fs-100 shipping?

Bad Panasonic ~ the two dealers I spoke to last week are now telling me that Panasonic aren't getting back to them about a release date. "We're in the hands of Panasonic now..." One said.

What's the point in bringing out a HD camera if you can't record HD with it??? :furious3:

It's not as if the P2 Store and cards are readily available either. Absolutely disgraceful Panasonic Europe, I at least expected some kind of update, especially after stating last week that it was only delayed till this week. I have some work on Friday and wanted to use DVCPro50 :(
 
Same story here I'm afraid. I went to collect last week from my dealer (Creative) who said they were getting no response from their Panasonic rep. Bad news, I can handle. No news is something else...
 
I'm getting bored and frustrated having this state of the art piece of bleeding edge technology and not being able to use it. AGH! :furious3:
 
I was told that Focus delayed the release because they wanted to run more tests. Someone posted it the other day.
 
Did the issue with the Firestore having blips at the 2GB mark get fixed? Or was that a phantom issue? I think it had something to do with reassbling the clip from 2GB chunks that are a limit of the FAT file system. Anyone remember this?
 
It was 2 to 3 weeks a week ago, wasn't it?

no point in complaining but my message to panasonic is this...

"im not angry, I'm just dissapointed, you've let me down but MORE IMPORTANTLY, you've let YOURSELVES down

And dont blame focus either...should of better organised your P2s shouldnt you?

now go to your room."

:kali:
 
Hi Adam,

So, You think it is easy that all we have to do is to sneak into Focus and take the units? You think this is something we have done deliberately to upset customers? Get a grip.

Forgive me but I find this sort of post to be just plain irritating almost to the point of offensive. It is a post of no value.

Would you prefer us to deliver a Focus Enhancements that didn't work? How about one that just sort of works, well we only need to convince them to ship it to us before they are ready. That would be cool, we can make sure that you get one of these. ;-) Technology takes the time it takes to bring it to the market. It is not an issue of blame, it is an issue of when it is ready. Everyone is working as hard as they can.

And it will be soon, but as with the HVX, they will be in a little short supply initially.

Thank you,

Jan

adam powell said:
It was 2 to 3 weeks a week ago, wasn't it?

no point in complaining but my message to panasonic is this...

"im not angry, I'm just dissapointed, you've let me down but MORE IMPORTANTLY, you've let YOURSELVES down

And dont blame focus either...should of better organised your P2s shouldnt you?

now go to your room."

:kali:
Click to expand...
 
Hi Jan. I can understand Adams frustration. I had a PAL HVX200 on order here in the UK, and picked it up on Friday (PX for the DVX100). Our dealer had no P2 cards, no P2 store, no Firestore. Most frustratingly of all they had no timescale on when any of these things would come in because Panasonic Europe aren't providing any information. The website is useless, even the HVX200 information is still preliminary.

I've managed to track down a 4gb P2 card which I'll be getting within the next hour. I'd rather not have got this card and just had the Firestore, which Panasonic Europe had told my dealer was guaranteed for the HVX launch in the UK - this was a key factor in us deciding the HVX was the camera for us so to be told a day before picking the camera up that it the Firestore had been delayed, is very frustrating.

However we need something to record HD to now, because we're prepping a feature to be shot this Summer and need to conduct our necessary tests right now, to get them out of the way and begin work in other areas. It's £500 which could have gone towards some grip equipment or the M2, but unfortunately with lack of Firestore and info on when the FS100 will arrive (it was supposed to be this week, now our dealer is saying Panasonic aren't returning their emails) we're kind of over a barrel because we have to use this camera now.

It is very frustrating here in the UK at the moment with having this fantastic camera and not having anything other than 4gb cards to record to. And even they aren't easy to track down :(

It would be much better if Panasonic would provide the necessary information. This is Panasonic Europe (specifically UK).

(you may be interested to know that we shot our first feature with the DVX and that's being released in cinemas this Autumn)
 
Last edited:
Hi Booth,

For something to record to now, open up the Capture Now window in your NLE.

Slashing and bashing the manufacturer who is not the manufacturer is fruitless and only grows the animosity pie, Saying that we, Panasonic, in spite of the fact that these products are not even built in Japan, and are not under our control.
Focus is working very hard to make the deadlines and it is difficult.

I hear what you are saying about making your decision, but if you needed to have something to record on, and don't have one, then why take delivery of the camera? Why not wait until one of the recording devices are available. However in the interim, you could record to your Laptop and external hdd.

