Is Sony going to spend 2008 with no prosumer camera? at DVinfo.net

Pietro Impagliazzo · April 17th, 2008, 07:04 PM

There was the VX1000 and 2000, the FX1 for the Z1 and the FX7 for the V1.

Now sony has the Z7 and no prosumer equivalent.

And of course this prosumer couldn't have interchangeable lenses because of the price point.

Did the FX7 sell so badly? What's Sony intentions behind not releasing a prosumer camera this year?

Jamie Allan · April 18th, 2008, 02:19 AM

To sell more V1/Z1 units before they get refreshed?

Or maybe they're gonna release a new model later in the year...

Harm Millaard · April 18th, 2008, 02:45 AM

What do you think the EX1 and EX3 are for?

Dave Blackhurst · April 18th, 2008, 03:58 AM

I'm intrigued by the same question... I've got the FX7 and like it a lot, as well as the little CX7... NEITHER of which has a "replacement" announced, seems rather strange really! Maybe I just like the underdogs...

The EX1 is in another price class, as is the Z7... the FX7 was affordable enough that it made sense for the "prosumer" (I suspect it didn't do well in the market due to some rather biased early reviews gushing about Canon...)

With the Panasonic HMC150 coming out, I'd like to see Sonys answer to that, unless they intend to bring the buy-in point down quite a way on the EX1... which would be fine in the face of Scarlett... hey, one can dream!

With NAB fading into memory shortly... will Sony have some surprises, and when will they let the cat out of the bag?? When is the next big electronics show in 2008? Did someone forget to bring the new toys out of the lab??

Something with 3x 1/3" CMOS and flash recording at a 3-5K price point seems logical, yet other than the aging FX1 (wasn't that also scheduled for retirement?), nothing from Sony??

Maybe the "prosumer" market just isn't big enough to worry about? With very high quality video and intelligent "auto" capability in the SR11/12, seems like they got a winner in the consumer space, and I guess the EX production lines can't crank 'em out fast enough...

If the FX7 sold poorly, there may just not have been any incentive to serve that market segment when the production is needed for things selling like proverbial hotcakes!

John Bosco Jr. · April 21st, 2008, 06:05 PM

I guess the next venture for Sony is a prosumer AVCHD model, like Panasonic's HMC150. However, I think Sony is going to stick with the V1 as the lower end model to the Z7. I also think that Sony can't rely on the V1 to compete against Panasonic's HMC150. Sony must have something up its sleeve. I wouldn't put it past them to announce something in July for a new late November or December prosumer camera.

April 17th, 2008, 07:04 PM	#1
Pietro Impagliazzo Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Rio de Janeiro, BR Posts: 170	Is Sony going to spend 2008 with no prosumer camera? There was the VX1000 and 2000, the FX1 for the Z1 and the FX7 for the V1. Now sony has the Z7 and no prosumer equivalent. And of course this prosumer couldn't have interchangeable lenses because of the price point. Did the FX7 sell so badly? What's Sony intentions behind not releasing a prosumer camera this year? __________________ Pietro Impagliazzo flickr.com/photos/impagliazzo

April 18th, 2008, 02:19 AM	#2
Jamie Allan Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Notts, UK Posts: 101	To sell more V1/Z1 units before they get refreshed? Or maybe they're gonna release a new model later in the year...

April 18th, 2008, 02:45 AM	#3
Harm Millaard Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands Posts: 1,832	What do you think the EX1 and EX3 are for?

April 18th, 2008, 03:58 AM	#4
Dave Blackhurst Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Apple Valley CA Posts: 4,874	I'm intrigued by the same question... I've got the FX7 and like it a lot, as well as the little CX7... NEITHER of which has a "replacement" announced, seems rather strange really! Maybe I just like the underdogs... The EX1 is in another price class, as is the Z7... the FX7 was affordable enough that it made sense for the "prosumer" (I suspect it didn't do well in the market due to some rather biased early reviews gushing about Canon...) With the Panasonic HMC150 coming out, I'd like to see Sonys answer to that, unless they intend to bring the buy-in point down quite a way on the EX1... which would be fine in the face of Scarlett... hey, one can dream! With NAB fading into memory shortly... will Sony have some surprises, and when will they let the cat out of the bag?? When is the next big electronics show in 2008? Did someone forget to bring the new toys out of the lab?? Something with 3x 1/3" CMOS and flash recording at a 3-5K price point seems logical, yet other than the aging FX1 (wasn't that also scheduled for retirement?), nothing from Sony?? Maybe the "prosumer" market just isn't big enough to worry about? With very high quality video and intelligent "auto" capability in the SR11/12, seems like they got a winner in the consumer space, and I guess the EX production lines can't crank 'em out fast enough... If the FX7 sold poorly, there may just not have been any incentive to serve that market segment when the production is needed for things selling like proverbial hotcakes!

April 21st, 2008, 06:05 PM	#5
John Bosco Jr. Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pinellas Park Posts: 232	I guess the next venture for Sony is a prosumer AVCHD model, like Panasonic's HMC150. However, I think Sony is going to stick with the V1 as the lower end model to the Z7. I also think that Sony can't rely on the V1 to compete against Panasonic's HMC150. Sony must have something up its sleeve. I wouldn't put it past them to announce something in July for a new late November or December prosumer camera.