Panasonic Drops Price of SDX-900 by 11,000.

rextilleon wrote on 2/16/2006, 5:46 AM
Just saw this on their site---found it interesting because you seldom see a great camera drop in price by that amount. You can now get the body for about 16,000 and in my mind the 900 is the best SD camera ever. Maybe they are concerned with the the release of the Sony HDX 1/2 inch camera in March.

Comments

Coursedesign wrote on 2/16/2006, 9:39 AM
It is a great SD camera, but it took them too long to get it out.

From the puny sales they have had, there's no way they paid for the development of it.

Looking forward today they may have to drop the price much much further in the face of the total onslaught of HD in their intended segments.

If they had asked $16K for it when it was launched, they probably would have sold enough to pay for their upfront costs, building some volume.

It seems their thinking was, "We've got the only real 24P, so everybody *MUST* buy from us!"

They forgot about price elasticity, paying $25K for a lensless 24P SD body made it more attractive to use other solutions that were not quite as good but cost much less.

And today, spend that much on an SD camera???? Not an easy sell.
mjroddy wrote on 2/16/2006, 11:21 AM
Is there anywhere i can read more about the new Sony? A model number would help me Google it... Thanks much!
Coursedesign wrote on 2/16/2006, 11:41 AM
...
The XDCAM HD system is the latest Sony digital innovation to debut at Sundance, and marks the continuing evolution of optical technology as video professionals shift from standard definition production.

One of the new camcorders, the PDW-F350, offers a feature of particular interest to cinematographers: true variable frame rate recording capabilities; also commonly known as "over-cranking" and "under-cranking" or "slow-motion/fast motion" functionality.

With the introduction of the XDCAM HD system, Sony is also extending its CineAlta™ family of cinematic, broadcast and professional production systems by embracing these new products within the CineAlta brand.

The two XDCAM HD camcorders - the PDW-F330 and PDW-F350 - both offer true 24P recording in SD or HD, interval recording, and slow shutter. The same Professional Disc media used in the standard definition version of the XDCAM system is also compatible with the new HD version. Now, professional users can record up to two hours of high definition content on the versatile optical media, maintaining their workflow continuity by combining HD resolution with the same IT-based benefits made possible by XDCAM technology since its initial launch in 2004.

The standard definition version of the XDCAM system has been adopted by news organizations, videographers and television producers, especially for reality TV shows.

The standard definition version of the XDCAM system has also made its way into the world of cinematography. A new release from InDigEnt Films, "Puccini for Beginners," was shot entirely in standard-definition XDCAM format and is a narrative feature entry in the Dramatic Competition at this year's festival.

Filmmaker Mauricio Rubenstein of InDigEnt Films ("Pieces of April," "Personal Velocity," "Tadpole") credits the XDCAM optical technology for his ability to shoot the feature in just 18 days with minimal technical support. Rubenstein was most impressed by the ability to have immediate, random access to footage on the set using the XDCAM Professional Disc media, enabling him to thumbnail through dailies while on set, without fear of scratching or erasing footage. He also noted the appearance of day exteriors and the camera's ability to adjust to low-light conditions.

"The color (in the day exteriors) doesn't wash out, and the resolution is strong and rich; wide shot images don't appear degraded," said Rubenstein. "We shot an entire scene under a lamppost using a 150 watt lamp, and the detail the XDCAM system picked up was unbelievable."

Ian Calderon, director of digital initiatives for the Sundance Institute, is already familiar with the XDCAM system from its use at the Institute's summer Filmmaker's Lab. According to Calderon, the availability of an HD version holds incredible potential for movie-making.

"Optical technology is reliable, practical and ideal for the independent filmmaker," he said. "The picture quality is breathtaking and the disc-based technology is reasonably priced and indestructible. It gives filmmakers remarkable freedom and on the fly, instantaneous access to footage while on location and during post production."

Based on blue-laser technology, the XDCAM system's Professional Disc media offers unique benefits in terms of split-second random access to footage in the field or during the post process, and multi-format flexibility and flexible record times (approximately 120 minutes or more of HD content at 18 Mbps or 85 minutes of SD DVCAM at 25 Mps).

The Sony Professional Disc media is re-usable up to 1,000 read/write cycles and up to 10,000 read/write cycles in ideal conditions, based on Sony's own testing. The greater number of repeat recordings possible with the XDCAM Professional Disc allows a production crew to re-use it more often than a videotape and without experiencing degradation after multiple uses of the media.

The following XDCAM HD products are planned to be available this March, with suggested list pricing of:

* PDW-F350 camcorder: $25,800
* PDW-F330 camcorder: $16,800
* PDW-F70 deck: $15,990

The PDW-F30 deck is planned to be available in June, with a suggested list price of $9,500.

The PFD-23 Professional Disc media is available for approximately $30 per disc, with a capacity of 23.3 GB per disc.
rextilleon wrote on 2/16/2006, 1:12 PM
I agree with you----its probably the best SD camera you can buy but it was very expensive when they released it. Anyhow, I just found the price drop to be interesting and I do think they and everybody else is beginning to see that HD's time has come. I assume the release of the HDX by Sony in March also played a role. This is a good thing for us!
Quryous wrote on 2/17/2006, 6:42 AM
It is also quite possible that ths presages a new cam from Panasonic. Get rid of the old one before the new one REALLY cramps sales.
SimonW wrote on 2/17/2006, 8:31 AM
I don't believe, despite it being an incredible camera, that the SDX900 has actually sold all that well compared to other cameras. For rental it appears to do well, but there don't seem to be that many SDX owners out there compared with BetaSP, DVCAM, Digibeta etc. I know that in the UK seeing a Panny shouldermount camera anywhere is a rarity (in fact I've never seen anyone else using one!)

So perhaps the price drop is actually a way of opening up a new market? People who would have bought DSR450's can now seriously think about an SDX900.