Sony RX1 - the camera I don't need.

[Luke]

I have no idea how I can justify both the RX1 and the X100s, but I need to now that I hit the "place order" button.

Even though I don't need one, I was checking the used price there every couple of days. Just yesterday it was in the $2100 range.

 

[serhan]

It cycles up and down every 2-3 weeks. I guess there is a price matching algorithm to match closer to the other sales so it keeps the warehouse return inventory minimized...

 

[BBW]

Just spoke to the Amazon folks via chat. With warehouse deals on used items the manufacturer's warranty is not valid, however Amazon does offer a warranty. I've asked them to send me an email explaining it. And yes, serhan, it is returnable within 30 days.

Wow, Luke - you're a fast button pusher!

I need to understand the warranty deal before I push anything. Just call me nervous.

 

[Luke]

Wow, Luke - you're a fast button pusher!

a fool and his money is soon parted

 

[BBW]

Yeah, well you can always change your mind.

My issue is warranty...and I'm still waiting for their email. Not that I should spend the money anyway.

This thread has certainly taken on a life of its own hasn't it? G.A.S. is catching! As is discountitis!

 

[Luke]

BB, I understand your concerns. That's a lot of bread to be tossing around and be uncertain about a warranty. For me, I've never had a camera stop working on me. I just never broke one. I'm betting that if it works fine for the first 30, I'll be good for long as I own it. It's a calculated risk. Also, at $1,600.......it's $1,200 below what a new one cost so that is now my repair budget (if I should ever need one).

I wonder if there is any company that is crazy enough to sell aftermarket warranties on used cameras.

 

[serhan]

At FM, people registered their warranty with no problem but again I haven't seen anybody trying to send for repair either.

I might get Olympus VF-1 also. Here are shots from flickr showing the photo and frameline differences:

 

[R Melanson]

Wow! that is messed up! I just spend twice that!

Agreed. I could cry.

 

[Ray Sachs]

I have no idea how I can justify both the RX1 and the X100s, but I need to now that I hit the "place order" button.

Even though I don't need one, I was checking the used price there every couple of days. Just yesterday it was in the $2100 range.

Wow - didn't you already have one for a while? What didn't you like enough to sell it and what DID you like enough to buy another?

Man, I don't think even I could rationalize both an X100s and an RX1 and I can rationalize damn near ANYTHING!

-Ray

 

[Ray Sachs]

Agreed. I could cry.

No point in regrets like that. When I bought the RX1, I could have maybe saved $300-400 and for that I'd rather have a new one. There were no $1800-2100 used ones out there then. But I'm glad I didn't wait - the time I've had with it just the past month, let alone the few months before that were well worth every penny I spent. And its gone now and of course it was only gonna get less expensive over time. Welcome to life!

-Ray

 

[Luke]

Wow - didn't you already have one for a while? What didn't you like enough to sell it and what DID you like enough to buy another?

.

I did have one for awhile. I loved it enough to buy the $600 viewfinder for it and then when it arrived and I realized that a large-nosed left-eyed shooter was kind of screwed by the smallness of the camera and having the controls all right where my nose would be had me sending the VF back and then I thought, I may as well send the camera back as well (at the time I had $2,150 into that used one) and buy the X100s which I knew would be fine with my Roman nose.

So now flash forward and and the camera is $500 less (+ I know the VF is pretty unusable for me....another $600 savings) and it's just another great camera at my fave focal length. I sold off close to $3,000 worth of m43 gear in between times.

And what DID i like enough to buy another? Everything but the viewfinder experience, really. I was just so soured on it and the 30 day window was closing. Now I can buy it for less money and know going in that I will use in instances where I don't need a viewfinder. For sure having 2 cameras at the same focal length is a luxury. But it's the focal length I use 95% of the time. It's much less of a luxury than that Oly 75mm lens I almost never used that cost half of what the used RX1 will cost (and the RX1 comes with a sensor attached!)

We'll see how my camera usage evolves over the next month or two. One of them may end up going, but only by using them side by side for awhile will I learn what my preference may be.

 

[rpavich]

Wow - didn't you already have one for a while? What didn't you like enough to sell it and what DID you like enough to buy another?

Man, I don't think even I could rationalize both an X100s and an RX1 and I can rationalize damn near ANYTHING!

-Ray

Ray,
I know your comment wasn't directed at me, but I'll respond this way: I had an X100S....then sold it and got the RX1...after our "conversation" I'm thinking that the drawbacks of the X100S might be tolerable because of the other things I loved about it. It would work for me as a "second camera" as long as i keep in mind what it won't do well...and use it for what it does well...

