Well according to Chris' chart here (http://www.hdvinfo.net/articles/sonyhdrfx1/compare.php) the Z1 was introduced at $5946, but honestly I don't ever remember it for that much at street price. I got mine in June 2005, less than 6 months after the intro and paid $4,700 at B&H. I had been watching the price and that was a $200 drop from the $4,900 B&H had previously charged.

This old post seems to confirm the $4,900 intro price at B&H: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost....21&postcount=8

But if you read the rest of that old thread it's kind of funny how history seems to repeat itself with mixed signals on the price of upcoming Sony products.

I was just basing prices around B&H which are pretty much an 'industry standard'. Unfortunately the rebate is only valid in the US, which is only one country in the world and certainly isn't applicable here, we never get these rebates. US rebates are the way the likes of Sony drop the US price while keeping international prices higher yet discourage people importing from the US (as they don't get the rebate).

What other reason could there be for limiting a rebate to citizens of one country?