DVC80 vanishing?

John Britt · April 18th, 2004, 09:24 AM

How soon do you think you'll have the money? At the end of your auction in 5-10 days? I think you'll still be able to find a new DVC80 somewhere by then -- perhaps even for the next 3-4 weeks; who knows, prices may even start to drop at some point :)

I'd say keep aiming for a new DVC80...

Dustin Waits · April 18th, 2004, 09:38 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by John Britt : How soon do you think you'll have the money? At the end of your auction in 5-10 days? I think you'll still be able to find a new DVC80 somewhere by then -- perhaps even for the next 3-4 weeks; who knows, prices may even start to drop at some point :)

I'd say keep aiming for a new DVC80... -->>>

Yea if someone buys it in this auction then it will be in the next few days that I get the money. Dont know if it will sell though because I set a high reserve on it ($1600) because I had no idea the dvc80 would be leaving us so I just figured I would take my time and just try to get as much money out of the camera as possible.

Ignacio Rodriguez · April 18th, 2004, 03:03 PM

> As John just mentioned, the DVC80 was already
> competing nicely with the PD150/PD170.

I know. That's the point... it makes perfect sense for Panasonic, just drop the DVC80 and sell instead the DVX100A for the price of the DVC80, it's really just the same camera running a different firmware. That will kill PD170 sales. I bet they'll do it.

In the light of the upcoming HDV revolution, this all reminds me of what happened in the last days of Betamax: before dropping the format for VHS and nowing that they would do it, Sony sold some awesome Beta machines for the domestic market with higher bandwidth, S-video i/o, digital processing and stuff like that, they made the best of the format, I think in the end it was just two models, a high-end one with all the feature set and a less expensive simpler deck. I would not be surprised if Panasonic where to be doing simethink like that with the DVX100A and DVC30.

John Britt · April 19th, 2004, 04:12 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Ignacio Rodriguez : it makes perfect sense for Panasonic, just drop the DVC80 and sell instead the DVX100A for the price of the DVC80, it's really just the same camera running a different firmware. That will kill PD170 sales.-->>>

Actually, it doesn't make sense -- at least not to me.

First, the DVX100A is more than just a firmware upgrade from the DVC80. There are fundamental hardware differences, especially due to the DVX100A's 12 bit DSP (the DVC80 has 10 bit DSP). This topic also came up when the DVX100A first came out, when DVX100 owners asked why they couldn't just flash the firmware (the original DVX100 had 10 bit DSP, just like the DVC80). As an additional note, the DVC30 has 12 bit DSP, just like the 100A.

Second, the PD170 is selling at B&H for $3200 (the "email me" price). The DVX100A is selling for $3500. And the DVC80 has been selling for $2100.

There is no reason for Panasonic to drop the price of a camera (that is selling well on its own) by $1400 just to trump the PD170. The DVX100 has been a producer's darling and seems to be selling well on it's own -- why lose $1400 on each sale? They'd have to sell one extra camera for every two and a half (or so) sold, just to meet what they're making now. Why sell it for $1100 less than the PD170? I could maybe see them dropping it to $3000 in order to compete with the PD170. But even if they had the monetary headroom to drop the price by even $1000, I just can't fathom a company doing such a thing. That's not being competitive, that's simply suicide. I just don't see it happening -- be great if it did, but I doubt it will.

Ron Evans · April 20th, 2004, 05:48 PM

Of course you could look at the JVC300U with 12bit processing and 14x zoom with ability to be remotely controlled by the Varizoom controller including focus and iris. All for 2399 at B&H !!!

