Re: Is That All There Is? Should I buy a used Varicam?

We're basically "screwed" with a camera that's not all that popular for clients these days.

Our "H" model sits on the shelf while the Sony XDCAM's go crazy, as do we, working them. Sure the $2,200 days are gone, but $1,500 for an XDCAM EX-3 package is decent and business is good.

No, No, I say no network business for any format in the northwest for us. I'm sure there are a few guys doing OK, but we took ourselves out of that market when we started the Discoveries...America series in 2003.

Still "had" to buy a Varicam for a few ABC gigs, and a couple of movie attempts, but what a waste of money, and they dropped the price 10K just a few months after we bought it. it has a very safe place on the shelf.

Considering we bought the very first HD camera these "clowns" sold in the world, you'd hope, like Rodney Dangerfield, "for a little respect" or at least consideration anyway.

Anyway to make a very, very, long story short, the business model is fluid and we all need to adapt, though for me, a very old dog" ,it's getting harder to learn new tricks.

Please, please don't let me work with another "12 year old" producer that forms a square whith thier hands to show me what I'm supposed to be shooting.

Fortunately, away from the news business our producers seem to be getting better and more mature. Of course many of them are the same vintage or a tad younger that we wer working with in the 'halcyon days" of the news biz.

Life's great and they'll bury me with a camera in my hand or at least a mouse and keyboard attached.

Jim & Kelly

Producer/DP, HD series, "Discoveries...America", "Discoveries...Ireland", "Discoveries...Spain",
"Discoveries...Argentina"