Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:55 am
Grant never stated, nor does the website infer you are getting a complete camera, but rather you can buy the camera body. Yes Sony and Panasonic sell 2/3rds ENG camera kits, the operating word here being “ Kit” which includes camera, EVF and a low end 16 or 20X servos lens, starting at around $20K. The lens being offered sells for $ 6K to alone, or upgrade to a $30K eng zoom lens. Or you can buy a Sony ENG camera body for $20-32K, and you need to add battery, EVF and a lens of your choice to get a complete camera.
I do not see a difference here, except BM is not selling a Camera Kit I’d any kind, just the camera body, at a price that is a fraction of the Panny or Sony Cameras $3500, (plus $400 for handle and shoulder kit which is included with a Sony Body), and you get to pick your battery type (Gold or V Mount $95. (Unlike Sony, you get a V Mount plate, and a Gold Mount plate will cost you $200 or $300 additional). You add in BM’s excellent EVF $1400 (Sony EVF $4300).
You select your lens, new or used, or a lens you may already have from an older Camera.
The only difference is Sony and Panasonic have a camera Kit in the $20-30K range, and the Sony an Panasonic have built in top handle and shoulder/V lock tripod base, also built in. If either the handle it base gets broken, it is a $409-800 repair! I went through this with the top handle on a Sony ENG camera.
So BM is offering you a choice, you can take or not. You get to customize the camera the way you want, instead of being forced to get specific bits, only once choice for a kit EVF and zoom lens for example. With the Broadcast Camera with a lens mount (additional options available), you get the recorder, audio mixer and inputs, up to 12G SDI Video and Return connections. A Red brain is just the the camera body module, a place to mount the lens mount, with the sensor/video processor only, no lens mount, no video recorder, no audio, no nothing. Everything has to be added. This is not the case with a BM Camera body (except the Studio Cameras which do not have/need a video recorder).
So spend less than $10K for a complete BM Studio Camera, or spend $20-30K for a Sony or Panny camera kit. The choice is yours!
Cheers
Denny Smith
SHA Productions