Comments

Jeff9329 wrote on 2/27/2008, 12:20 PM
It had a release date of 10-15-2006.

It's time was up and they have so many models currently, something has to give.
stopint wrote on 2/27/2008, 1:49 PM
i purchased an fx7 a while back and when i went back to get an extended warranty they said the price had dropped and they gave me money back...i guess price dropped because it is discontinued...
Tim L wrote on 2/27/2008, 5:46 PM
I posted the same question about a month ago, on several forums, but never heard from anyone who knows why the FX7 was discontinued.

Aparently it was discontinued back in Oct or Nov, but B&H was still selling them up until last week, I think, probably selling off remaining stock.

Since the HVR-V1u "pro" version of the FX7 has NOT been discontinued, I'm hoping this as an indication that the FX7 wasn't dropped due to reliability or design problems -- maybe it just wasn't a big seller in that price range. The V1u has XLR mic inputs, 24p and 30p, and quite a few additional software features. Perhaps most people willing to pay the price of an FX7 camcorder are just as willing to go all the way up to the V1U or the Canon XH-A1.

Tim L
corug7 wrote on 2/27/2008, 7:10 PM
Isn't the FX1 existing on new old stock as well? That seems to leave Sony without an HDV camera in production between the $2100 A1 and the $3700 or so V1, although there is a rebate available bringing the price down to about $3400.

Something new in the works?
Tim L wrote on 2/27/2008, 7:45 PM
The Sony FX1 (their original HDV camera) is still apparently in active production. It is still listed on SonyStyle.com. I think some people prefer the FX1 over the FX7 -- depending on what your needs are.

Back in Oct or Nov, the FX7 listing on SonyStyle had red text added that said "this item is no longer available for order" or something like that, though retail outlets still seemed to have stock for quite some time after that.

I believe both the Sony A1 and the Z1u -- both fairly old models by comparison -- are still available as production items on the Sony Broadcast website. (As are the VX2100 and PD170, etc.)

Yeah, it does seem like a gap in the Sony product line for customers who a few years ago would be buying a Canon GL2 or Sony VX2100.

I'm currently in the process of buying an FX7 from eBay (fingers crossed...) I think its the right model for my simple, home-hobbyist needs.

Tim L