Come on everybody...

[MinionZombie]

Cross your fingers for the DVX100BE :cool::D

I know Dj, "eBay!!!" ... but like I keep sayin', having never used it (recently tried to understand it, but it just blew my brain out all over the wall) and no way would I drop over 2 g's on eBay!

Anyway, friggin' Panasonic are draggin' their electronic asses getting stock shipped out (happened earlier in the year too according to DVXUser, where other folk bought it from the same place I'm getting it from - small world), anyway, I keep ringing up to ask if the stock is in and it's always "in a few days" or they say "either later today or on thursday" or something ... it's like tickling the bellend and nothing more, it's like dangling a fat, juicy carrot before the eyes of the perverbial ass ... it's like dangling a DVX100BE in from of a MinionZombie without giving it over ... oh wait, that is what it's like. :D

*sigh*

Just wanted to vent the frustration of being so close, yet so far ... I want to start pushing buttons and pouring over definitions in the manual...I want to caress that Deicomar lense...:eek:

I think I'd better go to the toilet...you Yanks ever have this much hassle buying a DVX ... from a shop (screw eBay! :lol).

[DjfunkmasterG]

Nope, we don't have these hassles... Cause we use EBAY :D


you could also try www.bhphoto.com They are in the states but at least they have the camera's in stock. You're gonna pay for shipping though.

Most of the little shops get jerked around by the pro-sumer camera companies. Which is why everyone turns to eBay. You just have to know what to look for.

Besides Minion, if you use PAYPAL or a VISA card and don't get the item or it is messed... you get your money back. Every camera I bought for DEADLANDS was bought on eBay. Sometimes you have to trust even those you don't want to trust.

[Danny]

Sometimes you have to trust even those you don't want to trust.

COUGH- labour party -COUGH!:lol:

[Eyebiter]

Avoid buying cameras on ebay, massive scams going on. Not to mention those places that advertise the DVX100 for a five hundred less than retail. Scam city.

Thread re: List of authorized panasonic dealers
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=12269

Another suggestion is to check resellerratings.com

Finding a UK panasonic dealer
http://www.panasonic.co.uk/customer-Support/selling-dealer-locator.asp

[DjfunkmasterG]

Avoid buying cameras on ebay, massive scams going on. Not to mention those places that advertise the DVX100 for a five hundred less than retail. Scam city.

Thread re: List of authorized panasonic dealers
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=12269

Another suggestion is to check resellerratings.com

Finding a UK panasonic dealer
http://www.panasonic.co.uk/customer-Support/selling-dealer-locator.asp

Not everyone is a scammer. As I said I have bought every camera I used on DEADLANDS off eBay and never got scammed. Everyone who complains about eBay never uses eBay and just goes of some story they heard from someone who heard from someone etc etc.

There are plenty of reputable sellers on eBay. I know who they are in the US, and I am sure in the UK they won't be hard to find either. You just have to look & read.

[MinionZombie]

Like I said earlier, I'll eventually get around to using eBay, but to buy something small like a DVD ... I certainly will not being forking over my £2500 over the internet, and especially not on my first try. I've never spent more than around £400 online (and that was once). As this £2500 is the only chunk of £2500 I have available, I'm going the safe and steady route.

Aye, tried the Panasonic dealer thing before but Preston's had the best price and I'd be getting all the equipment I'm after from there, it's also better to establish a rapport with them as they are known to provide good after sales service (heck, if they've been going since the 1960s they must be doing something right).

The dealer search is actually pretty crap, all the ones in my area are either Shop @ Panasonic dealers, who mainly do TV's and the others are on the level of consumer cameras, not even pro-sumer, let along professional, so it basically came down to Preston's. Another dealer in Cardiff quoted me, but they were over my budget (also a "small" dealership) - you've gotta set a budget a stick to it, especially when you don't have a lot of free cash hanging around (another reason I'm not dropping this precious £2500 via the internet).

[LouCipherr]

I dunno, I can understand the hesitation to spend that kind of $ on ebay or over the internet, but like Dj has said, every one of the cameras used for our flick he bought right off ebay and had no issues with any of the transactions. He either got lucky as hell, or there's not as many scammers as one might think selling prosumer cameras. ;)

Just be careful how you purchase...


...use PAYPAL or a VISA card and don't get the item or it is messed... you get your money back

What he said. :D

LC

[LD-50]

[QUOTE=DjfunkmasterG;38186]Not everyone is a scammer. As I said I have bought every camera I used on DEADLANDS off eBay and never got scammed. Everyone who complains about eBay never uses eBay and just goes of some story they heard from someone who heard from someone etc etc.

