Australian Price at DVinfo.net

John Hewat · September 9th, 2007, 09:29 PM

It's tentatively priced at $11,995 at Videoguys Australia.

When they had a tentative price on the V1, they were pretty accurate - they were $500 more expensive than it ended up being.

So it's about $1000 more expensive than importing it from the U.S.

How do people feel about doing that? Is it too risky and problematic? Or is it perfectly ok to do?

Peter Jefferson · September 9th, 2007, 10:54 PM

I wouldn't import a grey into Aus unless you were SURE that where ever you bought it from will take care of you while the cam is away for service (i.e., hire a replacement or what have you).

As for service, I'm referring to preventative maintenance, or actual defect repairs. All manufacturers aside from Canon (here in Aus) won't touch any Grey Market goods... as for the extra grand, consider the fact that the unit is not only tax deductable, but can also be used as a tax deduction for the next 7 years with 20% depreciation each year.

If the difference was over $1500, then I'd consider it (I imported my own DVX100's and paid $5400 as opposed to the Aus asking price of $8800... that's a significant saving), for a simple grand though, you'd make that money back on one job anyway.

Bob Grant · September 10th, 2007, 03:20 AM

Videoguys.com.au (not to confuse them with Videoguys.com) can be quite cheap or expensive, really shop around and try dealers that aren't on the web. Macrays in Sydney who are exclusively Sony can usually do better than most but they only sell Sony broadcast gear which in this case will be OK.

I've imported quite a bit of gear from the USA, most of it carried back personally for very significant savings. An expensive video camera might make me a little nervous about warranty but this one doesn't have so much to go wrong with it and firmware is user upgradeable. Still I'd want more than a $1,000 saving to contemplate it.

Vaughan Wood · September 10th, 2007, 04:25 AM

The grey importers will, I'm sure, get their act into gear pretty quickly with this camera.

I just bought an FX 1E from an ebay importer in Sydney, as I needed a second HDV camera for the rest of this year, and got excellent price and excellent service, so I'd go that route if I had to.

Luckily I won the door prize at the Sony roadshow in Melbourne last year, (an A1), and now have AUD$3,800 at Tasman AV, so I ordered an EX straight after NAB to be covered by my credit.

Hope they still give me a good deal!!!!!!

Cheers Vaughan

John Hewat · September 10th, 2007, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vaughan Wood

Luckily I won the door prize at the Sony roadshow in Melbourne last year, (an A1)

No way! My business partner won the second prize (a PSP) at the roadshow. We were mad as hell that we missed out on the A1.

I have a few concerns with importing.

1: The lack of warranty, but I suppose that any Sony place that could fix the Australian model would have zero problems fixing the U.S. model.
2: GST - I'll surely have to pay it, right?
3: eBay - I know a guy who ordered an FX1 on eBay and the seller sent a proper FX1 box with a brick inside! No camera of course.

Vaughan Wood · September 10th, 2007, 04:51 AM

I went to the 2 p.m. session.

When they rang me up to tell me at approx 6.30 p.m......I had tooo havvve anooothhhhheeeeerrrrr ddddrrrriiinnnkkkkk!!!!!!!! (LOL)

Cheers Vaughan

John Hewat · September 10th, 2007, 05:37 AM

I don't remember which session we were at but when they drew it and the A1 winner wasn't there we suggested letting us have it and he could get the PSP. We figured he'd never know whether he was drawn out or not. Lucky for you they said no!!

Robert Bec · September 10th, 2007, 03:30 PM

I really hope it doesn't cost over $10,000 or i'm sure you would be able to get it from www.globalmediapro.com in NZ they just slug you on tax when shipping it to Aust. maybe if it's cheap fly over same day pick it up and put it in your bag
save on tax and GST.

just a thought.

Rob.

John Hewat · September 10th, 2007, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert Bec

maybe if it's cheap fly over same day pick it up and put it in your bag

Holy cow, that is a cheap site! I can't find on their site where it's located. Do they have a storefront?

