I have the oppertunity to purchase a demo v1. I would like to hear what you guys think about buying demo models when it comes to cams like these. It is a reputable company that I want to buy from but because they are in a different city I can not physically view the cam (and I don't like that very much). From what they told me the cam has very close to 0 hours on it and is in a great condition.

I am happy with the price but before I part with my cash I would like to hear if there is any advice you guys can give when considering a purchase like this. I think I am going to ask the seller to email me a few close up pics of the cam.

Currently Sony has locked down all stock for my local suppliers for the next two weeks, so suppliers can only get new stock in 2 weeks time and at that time a 15%-18% price increase will apply. And because no one has the V1 on their shelves (new) at the current price, I am trying very hard to get my hands on this cam before the prices go sky high. And at the moment this demo model seems to be my only option at a reasonable price. I can always go for the FX7 new but I really need the audio features offered by the v1

Any advice about purchasing a demo model would be really welcome.

Many thanks

Does it come with a warranty (sony, store, or extended)?

Most of the time electronics fail early on in their life and since this was a demo model and is still working, I'd say that if it was going to have a problem, it already would have. So, you should be good to go. I think it would be pretty safe to buy the camera.

Wow! Your post makes me feel good about the two new V1U's I purchased from a reputable online dealer last week (they were delivered last Friday).

Not only did I get a great price on brand new units but I also got the $300 Sony rebate that expires today (3/31/08).

I was worried the price would drop or the rebate increased after 3/31 but now I am glad I got them now.