GH2 in stock thread

Judging on the same distribution story story happened to GH2's predecessor I can come to a conclusion that it's not about poor management, it's made intentionally. It's a part of their marketing strategy. IMO they just don't believe they need to sell more.

Yeah, well good luck with that strategy. That's why Canon will remain king of the hill. It's pure idiocy. Panasonic wants to sell more compact cameras? Seriously, big volume compacts are going to the Canon and Nikon and smaller companies are losing out and dropping out of that market, because the margins are narrow and you can only make decent profit on volume, which Panasonic won't get due to the brand recognition in this specific space... most people think Canon, Nikon, Sony for small compacts - it would be extremely hard to overcome that without massive marketing spend, which Pana is not doing, and it might fail anyway as Canon etc. won't sit by calmly. So if they are looking for the compact market, it's stupid. It's the exact opposite of what they should be doing - they should be cultivating the higher end more discerning customer, because those customers are the ones who are willing to step away from the usual suspects (Canon etc.), and look to more rare guys like Panasonic, if Panasonic is willing to deliver the high end. That's what they did - successfully with the LX series: LX1-LX5. They should put their effort there, at the prosumer segment where they have the technical advantage. Meanwhile, if they play games like that, they are going to alienate the very people whom they need to cultivate. I'm one example of that failed strategy - I'm simply not going to put up with BS like this, and if Nikon or Canon steps up to the plate with something close to the GH2, I'm gone, because at least I know I'll have product available to buy and the support, instead of juvenile games; I am planning on a project, but my rule is to always buy the gear at the last moment, because you never know how your plans may change or your budget - and if I'm looking at products from a company like Panasonic, then I simply cannot have confidence that the gear will be there when I'm ready to buy... an issue I won't have with a Canon. So what Panasonic is doing is alienating exactly the clients they should cater to, in a stupid and unrealistic quest for a mass market consumer they'll never get. But hey, what do I know, I don't sit in Panasonic management - however there are things I DO know, and that is MY reaction... and my reaction is extremely negative toward these tactics.
 
OldCorpse said:
50 'aint a lot for a company this big so you got think about this camera and it's real demand, we might think it's the shizzle but there are a lot of camera's out there competing.

USA still in recession mode, people not spending, camera's for a $1k and up that's a luxury. This camera is still a niche camera no matter the reviews and hype and my opinion is that Panasonic treat it like that and simply don't make a lot of them.

OK, this is just nuts. Obviously there is demand. If there wasn't you'd have overstock. So why not produce enough to meet demand? OK, I can understand that initially they misjudge the demand and make too few - fine. But after that, you gotta meet demand, and they have not been supplying enough for over 6 months now! Whatever the reason, I don't know - probably incompetence - but it sure is not because there is "not enough demand". If they *ick around much longer, other cameras may come out to match or exceed what the GH2 offers, and Panasonic will lose a ton of customers... as is, there is talk of a Canon 5DmkIII around the corner... Panasonic needs to look at their management to see what the problem is, because this is just a hopeless way to run a business.
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agreed
 
IMHO I don't think much of this is intentional on Panny's part. When was it, back 2-3 months ago when Panny finally came on this board and basically apologized and stated then every backorder they had was going to be filled. They were silent for months as they were getting bashed on this board daily. Then they made an official announcement, and sure enough, right after guys were getting cameras left and right. Panny made no excuse for the delay then, but did admit it and recognized the frustrations people had with them.

Now, in business, when you have a screwed up mess, you do like Panny did and just keep your mouth shut until you KNOW you have it fixed. You don't come out and make an announcement acknowledging you are a mess, and then go right back to being a mess again. Along with that being bad business, it's just plain stupid. So IMO, Panny had assumed at that time, all their issues were behind them and distribution would be closer to full steam ahead.

Then the quake hit.

Prior to the quake you could take your pick of Panny lenses and find them discounted everywhere. Today you can't find a new 20mm in stock to save your soul !!! Almost every single lens Panny makes is now on backorder. As I understand, lenses or some portions of them are made in Japan.

Who wants to bet that the kits are where Panny makes money on the GH2s ??? Evey GH1 came with the 14-140 "kit" lens. Today that "kit" is $1500. When I bought my first GH1 the "kit" was $995. If Panny ships just bodies only because they don't have enough lenses, their customers have to buy someone else's lens, sending the profit from that lens sale to another company. They also have eliminated the first time buyer from becoming a Panny convert. How many people want to go buy their first DSLR and then have to figure out what lens to go buy too ???

Panny knows these cams will sell even if they come with a lens added to the "kit" price too. As we have seen, there have been quite a few notices of the kit w/14-140 but very few notices of body only.

IMO, if the quake had never hit, right now we would be swimming in discounted GH2s.

If there is any other manipulation on Panny's part about the GH2. I would take the wild assed guess that they might ditch the entire GH2 fiasco and bring out a GH3 ahead of schedule. That would make some marketing sense because as we have seen, everything about the GH2 (except the camera itself) has turned into a PR disaster.
 
ChipThome said:
IMO, if the quake had never hit, right now we would be swimming in discounted GH2s.
Click to expand...

Even before the quake hit, the GH2 was in low supply for many months. Panasonic has always had supply problems. This isn't the first time the 20mm pancake was impossible to find.
 
i am new here but i am olympus user i own e-3 7-14 - 50-200 - 12-60 - LX 25 1.4 ......Ext i need better body the e-5 is not enough GH2 well be great
but i need battery grip did this work withe gh2 http://shop.ebay.com/items/?_nkw=ow...pt=1&_sadis=&LH_CAds=&clk_rvr_id=232670909496

if the sutter button not work i did't care i need good handling to use the 50-200 and more battery life .>>>>> pleas i need some one help me
any one information a but this grip http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-new-battery-grip-for-the-gh2-to-be-announced-by-early-2011-2/
 
I'm amazed to come back to this forum to see this camera is still not readily available. I waited months for mine and when I finally got it a few months ago I thought by may they would be everywhere. This seems like bad business for panasonic whatever the reasons.
 
GH2's are in stock at Adorama! I just got a shipment notification for one that had been back ordered for over a month! Going to the site shows both silver and black bodies in stock.
 
I bought some headphones from them through Amazon. i think they're in Southern California where I'm from, so shipping was quicker than expected. My experience with Beach was fine.
 
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