GH-1 Shipping Yet?
 

It's September...she types hopefully... B&H, Amazon, usual suspects still seem backordered. Anyone know anything about when these cameras might start shipping with regularity? I'm planning a trip to Egypt, leaving in a couple of weeks. I'd sure like this to be my backup camera. Of course, I'd also like to play with it before I throw it into the bag. But I feel thwarted by the lack of information. Any helpful input welcomed!

Thanks,
Lisa

I got mine from B&H the other day.

Really?? Which day? They still had backordered when I checked last night. I'm on a list to be alerted when they get it in stock, and I haven't received anything.

You're the lucky duck, eh?

Lisa

I got mine sometime last week. I just kept checking a few sites everyday hoping to get lucky. Crutchfield had them in stock... when I checked an hour or so later they were out of stock again.

I think it was the 2nd when it showed up, after two day shipping.

At this stage its best to check the sites atleast twice a day because it definitely wont take long to be sold out very quickly.

You should also call up local authorized retailers and tell them to contact you right away if they get any in stock. I luckily got mine on the same day that I called.

It might have been a return. So I doubt they ever had any significant numbers of them.

If I remember correctly, Panasonic announced that production would be 5000 GH1's per month. That's total, for world wide distribution. Given the uniqueness of its feature set, particularly the total control during shooting (shutter, aperture, focus - manual & auto, clip length is until the flash card is full), it's hardly surprising demand is high and the waiting line long.

GH-1 availability
 

I found one at onecall.com. Has a $200 premium though.

I kept trying BH and others, but kept coming up dry. Hate to go elsewhere, as BH has always done right by me. But a deadline is a deadline. BTW, Onecall also charges restock fee... considering it's a sight unseen purchase, seems a little unreasonable.

I did get some other accessories and a B&W Kasemann polarizer from BH though -- I love this piece of glass and highly recommend it. May also appreciate they have available for order Novoflex M4/3 to Nikon F adapter.

Not a return, you just have to keep checking.
You might also add the words "in stock" to your google searches to get a listing of stores that have them in stock. Then select from the reputable dealers.

Good Luck!

Good idea on the search terms. It's funny; this isn't a collector's item, it's a tool. I wonder about their marketing and distribution strategy.

~ ~ Lisa

I think it has nothing to do with marketing & distribution.

I do think it is all about estimating demand for what is in the consumer space an expensive camera in tough economic times and limiting production so one isn't stuck with a lot of stock sitting on a shelf. By now they know different, but ramping up volume production takes a lot longer than just making a few phone calls.

An unfortunate miscalculation. The wait has many people bailing or buying an alternative. I think I'm going to have to bail, at least for this upcoming project. Who knows what new useful tools will be available when I'm in new/upgrade mode next.

~ ~ L

It’s almost no different than what Panasonic did to the LX3. That camera got released a year ago and it’s still hard to find at authorized dealers. They constantly get sold out every time a new shipment gets in. Even the G1 especially the black one can sometimes be hard to find at authorized dealers.

Unfortunate? Maybe, maybe not from the manufacturer's point of view. Limited production helps support their pricing and ensures they, and their dealers, make money on every unit sold.

Japanese car manufacturer's are well known for following the exact same strategy of not saturating the market with product, which supports their pricing, and thereby supporting their dealers. Last time I checked Toyota, Honda, and Nissan were doing relatively well. By comparison GM, which has pushed a strategy of volume, volume, volume, cheap, cheap, cheap for decades, has done less well.

And that's always true, regardless of current model availability. The new useful tools might even be from Panasonic! I personally am very interested in what the GH2, or whatever it ends up being called, looks like. Or if a u4/3rds lens+sensor video camera emerges.

One of the amazing things is that it appears big Japanese companies get a specified price for a specified order size from "a" factory (which may or may not be owned by them). Think of WalMart ordering widgets. "I'll take 10000 if the price is $10." And, the reply, "at $10, I need an order for 12000." Back and forth it goes.

Orders are socially binding. When my Japanese distributor said he would buy X units they bought X units even if they crammed them into warehouses.

The odd thing is that increasing order size is very hard. You want 25% more GH1s. But to do this I need to build a new line that costs $1 million. But, you tell me you only want 25% more for the next 6 months -- because you'll introduce a new model then. No way I'll do this. Unless you promise the next order from me, of course. Back and forth it goes.

My guess is the parts cost is very high and Panasonic has a strong long term ability to maintain profit -- unlike Sony. So they really want every unit sold -- and each unit sold at MSRP. I'll bet they also know a replacement will come very soon because they have a codec "issue."

Well, I'm just looking at it from the purchaser's point of view. I have a need, I have the money, and I'd like to buy it. They aren't making anything from me, and they could. I had no trouble when I got my HVX 200, or my HM-100, so I'm just a little annoyed. But it is what it is.

~ ~ Lisa

I am actually sympathetic, Lisa. But those cameras you mention, at $5500 & $3500 respectively (B&H current pricing) would also had far shorter lines of buyers.

Is there that much of a shortage now? Try ordering from Panasonic themselves. I bought a second GH1 a month ago, I think the total wait from time of ordering to time of delivery was only about two weeks.

Several dealers are reporting them as "in stock" right now.

Try local photo stores (if the official DVinfo Sponsors are out of stock, that is ;) )... I was traveling and I saw them in various local photo stores, the local stores that are Panasonic dealers seem to get a continual supply of a couple units at a time.

I'm out of the country right now.

I've been seeing them in all the stores I frequent lately for the last month, the owner of one said that he gets a lot of orders from the US, people calling.

I went ahead and picked one up, I didn't realize until I started looking around on the forums for info on getting the best image out of it, that there was this unfilled demand for them, I didn't realize they were so hard to come by.

Glad I picked one up instead of getting home and trying to find one.

I'd be happy to help with places to call and order one right now, but that would probably violate the forum rules, since these local stores are not sponsors of the forum..

ordered mine directly from Panasonic USA...
 

It arrived 2 days ago and took less than 3 weeks total from the time I placed the order. Unfortunately I live in Cairo, Egypt and the camera is currently in New Mexico. It will be a month before I am able to retrieve it from the USA.

I have owned a G1 nearly from the first day they became available. It is my main camera now for shooting candid street stills. I am looking forward to not carrying separate video and still cameras.

It's true that the camera is becoming easier to get especially from local authorized dealers. Even the dealer that sold me the camera has a few of them in stock (I just called them up before I posted that).

Their are too many people relying on places such as Amazon and B&H and it's no wonder they still have trouble keeping them in stock.

Owner
 

Okay; I finally purchased one - from B&H. I ordered and received it right before their Fall holidays. Smiling.

Kevin Haupt, you live and work in Cairo?? Too cool (not thermally, of course). What do you do there?

~ ~ Lisa