Vaughan Wood · September 10th, 2007, 08:10 PM

There's no shop front, I'm sure it's just a guy sitting on his studio taking orders, shipping from Hong Kong, but they have made quite an impact on Australian distributors!

As we have very high prices compared to world parity on anything electronic (Sony and PSP in particular), I don't have much sympathy for Aussie distributors.

Nearly bought a Z1 from them recently, but got a FX 1 grey import from Sydney - GST paid -delivered to Melbourne for $4,200 which can be our second camera for this year until EX day arrives.

(Actually it's become our main camera, I like it much better than my FX 7).

Also I have in-laws in Wellington, so we have to visit NZ occasionally, so I look up their wesite regularly.

Cheers Vaughan

John Hewat · September 10th, 2007, 08:29 PM

I have friends in New Zealand too so I might seriously consider purchasing over there and bringing it back over.

Do we know yet whether there are going to be differences between the U.S. release and the PAL releases? Will there just be one worldwide model or will they differ a little? If they differ, it's possible we'll lose the CineAlta 24p capability from the PAL model. Or am I worrying too much?

ALSO:

Half way down on this page is an ad for the 2007 Australian Sony Roadshow in October where they're giving away one of these cameras but I don't know anything about it. Does anyone have any news? Dates/Locations?

Joe Lawry · September 10th, 2007, 09:03 PM

GlobalMediaPro.com are undercutting everybody, and i know a lot of people in the industry here in nz who have bad things to say about them.

This is pro broadcast gear people, support your distributors, that way you will always get a real warrently and real support.

I could of saved a bundle on gear if i'd bought from them however the relationship i've developed with my retailers is a much better thing. You get kept in the know and i've ended up with a bunch of good deals because of that.

Why'd you ever want to save a few bucks (even if it is a grand or 2) and buy something gray market is beyond me. Money shouldnt be a problem if the job the equipment is needed for is paying for it, and hell im only 19 and i've learnt this.

Graeme Fullick · September 11th, 2007, 04:25 AM

Guys, I bought a Sony Z1 from Globalmediapro - and have to say that their service was excellent. The camera arrived in 2 days and was exactly the same as ones purchased in Australia. You can buy a worldwide warranty (services in Australia) for not too much more ($100-200) if you are worried about warranty, but GMP offer their own return to seller warranty, and to be honest sending it to NZ is about the same as sending to Melbourne for me. I also bought an A1 from videoguys because they offered a deal very close to Globalmediapro. I am of the opionion that if the local distributors provide reasonable prices I will definitely support them, but there is no way that our prices should be 30 -40% higher than US prices (which is often the case). If globalmediapro can stock and sell items at these prices - Australian distributors should be able to sell for the same price plus 10% - and get my custom every time!

Peter Jefferson · September 11th, 2007, 06:07 AM

"but there is no way that our prices should be 30 -40% higher than US prices (which is often the case). "

this argument has been going on since the days of sega vs nintendo where grey imports first took a foothold in the electronics industry here in aus.

its an old story but it rings true that basically, our market is much smaller, we obviously wouldnt sell as many units as lets say the US.
WIth that, Aus needs to make as much money, and to do that, they charge more.. as an example, in the US, there might be 10 units sold for every 3 units sold here in aus. As those distributors in aus need to make up that comparative loss (ie 7 units) they up the price, in turn, what is sold for 3 units here in aus, equates to the cost of 5 or 6 units sold in the US (when it comes to actual profit)
So, your then left with 3 units valued at 6 units, in turn, THIS is then compared to the sales of the US... the 4 unit loss isnt as bad as a 7 unit "loss" and this can then be argued back down to user base...

but i agree if pricing was more uniform, i dont think the issue of grey imports would exist.. but lets face it, u can get a PS3 in the US for about 500 to 600 bux, while its still selling for a grand here.. go figure..

