PNSO : New for 2023

[Sim]

I don't agree that the newest Wilson looks better than Cameron.  The Wilson in the photos below looks terrible to me, I can hardly look at it, it's so unsightly.

The paintjob and detail on Cameron looks more realistic to me.  And in the last photo, one can see how much PNSO has improved: in Wilson the back of the head sticks out detached from the rest of the figure.  In Cameron the back of the head connects seamlessly to the rest of the figure.  In the other two photos you can also see seams from the articulation in Wilson, while Cameron doesn't have them.

[Joel1905]

A couple more comparison shots with other PNSO theropods. Really impressed with the sheer girth of this new rex.

Agreed, the girth is impressive. No doubt, with that feature and the updated scallion, it's impressive. I am very interested in getting a 'lip transplant for this piece. Currently looking for a surgeon to perform the operation. I'm sure that it will be expensive.

Bravo Models (on both Instagram & Facebook) is the man you're looking for. $40 for the lip sculpting and paint match, and then there's shipping. I'm currently putting aside cash to send a substantial number of PNSO's to him... lol.

[SidB]

Thank you, J @Joel1905 , I really appreciate the advice.

[SenSx]

I do as well, I would consider asking that personn this lips service, but that depends where he is from.

[Concavenator]

@Sim As a whole, I also agree with Cameron looking better than Wilson. And of course Cameron's sculpt is much better than Wilson's (except the pose, which is subjective - I like both), I don't think anyone here negated that. It's just Wilson's paint application that I find superior to Cameron's. Or at least compared to the Wilson copies from around the time it came out. Take a look at the paint of these copies of Wilson. Reviews from @SpinoDude and DinosDragons, respectively:

I think the paint app on those is fairly nicer. Also, here are some comparisons with the 1:35 BotM version:




Source: Paleofiguras

The BotM is a lot more nicely painted too I'd say. I think it's a similar situation to the PNSO Centrosaurus, a great sculpt being let down by a sloppy/muddy paintjob. Add to that the lack of lips, the high price, the existence of other lipped options, and maybe also the fact that it's yet another Tyrannosaurus and I can see why some people will skip it. But like I said, I don't imply that this isn't a good Tyrannosaurus figure by any means.

@quiversaurus yeah, that would be a good comparison! Makes me think, if I was in charge of FMNH's shop I would order Cameron, the Safari feathered figures and the upcoming Eofauna figure for the shop.  All are based on Sue, so they would make excellent souvenirs. Even different combinations for people to choose from: scaly + lipless, feathered + lipless and scaly + lipped, respectively. This goes to show the "diversity" of good Tyrannosaurus figures around.  Wish we could say the same for other genera, too.

[Sim]

A thought about why it was good PNSO made Cameron: Comparing the Wilsons in the videos Concavenator shared to the one photographed with Cameron, it can be seen that Wilson's paintjob worsened.  PNSO could have done like they did with Sede and release a version of Wilson with an improved paintjob compared to the previous version of it.  Instead they released a new sculpt which corrects all of Wilson's problems.  I know I much prefer a new Tyrannosaurus like that from PNSO rather than a Wilson with a new paintjob.  This reminds me of a complaint about the Papo Allosaurus repaint where it was expressed does Papo not feel the need to improve any of the sculpt?  Recently Lucas was also suffering from a poor paintjob and PNSO released a new sculpt of Lucas that improved on the previous version.  PNSO has now done this for Tyrannosaurus as well and I'm happy with the result.

[Faelrin]

TL;DR: I've done a bit more thinking on this figure. My pro's and con's below:

Pro's:
-Posture with head raised high and turned to the side, feels regal to me
-Coloration (despite being simple, T. rex being brown just feels right to me, as much as a green and brown-plated Stegosaurus does)
-Mostly based on Sue specimen (my favorite T. rex specimen), and comes with Sue skull accessory
-Edit 5/29: I forgot to mention the improved sculpt and scale detail up here, although I did mention it below

Con's:
-Inflated price of $74.99 (costs the same as BotM 1/35 figure which has more articulation, and more complex paint scheme, likewise, Rebor's is cheaper then both BotM and PNSO, with even better handled teeth)
-Sloppy teeth and claw paint for said price point (something I didn't even like on much cheaper Safari Ltd models in the past either)
-Lacks lips (but could have been sculpted before the new paper, published on March 30th)

More detailed explanation on my thoughts below:

Spoiler

I've had some more thoughts about this figure. My initial receptive, and reaction was rather negative. Part of that was also due to it being another theropod, after nothing but theropods from them this year, and of course the fact it was lipless, despite the recent paper. There's also the sloppy teeth and claw paint, combined with the inflated price of $74.99, which I find rather unacceptable, when the Beasts of the Mesozoic 1/35 scale figure costs the same (despite having more articulation, if not a more complex paint scheme as well). Rebor's was also much cheaper, also with those wonderful teeth they do, and I wish more companies would emulate them, including PNSO.

