Hello again

As this is a user forum I'm afraid you're very unlikely to get a reply from Sony regarding product updates here.

In my experience, Sony product releases are only 'for sure' when they're publically announced. You can often find speculation on internet forums, but until the official announcement happens it's just guesswork and like most manufacturers, Sony don't often discuss potential or pending releases beforehand.

However if you'd still like to talk to someone at Sony you'll find contact details on this page: http://www.sony.co.uk/section/contact/article/id/1201538196794/page/2

Cheers

Mick

I guess it's just early days, I haven't seen any more than those PR pages either. Some pointelss stuff on YouTube, nothing substantial as yet.

Most review sites fall over themselves to be the first, I'd imagine there'll be something published in the next week or so.

Cheers

Mick

Hi Eric, me again

I've read some good reviews of the new NX cameras but there certainly does appear to be a clear consumer / professional crossover between CX and NX models. It's really not surprising, given the way mass-market technology manufacturing is currently geared.

The argument will doubtless be (and you'll hear the same rationale with most tech manufacturers) that Sony develop for the top end of the market and make much use of the same R&D and technology for the consumer market. It's no secret that cheaper products in a given range share often identical components: this is to be welcomed, if (like most people) you happen to be looking for the best quality at the lowest possible price. It also the best way to beat the competition in that price/quality battle, as the manufacturer isn't spending so much on R&D for cheaper goods.

So what you get at Sonys camcorder top end is the full range of possible add-ons and extras, which are pared back as you move down the range. As you note in your post above, the NX70 has the lot; meanwhile the slightly cheaper NX30 lacks little more than its water/dust proofing; the cheaper-still CX700 has no shotgun mic, no XLR inputs, no manual gain control, slightly less refined image quality (according to reviews I've seen) and so on.

Of course I'm over-simplifying to make a point; many models have something unique to them. The NX30 is very similar to its big sister but retains several unique features at its particular price point, such as progressive recording and balanced XLR inputs. The point is that plenty of people won't be interested in those features but want the image quality, and should opt instead for the cheaper CX700.

If you need any more info just shout

Cheers

Mick

All I can add is my agreement that pro support and a few niche requirements does add a substantial amount to the price. However I don't think Sony are unique in this; look at the Nikon DSLR rnage, for example: go from any prosumer model to a pro version any you double the price, and then some... the difference is the (perceived) increase in image quality which is nowhere near as exponential as the price hike!

Incidentally the projector is used quite seriously by film-mkaers for viewing 'rushes' of takes without the need to process beforehand. Similarly XLR is an expensive component upgrade which professional videographers have always paid more for. It does seem odd to offer the same sensor/lens combo in these Sony cams, I'll grant you that. Is there a reason you would want to pay more to get a NX30?

No idea why UK dealers should be able to offer the CX760 at such a low price, I thought the list was nearer £1000. Bulk discounting? Maybe you could get the difference down by shopping around.

Cheers

Mick