Ron

Tim Borek · April 22nd, 2004, 03:10 PM

I know it won't do any good, but I just e-mailed Panasonic my opinion which echoes many of the sentiments on this board. They need to know. I told them I'd be in the market for a B-roll camcorder in January, and it would never be a DVC30. (Probably a VX2100, unless I can ever find a DVX100A for under $2500.) I don't know if Canon's doing anything with the GL2, but this could be their chance to fill the hole where DVC80s were selling. I'm not ruling them out yet. I just shot a wedding where my assistant used his GL2, and it was a good match to my DVC80 footage. (Reds were a little oversaturated, but that can be adjusted in camera I believe.) I love my DVC80, but the more I'm around GL2s the more I appreciate them; they pack a punch for a small camera!

Cheer up, folks. Life will go on.

Dustin Waits · April 22nd, 2004, 03:21 PM

Ive been thinking about it and I think they will either bring it back, or create a new camcorder to replace the dvc80. There are just too many people unhappy about this so I'm sure they will realize that they kinda messed up. I also heard from someone who said that they talked to a Panasonic sales rep and he told him they dropped the 80 to up the sales of the 30. But I just dont see that happening. In my views, anybody who was originally looking at the 80 will just end up getting the vx2100 instead. Just my opinion though.

Tim Borek · April 23rd, 2004, 11:09 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : In my views, anybody who was originally looking at the 80 will just end up getting the vx2100 instead. Just my opinion though. -->>>

Agreed.

Thomas McKay · April 23rd, 2004, 01:26 PM

If zoom control is a factor in your choice of cameras you might have a look at the DVC30. The camera has an incredible zoom capacity. I was told by a Panasonic rep that they were able to achieve a zoom that crawled so slowly that it took more than 90 seconds to move through the entire zoom range. Also reported that it could zoom through the entire range as fast as one second.

I just finished the NAB show and we had the camera in our booth and many people that tested the camera, including myself, were impressed.

Tom McKay
VariZoom Lens controls

<<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : I heard from somebody that Panasonic may be doing away with the DVC80 because it is competing with their own DVX100/100A. Is this true? I just checked out www.panasonic.com and couldnt find DVC80 listed anywhere. It is starting to scare me because I just listed my trv950 and all my equipment on ebay just to buy the DVC80. -->>>

Dustin Waits · April 23rd, 2004, 02:19 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Thomas McKay : If zoom control is a factor in your choice of cameras you might have a look at the DVC30. The camera has an incredible zoom capacity. I was told by a Panasonic rep that they were able to achieve a zoom that crawled so slowly that it took more than 90 seconds to move through the entire zoom range. Also reported that it could zoom through the entire range as fast as one second.

I just finished the NAB show and we had the camera in our booth and many people that tested the camera, including myself, were impressed.

Tom McKay
VariZoom Lens controls

<<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : I heard from somebody that Panasonic may be doing away with the DVC80 because it is competing with their own DVX100/100A. Is this true? I just checked out www.panasonic.com and couldnt find DVC80 listed anywhere. It is starting to scare me because I just listed my trv950 and all my equipment on ebay just to buy the DVC80. -->>> -->>>

I will admit, the dvc30 does look like an excellent camera. But I'm ready for something that I can actually hold onto. The little compact camcorder thing is wearing off on me. The dvc30 resembles the trv950 too much, and I guess you could just say that I'm the type of person that has to have a change every once in a while or I get bored easy. Also, where are the xlr inputs?

John Britt · April 30th, 2004, 08:29 AM

Just got the latest issue of Videography in the mail. (Well, it's dated April 2004, but I think it's the latest issue; I just got it yesterday)

GUess what I found inside? A two-page Panasonic ad featuring the DVC80! Now, I know that these things are prepped far in advance of publication, but was the discontinuation of the DVC80 such a last minute decision that they couldn't even pull/change April advertising?

The DVC80 is one of many products in the ad, so it seems it would have been relatively easy to make a last minute change (without screwing up the layout or having to pull the entire ad). So did someone at Panny simply wake up on March 31 and say, "Hey, let's drop the DVC80 tomorrow?" I'd like to think that more forethought than that went into the decision....

Anyway, just my daily DVC80 "Isn't this weird"/"What the heck" rant...

