibetas to my good old PD 150 - and never have I been asked where did you buy this camera ...
No risk - no fun - no saving but of course there is always a first or an exception..

I'm guessing you didn't have a carnet, then? When I was a PA (just under a decade ago), I had to fill out carnets for cameramen who were shooting abroad. They got them stamped each time they entered and left a country.

Recently, whilst working as an producer on a production that involved a shoot in the US I drew a complete blank on the whole carnet front. Nobody seemed to know what I was talking about. So, two Sony FX1s went out and came back in baggage, without incident. In fact they've now done the journey several time.

Just out of curiosity... how do you deal with transporting an expensive full size camera on a plane?
 
Osmicata said:
Michael, does it mean that you think you can get away with NTSC version for a competitive PAL content, if necessary? I mean, if we manage to shoot in NTSC (and get all the goodies as a plus to that) and then convert to PAL in post so that local TV gets satisfied, boy, NTSC it is then!

The biggest challenge is timing... A 60 minute edit will only be 57mins 36secs (ish). I guess you would probably want to conform the footage to 25p before you edit!

But, as has been pointed out, it's pretty similar to working with S16 in 24fps... Unless of course you were shooting S16 for TV, in which case you could well be shooting 25fps.

I'm rambling... And salivating over the idea of an HVX200 sooner rather than later...
 
Alex Leith said:
But knowing my luck, I'd end up in customs, bent over with my pants round my ankles, and a burly customs official donning a surgical glove behind me. <shudder>

And that's when they find the stash of P2 cards. :grin:
 
I never had a problem transporting my dvx. I travel frequently abroad, and even to eurpope with my dvx with no problem. Just make sure you have a couple of tapes with old footage with the cam (dv format) in order to show to costums you already used it to shoot on your home country. Some decoy " used" make-up can also help. I think this is one major advantage of the hvx's handicam looks...

To fellow Pal users... Why not go to Singapore or HK? the PAL camera prices are on par with Ntsc prices there! And ticket prices shouldn't be so different than to the US...
 
That's not a bad idea SPZ, I might have to consider it.

I'll be checking with interest whether my xl2 supplier sells the HVX - and at what price. He's an Australian based internet dealer and listed the xl2 for $6k when other retailers had it between 6,700 and 8k.

As mmm said, the JVC could be looking a damn sight more attractive.
 
SPZ said:
To fellow Pal users... Why not go to Singapore or HK? the PAL camera prices are on par with Ntsc prices there! And ticket prices shouldn't be so different than to the US...

The price of flights to Singapore or HK is much higher than to the USA from the UK. I can get a flight to NY return from London for £320. A flight to HK is twice as long and costs twice as much, though HK is a great place to visit. Only been to Singapore airport for a connection from Australia and never left the airport. Meant to be nice though.
 
Even a legal import can be cheaper. Last time I imported to Europe from USA the customs on electronic/camera device was like 3 % and the VAT you can deduct if you own a company.
 
frla said:
Even a legal import can be cheaper. Last time I imported to Europe from USA the customs on electronic/camera device was like 3 % and the VAT you can deduct if you own a company.

For the HVX200 import duty is 14% to the EU. Plus 15 - 25% VAT, shipping, insurance and warantee (if you want one)...

..and you've easily added an extra 3rd to the overseas purchase price.

But you are right. We've imported several cameras from the US for less than you can buy them over here in the UK.
 
I travel over to the East Coast (JFK/Newark) often and I have never been in a situation where I've had to declare any products in either country.

It would seem to be a nice trick to book a flight to NYC, take a short break, purchase the camera, then return home - AND save money $/£.

Regarding declaring. Unless you fill out the form, who is going to know what you bring in or take out is "new"? Are they going to strip-search you for your receipt?

Edit: I fly back into Heathrow, and they seem the most relaxed customs ever.

EJ
 
Okay, I've done a bit of investigation, and here's the deal of buying equipment and bringing it back...

