ALL: Lowest Key" camera release ever?

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Vaughan Wood

Well-known member
Just wondering if others that lurk here think this has been the lowest of low-key releases of any new camera range?

I don't know Panasonic that well, only been around here since the AF100 was announced, but I think they were so badly bitten by the response that they have done virtually nothing to promote these new cameras.

1. The cameras are already out but no real detailed reviews are out there re footage and usage etc. from the usual sources. (Phillip Bloom etc).

2. No downloadable manuals were available before release.

3. The only good footage on the net lately is in a foreign language....big help!

4. Barry has been extremely quiet on these cameras....no user guide hints or promos out there.

Do they want these things to actually sell?

Even here in Melbourne Australia...quite a large city (LOL, + 3 million people), I can order one, but no-one is keeping them in stock (the 160).

Remembering the fuss of the Sony cameras from HD onwards, the Z1's and VU 1's, and then the EX line, I am really wondering why Panasonic is almost hiding these cameras

which seem to have good features at excellent prices!

My daily Google always brings up initial announcements from April at the top of the list. I think they better get a new PR person ..or two!!!!!

Cheers,

Vaughan
 
It might be because a lot of people are very happy with what they have already. So this lot of cameras aren't really a "get rid of what we have and get one of them" type of camera like it was with the 100 to 150. (As you can see, there are still just as many people in the DVX100 section as there is in the HMC150 though).
There isn't that many on the market yet either. The Melbourne stores I am keeping an eye on still say, Pre-Order with no ETA. But for the first time ever (or as long as I've been looking) the Aus Price is matching the rest of the World :shocked:
 
Vaughan Wood said:
2. No downloadable manuals were available before release.
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I don't know how soon in advance manuals are normally made available, but they should be up now, right?

4. Barry has been extremely quiet on these cameras....no user guide hints or promos out there.
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Here's a tidbit of my September schedule... I was traveling a bit... Toronto, Buffalo, Phoenix, Vegas, Austin, El Paso, Van Horn, Burbank, Lancaster, Dallas... and I know I'm forgetting at least two or three cities that I visited... oh, wait, I just remembered, Cincinnati and Chesapeake VA. Now, there may have been a couple more, but yeah, it was a bit of a busy month.

And in that time, while living almost entirely out of hotel rooms and working a pretty full schedule, I managed to finish off much of The AC160 Book. Which is now at the printers being published... :)

So, yes -- a detailed review and all that is something that I'd love to get to, but I'm buried right now.

Suffice it to say that the AC160 is truly excellent, and from what I'm hearing the demand is pretty strong. There is still quite a big market for a traditional camcorder. I just think that here on DVXUser everyone's so big-sensor crazy that nobody's talking about the 1/3" units.

Even here in Melbourne Australia...quite a large city (LOL, + 3 million people), I can order one, but no-one is keeping them in stock (the 160).
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Well, I know that there are some down there, because I had the Panasonic Australia guys kindly assist me in verifying that my book scene files will load on an Australian version. You should definitely be able to arrange to see one down there.

which seem to have good features at excellent prices!
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That they do.

My daily Google always brings up initial announcements from April at the top of the list. I think they better get a new PR person ..or two!!!!!
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I can't speak for the rest of the usual suspects, like Adam Wilt or Philip Bloom or Ned Soltz, I don't know if they've seen these cameras or have any interest in reviewing them; Bloom especially, as he's really moved over to more Epic/F3 type of stuff and DSLRs, so I don't know that the 160 fits in his areas of interest. I still keep a lot of interest in the event/videography/sports world, and I think the 160 and 250 are the best things out there for that right now, with magnificent zoom ranges and sharp sharp footage. And the 130 looks like a steal; if you don't really need SDI or VFR, you can save quite a bit by going with the 130, which is at the same price the 150 was when it came out.

I can't say why the launch has been so comparatively quiet; all I can say is that if you were counting on me for a lot of info, well, I've got it, it's all in my head, but I've been working out of town pretty much 100% for the last six or eight weeks (can't even remember exactly when this craziness started) so ... I'm just slow slow slow in getting stuff up there.

Quick summary of the 160: it's an AF100 with a fixed lens, 1/3" sensors, and hyper-sharp footage. For those who wanted the AF100 for events/news/sports, this is it. It has all the same menus, operational capabilities, color and features; it's just 1/3" deep dof and a huge lens vs. 4/3" shallow DOF and interchangeable lenses. It looks to me like the AC160 has all the AF100's hardware and processing in there; it just has smaller chips and sharper footage too.
 
Barry_Green said:
I don't know how soon in advance manuals are normally made available, but they should be up now, right?
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Not on any Panasonic sites that I can find. The only ones I know about are on a dealer site in the Netherlands. Speaking of the manuals, I noticed that the HPX250 manual has a picture on page 35 of volume 2 that is supposed to be the 250, but looks like a HPX170. :)
 
Mike Warren said:
Really? That would be a pleasant change. Who's offering them for less than $4700?
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Ok, maybe not $4,700, but $5,000. The 150's where a "hell of a lot" more than that when they came out! It isn't till just now (160 is out) that the 150's have dropped to under $5,000. A bit over year ago the stores that are saying 5k for the 160, were saying 6k for the 150 (152 to be exact). Maybe I was looking in the wrong places. Please steer me in the right direction if you know of a better price here in Aus!
 
The best I'd seen was something like $5400, but I just did a search and found someone called John Barry advertising them for $4990. I think electronic equipment is often priced so high here because the manufacturers are scared of our exchange rate falling through the floor again. Looks like they have a little more confidence at the moment.
 
I ordered mine and it should be here tomorrow. Looking forward to trying it out and Barry's book.
 
Wow, I just had a quote UNDER $3900 for a 130 here in Melbourne, expected delivery in a week and a half!

That's getting better!!!

I'll go and check out the picture on their 160 tomorrow!

I'm getting excited!

That x22 zoom is just what the Doctor ordered for stage shows and AFL football!

Vaughan
 
Mike Warren said:
The best I'd seen was something like $5400, but I just did a search and found someone called John Barry advertising them for $4990. I think electronic equipment is often priced so high here because the manufacturers are scared of our exchange rate falling through the floor again. Looks like they have a little more confidence at the moment.
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That's the same place I found the price.:)
Sony have been doing a lot less of a markup down here over the last couple of years. Some stores have dropped everything but Sony. Lets hope others brands are lowering their prices to compete.

Vaughan Wood said:
Wow, I just had a quote UNDER $3900 for a 130 here in Melbourne, expected delivery in a week and a half!

That's getting better!!!

I'll go and check out the picture on their 160 tomorrow!

I'm getting excited!

That x22 zoom is just what the Doctor ordered for stage shows and AFL football!

Vaughan
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You mind me asking who from? Maybe they will do better on the 160
 
Just ordered a 130 from Videocraft Melbourne.

As I posted earlier, price was less than $3800. Simon quoted me less than $4700 for a 160. Suggest you give him a ring. (This was the Melbourne shop).
Played with it fro a hour or so, just about to put the footage into my computer and check it out, although I was very impressed with the camera. Not as heavy as it appears.

Auto focus was EXCELLENT! Very fast and accurate. Even focussed as I was zooming into a dark glass cabinet about 30 feet away.

My HMC 150 can't do that!

Need to watch the footage now.

Cheers,

Vaughan
 
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