Tim Borek · April 30th, 2004, 03:10 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by Tim Birej : I know it won't do any good, but I just e-mailed Panasonic my opinion which echoes many of the sentiments on this board. They need to know. I told them I'd be in the market for a B-roll camcorder in January, and it would never be a DVC30. -->>>

I feel weird quoting myself, but I wanted to let everyone know about the phone call I got from a Steve at Panasonic. He didn't leave a last name on my answering machine, but he left a number from a 201 area code. In a nutshell, he said that recent price drops -- I assume those made in January when the DVC80 went from MSRP $3299 to $2999 -- made it so that Panasonic "couldn't afford to make them at that price." He also said something about a $500 difference between the DVX100A and the DVC80, which didn't make sense to me because the DVX100A lists for $1,000 more than the DVC80. The rest of his message was a pitch for the DVC30, but he said that if I called him back he could put me in touch with a few dealers that had "hundreds" of DVC80's in stock. If anyone wants his number, e-mail me.

I didn't return his call, as I'm not in the position to purchase another camcorder right now anyway. I'm still not interested in a DVC30. If for no other reason, I prefer a larger pro camera because it's easier to stabilize when shooting handheld. And I want built-in XLRs, not a clunky expensive add-on adapter. If I had to buy a cam today and the DVC80 never existed, I'd probably go for the DVX100A. Forget what I said earlier about a Sony :)

Ignacio Rodriguez · April 30th, 2004, 11:18 PM

> He also said something about a $500 difference between
> the DVX100A and the DVC80, which didn't make sense to
> me because the DVX100A lists for $1,000 more than
> the DVC80.

Hmmmmm. Preemptive marketing? Perhaps by the time you read this, the DVX100A will be listing for $500 more than the price of the late DVC80. Or perhaps next week :-)

Agus Casse · May 5th, 2004, 06:19 PM

I cant believe it !!!!! ! ! ! !

I just got my DVC80 last month, i went all from guatemala to New York, and then to BH to get it.

AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.

I was now saving again for making the trip and buy another one, but today i found out that it is discontinued !... thats crap for my opinion, cause the dvc30 is inferior, and i cant afford the DVX100a...

Damn the one that decided to discontinued it.

Hope panasonic brings a new option better and in the same price as the dvc80 cause i wont be getting another one again, and i loved it...

Aaron J.H. Walker · May 6th, 2004, 11:30 PM

Yup, I got my DVC-80 about a week before they pulled the plug after reading forums like this one and gleaning what info I could. The breakthrough for me came when I got the chance to actually touch it side by side with the 100 at the DV EXpo back in LA in December.

(Come to think of it, there was a sizable crowd gathered around the 100 the entire time I was there and I was able to play with the 80 alone for a significant length of time, hmmmm.....)

I am so glad I didn't wait another day to order it. I got mine from Pro-Feel for $1987 and have already completed one short doc with it.

I choose the 80 over the 100 because I don't want/need that 24p thing (call me crazy but I actually like the way video looks). And everyone else is right, the 80 was $1,500 to $2,000 cheaper than the 100.

But I'm off track...:(

What I really wanted to say is I agree there was/is a serious lack of info available from actual users/owners of the 80 and I am up for sharing info with anyone about this great camera. The tips I've picked up I had to glean from the 100 forums since they are essentially the same camera.

Anywho, I'm game for sharing tips and info with any other 80 owner out there.

