PD170/VX2100 low light at DVinfo.net

Tom Hardwick · October 8th, 2003, 03:20 AM

So the VX/150 replacements have even better light sensitivity and an iris control wheel that clicks the aperture open or closed in quarter stop increments rather than half stops. OK, better, but why not as good as the Panasonic DVX100 with its invisible-on-screen aperture control?

No mention of the new Sony having any change to the internal NDs which is a pity seeing as how you'll now be working at an even smaller stop in the same lighting conditions. As it is I feel the NDs are too feeble, and would've been better if they both absorbed a stop more.

tom.

Frank Granovski · October 8th, 2003, 03:46 AM

I'm looking forward to a hands on opinion about this new VX2100. Tom, do you have any idea when it'll be released in the UK?

Tom Hardwick · October 8th, 2003, 05:55 AM

Nothing official, but I'd give it as the end of November or thereabouts. The opportunity will be taken to bump the price considerably from the 1950GBP that you can get a VX2k for, so it makes the current camera a great buy.

tom.

Mark Goodsell · October 12th, 2003, 05:36 PM

Maybe the price will be high initially, but its hard to imagine they will be able to keep the price high for long considering the price of the GL2, PDX10, DVC80 (which some could argue is a better cam) and JVC 300U. More than anything, the updates should give people a faint reason NOT to buy one of the aforementioned cams.

Say they raised the price to $2800 ($400 higher than now). That means one would be only a few hundred from buying a DVX100, $400 more than the DVC80, $850 more than the GL2 (with rebate), and about $150 from a PD150 (there will surely be plenty out there for a while). I don't see how they would sell ANY VX2100's. I don't know about you guys, but at that price I'd move up to a DVX100 or get the DVC80 (if I didn't want to spend as much), or find a current PD150 or VX2000. When I bought my cam, I had a really difficult time buying the VX2000 over the GL2, and, at that time, JVC and Panasonic didn't have their cams out, there wasn't a PDX10, and Canon wasn't offering a rebate on the GL2. I guarantee if I were buying a new cam today, I could find lots of reasons to buy any of the other cams. VX2100 doesn't offer enough features to justify a higher cost than the VX2000.

We'll have to wait and see what Sony does....

Mark G

Drew Long · October 12th, 2003, 08:19 PM

So if anyone is going to keep prices up, it'll be the dealers. When they don't have enough people buying, I'm sure it'll drop duly, just as the VX2k is now available at $2000 in some places. And even as low as $1700 for a grey market.

Tom Hardwick · October 12th, 2003, 11:37 PM

Spot on, both of you. Market forces decide what a product's worth, right down to the last penny. GM, Ford and now Canon with their GL2 have found this, and rebates are a simple way of saying - whoops, it was overpriced, sorry.

My guess is the VX2100 will come in high for two reasons. Firstly it means dealers won't be stuck with the older model (they'll look a lot more appealing) and secondly there's no-one a dealer likes better than an early adopter. Price tickets don't matter to them in the same way as people can spend silly money of names inside their clothes. Early adopters help pay the huge devlopement costs and smooth the engineering gamble.

tom.

October 8th, 2003, 03:20 AM	#1
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	PD170/VX2100 low light So the VX/150 replacements have even better light sensitivity and an iris control wheel that clicks the aperture open or closed in quarter stop increments rather than half stops. OK, better, but why not as good as the Panasonic DVX100 with its invisible-on-screen aperture control? No mention of the new Sony having any change to the internal NDs which is a pity seeing as how you'll now be working at an even smaller stop in the same lighting conditions. As it is I feel the NDs are too feeble, and would've been better if they both absorbed a stop more. tom.

October 12th, 2003, 05:36 PM	#4
Mark Goodsell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: WI Posts: 367	Maybe the price will be high initially, but its hard to imagine they will be able to keep the price high for long considering the price of the GL2, PDX10, DVC80 (which some could argue is a better cam) and JVC 300U. More than anything, the updates should give people a faint reason NOT to buy one of the aforementioned cams. Say they raised the price to $2800 ($400 higher than now). That means one would be only a few hundred from buying a DVX100, $400 more than the DVC80, $850 more than the GL2 (with rebate), and about $150 from a PD150 (there will surely be plenty out there for a while). I don't see how they would sell ANY VX2100's. I don't know about you guys, but at that price I'd move up to a DVX100 or get the DVC80 (if I didn't want to spend as much), or find a current PD150 or VX2000. When I bought my cam, I had a really difficult time buying the VX2000 over the GL2, and, at that time, JVC and Panasonic didn't have their cams out, there wasn't a PDX10, and Canon wasn't offering a rebate on the GL2. I guarantee if I were buying a new cam today, I could find lots of reasons to buy any of the other cams. VX2100 doesn't offer enough features to justify a higher cost than the VX2000. We'll have to wait and see what Sony does.... Mark G __________________ Mark Goodsell

October 12th, 2003, 08:19 PM	#5
Drew Long Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 64	The MSRP on the VX2100/PD170 is the same as the VX2k/PD150 So if anyone is going to keep prices up, it'll be the dealers. When they don't have enough people buying, I'm sure it'll drop duly, just as the VX2k is now available at $2000 in some places. And even as low as $1700 for a grey market.

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October 8th, 2003, 03:46 AM	#2
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I'm looking forward to a hands on opinion about this new VX2100. Tom, do you have any idea when it'll be released in the UK?

October 8th, 2003, 05:55 AM	#3
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Nothing official, but I'd give it as the end of November or thereabouts. The opportunity will be taken to bump the price considerably from the 1950GBP that you can get a VX2k for, so it makes the current camera a great buy. tom.

October 12th, 2003, 11:37 PM	#6
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Spot on, both of you. Market forces decide what a product's worth, right down to the last penny. GM, Ford and now Canon with their GL2 have found this, and rebates are a simple way of saying - whoops, it was overpriced, sorry. My guess is the VX2100 will come in high for two reasons. Firstly it means dealers won't be stuck with the older model (they'll look a lot more appealing) and secondly there's no-one a dealer likes better than an early adopter. Price tickets don't matter to them in the same way as people can spend silly money of names inside their clothes. Early adopters help pay the huge devlopement costs and smooth the engineering gamble. tom.