Sony XDCAM EX - SxS Chips = $$$

Jay Gladwell wrote on 9/8/2007, 7:56 AM

"With its high reliability and durability, SxS PRO™ offers professional camcorder users even more opportunity to shoot in tough conditions or environments.

"The 8GB SBP-8 will be priced around €400 and the 16GB SBP-16 around €700. Both models will be available in November 2007"

OUCH! That translates, as of today, to about $551 and $964 respectively. A tad more than I was expecting, based on previous reads.


Comments

DJPadre wrote on 9/8/2007, 9:12 AM
still cheaper and fsater than p2...
RBartlett wrote on 9/8/2007, 9:13 AM
If the EU price is €400 list price, then the US$ equivalent will be $400, by my reckoning. Taxes and transport costs are tremendous in that € part of the world. The UK list price will no doubt be £400/£700 which would be ~US$800 and ~US$1400 respectively (if you exchange £1 for the current exchange rate).

Don't pay list! Also, don't buy for 6 months unless you can afford to pay the early-premiums on the premiums. The British way is to buy such consumables and have a fortnight in Florida for the same total cost. Or buy gray imports off ebay.

One option is to rent this kit for a few jobs first. Let the rental company get their orders in early enough to not have to pay the high demand rates first. This also saves you any grievances if there is any production quality issue to endure as you'll pick up a later revision with all the firmware patches for the caching functions we've heard stated mention of. Plus you'll benefit from your own review rather than basing your purchase on someone elses words (and who is to say that what they've said hasn't been colored by them having a freebie or some other kind of payment - that could color a saint's judgement at these "vehicle" prices).

8GB and 16GB in any form factor of flash memory is quite expensive. So there is only a slight premium at €400 IMHO. Also some quality/performance assurance with the SxS Pro™ labelling. As demand continues for multi GB flash in phones and cameras and with half decent transfer rates as required by HDV/XDCAM. I'm confident that prices will fall and available sizes will keep doubling. So expect to keep paying US$400 but expect massive storage opportunities in the months to come. I'm not the first to say this by a long chalk.
Jay Gladwell wrote on 9/8/2007, 9:42 AM

Nope, the exchange rate is accurate (as of today). See here:
http://www.xe.com/ucc/


RBartlett wrote on 9/8/2007, 11:25 AM
My point was that the international exchange rate is rarely used for giving the figures for electronic and luxury goods.

Cars, TVs, computers, cameras, camcorders are a rip off over in EU/UK/DK etc. So what I am imploring you to do is to not expect the US$ figure to not be a direct conversion from €. Camcorders themselves that are over $2000 aren't quite so inflated but there is still a hike that is more than you'd expect even with the smaller potential market and reduced dealer competition profile.

If a European or a Brit uses his power of currency to import from USA, Hong Kong or Japan then it is expected that all the duties, tax and carriage costs will be higher than buying locally. Sales tax or VAT, although recoverable to a business is usually between 15 and 25% in Europe, afaik. The governments in place make sure that imported goods in particular are taxed by classification and value. So if your sales tax is lower where you live than the Europeans suffer then chances are you will get the product for less cost.

The price for Japanese manufacturers continues to tend towards having the same digits after $,£ and €. Although you can cut a deal in the UK, probably you can in continental Europe and USA too. The Yen ¥ figure doesn't appear to be representative either not with symmetry anyway.

It has been like this for as long as I can remember, since my childhood (1960s-1970s). "Google products" isn't the best example as it is focused on paid-for listings but look at the Sony HVR-Z1:

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=sony+HVR-z1&btnG=Search&show=dd&scoring=p&lnk=pruser&price1=1000&price2=6000&btnP=Go

Now alter the google.co.uk to read google.com and considering that 1.00 GBP=2.02829 USD it is a bit extravagant.

For Britain, the cheapest UK price, as exhanged today is US$4,665.08 when the cheapest visible Z1 deal inside North America is USD$3699. In Germany the same camcorder is froogled for a best price at €4799 or as exchanged US$6,607.01. (change the google.com to google.de ). You can do the same sort of analysis at top price and typical/msrp price.

So if you go to a hotel in the USA, Hong Kong or Japan that is popular with European and British holidaymakers you'll quite likely to find boxes and outers from electronic goods purchases. In order to get back in through customs/immigration with what looks like a personal item that has had it's taxes paid in the EU/UK. That is smuggling but $3699 vs $4665 vs $6607 shows you why there is an incentive to bend the rules at least once in your life. Another reason why the world need multistandard equipment - always. Also why the US should encourage a multistandard product range on their shelves. Especially in resorts that are popular with foreigners wanting PAL/50Hz this and that. The price of camcorders and denim jeans remains an interest. Camera/camcorder memory cards too. As I said, we'll quite easily accrue enough to cover the holiday itself. If we don't mind smuggling more than the US$140 per person restriction that we have to face on our return (to the UK).

I may be mistaken about where you got the EU € price from but I'd certainly not take it as red that you'll be paying the exchange rate version figures when the product arrives on your shores. Chances are that Sandisk will have a very efficient channel path into the US.

If you don't rent, get the dealer who you buy your EX1 from to give you the keenest price for that camcorder and THEN the keenest price for your SxS™ Pro cards. Then walk away at least once, or decline their best offer but get the name of the salesperson if you are calling by phone. They won't sell below their margins and will probably go "out of stock" on you if they are even slightly dishonorable. YMMV

This is another reason why when folk from North America come and visit us in the UK - we like to offer to refund you all our local taxes. We don't want you to leave with too bad an opinion from the costs you'd otherwise suffer.

Sorry to rant. Rip-off-Britain has it's moments. When I see an American worrying about a Japanes product from the price he has seen in Europe - it gets the hairs on the back of my neck up and I really have to tell you to please worry not. Worry for us, not yourself! :-)