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End of 30 minute EU limit coming
  • This thing causing 30 minute limit:

    With a view to ensuring uniform classification of goods across the European Union, the Commission has indeed adopted Explanatory notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union setting out criteria to distinguish between ‘still image cameras with a video camera function’ and ‘video camera recorders with a still image function’, the length of the single sequence of video being just one of them. Video camera recorders are subject to import duty of 4.9% or 14%, still image cameras are duty free.

    Seems to finally end in a year or so

    On 17 June 2016, the Council concluded, on behalf of the EU, an international agreement on the expansion of trade in information technology products.

    The agreement expands the product coverage of a 1996 agreement to reflect technological developments.

    It was agreed in Nairobi on 16 December 2015 in the margins of the World Trade Organisation's tenth ministerial conference.

    The text commits 50 parties, including the EU's 28 member states, to eliminate tariffs on IT products in four stages over a three-year period ending on 1 July 2019. Each of the parties have submitted schedules for the elimination of tariffs. They also agree to intensify consultations on non-tariff barriers in the IT sector.

    Via http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2016/06/17/agreement-on-trade-in-it-products/

    But coming trade wars can again disturb this.

  • 8 Replies sorted by
  • About bloody time! The EU's taken some head-scratching positions on trade, but none more absurd than this. I'm still a staunch EU supporter, though.

  • If this comes true I hope Panasonic should issue firmware update to remove time limit for latest two lines G80, G9 and even G7 would be awesome. But I think it's just wishful thinking.

  • YES! Hopefully this makes a big impact on all future camera models that none will have the arbitrary 30 minute limit any longer.

    (bit of wishful thinking though to hope for firmware updates for existing models.... but one can hope anyway!)

  • Just have to hope that the time limit wasn't a convenient excuse and all cameras are capable of going past 30 minutes without over heating issues.

  • Now that the EU realizes its not 1996, I wonder what else is on their agenda...

  • @MirrorMan

    Face recognition system, social rating, total tracking, storage of internet traffic, years in jail for disagreement with government.

    Something like this.

  • @Vitaliy_Kiselev Sounds exciting. At least we will be able to document the whole nightmare in 10bit 8K VR 7.1 surround without a 30 minute time limit.

  • At least we will be able to document the whole nightmare in 10bit 8K VR 7.1 surround without a 30 minute time limit.

    I won't be so sure. As unauthorized camera applications will be banned. All feed that you are shooting will be uploaded to government cloud, recognized and compared to extremist content or anything that can undermine government authority.