As far as the lips go, it may be worth giving them the benefit of the doubt for the exclusion, if the figure was in production before the paper released (March 30th). If so, then that can be excused. Just unfortunate timing, and hopefully any future T. rex figures from them takes into account that paper. That said I don't hate this figure, and in fact there's quite a bit I like about it. For starter's it improves upon their previous Winter Wilson, at least as far as sculpt goes, which to be fair is also something I've wanted them to do for a while (ditto with their Carnotaurus, especially now with the 2021 paper focusing on its integument). I already mentioned before that I also like the Sue skull accessory, and wish more figures (PNSO or otherwise) came with things like that to educate about the source fossil material. So that aspect is tempting for me, despite the inflated price point. I also like that it was mostly based on Sue (minus the injuries), which is my favorite Tyrannosaurus specimen, and the coloration, even if it lacks the wash of the previous Winter Wilson, and is another brown T. rex from them. Though like the classic brown and green Stegosaurus, something just feels right about T. rex being brown to me? Perhaps that's because of being exposed to Jurassic Park so young. Anyways, I also prefer the posture on this figure, compared to Winter Wilson, if not the BotM and Rebor T. rex as well. Something about it really feels rather regal to me, with the head raised high and to the side.

Something I've also been thinking about regarding the recent lip paper was the crush closed position not being possible (see the supplementary material provided with it). This figure does this with the jaw articulation if the jaws are closed fully from what I can tell, although that's probably up to the individual, rather to do that or not, but I think if lips were included it could have been avoided.

Again I don't really need this figure though, when I already have both the Rebor Kiss, and 1/35 scale BotM T. rex, both with lips (although I don't know what specimens those were based on, if any in particular. Do you folks have any ideas?). Perhaps if I am in the position to afford it, and there is a sale on it, then I may pick it up, though there is still an onslaught of other figures from PNSO (such as the Acrocanthosaurus, Meraxes, Suchomimus, Dunkleosteus, and many others), and other companies I am behind on, that I would be better off prioritizing then yet another T. rex. Edit: That said, I think part of why this tickles my fancy atm, is also because of having watched Prehistoric Planet S1 again, and S2, and binged the Jurassic Park trilogy on Syfy yesterday, so it has put me in a mood for T. rex atm.

[close]

[Quiversaurus]

@Concavenator That's a good point about the FMNH museum curation. Guests would be able to choose and go with what appeals most to them. The wide range of Rexes really is unprecedented.

@Faelrin Thanks for reminding me about the skull specimen - now I'm wishing that PNSO made a juvenile baby (like with the Stegosaurus and Torosaurus models) to go with Cameron. It would be really new and set it apart from other T.rex models. They've showed that they're able to do tiny babies at 1/35 scale with good sculpts and paintjobs (my Rook is able to stand on two legs - not a tripod). I would be a lot more inclined to purchase Cameron if there were a juvenile included, not to mention other Prehistoric Planet enthusiasts, and I haven't even watched the series yet.

And that reminds me too - the quality of their baby models shows that PNSO actually has the capability to do much smaller species, like the dromaeosaurids. I hope they realise this and that there's a market for them! Maybe there's hope, what with their ongoing feature on pterosaurs on Instagram.

[Sim]

@quiversaurus, there is already a baby Tyrannosaurus figure by PNSO, it's available in their mini figures line.  It's in the same style as the baby Torosaurus and Stegosaurus.  In the past I think I remember seeing PNSO advertside the baby mini figures with their medium-sized figures.  I'm guessing the existence of the baby Tyrannosaurus is why PNSO didn't include one with Cameron.

[SRF]

I like the fact that some of the Museum line figures come with an extra (besides al the posters and booklets). Since I have a soft spot for figures that are based on well known specimens, I actually prefer the inclusion of the skull because it makes it instantly recognisable which specimen a figure is based on. In my opinion every Museum Line figure should have an add-on like this to differentiate it from the Prehistoric Animals Models line. It would definitely give the name "Museum line" more meaning.

[Medzo]

I like the fact that some of the Museum line figures come with an extra (besides al the posters and booklets).

I like the fact that Museum Line comes with a very high quality packaging. Most forum members do not like the increased price range behind this but to me this is a very strong selling point. I don't just want a figure I want the whole immersion. I also mainly store my PNSO collection in their boxes and always display 1-2 figures in a rotation.

[Remko]

I like the fact that some of the Museum line figures come with an extra (besides al the posters and booklets).

I like the fact that Museum Line comes with a very high quality packaging. Most forum members do not like the increased price range behind this but to me this is a very strong selling point. I don't just want a figure I want the whole immersion. I also mainly store my PNSO collection in their boxes and always display 1-2 figures in a rotation.

I agree. You just don't pay more for a figure, but there's a nicer box and a lot af additional stuff inside. Artwork, posters, information etc. This is what justifies the higher price for me.

A small figure or skull included is just icing on the cake.