Alex Stelling · September 11th, 2007, 07:11 AM

Joe, if I saved two thousand dollars for buying the exact same camera overseas, heck I would, you made it sound like you are buying an inferior product. They come from the same place, you just don't have Sony Australia charging more because they are selling fewer units to a smaller market. Especially with the EX1 when it will be the same as overseas models anyway.

September 9th, 2007, 09:29 PM	#1
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	Australian Price It's tentatively priced at $11,995 at Videoguys Australia. When they had a tentative price on the V1, they were pretty accurate - they were $500 more expensive than it ended up being. So it's about $1000 more expensive than importing it from the U.S. How do people feel about doing that? Is it too risky and problematic? Or is it perfectly ok to do? __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions Last edited by John Hewat; September 10th, 2007 at 07:05 PM.

September 10th, 2007, 05:37 AM	#7
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	I don't remember which session we were at but when they drew it and the A1 winner wasn't there we suggested letting us have it and he could get the PSP. We figured he'd never know whether he was drawn out or not. Lucky for you they said no!! __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions

September 10th, 2007, 08:29 PM	#11
John Hewat Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Melbourne, AUSTRALIA Posts: 735	I have friends in New Zealand too so I might seriously consider purchasing over there and bringing it back over. Do we know yet whether there are going to be differences between the U.S. release and the PAL releases? Will there just be one worldwide model or will they differ a little? If they differ, it's possible we'll lose the CineAlta 24p capability from the PAL model. Or am I worrying too much? ALSO: Half way down on this page is an ad for the 2007 Australian Sony Roadshow in October where they're giving away one of these cameras but I don't know anything about it. Does anyone have any news? Dates/Locations? __________________ John Hewat Mammoth Media Productions

September 11th, 2007, 04:25 AM	#13
Graeme Fullick Major Player Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Newcastle, Australia Posts: 337	Guys, I bought a Sony Z1 from Globalmediapro - and have to say that their service was excellent. The camera arrived in 2 days and was exactly the same as ones purchased in Australia. You can buy a worldwide warranty (services in Australia) for not too much more ($100-200) if you are worried about warranty, but GMP offer their own return to seller warranty, and to be honest sending it to NZ is about the same as sending to Melbourne for me. I also bought an A1 from videoguys because they offered a deal very close to Globalmediapro. I am of the opionion that if the local distributors provide reasonable prices I will definitely support them, but there is no way that our prices should be 30 -40% higher than US prices (which is often the case). If globalmediapro can stock and sell items at these prices - Australian distributors should be able to sell for the same price plus 10% - and get my custom every time! __________________ Graeme

September 9th, 2007, 10:54 PM	#2
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	I wouldn't import a grey into Aus unless you were SURE that where ever you bought it from will take care of you while the cam is away for service (i.e., hire a replacement or what have you). As for service, I'm referring to preventative maintenance, or actual defect repairs. All manufacturers aside from Canon (here in Aus) won't touch any Grey Market goods... as for the extra grand, consider the fact that the unit is not only tax deductable, but can also be used as a tax deduction for the next 7 years with 20% depreciation each year. If the difference was over $1500, then I'd consider it (I imported my own DVX100's and paid $5400 as opposed to the Aus asking price of $8800... that's a significant saving), for a simple grand though, you'd make that money back on one job anyway.

September 10th, 2007, 03:20 AM	#3
Bob Grant Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 1,570	Videoguys.com.au (not to confuse them with Videoguys.com) can be quite cheap or expensive, really shop around and try dealers that aren't on the web. Macrays in Sydney who are exclusively Sony can usually do better than most but they only sell Sony broadcast gear which in this case will be OK. I've imported quite a bit of gear from the USA, most of it carried back personally for very significant savings. An expensive video camera might make me a little nervous about warranty but this one doesn't have so much to go wrong with it and firmware is user upgradeable. Still I'd want more than a $1,000 saving to contemplate it.

