New Sony super-tiny digital camera
 

I got an offer to get an early purchase on an high quality upcoming Sony camera that's the size of two fingers together.

The good news is that it is hand assembled and has a 2.0 megapixel with a 3 CCD imager. It holds 1000 pictures on a memory stick. The bad news is the $3900 price.

Yikes, that's expensive! Was this for a US release? And what was the release date?

I don't know if it's US only or not. As far as I know no release date has been announced. This is a pre-release only deal.

Sounds like a Qualia016, been out for almost a year now...

http://www.dynamism.com/qualia016/index.shtml

Sounds nice. I'm sure it will sell among the elite Sony afficionados. For me, its just a bit too expensive for something that is still just a camera and only two mega pixels at that (Vertu lovers feel free to flame me over that statement :D )

Yes sounds like the Qualia. You have been able to order them at www.dynamism.com for quite a while. I cant figure out why anyone would order one. But you could. Basically you could order a Leica range finder with a lense and a decent digital SLR for that price. I have to admit, I just dont get the Qualia.

How does one get invited to these special 'early purchase' programs? I guess they are trying to extract some exclusivity cash from die hard brand loyalists?

Interesting little camera, but I agree that the price is just not justifiable.

You don't get invited, they are available to anyone online if you know the right site.

I saw a thing on CNN or something that they are setting up some sort of boutique type store in some cities and trying to market this stuff that way in this country. Sort of technology as fashion was the theme. They are for sale through regular channels in Japan though and you can therefor order them on the web through a place like Dynamism. And they arent that new either as ScottC pointed out. They have been available in Japan and on the web for quite a while.

Cierge
 

It's called Sony Cierge and yes they have private boutique shops in NY and Chicago inside the Sony stores there and they also have one inside Sony Picture Studios in LA. The program gives you the opportunity to buy Sony products before the are released on the US market amongst other benefits. One way to be a member is to have an Amex Centurion card.

Marketing so amuses me. You can buy this if you have a Centurian card or are a geek that can type www.dynamism.com! Im curious to see if people will buy it. Ditto with Vertus.

Oh, I thought these were by invitation only... :o Like the Centurion and other 'special' credit card mailings, etc.

Or one can just call 1-877-QUALIA3 and order it...

:D

The Qualia016 is so old (over a year) that I feel Sony is tricking people by "introducing" it now all of a sudden, it must have been selling poorly in Japan...

I find it kind of weird that Sony would actually do this, and especially in the USA - the land of the ambulance chasers. I can already smell the 'class action' of a dozen or so Centurion card carrying rich fellows suing Sony for damages arguing the purchase of an old an outdated boy's toy has hurt their social standing... :D

Some marketing 'genius' at Sony needs to get his cojones pulled me things... :eek:

Anyone stupid enough to pay $4000 for a 2 megapixel camera deserves to be humiliated "in their social standing" :D

The whole Qualia thing is an idea of the Sony CEO, I find it pathetic, they actually claim there is a market of 5 MILLION potential customers in the US, the other products on their way are a $1999 mini disc player and a $30000 video projector.

I am no marketing boffin but I'd be pretty at ease claiming the market is more in the area of 500 than 5 million.

These may be boys toys, but the real boys also want the best of the best when it comes to features, not just looks...

ScottC, I couldnt agree more. I was befuddled when I first saw the Qualia camera marketing. I kept thinking Im missing something. Why would anyone even consider paying that much for a camera with those specs. I thought maybe it was a special camera along the lines of the Leica line generating camera or whatever they called it a few years ago. But nope, it doesnt seem to be anything other than a marketing scheme.

Thank goodness someone with brains is now running Sony; they decided to kill the entire Qualia line :)

Not to bash Sony (I love my Sony tv etc) but they have had a lotta screwups in the past couple of years and it has cost them mucho (former) customers. This week Sony announced 10000 employees will be laid off http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/23/business/23sony.html

MisterNice

That's so much NOT worth it. One of the most stupid offer I've heard...

But there were people that fell for it. Granted; they didn't sell 1000's, but still....