[CARN0TAURUS]

@Sim As a whole, I also agree with Cameron looking better than Wilson. And of course Cameron's sculpt is much better than Wilson's (except the pose, which is subjective - I like both), I don't think anyone here negated that. It's just Wilson's paint application that I find superior to Cameron's. Or at least compared to the Wilson copies from around the time it came out. Take a look at the paint of these copies of Wilson. Reviews from @SpinoDude and DinosDragons, respectively:

I think the paint app on those is fairly nicer. Also, here are some comparisons with the 1:35 BotM version:




Source: Paleofiguras

The BotM is a lot more nicely painted too I'd say. I think it's a similar situation to the PNSO Centrosaurus, a great sculpt being let down by a sloppy/muddy paintjob. Add to that the lack of lips, the high price, the existence of other lipped options, and maybe also the fact that it's yet another Tyrannosaurus and I can see why some people will skip it. But like I said, I don't imply that this isn't a good Tyrannosaurus figure by any means.

@quiversaurus yeah, that would be a good comparison! Makes me think, if I was in charge of FMNH's shop I would order Cameron, the Safari feathered figures and the upcoming Eofauna figure for the shop.  All are based on Sue, so they would make excellent souvenirs. Even different combinations for people to choose from: scaly + lipless, feathered + lipless and scaly + lipped, respectively. This goes to show the "diversity" of good Tyrannosaurus figures around.  Wish we could say the same for other genera, too.

I'm posting this here as well because this thread is visited a lot more than others, I apologize if this inappropriate but on the off chance it helps a fellow collector buy something at a lower price...right now you can get the 1/35 grey BotM for $42 from minizoo and the large grey for $120...

looking at the two side by side it makes me appreciate the BotM head sculpt even more, it is so incredibly beautiful and as someone that used to prefer the lipless look the BotM has completely flipped me around, it looks a lot more realistic than the lipless look but I have to admit that the this new Cameron is much improved over Wilson in regards to the shape and dimensions of the skull.

[SRF]

I don't thinks there's that much wrong with the shape and dimensions of Wilson's skull. Both Wilson and Cameron are based on different specimens. There is a lot of variation in skull size and even shape within the known T. Rex specimens.

[CARN0TAURUS]

I don't thinks there's that much wrong with the shape and dimensions of Wilson's skull. Both Wilson and Cameron are based on different specimens. There is a lot of variation in skull size and even shape within the known T. Rex specimens.

Thanks for correcting me on that, it's good to know that they had individual differences from specimen to specimen just like we do from person to person even in the same family groups...It's one of the reasons why I have argued that Zhuchengtyrannus can stand in for a T-rex because not all T-rex would have been as bulky or have the exact same leg, head, neck, or tail proportions...or they might have been built a bit different during different stages of growth.

Also another thing that stands out between the two images of the PNSO vs the BotM head sculpt is how densely PNSO packed teeth into poor Cameron's mouth.  Reminds me the story my wife told about when she was young and got her wisdom teeth.  She said that they came in sideways pushing the rest of her teeth forward in her mouth and causing tremendous amounts of pain, ouch!  She ended up having to get oral surgery to remove all four wisdom teeth to alleviate the problem.  The BotM rex seems to have a smaller (perhaps more realistic?) number of teeth in it's mouth with more spacing between teeth and even shows how some teeth are in various stages of growth like on the actual animal as they irregularly would have been replacing teeth as they lost some of them at odd intervals.  Even Winter Wilson shows more variation in the lengths of teeth, Cameron has like perfect dentures all aligned perfectly in a row...

I know I will be touching up the dry brushing on the face of my Cameron once I get it, I won't be doing anything to the body, except maybe the nails.  But the teeth do bother me.  I'm wondering if I will be either brave or stupid enough (can't decide which, LOL) to do some precise hobby knife carving customization to the teeth to add more variation and maybe a bit of space here and there to give it a bit more of a convincing look.  Like I said, I'm not sure if I will because that might be too risky on such an expensive figure. BUT, if I do end up doing it, I will be slightly shortening the overall length of the teeth too.  Once I have it in hand I will have to decide either to live with the teeth as is or take the plunge.

[SidB]

Thank you, J @Joel1905 , I really appreciate the advice.

I'm certainly leaning towards having the lip surgery and repaint performed, despite the logistical challenges involved in the back and forth with the person doing the reconstruction, because, as you can see below, Cameron will fit in nicely with my existing rex diorama, though things are getting a bit crowded, what with the addition of 'Kiss' to the group:





The one thing that gives me some pause is the anticipation of the impending Eofauna rex. Will it be what we all hope that it will be, lips and all? Will its color scheme co-ordinate with the rexes already in my display? Can I accommodate both? Decisions, decisions!

[dragon53]

[Bread]

A new release? But not a model/figure...

[Lynx]

A new release? But not a model/figure...

Can't wait to get a grey baseball cap

[Stegotyranno420]

A new release? But not a model/figure...

needs lips, tired of the bland colourschemes...haha