Legally speaking, if you purchase equipment from abroad with the intention of bringing it back to use in your own country, you should declare it and pay the appropriate import duties on it. On your return, customs officials are perfectly within their rights to charge duty on, or even confiscate, any item in your possession that they are not satisfied you may bring back duty free - and that certainly includes 7,000 EURO camcorders! Customs officials are also perfectly within their right to arrest you and undertake criminal proceedings which could result in a fine or prison sentence.

However, you are allowed in and out of most countries without paying duty on your personal belongings. Within your personal belongings you are (mostly) allowed to carry a limited amount of electronic equipment, such as one laptop and/or one camcorder, etc. for your own personal use. If you are returning home with such an item and you are stopped, the responsibility is yours to prove that you purchased it in your home country, and didn't just pick it up two days ago from B&H New York! If you are unable to prove where you bought it, then the customs officials may charge you duty, confiscate it, arrest you, prosecute you, etc...

In practice you are unlikely to be stopped for anything which you are able to carry in your hand luggage... and even if you are, if you have only one of them and it looks like it's for personal use (ie, you've removed the lens hood and microphone, and don't have 14 other pelican cases full of lights, grips, and audio kit) then you're unlikely to have a problem.

Incidentally, if you are traveling to countries with a large amount of equipment then you should fill out an ATA carnet prior to travel (available from your local chamber of commerce), listing the equipment you are traveling with. Usually your chamber of commerce will ask for a security bond, and then your carnet has to be stamped on exit and entry of each contry you visit.

Finally, what I've told you here certainly doesn't constitute legal advice. Customs regulations vary from country to country (in the UK are allowed to bring back £145 of gifts, whereas in Finland you can only bring in €45 of gifts). If you're going to do anything that might get you in trouble you need to consult a lawyer first, blah, blah, blah.)
 
I think you have said what everyone knows. Do it at your own risk.

I think its worth the risk. I have passed through customs hundreds of times and never been stopped. Of course there is always the first time, but the likely hood of being stopped is low, and on top of that the customs guy picking on your camcorder, when basically everyone on holiday and passing through the airport has one in their possesion, is even more remote.
 
Yeah, in worse case you have to pay the tax and a small fee like 80 euro or something for being "bad". Customs busted me once for illegally importing alcohol and being under age. He was pretty cool.. "sorry, can't bring anything without you and he gave me a ticket for being illegal". If I had been ove rage I would've only have to pay the extra customs.
 
Adam_Levins said:
Just got a call from my dealer here in the UK about 10 min ago. he said that the prices have been confirmed and they are as follows:

£ 4200.00 + VAT (£ 4935.00 = $ 8726.56) (this price is for the camera only - no P2 cards)

£ 5800.00 + VAT (£ 6815.00 = $12050.96)(Camera and 2X 8GB P2 cards)

I didn't ask about the other Packages (4gb cards etc). Also he said I should be able to get one late Feb early March time'ish.

He aslo said that there is a launch somewhere in Europe today (13th jan) of the final HVX200E with all the spec's, anyone know anything about this?

Considering you can pick the camera up in the US for $ 5.495 = £ 3.107.51 (Jan 13th rates) we seem to be shafted up the pie-hole again over here in Europe, but hey we know our place!

http://www.ggvideo.com/pan_aghvx200.htm

I will be using it to replace some of my low end S16 work so I think I will get the US model, with the 24p and up to 60fps slo mo option.

I WILL ONLY BE USEING THE CAMERA FOR HD NOT SD!

All the latest Broadcast monitors here in the UK do 50hz and 60hz so monitoring should not be a problem.

Any thoughts from you pro's before I buy?

Cheers!

Adam

www.facefilms.com
www.levinspictures.com


Hey Adam who's your dealer in UK if you dont mind me asking as i have yet to see HVX200's price on any UK dealer's website.

Thanks
 
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