Question for those who purchased the XL1s...
 

When you bought your camera did you buy it with the ENTIRE camera or did it just come with the body and you had to pay extra for the lens and viewfinder?

Also, how much did you pay for the ENTIRE camera including lens and battery and viewfinder? What is the best deal you saw it for and where did you get it from?

I don't know of anyone yet who has purchased only the body. The standard XL1S kit contains everything you need to start shooting video right out of the box, including a battery and tape.

The best deals are available from my website sponsors... see the banner ads on Sponsors page at dvinfo.net.

Don't fall into the "lowest price" trap,

I guess I need to send mine back, I didn't get a blank tape! Let's see, where did I put Christines number?

Ed Frazier

Hey Ed, I'll send you that tape... Christine is a busy person... ;-)

When I got my XL1s I didn't get a tape as well plus I didn't get an cleaning tape ether. The XI1 old you get that but not with the XL1s I think.
I got mine from Christine from ZGC.

Cleaning tapes are *always* extra... I've never heard of a cleaning tape packaged with any camcorder.

Guess Canon is no longer packaging a blank DV tape now that the XL1S is out... there used to be a 30min cassette in the old XL1 kit.

I received a cleaning tape and a 30min tape packaged with my XL1 when I got it last November 16 2000.

...
 

Chris...why not go for the cheapest price?

I'm not Chris, but maybe I can add a little bit.

Why not the lowest price? In the video and photography world, there are alot of crooks (terrible business practices, fraudulent advertising.. bait-n-switch, etc). You'll see their ads in many of the publications you'd expect a photographer/videographer, amateur and professional, to read.

Check www.resellerratings.com for some actual user feedback on these low-ballers.

What IS included in the XL-1S kit
 

The XL-1S standard kit does not have the 30 minute cassette tape like the XL-1 kit had. The cleaning tape was never included with the kit. Also, to respond to the question about the "body only" XL-1S kit, see www.zgc.com for the various kits available. There are only a handful of Canon dealers who are allowed by Canon to sell the body only kits. They allow you to canibalize your current XL-1 of its viewfinder and lens to use on the new body, OR you can get the new Canon 16x manual servo zoom instead of getting the standard Canon 16x auto lens that comes in the standard XL-1S kit. In addition, with the body kit you then have a choice of either getting the black and white viewfinder or the color viewfinder. Various body kits are available through ZGC, check out the website to see the details.

FWIW....

I purchased my XL1s for significantly less than the advertised retail price thru a webstore in NY. The camera arrived in a sealed factory carton with the entire XL1s kit, as advertised. I've had no problems, whatsoever. I also ordered a third party, hi capacity battery which works excellently in this cam. Despite the horror stories, in 20 years of doing business with mail order, discount photographic equipment, I've NEVER had a problem.

I too have made several photo/video related purchases on the web and by mail order with few if any real problems. For my XL1S purchase, I decided to go with ZGC.com based on the strong recomendation from Chris and others on this board. While their price was significantly less than the advertised retail price, the piece of mind in knowing that any problems, should they occur, would likely be quickly resolved was also important.

I've made positive comments about ZGC in other threads and I can assure you that I get nothing out of it. I'm also not trying to "brown nose" Chris Hurd in any way. It was a pleasure doing business with ZGC and I simply want to pass that along to others that are contemplating spending this amount of money on a web purchase.

BTW: No retail stores of any type in my area carried the XL1 so I had to do a lot of research on the Internet before feeling comfortable with the purchase. The first one I actually held in my hands was the one I ordered. I don't necessarily recommend that others do it that way, but it has worked out for me. By the time my camera arrived, I had completely read the XL1S User's Manual at least twice and read hundreds of comments, both pro and con from users, wanna-be users and XL1 haters from all over the world.

Ed Frazier

Howdy from Texas,

The deal with ZGC and my other sponsors is, when you make a purchase from them, there is a relationship there if you want it. These other places, once you buy from them, they never want to hear from you again... unless you want to buy something else. And then they won't remember who you are. I can't emphasize enough, it's service after the sale, and an established point-of-sale relationship that you're buying into with ZGC and my other sponsors.

Sure, not *every* other outfit out there is a rip-off joint. Sure, there are other places to buy from. But it's a touchy subject because a handful of bad or questionable retailers can ruin the overall experience for everybody. People hear the horror stories, they become reluctant to buy even though they're ready. A lot of 'em come to me, asking, "where is the best deal" or "who has the lowest price."

Who has the lowest price? The rip-off artists... they advertize ridiculously low prices, to get you to call. Once you're on the phone, they jack up the price with $100 shipping, useless accessories, or charging for components which should have been included in the first place.

Where is the best value for your money, is the real question. That's the one thing I try to impress upon people who ask me where they should buy from, and it's why I have a working relationship with the businesses you'll find on my Sponsors page at dvinfo.net.

I've never asked anything of the many visitors who come to my websites, but if you want to give something back to the XL1 Watchdog, then what you can do is buy your gear from my sponsors, because it helps to keep the site going. And not only will you be doing me a favor, but you'll be helping yourself out as well.

Much respect,

Chris...

What you are saying is probably good advice. I especially can understand that it's a good way to support your site, which I use and appreciate. Please don't misunderstand me and I'm not trying to pick a fight with you. Nevertheless, after looking at ZGC's prices, I have trouble justifying the extra $1000 cost of an XL1s. For a small operation like mine, this is enough to make or break the decision to buy. It seems the "standard excuse" offered by retailers that offer little to no discount is "service and support with a smile". What else can they offer to justify the prices they charge? (or to cover the overhead they've incurred with that new building and expensive advertising department) Another example of what I'm saying is the Canon FD to XL lens adapter they sell under the Optek brand. There is no glass or electronics, just a machined piece of steel for $450. This kind of attitude is fine when customers are huge corporations that waste more $$$'s on paperclips than I'll ever earn in my lifetime, but, as a small business and small consumer, I can't justify their excuse of service with a smile. If something goes wrong, that's why Canon has a warantee and service address. Honestly, I don't much care whether the proctologist is smiling or not when he pulls on that rubber glove.

Response to Bill Ravens
 

Hi Bill - Here are a couple of examples why people might pay a little more ($1,000 more?! Would love to know where that figure came from. If that's the case, we ARE too high!)

Assume you buy a camera in a prepackaged kit assembled at the factory in Japan AND buy a new Canon 16x lens, again prepackaged. You try out the 16x lens and decide is just isn't for you because you didn't know going in that it doesn't focus closer than 1 meter. You want to return it. Would your vendor take the lens back and give you a refund?

If you're a professional videographer and need the equipment at the last minute -- which is par for the course in this industry -- would your source work with you to be sure that the equipment you needed arrived at the hotel on the day you needed it? And if FedEx screwed up and didn't get it there could you depend on the vendor tracking it down quickly to get it delivered to your next stop in another location?

Regarding expense of equipment: I think ALL this stuff is way too expensive and so is high-end still photography equipment. (Have you priced a 4x5 large format camera recently? -- whoa, but I digress) Part of the reason that the Canon FD to XL adapter is so expensive is because it's made in England (everything is more expensive there) and then it's imported into the US which adds more cost. OpTex does not made 1000s of a specialty item so the cost per item is more on fewer pieces.

Vendors who offer the camera much lower than our currently quoted price of $3,700 for the standard kit dip below the dealer price. In that case, there has to be a scam going one way or another. I've heard horror stories from people calling us after the fact saying their cards were charged service fees, etc. that in one case added up to $6,000. You were one of the lucky ones who found a reputable source. You might want to share your resource with the Watchdog Community.

Happy Holiday!