I cannot imagine that Panasonic Europe would have made a claim that they could not uphold, ie the guarantee of the delivery of the Firestore. I know that I would not have. I have been painting a window, end of March-April timeframe, there are just too many unknowns. The target was March, still is for a limited supply. While frustrations are high, they are high on any product introduction and I just think that the dissing of people is not helpful. It is not like we evilly planned it this way, it just works out this way. Sorry. Everyone is working hard, why make it more difficult and uncomfortable?

Thanks,

Jan
 
I'll take my bought and paid for P2 Store by Friday if there is any way possible?

I think the underlying frustration is that we're all 100% vested in the HVX / P2 platform, but it really hasn't been made easy from a workflow perspective. The overwhelming desire to work cutting edge has, in this product's case, become a bleeding edge experience.

I've been waiting for a couple weeks for my P2Store - lucky for me my first paid rental was SD. That won't be the case come Saturday, when I'm scheduled to be on a plane to shoot hours of 720/24PN - with a P2 Store I don't yet have.

Panasonic has limited control over a third party and their compliance / functionality / whatever with your licensed standard, and arguably even less in areas of manufacturing concerns, but the lack of factory product for a paid customer like me simply borders on bad business.

e
 
Last edited:
Hi,

The lack of a factory product is unfortunately as easy to understand if you take a minute to understand. Let's say we have been selling the product for a year and we were selling about 25 a month with the SD cameras. We know with the intro of the new camera, that will bump and since we really do not have hard data here(no empircal to go on) so our stab it is that we order in 150 a month. Seems high but it might not be. Well as it turns out it isn't enough by almost double. We order product in 5 months before it ships to us. We can only adjust up to the last 30 days and that can only be about a 10% adjustment. Now the numbers are fictitious but the story is real.

Same as the deal on the cards. We thought maybe 3-4 cards per camera, it is more like 6-8 and if you look at Marc Singer he has 12. This is really uncharted territory folks. We really are not trying to upset folks, but when you are selling vastly more than what was ordered, it is just crazy.

We are really trying to come to a balance asap.

Best,

Jan
 
Hi Jan,

We picked up the camera because we were told the Firestore would be this week. We have a job to do on Friday which was supposed to be in DVCPro50, which will now have to be in miniDV. This would have worked out fine, if the FS100 was released this week, but now it isn't. There was also another factor, we didn't want to be in a position where the HVX200 was in short supply like in the US, so we got it while we could.

I've just been told that the 4gb card we were going to use for test footage purposes isn't in stock. We've tried all the suppliers we know, and none have 4gb cards in stock - or 8gb. A call is made to Panasonic UK, and we get told to try someone else 'they might have some in stock'. "We're not happy about this? Why supply a camera without any media to record to?" The person on the other end, apparently a senior person in sales who will currently remain nameless just said. "Yeah. Bye." We try the dealer that was suggested - they have no stock. We call Panasonic back and we get told by someone else. "I can't understand why there's no stock, we've got lots of stock here." :eek:

"Can we buy them direct from you? Could you help us, we have a job on Friday that we'd really like to use the HVX for."

"Sorry no, you have to buy from a dealer."

:(

Thanks for replying Jan (no hard feelings the HVX200 is a nice camera)
 
Last edited:
Jan_Crittenden said:
Hi Booth,

For something to record to now, open up the Capture Now window in your NLE.

I cannot imagine that Panasonic Europe would have made a claim that they could not uphold, ie the guarantee of the delivery of the Firestore. I know that I would not have. I have been painting a window, end of March-April timeframe, there are just too many unknowns. The target was March, still is for a limited supply. While frustrations are high, they are high on any product introduction and I just think that the dissing of people is not helpful. It is not like we evilly planned it this way, it just works out this way. Sorry. Everyone is working hard, why make it more difficult and uncomfortable?

Thanks,

Jan
Click to expand...
I can't use 'capture now' in Avid Xpress Pro HD for PAL HVX200 capture. Am I doing something wrong, I didn't think this was possible.

And CKE distribution in the UK stated that they were guaranteed delivery of the HVX200 + Firestore on release. They even did a £4995 bundle because of this guarantee, which is on the front page of their site www.cke.co.uk

Whether this is true or not is between them and Panasonic UK, but this is what they told us the day before we picked up the HVX.

We may be grumbling now, but this will change once we can use the camera to its full potential. For now though it's mighty frustrating, I hope you can imagine.
 
Hi Booth,
>This would have worked out fine, if the FS100 was released this week, but now it isn't. There was also another factor, we didn't want to be in a position where the HVX200 was in short supply like in the US, so we got it while we could.

