Re: Pocket 4K Availability (mid-February)
Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:34 pm
honestly if you want it quicker the best bet is to order from a smaller place. It took mnes 2 months to get to me. I stayed far away from B&H and Adorama.
https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/
https://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=79757
silaradams wrote:JCStudios wrote:Hey, everyone. So, I'm curious... I have a 'pre-order' placed with B&H for the Pocket 4K. I placed it about four days ago and I wasn't sure about the turn times on the product and how long (roughly) I may have to wait. I've been talking with my local camera store who's a BMD dealer and they told me that the P4K is "incredibly backordered" and "don't expect to see it for (many) months." That said, I e-mailed B&H about expected delivery and they gave me almost no information. Basically, they 'know nothing' and couldn't help me.
So, with the out of the way, does anyone know any more information about B&H's status or general production information and, ultimately, if I should cancel my order with B&H and try somewhere smaller... or if I should just wait it out...
When I called B&H last week, I asked specifically how many people were on pre-order for the BMPCC4K at B&H. The guy was actually pretty helpful, but he said a little over 1,000.
What I did was go to BlackMagic's website on their resellers page and started calling each one to find who had the least amount of pre-orders. Found one and ordered it. I'm sure I'll be waiting a while, but hopefully not as long as some people at B&H.
You're best bet is to stay away from B&H and Adorama Camera as they both have the most pre-orders so you'll be waiting in line quite a long time. Adorama Camera had around 600 when I spoke with them last week.
I have to disagree with that logic. I ordered mine from a small store in Australia (home of blackmagic) in October. And I'm still waiting.Chris Shivers wrote:honestly if you want it quicker the best bet is to order from a smaller place. It took mnes 2 months to get to me. I stayed far away from B&H and Adorama.
My point was not answered at all. Do you think when Red release a new camera the US don't get first off the line?Chris Whitten wrote:By and large, the smaller stores are filling pre-orders quicker than the big retailers.
I don't think you should keep bringing countries into it, and 'the home of Blackmagic'. Your point was answered and explained in another thread.
I was told by a dealership last week that's in the same suburb as blackmagic in Melbourne that they actually were assembled in Melbourne but who to believe and what would it matter.Chris Whitten wrote:Someone with a long and close personal relationship with BM said no, they don't prioritise any country, let alone Australia. The cameras aren't even made in Australia.
It's frustrating for everyone.
I pre-ordered my Pocket 4K within 24 hours of the first announcement on the 10th April. I got it about a week before Christmas. A few people in November ordered from a smaller store in the USA and had their cameras a few weeks later, before me. It's frustrating.
I don't think bringing 'Australia First' or America First' attitudes into the forum helps.
Jaroslaw Frybes wrote:If cameras are produced and sent regularly, why are official resellers in Poland saying that production has been halted. And some of them haven't received even one camera since the beginning of January.
There's something wrong with communication Blackmagic. I think it's time to look for an alternative solution.
Kristian Lam wrote:Hey guys,
Take it easy.
Production ebbs and flows depending on parts availability and factory closures due to holidays etc. There is NO deliberate production halt. The camera is quite popular and we're building as fast as we can.
I was told the exact same thing in Bangkok and Australia.Jaroslaw Frybes wrote:If cameras are produced and sent regularly, why are official resellers in Poland saying that production has been halted. And some of them haven't received even one camera since the beginning of January.
There's something wrong with communication Blackmagic. I think it's time to look for an alternative solution.
Colourberry wrote:Jaroslaw Frybes wrote:What's magical about April Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Colourberry wrote:So if there was no stoppage why does everywhere report April now? What's magical about April
Colourberry wrote:My point was not answered at all. Do you think when Red release a new camera the US don't get first off the line?
rick.lang wrote:And that “more money” spent on Canon often still only gets you 4:2:0 8bit video internal recording like my ancient HV20.
Chris Whitten wrote:Also, they had a grace period of early April to end of September when they were not scheduled to deliver any product, but could see how many Pocket 4K orders they had received over the Spring and Summer.
