Used Sony PMW-400KF a good value?

[Peter Newsom]

Hey everyone, here's the story.

I'm an aging freelance cameraman, mostly shooting NHL news for a Canadian sports broadcaster. My trusty PDW-f350, popped a CCD pixel that a trip to Sony couldn't fix. The block is done.

I'm not so far from being done doing this stuff myself, but feel up to a couple more years. However, I'm reluctant to saddle up for a new $40K camera.

There's a PMW-400KF, with a Fuji 16X, AF, kit lens, for sale. The camera is billed as 'like new', with only a couple hundred hours on it. It is described as being used for studio work. The pictures, along with the hour meter display, seem to support that. A positive is that it resides in the country.

So, my concerns are:
- do CMOS blocks have the same pixel issues as CCD blocks?
- are there any known pitfalls with that iteration of the 400 series cameras?
- I could buy a new PXW-X400 for twice the price...
- I could buy a Z450 for three times the price...

I just put four days on a pmw-400 (different camera with a 13xCanon lens), covering playoff's NHL hockey. It was replacing my stricken'd 350. It felt good in most respects, though the menus were a pain. The pictures were nice. Exposure was a little challenging, it was easy to over expose. Overall, I liked it, and it would fit the bill for what I do.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks for checking it out!