There are plenty of reputable sellers on eBay. I know who they are in the US, and I am sure in the UK they won't be hard to find either. You just have to look & read.[/QUOTE

Let's be fair, what about those cats that tried to sell you that xl2 that turned out to be an optura ? In general, I think it is safe to buy off e-bay, especially people like electronixmax, don't now what would be the uk equivalent. They actually have pal cameras pretty often, so if you can afford the shipping, it might make sense. There are scams, but you will see many more scams for more expensive/rare items than this. Probably about 35% or better of 16mm gear on ebay is fake. Not that the item in qestion was never for sale, but people just copy legit ads for gear, down to the typos, and scam people that way. I guess they go for bigger ticket items so they have less risk, needing only one big patsy rather than many little ones. It is usually quite obvious when it's a scam in the case of film gear and lenses, because it is usually apparent the seller doesn't have clue one about the **** they are selling. Try asking if it comes with a bag of extra f-stops. Probably 60% of alienware products. It is generally safe to buy from e-bay, but caveat emptor, and if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

[DjfunkmasterG]

The XL2 thing was someones high jacked account it turned out. However, Paypal took care of it and gave me all my money back which is why I never worry.

Anyway,

Minion... You said you were paying 2500 pounds for that camera. Why on earth would you pay 2500 pounds ($4751 american dollars) for a camera you can get for $3295 dollars by going here

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&shs=DVX100BE&image.x=2&image.y=9

Currently out of stock, but even with shipping to you location the total was like $3350.

[LD-50]

The XL2 thing was someones high jacked account it turned out. However, Paypal took care of it and gave me all my money back which is why I never worry.

Anyway,

Minion... You said you were paying 2500 pounds for that camera. Why on earth would you pay 2500 pounds ($4751 american dollars) for a camera you can get for $3295 dollars by going here

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&shs=DVX100BE&image.x=2&image.y=9

Currently out of stock, but even with shipping to you location the total was like $3350.

I was talking about the one whose house you went to ? I thought you never gave them any dough after seeing it in person. But that does bring up a good e-bay point, if it ain't paypal, put it on your DNFW list.


The XL2 thing was someones high jacked account it turned out. However, Paypal took care of it and gave me all my money back which is why I never worry.

Anyway,

Minion... You said you were paying 2500 pounds for that camera. Why on earth would you pay 2500 pounds ($4751 american dollars) for a camera you can get for $3295 dollars by going here

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?ci=1&sb=ps&pn=1&sq=desc&InitialSearch=yes&O=RootPage.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t&shs=DVX100BE&image.x=2&image.y=9

Currently out of stock, but even with shipping to you location the total was like $3350.

I was talking about the one whose house you went to ? In PA ?I thought you never gave them any dough after seeing it in person. But that does bring up a good e-bay point, if it ain't paypal, put it on your DNFW list.

[axlish]

I agree, although I know my money is safe, I'd much rather go with a reputable business to get such an expensive camera. Also, there are things like the warranty to consider if you are getting a used model. I agree with MZ, wait...

[DjfunkmasterG]

I was talking about the one whose house you went to ? I thought you never gave them any dough after seeing it in person. But that does bring up a good e-bay point, if it ain't paypal, put it on your DNFW list.



I was talking about the one whose house you went to ? In PA ?I thought you never gave them any dough after seeing it in person. But that does bring up a good e-bay point, if it ain't paypal, put it on your DNFW list.


Oh yeah...I forgot about that. No That was someone who had a new XL1s and offered it for sale and I offered to pick it up and it was not an XL1s. I forget what that one was. I was pissed because I had to drive to Macungie Pa and I really needed that camera.

All in all thought 75% of the time ebay is trust worthy. Like LD-50 says. If they don't have paypal add them to your DNFW list. The one good thing about PAYPAL 95% of the time you will get your money back.

[MinionZombie]

Like I said in an email to Deej, but to clarify to anyone else reading, the £2500 is for camera and extras (battery, mic, tripod) so it's actually £2000 for the DVX100BE - and that's including the ass rape level of VAT we have to pay here in the UK (17.5%), so the camera - without gordon brown's favourite form of rape - it's £1685.

As I've never used eBay - I don't even understand it yet, and I've been looking into it, even got my Dad to help out with the research and small print reading (he has the patience for it, I don't :D). Eventually I'll use eBay, but for small, inexpensive items - a DVD for example - but when having never used it, I'd never blow my only wodge of available dough via that service for the camera.