Chris Whitten wrote:Sure, I understand both those points.
And I don't disagree with them.
My personal preference is not to announce prototypes and accepting pre-orders months before the product can be delivered.
I work in music and buy from very, very small one and two many modular synth makers. Typically they announce a new module and it is the stores within days. * I know the product is much cheaper to produce, but still, tiny workshop makers still have to deliver thousands globally on product launch.
One or two companies announce prototypes that often end up not being available for purchase until many months, sometimes years later. The same frustration is expressed by customers as has been expressed in the BMD forum.
So I guess the question is.....
Does BMD require pre-orders to finish their new products? If not, why not announce them when the prototype is finished and at least some production has begun?
Chris Whitten wrote:Does BMD require pre-orders to finish their new products? If not, why not announce them when the prototype is finished and at least some production has begun?
Robert Niessner wrote:If you paid for your pre-order, the money went to your dealer, not to BMD. I have pre-ordered the BMCC, the UM46k and the PCC4k. Never did I have to pay for the pre-order with my dealer.
Swissified wrote:Does BMD require pre-orders to finish their new products? If not, why not announce them when the prototype is finished and at least some production has begun?
Jim Giberti wrote:And finally, to reward your patience, I say again: The P4K is the best small camera yet produced.
Jim Giberti wrote:And finally, to reward your patience, I say again: The P4K is the best small camera yet produced.
Swissified wrote:And I thank you for that exciting thought! Definitely something to look forward to!
Jim Giberti wrote:
First, many people watched the announcement of the P4K as Grant displayed the fully functional prototype in a live stream event with a live audience - right down to shooting said audience by attaching a Samsung T5.
Then some of us ordered the P4K immediately - like in minutes, because we understood what kind of demand this game changing camera would have. And we all knew that day, that we would have to wait until Fall before we got them - and life went on.
Then many of us who did this, got them when we expected.
Chris Whitten wrote:many small companies actually announce products either when they are in the stores, or a few weeks away from being in the stores. Not 9 months from being in stores.
Australian Image wrote:I ordered mine in Apr when the first pre-orders were announced and received mine in Oct. I was expecting later, but was pleasantly surprised by the actual date. As has been pointed out many times, much has to do with the camera store involved and very likely when they put in their orders ie not waiting for a large order batch before putting in the order.
Australian Image wrote:I'm not sure what companies you're talking about, but every photographic company displays their new products at major photo/electronics exhibitions and these usually are months away from actual release dates.
Justin Jackson wrote:To your point, Rakesh, the margin has to be thin or possibly even at a loss (that maybe they didnt anticipate but cant go back on now)?
Like someone else said, I feel like part of the reason for such a low cost with the free Resolve is the plan to get Resolve out in more hands, which I suspect will happen. A lot of people buy this camera and will try it, and many will potentially convert.
The free Resolve license is both a benefit and a carrot. The carrot part comes from enticing users to invest in additional Resolve specific hardware, like for Mac users the egpu line, and for everyone various panels and I/O boxes...Now they just need to keep Fusion enticing enough with strong updates to its capabilities to be competitive with AE and the other options in the market.
aglyons wrote: future releases of new products will be approached differently to try and avoid customer disappointment.
Swissified wrote:aglyons wrote: future releases of new products will be approached differently to try and avoid customer disappointment.
If that is the lessons taken from this exercise then I wish BMD all the best in their endevours. I feel much happier after reading this message and some others too. Really looking forward to putting the first battery in, the CFast card and using the coming camera.
Robert Niessner wrote:
Believe me Stephen, the camera is totally worth the wait - you'll feel like a child again when your box arrives.
rick.lang wrote:Agreed. It’s nice to be competitive but it’s sweet to be able to undercut everyone for the features offered. There are several features missing, true, but at that ridiculous price, you concentrate your attention on the marvelous camera you’ve got in your hand... and consider adding another.
Swissified wrote:With respect that's a little massaging of the truth.