Z7 Price Creep... at DVinfo.net

Bill Petropoulos · March 5th, 2009, 10:03 AM

I've had my my eye on the Z7 and was getting ready to buy.
But now the price at B&H has gone from $4879 to $4999 to currently $5079.

What gives?

I remember someone mentioning that prices would go up, but I didn't believe it.
I've never seen this before.
Usually prices only go down the longer a camera has been out.

-Bill

Marc Burleigh · March 5th, 2009, 02:43 PM

Could it be that the crazy rush to buy yen by investors spooked at the global crisis has anything to do with that?

I mean, we know the dollar has benefitted from the rush to quality (safe haven status), but so has the yen to an even greater degree, because Japanese interest rates had already bottomed out.

Forecasts are that the yen will now have to weaken: US real interest rates are now effectively zero, too, and there's no way Japan can keep exporting when the high yen kneecaps sales.

Expect the Z7 to be back down under $4,900 in May or June, I reckon. If I still have a job and a credit card, I may consider one myself....

Geoff Schatzel · March 5th, 2009, 04:50 PM

The Z7 was around $7500 AUS mid last year. By the time I got one in November it had gone up to $8300 AUS. Mostly because the Australian exchange rate took a dive against the US. Now I think it's even higher.

Bill Rankin · March 5th, 2009, 05:58 PM

The Z7 has crept up in price, but the Z5 has not....why not? Does anyone know?

Mike Petrucco · March 5th, 2009, 09:04 PM

I wonder if many are buying the MRC and the z5 together at the same price as the z7 which comes with the MRC1. Maybe they wanted to separate the two a little more?

Greg Laves · March 5th, 2009, 09:53 PM

Sony finally figured out how terrific the Z7 really is.

Tom Hardwick · March 7th, 2009, 10:28 AM

Greg's got something there. The Z7 was pretty much the same price as the Z5 + CF recorder and it just made clients dither - eenie meenie miny mo. Now they can see from the price which is the better camera.

Rob Morse · March 8th, 2009, 12:16 PM

Actually, when I purchased the Z5 a month ago, it was basically the same price as the Z7 after adding the MRC-1. I was wondering why the Z7 was going down in price.

Keith Forman · March 8th, 2009, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

Greg's got something there. The Z7 was pretty much the same price as the Z5 + CF recorder and it just made clients dither - eenie meenie miny mo. Now they can see from the price which is the better camera.

I think it comes down to interchangeable lenses vs 20x lens.

keithdbf

Rob Morse · March 8th, 2009, 02:37 PM

It's also nice having the built in mic. I wouldn't use it during the service or party but when you're shooting some B roll that you just need a little nat sound or dialog, it makes things a little quicker and easier. That and the lens is what sold me on the Z5. Their both great cameras.

Tom Hardwick · March 8th, 2009, 02:41 PM

I agree Rob - and I find the in-built mics on my Z1 a boon. I filmed a lot of people in a very confined space last week and there really wouldn't have been room for my K6/ME66 atop my Z1. The inbuilt mics were perfect - and did the job admirably. Shame they saw fit to delete them on the Z7.

Allen Minor · April 3rd, 2009, 05:33 PM

I still have the TRV-900 and have been waiting for the right camera for me. I have researched the HVR-Z7U to death and find it is exactly what I want. I was going to wait until May or June to purchase it. However, I just checked B&H and the price is now about $5,400. Also, the price of the Z5U has dropped. This is discouraging because I don't want the Z5U. Any encouragement would be appreciated. (surely it won't go up higher will it?)

Allen Minor · April 3rd, 2009, 06:18 PM

Since the Z5 has now dropped to $3,999 and the Z7 has increased to $5,399, I believe Sony is trying to make people buy the Z5 instead of the Z7. Is this possible? and if so, how long do you think this will go on, i.e., when do you think the Z7 will go back to $5,000?

Greg Laves · April 3rd, 2009, 09:59 PM

Allen, if you want encouragement, I can tell you that I sure have been very happy with the Z7. When it arrived, I also had a loaner FX1000 at the same time. That gave me a good chance to compare both, side by side. And while I liked the 20x lens of the FX1000/Z5, I really preferred the Z7, overall.

Allen Minor · April 3rd, 2009, 10:38 PM

Thanks for the encouragement. Thankfully, I have some time before I buy it. I almost always buy at B&H but they now have the same price it was when it first came out.

