Shop in Japan? 'DUAL USE' of HVX in ntsc and pal workflows?
 

I am contemplating buying a HVX200 in Japan, due to the massive price gap between there and Europe, and because I love to visit Japan.

Best pricing googled for Europe so far was http://www.bilgi.de/produkte/kameras.html, 6000 € incl VAT for the ntsc version, 7000,- € incl. Vat for pal, and in Japan Kaku Ito's recommended http://www.pv-station.com, 3500,- €. (all prices not including any P2 cards)

But i am still puzzled about the workflow and pal country usability. I will be shooting mainly landscape in 1080/30p, and for fast action, 720/60p; no film output intended whatsoever. A german magazine states the HVX200E (pal version) to have better resolution in (only) 1080/50i (actually compelling the HVR-Z1), if compared to the ntsc version tested before. This alone next to the ease of compatible framerates and workflows, would be a strong argument against buying a ntsc HVX. BUT, this has to be taking with some grain of salt.

The developing technological reviewing culture, which resembles (techno-) religious discourses (here with a naming 'klartext' http://www.technologyevangelist.com) is selling their products, technological enlightment, succesively in accordance to the marketing of their objects of desires; just shorter cycles and increased numbering separate the two. So, getting cut up in pieces by never ending tech-talking cures out of the printing press, or dissipated within the countless fractured information, the bits and pieces out of tech-forums and newsgroups findings, one is one time more and again thrown back to his own interpretation, his own (remote and over-sampling) sensing. So lets do it again, and address your other and your brother by asking, what makes sense to my questions and findings? In which existing workflow, software and progressive framerates, can I find double 'dual-use', a holiday between the cultures and a door to close/tunnel a technological standard gap between ntsc and pal cave walls projectors and projections.

So far the major problem I see with my limited understand of digital image processing, is that even the same progressive framerates are produced 'over' 50i or 60i.

So what does that difference stand for/mean? And therefore, can I get 1080/50i/25p and 720/50P/20 from 1080/60i/30p or 720/60/p/30P. Is 1080/30p or 720/60p usable in pal broadcasting, workflow? Is there software cross-gaping?

I guess, to understand, its all about bringing the difference between progressive scanning, interlaced raster and framerates, shutter speed and colour space pull down to an (easy) understanding. But I just don't get it! And, is there a feasible software cross-gaping?

And finally, can you recommend buying a ntsc for pal country use?


Thanks in advance for any enlightment, suggestions and corrections,
Reinhold

Hi Reinhold,

That is a huge price difference. May I ask if the Japanese shop is willing to ship the camera out of Japan? I was told most Japanese shops were not willing to ship overseas as they gave excuse for too much trouble for shipping overseas and custom etc.

Regards
Leigh

Hello Leigh,

I am sorry, but I don't know of any company offering such overseas shipping arrangements. I guess it might be possible though. But then again, you got to find a seller you could talk or mail to you in english.

Anyhow it wouldn't work out very profitable, if you had to consider vat and/or import tax. The 5% vat in Japan will be returned on your request in the airport.

Best is you get it and bring it with you in your cabinbag, looking 'used'.

Consider warranty as an issue too. If you can afford the time having the camera send back to Japan for repair under the japanese/shop warranty scheme as a worst case scenario, it should still pay back. I remember different post about pana warranty. First there seems to be no international one. Others state that pana europe won't even repair an elswere bought model.

Please correct me if I am wrong on this latter matter.


Regards
Reinhold

Hi Reinhold,

I guess that you want to visit Japan and the camera shop in person, not by mail order. If that is the case, that is fine.

FYI, I don't worry about tax. The reason for that is the camera is for business, so all the tax will be refund back from tax department in New Zealand. I have purchased two minidv camcords from www.pricejapan.com. And no fault after 18months use till today. The warranty is only one year.

I have no relationship with www.pricejapan.com except buying two cameras from them.

Regards
Leigh

Using NTSC on Pal land has the problem of flickering picture on Neon lights. Sinchro scan seems to not work with this flickering, just shutter speed adjustments. However, I couldn't get the HVX to perform without a flicker above 50 shutter (this is only possible in 24p or 30p- at 60p/i you canonly set your shutter to 60 and above).