Understood, but I don't see where everyone thought the Firestore was going to be in stock. I haven't even released the Marketing Bulletin to the Dealers yet. An perhaps that is the problem. Perhaps Pana Europe put out a Marketing Bulletin and that is where the false hopes are coming from.

> "We're not happy about this? Why supply a camera without any media to record to?" The person on the other end, apparently a senior person in sales who will currently remain nameless just said. "Yeah. Bye." We try the dealer that was suggested - they have no stock. We call Panasonic back and we get told by someone else. "I can't understand why there's no stock, we've got lots of stock here." :eek:

Well now that is just silly. The card situation is difficult, and for reasons like those point out in my previous post, the sell though has been outpacing the forecasts. We are trying to catch up, but it will take a little time.

>"Can we buy them direct from you? Could you help us, we have a job on Friday that we'd really like to use the HVX for."

It is harder to set up a account with Panaosnic, even if you don't want credit than one could ever imagine. I don't fully understand that myself but in general I tend to direct people to the dealers as well.

Soon all of this will be a thing of the past and all we will be talking about is the really nice camera you own and the really cool things you are able to do with it. My whole point was why point fingers of blame and shame, it only makes a difficult situation worse.

Thanks,

Jan

Thanks for replying Jan (no hard feelings the HVX200 is a nice camera)[/QUOTE]
 
Jan, I completely hear what you're saying about supply-side issues and estimating for a 1st generation product - we're all weathering this breakthrough technology storm together!

You know how I feel about your products - the choice to go with HVX represented a comfortable, natural progression for my company. As a person and representative of Panasonic, I hold you in the absolute highest regard. Your willingness to hear us and filter information back and forth between user and manufacturer hopefully brings mutual benefit to both parties!

At the same time, my reality is that I have to be on that plane on Saturday morning. There is no room for perception in my situation - the client has signed a contract and I'm obligated to fulfill it.

I'd be happy to supply you [by PM] with the name of my flagship dealer if you think something might be sorted that way? You being involved at this level is preposterous, but I know how you operate!

I promise, promise, promise to continue to be a flag-waving Panasonic fanatic in kind return! Oh, and I'll certainly buy a thank-you round in Vegas when we're all together for NAB.

:love4:

Warm regards,

e
 
The fact that this person (I have his name) just replied with 'yeah, bye' also added to the frustration - we were only making an enquiry and weren't being aggressive. But I got the feeling that he really didn't know what to say rather than be rude. And finding out that that there was a stockpile of P2 cards somewhere that we couldn't get our hands on was a bit of a slap in the face too.

However our DP has just called me to say he's found somewhere in London that has a small amount of 4gb P2 cards. They can be sent up to Bolton tomorrow and we can pick up Thursday.

And yes, flag-waving Panasonic fanatics ~ I've been telling my contacts in the UK and US about this camera. So we're not being anti-Panasonic, just frustrated at not being able to use Panasonic gear.
 
Last edited:
We've all been patient. I could buy a 4 Gig card this week. A buddy of mine has two.
The way I shoot, I want the biggest cards I can get and, for the most part, I'm willing to wait for them.
I'm hoping NAB has revellations and maybe some vendors selling 8Gig P2s on site (wishfull thinking).
I have the biggest shoot of my life so far on Memorial day. The first leg of a documentary: I'm planning a three camera shoot of an event that only happens once a year.
I am praying that Firestores or Cineporters or some larger recording system by then.
I'm not jumping ship, but I have actually begun thinking about renting 3 JVCs for the event as a plan 'B.'
Keeping my fingers crossed and my optomism high that things will smooth out and options become available in the next two months!
 
Jan,

I didnt mean to offend you, I was being fairly tongue in cheek and to be honest I dont think I was that harsh!
...the situation is frustrating, yes we were promised firestore & HVX cameras as a bundle..and when the firestore fell through (I understand panasonic aren't to blame, and In my previous posts i HAVE stated I would rather wait for a properly working product) but when the firestore fell through, there weren't even any P2 cards!

and to make matters worse NO communication.

I've put £1400 deposit on a product I dont currently have. Because I can't use it.

trust me Im relaxed and Im not trying to make the situation uncomfortable, but I think you can accept a joke (albeit a little bit at Panasonic UKs expense)

Jan please dont take it personally, It is a little bit crazy there is a HD camera with no way to record HD (yes plugging into a NLE but I cant take my desktop about with me)

I've seen you personally come on here, answer peoples questions and help out which is amazing.

sadly we haven't been shown the same treatment by panasonic UK.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top