March 5th, 2009, 10:03 AM	#1
Bill Petropoulos Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Orange County, Calif. USA Posts: 70	Z7 Price Creep... I've had my my eye on the Z7 and was getting ready to buy. But now the price at B&H has gone from $4879 to $4999 to currently $5079. What gives? I remember someone mentioning that prices would go up, but I didn't believe it. I've never seen this before. Usually prices only go down the longer a camera has been out. -Bill

March 5th, 2009, 05:58 PM	#4
Bill Rankin Major Player Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 433	The Z7 has crept up in price, but the Z5 has not....why not? Does anyone know? __________________ Bill Rankin

April 3rd, 2009, 05:33 PM	#12
Allen Minor Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 50	Big price increase I still have the TRV-900 and have been waiting for the right camera for me. I have researched the HVR-Z7U to death and find it is exactly what I want. I was going to wait until May or June to purchase it. However, I just checked B&H and the price is now about $5,400. Also, the price of the Z5U has dropped. This is discouraging because I don't want the Z5U. Any encouragement would be appreciated. (surely it won't go up higher will it?) __________________ tamerlane57

April 3rd, 2009, 06:18 PM	#13
Allen Minor Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 50	Big price increase Since the Z5 has now dropped to $3,999 and the Z7 has increased to $5,399, I believe Sony is trying to make people buy the Z5 instead of the Z7. Is this possible? and if so, how long do you think this will go on, i.e., when do you think the Z7 will go back to $5,000? __________________ tamerlane57

April 3rd, 2009, 10:38 PM	#15
Allen Minor Regular Crew Join Date: May 2004 Location: Hamilton, OH Posts: 50	Price increase Thanks for the encouragement. Thankfully, I have some time before I buy it. I almost always buy at B&H but they now have the same price it was when it first came out. __________________ tamerlane57

March 5th, 2009, 02:43 PM	#2
Marc Burleigh Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Paris (France) Posts: 143	Could it be that the crazy rush to buy yen by investors spooked at the global crisis has anything to do with that? I mean, we know the dollar has benefitted from the rush to quality (safe haven status), but so has the yen to an even greater degree, because Japanese interest rates had already bottomed out. Forecasts are that the yen will now have to weaken: US real interest rates are now effectively zero, too, and there's no way Japan can keep exporting when the high yen kneecaps sales. Expect the Z7 to be back down under $4,900 in May or June, I reckon. If I still have a job and a credit card, I may consider one myself....

March 5th, 2009, 04:50 PM	#3
Geoff Schatzel Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Posts: 33	The Z7 was around $7500 AUS mid last year. By the time I got one in November it had gone up to $8300 AUS. Mostly because the Australian exchange rate took a dive against the US. Now I think it's even higher.

March 5th, 2009, 09:04 PM	#5
Mike Petrucco Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Syracuse, NY Posts: 98	I wonder if many are buying the MRC and the z5 together at the same price as the z7 which comes with the MRC1. Maybe they wanted to separate the two a little more?

March 5th, 2009, 09:53 PM	#6
Greg Laves Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 640	Sony finally figured out how terrific the Z7 really is.

March 7th, 2009, 10:28 AM	#7
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Greg's got something there. The Z7 was pretty much the same price as the Z5 + CF recorder and it just made clients dither - eenie meenie miny mo. Now they can see from the price which is the better camera.

March 8th, 2009, 12:16 PM	#8
Rob Morse Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 427	Actually, when I purchased the Z5 a month ago, it was basically the same price as the Z7 after adding the MRC-1. I was wondering why the Z7 was going down in price.

March 8th, 2009, 02:37 PM	#10
Rob Morse Major Player Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 427	It's also nice having the built in mic. I wouldn't use it during the service or party but when you're shooting some B roll that you just need a little nat sound or dialog, it makes things a little quicker and easier. That and the lens is what sold me on the Z5. Their both great cameras.

March 8th, 2009, 02:41 PM	#11
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	I agree Rob - and I find the in-built mics on my Z1 a boon. I filmed a lot of people in a very confined space last week and there really wouldn't have been room for my K6/ME66 atop my Z1. The inbuilt mics were perfect - and did the job admirably. Shame they saw fit to delete them on the Z7.

April 3rd, 2009, 09:59 PM	#14
Greg Laves Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Corpus Christi, TX Posts: 640	Allen, if you want encouragement, I can tell you that I sure have been very happy with the Z7. When it arrived, I also had a loaner FX1000 at the same time. That gave me a good chance to compare both, side by side. And while I liked the 20x lens of the FX1000/Z5, I really preferred the Z7, overall.