September 10th, 2007, 04:25 AM	#4
Vaughan Wood Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 278	The grey importers will, I'm sure, get their act into gear pretty quickly with this camera. I just bought an FX 1E from an ebay importer in Sydney, as I needed a second HDV camera for the rest of this year, and got excellent price and excellent service, so I'd go that route if I had to. Luckily I won the door prize at the Sony roadshow in Melbourne last year, (an A1), and now have AUD$3,800 at Tasman AV, so I ordered an EX straight after NAB to be covered by my credit. Hope they still give me a good deal!!!!!! Cheers Vaughan

September 10th, 2007, 04:51 AM	#6
Vaughan Wood Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 278	I went to the 2 p.m. session. When they rang me up to tell me at approx 6.30 p.m......I had tooo havvve anooothhhhheeeeerrrrr ddddrrrriiinnnkkkkk!!!!!!!! (LOL) Cheers Vaughan

September 10th, 2007, 03:30 PM	#8
Robert Bec Major Player Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 358	I really hope it doesn't cost over $10,000 or i'm sure you would be able to get it from www.globalmediapro.com in NZ they just slug you on tax when shipping it to Aust. maybe if it's cheap fly over same day pick it up and put it in your bag save on tax and GST. just a thought. Rob.

September 10th, 2007, 08:10 PM	#10
Vaughan Wood Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 278	There's no shop front, I'm sure it's just a guy sitting on his studio taking orders, shipping from Hong Kong, but they have made quite an impact on Australian distributors! As we have very high prices compared to world parity on anything electronic (Sony and PSP in particular), I don't have much sympathy for Aussie distributors. Nearly bought a Z1 from them recently, but got a FX 1 grey import from Sydney - GST paid -delivered to Melbourne for $4,200 which can be our second camera for this year until EX day arrives. (Actually it's become our main camera, I like it much better than my FX 7). Also I have in-laws in Wellington, so we have to visit NZ occasionally, so I look up their wesite regularly. Cheers Vaughan

September 10th, 2007, 09:03 PM	#12
Joe Lawry Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 418	GlobalMediaPro.com are undercutting everybody, and i know a lot of people in the industry here in nz who have bad things to say about them. This is pro broadcast gear people, support your distributors, that way you will always get a real warrently and real support. I could of saved a bundle on gear if i'd bought from them however the relationship i've developed with my retailers is a much better thing. You get kept in the know and i've ended up with a bunch of good deals because of that. Why'd you ever want to save a few bucks (even if it is a grand or 2) and buy something gray market is beyond me. Money shouldnt be a problem if the job the equipment is needed for is paying for it, and hell im only 19 and i've learnt this.

September 11th, 2007, 06:07 AM	#14
Peter Jefferson Inner Circle Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Aus Posts: 3,884	"but there is no way that our prices should be 30 -40% higher than US prices (which is often the case). " this argument has been going on since the days of sega vs nintendo where grey imports first took a foothold in the electronics industry here in aus. its an old story but it rings true that basically, our market is much smaller, we obviously wouldnt sell as many units as lets say the US. WIth that, Aus needs to make as much money, and to do that, they charge more.. as an example, in the US, there might be 10 units sold for every 3 units sold here in aus. As those distributors in aus need to make up that comparative loss (ie 7 units) they up the price, in turn, what is sold for 3 units here in aus, equates to the cost of 5 or 6 units sold in the US (when it comes to actual profit) So, your then left with 3 units valued at 6 units, in turn, THIS is then compared to the sales of the US... the 4 unit loss isnt as bad as a 7 unit "loss" and this can then be argued back down to user base... but i agree if pricing was more uniform, i dont think the issue of grey imports would exist.. but lets face it, u can get a PS3 in the US for about 500 to 600 bux, while its still selling for a grand here.. go figure..

September 11th, 2007, 07:11 AM	#15
Alex Stelling Tourist Join Date: May 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia Posts: 2	Joe, if I saved two thousand dollars for buying the exact same camera overseas, heck I would, you made it sound like you are buying an inferior product. They come from the same place, you just don't have Sony Australia charging more because they are selling fewer units to a smaller market. Especially with the EX1 when it will be the same as overseas models anyway.