April 18th, 2004, 03:03 PM	#18
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	> As John just mentioned, the DVC80 was already > competing nicely with the PD150/PD170. I know. That's the point... it makes perfect sense for Panasonic, just drop the DVC80 and sell instead the DVX100A for the price of the DVC80, it's really just the same camera running a different firmware. That will kill PD170 sales. I bet they'll do it. In the light of the upcoming HDV revolution, this all reminds me of what happened in the last days of Betamax: before dropping the format for VHS and nowing that they would do it, Sony sold some awesome Beta machines for the domestic market with higher bandwidth, S-video i/o, digital processing and stuff like that, they made the best of the format, I think in the end it was just two models, a high-end one with all the feature set and a less expensive simpler deck. I would not be surprised if Panasonic where to be doing simethink like that with the DVX100A and DVC30. __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

April 22nd, 2004, 03:10 PM	#21
Tim Borek Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Westfield, IN Posts: 353	Grrrrrrr! (Just chiming in.) I know it won't do any good, but I just e-mailed Panasonic my opinion which echoes many of the sentiments on this board. They need to know. I told them I'd be in the market for a B-roll camcorder in January, and it would never be a DVC30. (Probably a VX2100, unless I can ever find a DVX100A for under $2500.) I don't know if Canon's doing anything with the GL2, but this could be their chance to fill the hole where DVC80s were selling. I'm not ruling them out yet. I just shot a wedding where my assistant used his GL2, and it was a good match to my DVC80 footage. (Reds were a little oversaturated, but that can be adjusted in camera I believe.) I love my DVC80, but the more I'm around GL2s the more I appreciate them; they pack a punch for a small camera! Cheer up, folks. Life will go on.

April 23rd, 2004, 01:26 PM	#24
Thomas McKay Sponsor: VariZoom Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 58	Re: DVC80 vanishing? If zoom control is a factor in your choice of cameras you might have a look at the DVC30. The camera has an incredible zoom capacity. I was told by a Panasonic rep that they were able to achieve a zoom that crawled so slowly that it took more than 90 seconds to move through the entire zoom range. Also reported that it could zoom through the entire range as fast as one second. I just finished the NAB show and we had the camera in our booth and many people that tested the camera, including myself, were impressed. Tom McKay VariZoom Lens controls <<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : I heard from somebody that Panasonic may be doing away with the DVC80 because it is competing with their own DVX100/100A. Is this true? I just checked out www.panasonic.com and couldnt find DVC80 listed anywhere. It is starting to scare me because I just listed my trv950 and all my equipment on ebay just to buy the DVC80. -->>>

April 23rd, 2004, 02:19 PM	#25
Dustin Waits Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Myers Beach, Fl Posts: 243	Re: Re: DVC80 vanishing? <<<-- Originally posted by Thomas McKay : If zoom control is a factor in your choice of cameras you might have a look at the DVC30. The camera has an incredible zoom capacity. I was told by a Panasonic rep that they were able to achieve a zoom that crawled so slowly that it took more than 90 seconds to move through the entire zoom range. Also reported that it could zoom through the entire range as fast as one second. I just finished the NAB show and we had the camera in our booth and many people that tested the camera, including myself, were impressed. Tom McKay VariZoom Lens controls <<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : I heard from somebody that Panasonic may be doing away with the DVC80 because it is competing with their own DVX100/100A. Is this true? I just checked out www.panasonic.com and couldnt find DVC80 listed anywhere. It is starting to scare me because I just listed my trv950 and all my equipment on ebay just to buy the DVC80. -->>> -->>> I will admit, the dvc30 does look like an excellent camera. But I'm ready for something that I can actually hold onto. The little compact camcorder thing is wearing off on me. The dvc30 resembles the trv950 too much, and I guess you could just say that I'm the type of person that has to have a change every once in a while or I get bored easy. Also, where are the xlr inputs?

April 30th, 2004, 08:29 AM	#26
John Britt Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 621	What's this? DVC80 advertised in new Videography? Just got the latest issue of Videography in the mail. (Well, it's dated April 2004, but I think it's the latest issue; I just got it yesterday) GUess what I found inside? A two-page Panasonic ad featuring the DVC80! Now, I know that these things are prepped far in advance of publication, but was the discontinuation of the DVC80 such a last minute decision that they couldn't even pull/change April advertising? The DVC80 is one of many products in the ad, so it seems it would have been relatively easy to make a last minute change (without screwing up the layout or having to pull the entire ad). So did someone at Panny simply wake up on March 31 and say, "Hey, let's drop the DVC80 tomorrow?" I'd like to think that more forethought than that went into the decision.... Anyway, just my daily DVC80 "Isn't this weird"/"What the heck" rant...