As soon as prices come down to about 60%...I'm going to get one...again.

 

[R Melanson]

No point in regrets like that. When I bought the RX1, I could have maybe saved $300-400 and for that I'd rather have a new one. There were no $1800-2100 used ones out there then. But I'm glad I didn't wait - the time I've had with it just the past month, let alone the few months before that were well worth every penny I spent. And its gone now and of course it was only gonna get less expensive over time. Welcome to life!

-Ray

Good point ...but did it have to depreciate so fast? I got a 70% return on my 5D mk II after 4 years use.

 

[BBW]

Ray, you sold your RX1? I get so confused.

I've decided that as good as the warehousedeal is that I'm just not ready willing and able. Meanwhile I will continue to drool and keep my stash of drool bibs nearby. (Now Ray, I'd like that review of the X-M1 with various lenses ASAP, please.:tongue

 

[Ray Sachs]

Good point ...but did it have to depreciate so fast? I got a 70% return on my 5D mk II after 4 years use.

Yeah, it does. If you buy new or newish gear in a tech field like camera, they're gonna depreciate REALLY fast. So you either accept that and buy high and sell high (unless you want to keep it a long time and wring all of the value out of it - which I'll almost surely do with the RX1) and accept it as a rental charge. If I really want something I usually buy it when its new and then once the rumors start churning for the next model, if it looks like something I want, I'll sell the previous model THEN, before the official announcement, which is when the market starts to saturate. And if I'm not interested in the next model, I just accept I'm gonna have the current one for a while and may actually lose more on it, but I'll also get a lot more use out of it. OR you wait and buy stuff after the NEXT model has come out and you save a lot of money but you probably lose almost as much on resale at that point as if you'd bought and sold earlier. There's no point in beating yourself up or second guessing because if you do, you'll ALWAYS be wrong! Just adopt a strategy, understand its costs, and stick with it. Either way, if you just figure out about what you pay per six months or a year of ownership, it doesn't come out that much differently, unless you just wait until its basically worthless in which case you spend very very little money and you always have gear that's 2-3 generations off of the cutting edge. Either way, just allocate a budget and play with it in whatever way makes you happy... NONE of this stuff is an investment for god's sake!

-Ray

 

[Ray Sachs]

Ray, you sold your RX1? I get so confused.

I've decided that as good as the warehousedeal is that I'm just not ready willing and able. Meanwhile I will continue to drool and keep my stash of drool bibs nearby. (Now Ray, I'd like that review of the X-M1 with various lenses ASAP, please.:tongue

NO, absolutely NOT! I'm thinking the RX1 camera may be one of those rare cameras I keep a long time and wring all of the value out of it through use. Because for what I use it for, I don't think they can make it better enough to matter. I might replace my Nikon A within a year or two if someone comes out with the next iteration that does what it does even better (or not, if the improvements aren't in areas that matter to me). But the RX1 I don't see selling for the foreseeable future. I mean I'd have to do it now or soon to wring a lot of value out of it and I'm nowhere NEAR done with it yet!

-Ray

 

[BBW]

OK, gotcha, you've still got her. Phew! Love that last sentence Ray. I can see it now the Investment Camera Bankers are coming up with new camera derivatives...and camera swaps!

 

[Luke]

Thanks Serhan for the link.

Talk about wild price swings. Seems that $1,658 (or whatever) was far too low....they're all gone. Now the cheapest used one is $2,400. That should be reassuring to those who felt slighted for paying full price. Mine is scheduled to arrive Thursday.....almost tempting to flip it, but I'm keeping it.....'cause that lens is made of pure ground unicorn horn powder.

 

[BBW]

Good for you, Luke!!

Interestingly the Amazon customer care person has yet to send me that warranty info. No ground unicorn horn for me today, but that's OK cuz I'm still thinking about the Fuji X-M1 mini Pegasus winged flip screen.

 

[Ray Sachs]

Good for you, Luke!!

Interestingly the Amazon customer care person has yet to send me that warranty info. No ground unicorn horn for me today, but that's OK cuz I'm still thinking about the Fuji X-M1 mini Pegasus winged flip screen.

I just got one of those on loan. Pretty nice little kit. Controls aren't bad for being not like the other Fujis. I'm gonna go shoot with it more tomorrow and I'll see what I think.... Pretty odd to have a Fuji that doesn't have a viewfinder - not sure why but I guess I'm just used to them...

-Ray