So with the money being so precious to me, I want to do it right. There's also the matter of warranty as well as repairs. Now, Preston's is about 20 minutes down the road ... America is a bit further away... :lol:

Looking into a Panasonic specialist shop nearby to see if they can get one brought in (maybe Panasonic will pull their f*cking finger out if sending to one of their own shops), but whether they're of a competitive price or not ... who knows.

A question about the DVX100B - what's the battery that is included like? Does it last a good amount of time, or is it like those slim, crap batteries that last about 40 minutes with the screen flipped out? If it's a decent battery included with the camera, then I wouldn't need to buy another battery...at least for a while.

For this much money, I wanna do things right and cautious ... if I had a stash of cash then I'd be more carefree ... but like I said, that wodge of £2500 is the only wodge of cash I've got available, and it's only because it's inheritence money too... i.e. it's a rare wodge of cash to be found in my coffers. :eek:

[axlish]

I had a question re: the PAL version of the DVX that anyone that feels like it can answer.

The preferred setting on the DVX is 24p. How does this apply to the PAL model which will need to be set at 25 fps?

[EvilBread]

You tried creative video? they are one of the biggest providers of equipment to production companies across the UK.

[Eyebiter]

I had a question re: the PAL version of the DVX that anyone that feels like it can answer.

The preferred setting on the DVX is 24p. How does this apply to the PAL model which will need to be set at 25 fps?

Try this thread

"How To Use 25p With Dvx100b"
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70900

[DjfunkmasterG]

With the Canon XL2 and the DVX100 using 24P on the NTSC models not so many people are going after PAL cameras like they used to, like before 24P mode. This is how I understand it from what I read.

When someone bought a Canon XL1 or any other camera before 24P mode, they usually bought PAL because they could get 25fps which is very close to the NTSC standard of 23.976 fps. The PAL XL1 and other cameras helped bring everything closer to a more film like look. Mostly people making low budget films in the NTSC region bought the PAL versions of these cameras.

Once 24P was unleashed, the Low budget US and NTSC standard filmmakers stopped purchasing PAL cameras and started gobbling up the 24p DVX100 and Canon XL2.

[LD-50]

Try this thread

"How To Use 25p With Dvx100b"
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=70900

Be careful there is some misinformation on that thread.
The pak version of tthe dvx will not do 24p capture. It does 25p capture, and since your main audience will mostly be viewing it on pal systems, that will be fine. It is actually cleaner than with ntsc, because there is no need for pull down proccessing. 25p-501 as as opposed to 24p-30i-60i. simplified description, I know. One thing a lot of people don't realize, this maybe discussed on the thread, I just skimmed over it, is that with proggressive capture you have to watch out for "judder" I would bet that that is the "stutter" that the other guy was complaining about. You have to make sure all your camera movements are very slow and steady when using proggressive capture or you are going to see it. It can be very difficult to execute a move steady enough without a geared head, and very difficult to get one that is slow enough, especially at longer focal lengths. Basically it is a stuttering movement in the frame that is caused because the camera moved through to great an arc in between recording frames. It doesn't happen with interlaced recording because there is no "in between" frames. the camera is always recording odd or even scanlines, so the movement appears connected. Avoiding it is a matter of practice and carefully selecting your moves. If anyone is interested you should easily be able to find a chart online somewher that will tell you how long a 90 degree pan should take at a given focal length and framerate.

[MinionZombie]

Just got word, apparently the camera is coming in tomorrow, got word from Preston's themselves. Previous times when they've said it's going to be in, we've run them and the camera hasn't been in ... this time they've rung me when I've been looking for other options.

I even changed some of my anal obsessive/compulsive "things" that I do in a day - for example, this morning I put my watch on the tile to the left of the one I usually put it on in the bathroom. I also slightly altered my "turning the light off for bed" routine slightly ...

Now that you've all stepped back slowly from me and my tweaked weirdness, it's just something I find myself doing a lot (a lot of specific ways things have to be done - in an order for instance, with specific amounts of pressure etc - for example the other day I was making a post (in response to Andy's new colour scheme) and I edited it about 10 times until I had it perfect...

Anyway ... back to the point ... oi, you can step a bit closer, you won't hear me from all the way over there being those sandbags...

In my tweaked head, changing the order of things slightly triggered the cycle of DVX disappointment ...

