What's up with the Oly C-5050?

[Dr. Jay]

Ok...I just got back from Best Buy, and without my new Olympus C-5050! I was a little suspicious when I didn't see any on display. One of the associates there (Orlando area) tried to locate one for me, and the nearest store he could find one in was Jacksonville (about a 4hr drive).

So I walked out of there and called Circuit City. She fed me some information that Olympus was going to stop making the C-5050 altogether. Circuit City was not going to get any more in, at all.

So, back to Best Buy to place a special order, and needless to say they can't send me one from Jacksonville. I've got to go back in a week and then they can see if they can get one for me, but it'll probably be a number of weeks before it ever comes in.

This is sorta making me wonder if Olympus really is discontinuing the C-5050. Kinda odd how two major retailers would just dump them like that.

Anyone got any down-low from Olympus on this???

 

[AquaGuy]

I hope they have not discountinued this model as I just purchased one and it's still in route. I don't see why the would stop making them as it's a great camera!!

 

[Dr. Jay]

So....

I called up Circuit City today to find out if they could order one for me. Apparently there are only 28 left in the entire stock of Circuit City in the nation . He gave me a price quote of $699.

So, in my infinite wisdom, I headed over to CompUSA (the only other place that had any left). They were charging $799. The guy there matched the price of Circuit City, so's I got's me an Olympus C-5050 for $100 less than retail....wohooo!!!

I purchased the "Extended Care" plan, and with tax it brought me up to $813.

However..., with only 28 left in the stock of Circuit City, and Best Buy not having nearly any left in the state of Florida, it makes me wonder. From what I gather from the camera guys in these major electronic stores, their going to be selling off the rest of the C-5050s, for what is beyond me. I LOVE this camera, and I've only played with it for the little amount of juice left on the rechargeable batteries .

 

[KidK9]

Yes, I would also like to know. I ordered mine from www.bilibi.com 2 weeks ago and this week they told me they are backordered for 3 more weeks. I just want my darn Oly.

 

[Dee]

This is the first time I've heard this but if it's true I can't say I'm all that surprized. Things change quickly with digital cameras! My C-4040 was discontinued shortly after I bought mine and it was one of the most popular models at the time. Being discontinued has nothing to do with how well it still works, though!

Watch the review and report websites, they'll have the industry news first.

 

[digitaldiver]

I may be proven wrong, but I would not put any stock in anything stated by a sale person at either Best Buy or Circuit City. First of all, they're clueless. Second, they would say anything to get you to change your mind and take something they had in stock.

Though the day will come when the 5050 is discontinued, there's been nothing in the wind about it to this point.

 

[wetman]

Did we hear the end of the 3030 or 4040 before the 5050 was announced? You can't possibly think they'd just drop a line of a camera in a series thats as popular as that line without having a replacement in the wings. Everywhere i went/still go and mention the 5050 before and after i bought it it received nothing but kudos - read the reviews everywhere.

steve

 

[ReyeR]

Ah, from a reliable source, the supply condition is more an attribute of SARS, as some of the parts are made in China. This is not just affecting the C5050 but other products as well.