Did canon just discontinue the Optura 600?

I've been following the price on Amazon.com but they don't carry it anymore since yesterday

Amazon seems to be connected with Crutchfield as far as camcorders go and I see that Crutchfield is out of stock so maybe that's all it is (if Crutchfield doesn't have an expected date for more).

On the other hand, there are surprisingly few e-tailers carrying the Optura 600 this week. It looks like B&H is the only major e-tailer to have any in stock.

Given the production life of the Optura 400 and 500, I would have expected the 600 to last a lot longer. It was only announced as a new model along with the Optura S1 back on 7/28/05.

yeah, there are very few sellers with this camcorder.

I wonder if Canon has a replacement in the works (but they should have announced it at the recent convention right?)

Well, I emailed Canon to ask about the Optura 600 and got a very rapid response...

"Thank you for writing to us. We value you as a Canon customer and
appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

At this moment the Optura 600 is still in production. Please keep in
mind however, that Canon continuously reviews its product lineup and as
new products are introduced, existing models are often taken out of
production. We recommend you check our website from time to time to
learn of new announcements.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to
contact
us again if you have any other questions or concerns.

Thank you for choosing Canon.

Sincerely,

Patrick,
Technical Support Representative"

B+H no longer has it. And I was told they're not getting anymore, and don't have a replacement as of now. J+R told me the same.

Interesting. Anybody want to start a rumor regarding what new camera that production capacity is being shift to?

I guess the guy at Canon was wrong.

I checked around the internet today and the Canon Optura 600 is basically out of stock at all the major resellers.

I am torn between trying to find one to buy or waiting to see if there is a better replacement coming.

It's weird that the Optura 500 is available, but not the 600. Canon says they're still making the 600, but where are they? I was all set to get the 600, but even if I could find one, I'm not sure. A very short shelf life. Everyone seems to like the Panasonics but the case design feels cheap to me. So I'm back to square one. Maybe the HDR-HC1, but I just don't know. Any ideas, or when we'll see a 600 replacement.

With the Optura 60 and 600 both out of stock and the Optura 50 on closeout, I think now might be a poor time to be buying a mid to upper range MiniDV camcorder. An Optura 70/80 model with the highly regarded 1/2.8-inch, 4.3 megapixel CCD from the 600 and DC40 could be just around the corner. Or perhaps a consumer-level HD entry?

Unless you're in a hurry, waiting a few months might make the most sense IMHO.

Production lines many times make one specific model then start on another model. So unless Canon specifically says what they plans are everyone to include me would be guessing. They may for example start up the Optura 60 line if they feel it would be profitable. Or they may decide that it would be better to bring out another model, possibly an older design with slight modifications or a new series. Probably only time will tell.



Rich

Therein lies the rub - it doesn't appear that any of the current Opturas have been particularly strong sellers. The Optura 60 has carried a $100 MIR for many months and the Optura 50 is on closeout for only $445. I haven't seen anything to indicate that the MVX40 and MVX45i are big sellers in other markets either. If Canon isn't planning a MiniDV product that will sell in the $750-$1,000 or $1,000-$1,250 price ranges, then one has to wonder what they are planning to sell in those price categories besides the $900 DC40 DVD camcorder.

Ktnr2, I am casually waiting but not holding my breath to see what Canon comes up with.


Rich

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I wish Canon would just come out and say that they are stopping production of the Optura 600 and announce it's replacement...

I actually just placed an order at a smaller online outfit (who had it listed for $649) thinking I was going to get a heck of a deal. Imagine my surprise when I get a phone call saying they have to cancel my order because the product is discontinued. They did tell me that an announcement is suppose to come out next month with replacement models. But - I don't know how reliable that information is.

Darn.. and just when I thought I found a camcorder worth buying.

I have done so much research and found Optura 600 my final choice, and now it's out of stock everywhere and it's said to be discountinued.

Any other recommendations? What I like is a small size, and good video quality (especially under low-light conditions). I don't care about still image quality because I already have several high-end DSLRs.

Thanks!