Sony just announced their new cameras and based on the reactions they look like they'll sell well. But it got me thinking...

Has any major company released a prosumer or pro camera that just an out and out flopped. Was there a Sony Edsel? Or a Cannon Ishtar?

Just curious...

Possibly Sony's betaSX format, though it may have sold reasonably well.

It looks like 3/4" Umatic will outlive this format?

2- Some companies were making analog HD formats and analog HD cameras.

3- JVC's D-VHS format. I'm not sure how well this products did, but I think it's fairly dead now.

Sony's microMV format.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/sony-micromv-abandon-10_20_03.htm

4- Sony's Flame-killer Socratto bombed
http://www.fxguide.com/article60.html

Sony also made the Vialta telecine. Discontinued now.

Of the products above, I think it's only Socratto that really bombed. Keep in mind that Sony makes a lot of products... some are bound to bomb. They've also had some really successful products (betaSP, digibeta, HDCAM).

Panasonic's MII (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panasonic_MII)?

Thanks guys.

Any more?

Polaroid's Polavision?

For those who weren't yet sentient or alive in the '70's, this was Polaroid's attempt to bring their "instant" concept to home movies--you inserted a cartridge into a Super-8 sized camera, shot your film (silent, and ASA 40--ouch), and dropped it into a player that also developed it. The result was fantastically grainy, with interspersed bubbles from the developing process and expensive to boot.

Meanwhile, home video was burgeoning with 1-2 hr run times, plus sound on tape and the ability to reuse the tapes of course...goodbye Polavision.