FX1 Out of Stock at B & H (merged with Z1 thread)

[Bob Zimmerman]

I would like to see one of Sony $500 rebates on the Z1.

[Stu Holmes]

I would like to see one of Sony $5000 rebates on the Z1.

;-)

[Bob Zimmerman]

that would be cash back here......I'd buy two!

[Gene Crucean]

I'm looking into buying another Z1 but with the FX1 being discontinued, I'm curious if there is something new coming out soon. Does anyone have info about a new camera or format that might be released soon?

[Fred Foronda]

1080P HDV cam with a Fisher Price kids microphone??

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Gene, there is NO replacement camera for the Z1 due out in the next 12 months or more.

Contrary to popular beliefs on this forum, the FX1 has NOT been discontinued either.

I live, not only in Japan, but in the heart of Sony territory.
Here in Kumamoto are 2 very large Sony factories mainly turning out Bravia TVs.

My dealer has regular meetings with Sony technical staff and even plays golf with some of them.

I met some of them at the weekend and asked about the rumours around the FX1.

There is no truth in any of them.....
At least not here in Japan. I guess that even the USA cameras are made here - so they should know.

See my reply near the end of the "FX1 out of stock at B&H" (maybe on page 5).

I am of the opinion that the "out-of stock" is directly connected to the american love of dollars! The FX1 is not selling well, so why should a store keep it in stock? Better to remove it and sell a mover instead. Just tell the customer that it is discontinued and no longer produced and you can more easily push another brand !

[Douglas R. Bruce]

Originally Posted by Shane Coburn

.....said the reason they don't list it on their site, and have stopped carrying it, is because it wasn't selling....

That sounds to me like the real reason why these rumours have started.
Dollars and profits!
Why carry a product that is not selling?
Instead of saying "We can get it for you in 2 weeks...." say, "It has been discontinued...why don't you take a look at this XXX camera. We have it in stock now. It is a better deal. etc.etc."

My home town of Kumamoto is in the heart of Sony territory. There are 2 very large factories churning out Bravia TVs here...as well as many other products.
My local Sony dealer has regular neetings with the Sony technical staff here....and even plays golf with a few of them.
I tend to believe the Japanese here at the centre of things rather than someone over in the USA who is trying to make a profit by selling equipment of many brands ....... (I have nothing against making money....but......)

[Gene Crucean]

I'll check on that Mic next time I'm at Toys-R-Us Fred. Thanks :)

Douglas, thanks for the input. I guess that's all I needed to hear. I just didn't want to buy another one when it's public knowledge that there might be a replacement coming out soon.

Cheers

[Shane Coburn]

I have a friend in film school back east who gets to test all of the new Sony models against each other (most recently being A1 vs. FX1 vs. Z1). He has given me a lot of advice, and knows an incredible amount about their DV and HD camcorder lines. This is because he has a friend who works on the prosumer-side at Sony in New Jersey (not sure what office or his exact title). I posed the FX1 query to him to see if he could get any info. He emailed his friend and this is the response that came back:

Typically, the lifecycle of the pro/broadcast cameras are longer than the consumer versions. Unlike consumers, professional and broadcast buyers like to standardize on technology with a particular timeframe in mind, because:
1. They generally also buy lots of accessories like batteries, chargers, lights, support gear, etc.
2. They buy in phases, over a period of months or years

Whenever the FX1 does go "end-of-life" (which is not currently the case), that does not automatically mean that the Z1U will be discontinued as well. That being said, there is no plan to discontinue the Z1U anytime in the near future. It is selling very well, and it is*only 16 months old (still "pubescent" for pro gear!).

I am not directly tied in to the strategy of the consumer group in terms of product schedules. They came out with the HC1 and we followed up with the A1U. Then, they introduced the HC3, but we have no current plan for a pro version of that camera. So, things do not always have a direct correlation between consumer and pro with respect to cameras.

I didn't know that Apple stopped selling the FX1, but I was aware that they had advertised a very low price for a day or so (like $1999), but quickly changed the price back to $2999. Not sure what happened there, but I have to think it was a mistake. There was lots of web chatter about it at the time; I think it was around April 1, because I actually thought that it might have somehow been an April Fool's prank.

Bottom line: We're always working on new products and new technologies. When a new camera comes out, it does not necessarily mean that an existing one gets discontinued. This is especially true with a new format like HDV, where it is important to build a product family to give the format a solid foundation.

[Sean Woods]

<i>The FX1 is not selling well, so why should a store keep it in stock? Better to remove it and sell a mover instead. </i>

Curious, where does this information come from?

[Boyd Ostroff]

Originally Posted by Sean Woods

Curious, where does this information come from?

Read Douglas' post above...

I live, not only in Japan, but in the heart of Sony territory. Here in Kumamoto are 2 very large Sony factories mainly turning out Bravia TVs. My dealer has regular meetings with Sony technical staff and even plays golf with some of them. I met some of them at the weekend and asked about the rumours around the FX1.

[Stu Holmes]

I must say, with much respect to Douglas and Boyd, that i do find the statement that the FX1 is not selling well really quite surprising.

-it's always been a good seller AFAIK and it just doesn't seem to tally well with the fact that B&H have had the FX1 on back-order for quite some time now. Back-order implies either a demand for the machine in excess of normal expected unit-sale levels, or some manufacturing or shipping-from-Japan problem. Just seems to conflict a bit to me. - just my viewpoint.

- interesting situ anyway !

[Shane Coburn]

The report of the FX1 "not selling well" is actually from me -- or rather from a phone salesman at EVS I spoke with on the phone yesterday. See this thread: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=65575

Personally, I don't buy it, but no other credible explanation has been provided for the FX1 disappearing from the shelves of reputable camera stores. Sorry to hijack your thread, just wanted to provide the source of "that" discussion in case anyone would like to join.

As for me, I'm now looking for a Z1, considering most of the stores still selling the FX1 are doing so between $3300 and $3700. Ouch.

[Tom Hardwick]

And if the life expectancy of the Z1 can be equated to the PD150/170, then it has another 3 years in production ahead of it.

[Boyd Ostroff]

Originally Posted by Stu Holmes

I must say, with much respect to Douglas and Boyd, that i do find the statement that the FX1 is not selling well really quite surprising.

Actually I was just pointing out that others have said this. Personally, I would also be surprised if it isn't selling well....