April 18th, 2004, 09:24 AM	#16
John Britt Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 621	How soon do you think you'll have the money? At the end of your auction in 5-10 days? I think you'll still be able to find a new DVC80 somewhere by then -- perhaps even for the next 3-4 weeks; who knows, prices may even start to drop at some point :) I'd say keep aiming for a new DVC80...

April 18th, 2004, 09:38 AM	#17
Dustin Waits Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Myers Beach, Fl Posts: 243	<<<-- Originally posted by John Britt : How soon do you think you'll have the money? At the end of your auction in 5-10 days? I think you'll still be able to find a new DVC80 somewhere by then -- perhaps even for the next 3-4 weeks; who knows, prices may even start to drop at some point :) I'd say keep aiming for a new DVC80... -->>> Yea if someone buys it in this auction then it will be in the next few days that I get the money. Dont know if it will sell though because I set a high reserve on it ($1600) because I had no idea the dvc80 would be leaving us so I just figured I would take my time and just try to get as much money out of the camera as possible.

April 19th, 2004, 04:12 PM	#19
John Britt Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 621	<<<-- Originally posted by Ignacio Rodriguez : it makes perfect sense for Panasonic, just drop the DVC80 and sell instead the DVX100A for the price of the DVC80, it's really just the same camera running a different firmware. That will kill PD170 sales.-->>> Actually, it doesn't make sense -- at least not to me. First, the DVX100A is more than just a firmware upgrade from the DVC80. There are fundamental hardware differences, especially due to the DVX100A's 12 bit DSP (the DVC80 has 10 bit DSP). This topic also came up when the DVX100A first came out, when DVX100 owners asked why they couldn't just flash the firmware (the original DVX100 had 10 bit DSP, just like the DVC80). As an additional note, the DVC30 has 12 bit DSP, just like the 100A. Second, the PD170 is selling at B&H for $3200 (the "email me" price). The DVX100A is selling for $3500. And the DVC80 has been selling for $2100. There is no reason for Panasonic to drop the price of a camera (that is selling well on its own) by $1400 just to trump the PD170. The DVX100 has been a producer's darling and seems to be selling well on it's own -- why lose $1400 on each sale? They'd have to sell one extra camera for every two and a half (or so) sold, just to meet what they're making now. Why sell it for $1100 less than the PD170? I could maybe see them dropping it to $3000 in order to compete with the PD170. But even if they had the monetary headroom to drop the price by even $1000, I just can't fathom a company doing such a thing. That's not being competitive, that's simply suicide. I just don't see it happening -- be great if it did, but I doubt it will.

April 20th, 2004, 05:48 PM	#20
Ron Evans Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 4,222	Of course you could look at the JVC300U with 12bit processing and 14x zoom with ability to be remotely controlled by the Varizoom controller including focus and iris. All for 2399 at B&H !!! Ron

April 22nd, 2004, 03:21 PM	#22
Dustin Waits Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Myers Beach, Fl Posts: 243	Ive been thinking about it and I think they will either bring it back, or create a new camcorder to replace the dvc80. There are just too many people unhappy about this so I'm sure they will realize that they kinda messed up. I also heard from someone who said that they talked to a Panasonic sales rep and he told him they dropped the 80 to up the sales of the 30. But I just dont see that happening. In my views, anybody who was originally looking at the 80 will just end up getting the vx2100 instead. Just my opinion though.

April 23rd, 2004, 11:09 AM	#23
Tim Borek Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Westfield, IN Posts: 353	<<<-- Originally posted by Dustin Waits : In my views, anybody who was originally looking at the 80 will just end up getting the vx2100 instead. Just my opinion though. -->>> Agreed.

