Enjay

Aaah...! An utopian dream... ! :D I doubt any manufacturer would be willing to get into a permanent rental thing... they all just wanna sell their stuff. But yes, what I think is realistic is to get a real low cost on these cameras... Infact some deals that we have been offered are very, very attractive indeed. But we are just waiting to decide which brand we should go with and then negotiate on the lowest possible price for the same...

Gee... Thanks for your feedback! Yes, we would be renting out 16mm and 35mm cameras as well... Infact we have already worked out an agreement for this with one of the local rental companies that also is the key promoter behind this school. However as a school we would like to offer the students the opportunity to get their hand dirty on an HD Film camera as well... Just gives them an overall understanding of all formats. As regards to the service support in Asia, well Thomson have their own office here in India, as do Sony. Hence I do not really envisage major support issues with either the Cine Alta or the Viper as I am sure the manufacturers themselves would want these to be working in perfect conditions at all times, as this installation for them could probably be their demo site as well... :) I understand that the Z1s are amateur cameras. However for 1st. term students, who in most cases have probably never touched any video / film camera, wont this be the ideal choice... Basic enough to show them how a camera works... what the different frame rates mean, etc.? Once they understand this, they can then move to the rented 16mm and 35 mm cameras and then unto HD for film. Atleast that's my idea... :)

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Hello Everyone, Great site and a very informative forum indeed! We are in the process of setting up, what may be the largest film school in Asia. As HD is now gaining world wide popularity and acceptance, we are looking at the possibility of equipping the school with the Sony HDV (Z1) Camera's (for 1st. Year Students) and then moving them upwards to either a Sony Cine Alta, Varicam or a Viper (for the 2nd. Year Students). However, since the cameras are an expensive investment, any thoughts on what we should be careful about before making this investment and what peripheral gear would be needed additionally to make things work smoothly, would be highly appreciated. Finally, your recommedations on the best choice between the Varicam, Cine Alta and / or Viper (for use by students), would be helpful to us as well... Thanks in advance. Enjay.

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