Now hopefully Mr Sod's Law won't find this post and screw me over again, but the dude wouldn't ring unless he was sure it was coming...so ... ooooooooooh, it's like tickling a boner! :eek::D

[LouCipherr]

Not to get off topic here, but MZ, has anyone ever told you that you have a hell of a way with words? :lol: :lol:

[MinionZombie]

lol, why thank you Lou, I have to say I was rather excited when I posted that, so it's not up to my usual standards of grammar etc ... but when you're on tender hooks for a month thinking it's merely a couple of days away you do feel like your balls are being tickled, but not by some hot chick, by some rubbered up German bulldozer called Claus ...

Fortunately though - come and stroke me, for I am the new, proud owner of a DVX100BE! Let's all have a LouCipherr style "woot", eh?

Just been down to Preston's this morning, picked it up, along with extra battery, microphone, tripod and got a rather sturdy carrying case (not a metal one, fudge that on my budget, but a rather sturdy - ironically SONY branded - carry bag). I'm just about to go upstairs and commence drooling over it as I pour over the instruction manual ... now that I've got it, the tense "will I get it" anticipation has gone ... so you feel a bit "hmmm..." ... but woot, I've now got a serious bit of kit! To infinity and beyond, and all that jizz.

Now all I need to do is learn how to use it...:lol:

[DjfunkmasterG]

Now all I need to do is learn how to use it...:lol:

Congrats on the Camera. Now you need to start a thread that only you and LD-50 can talk in. He will teach you young padawan. :D

So now that you have your new cam... do we get I AM ZOMBIE MAN 2 in the next 3-4 weeks?

[LouCipherr]

Fortunately though - come and stroke me, for I am the new, proud owner of a DVX100BE! Let's all have a LouCipherr style "woot", eh?


w00t!!!

Dammit, I hate that word but I keep using it - what's wrong with me?!?!

Anyway, this is awesome MZ. Hurry up and do the crash-course and get us a new IAZM episode! :)

[MinionZombie]

Well, I was sat there all afternoon pouring over the book, somewhat understand what it was jabbering on about (:p), but blimey guvnah, this kit's got a lot of bells 'n' whistles dunnit? :D

Here's a picture festival from this afternoon - excuse the not-so-great quality as I took them on my phone, my digital snappy camera doesn't "do" 'low light' situations.

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/8402/dvxathonbl2.jpg

(Top row first, left to right and then the bottom row, left to right):

1) Everything boxed up fresh from the shop - camera, camera bag (ironically it's "Sony" branded :lol:), the microphone and the tripod.

2) Close up of the box-o-jizzy-goodness.

3) DeadShed Productions - the hub-o-activity, as I pour through the instruction manual.

4) My camera history - furthest away, my very first - Sony TRV27E (Hi8), the middle one is my Canon MV700i (IAZM 1 was shot on that, as was the majority of projects I did after "my NIGHTMARE" funked up the Hi8 one - in terms of capturing at least - up until, well, now ... will still find a use for the Canon though ... and of course, foreground - the new DVX100BE!

5) My Canon MV700i side-by-side to my new DVX100BE ... now that's a size difference!

6) Same as #5, but showing the new phat width-age. :lol: (not pictured, the spider under a plastic cut by my radiator which I caught for someone else to dispose of :eek:) ... take some of that shotgun mic to the eye! :cool:

*2nd edit - just for Deej*

Sadly no, you rapscallions will have to wait until around about New Year for IAZM 2 ... sad but true I'm afraid, that Zombie Man has gone off on such a coke bender I can't get him back until Xmas - pencilled in for filming IAZM 2 between Xmas and New Year. The fruition will possibly even extent to a mighty 5 weeks from starting the script to finishing the edit ... :D ... an epic in comparison to the original's one month start-to-finish conception/term/birth.

This way I can amp you guys up, and don't forget, I'll be getting you guys involved...keep 'em peeled for eventually my need of you lot will come to light...

*whisks cape up over face and disappears in a cloud of "Coovan's finest" HPOTD*

[LouCipherr]

Man, those pictures make even me drool! :D Maybe that's just from the overdose of HPotD though... :lol:

That's great man, i'm very happy for you, ya lucky bastid.

Now get yourself on a serious bender and write the script for IAZM2! :elol:

[MinionZombie]

Believe me, I'm already formulating some ideas since last night, I usually like to brainstorm for 2 to 6 weeks (depending on schedule/project type) on average and then I start gettin' it owhnnnnn...that is something I really enjoyed with IAZM - I just let my mind blow and just go nuts and really loose, as well as bring out the inner bastard in me for comic effect. :D

Good news too, I will get to watch Deadlands today after all, because my meeting has been moved to tomorrow, a-woot-woot! :D