April 30th, 2004, 03:10 PM	#27
Tim Borek Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Westfield, IN Posts: 353	Re: Grrrrrrr! (Just chiming in.) <<<-- Originally posted by Tim Birej : I know it won't do any good, but I just e-mailed Panasonic my opinion which echoes many of the sentiments on this board. They need to know. I told them I'd be in the market for a B-roll camcorder in January, and it would never be a DVC30. -->>> I feel weird quoting myself, but I wanted to let everyone know about the phone call I got from a Steve at Panasonic. He didn't leave a last name on my answering machine, but he left a number from a 201 area code. In a nutshell, he said that recent price drops -- I assume those made in January when the DVC80 went from MSRP $3299 to $2999 -- made it so that Panasonic "couldn't afford to make them at that price." He also said something about a $500 difference between the DVX100A and the DVC80, which didn't make sense to me because the DVX100A lists for $1,000 more than the DVC80. The rest of his message was a pitch for the DVC30, but he said that if I called him back he could put me in touch with a few dealers that had "hundreds" of DVC80's in stock. If anyone wants his number, e-mail me. I didn't return his call, as I'm not in the position to purchase another camcorder right now anyway. I'm still not interested in a DVC30. If for no other reason, I prefer a larger pro camera because it's easier to stabilize when shooting handheld. And I want built-in XLRs, not a clunky expensive add-on adapter. If I had to buy a cam today and the DVC80 never existed, I'd probably go for the DVX100A. Forget what I said earlier about a Sony :)

April 30th, 2004, 11:18 PM	#28
Ignacio Rodriguez Contributor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 932	> He also said something about a $500 difference between > the DVX100A and the DVC80, which didn't make sense to > me because the DVX100A lists for $1,000 more than > the DVC80. Hmmmmm. Preemptive marketing? Perhaps by the time you read this, the DVX100A will be listing for $500 more than the price of the late DVC80. Or perhaps next week :-) __________________ Ignacio Rodríguez in the third world. @micronauta on Twitter. Main hardware: brain, eyes, hands.

May 5th, 2004, 06:19 PM	#29
Agus Casse Major Player Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Guatemala Posts: 322	I cant believe it !!!!! ! ! ! ! I just got my DVC80 last month, i went all from guatemala to New York, and then to BH to get it. AND IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. I was now saving again for making the trip and buy another one, but today i found out that it is discontinued !... thats crap for my opinion, cause the dvc30 is inferior, and i cant afford the DVX100a... Damn the one that decided to discontinued it. Hope panasonic brings a new option better and in the same price as the dvc80 cause i wont be getting another one again, and i loved it... __________________ Agus35 - the ultimate tool for indie DV filmakers -

May 6th, 2004, 11:30 PM	#30
Aaron J.H. Walker Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Victorville, California Posts: 30	Yup, I got my DVC-80 about a week before they pulled the plug after reading forums like this one and gleaning what info I could. The breakthrough for me came when I got the chance to actually touch it side by side with the 100 at the DV EXpo back in LA in December. (Come to think of it, there was a sizable crowd gathered around the 100 the entire time I was there and I was able to play with the 80 alone for a significant length of time, hmmmm.....) I am so glad I didn't wait another day to order it. I got mine from Pro-Feel for $1987 and have already completed one short doc with it. I choose the 80 over the 100 because I don't want/need that 24p thing (call me crazy but I actually like the way video looks). And everyone else is right, the 80 was $1,500 to $2,000 cheaper than the 100. But I'm off track...:( What I really wanted to say is I agree there was/is a serious lack of info available from actual users/owners of the 80 and I am up for sharing info with anyone about this great camera. The tips I've picked up I had to glean from the 100 forums since they are essentially the same camera. Anywho, I'm game for sharing tips and info with any other 80 owner out there.