Emagin Z800 for sale, in near perfect condition

[PalmerTech]

Hey guys! I actually have three Z800s at the moment. One of them is pretty badly broken, only useful for parts. The second is in great shape cosmetically, but the screen's color balance is very slightly off (One display is maybe 10% cooler than the other). My third one is in perfect shape cosmetically and operationally, and that is the one I am selling!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 500wt_1287" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No reserve, and the price starts at $0.99. You could get a great deal!

Any questions, feel free to ask. I am also a sucker for trades, so please don't try and offer me vintage VR gear, because I will probably fall prey.

[Synexious]

How much do you think these will go for? How'd you end up with three? Did you get that HMD the seller claimed was stolen from him? Does the Z800 really have better comfort and optics than the HMZ?

[PalmerTech]

I am really not sure. I have seen Z800s in working condition go for anywhere between $400 and $1300, it all depends on if a person who really wants one steps in. Though to be honest, most of the ones on the lower scale have had minor problems, like cracks in the casing or a dead pixel. I would be okay if it went for $500, and thrilled if it went for $1000. Like-new units are pretty rare, so I am guessing closer to $1000.

The first Z800 was sent to me by a member who hoped I could repair it (The left screen was not lighting up). When it turned out to be a control box problem, he was kind enough to let me keep it for spare parts. The other two, I know very little about. I bought them together from an individual in Canada who claims they were purchased from the French military after they upgraded to a new headset. They clearly have very few hours of use on them, looked like they have not done much aside from sitting in the storage case. Been using the one with bad color balance for gaming, it is hardly noticeable, and I wanted to keep the good one in mint condition for sale.

The Z800 is a lot more comfortable than the HMZ-T1, actually, and weighs much less. The HMZ-T1 can be modded to be more comfortable, but the Z800 wins hands down as far as stock goes. The optics are about on par with the HMZ-T1. Larger exit pupil, lower FOV, but overall about the same quality.

The HMZ-T1 has a lot of advantages for sure, but the Z800 can be used on the go, which is a pretty big win for some applications. It does not block out your peripheral view, either, so for people like 3D modelers, it is probably the better choice.

[PalmerTech]

Auction has about a half hour left on it, this is a shameless bump to remind people! I won't triple post, but I will update this one when it sells. eBay only keeps listings up for 60 days now, so I figure I will leave a baseline price here for people who wonder what the Z800 is worth now that the HMZ-T1 is around.

[mAchiNE]

Well the Auction is finished now and holy crap! it went for $1975!! which is more than retail So I guess demand for the Z800 is still strong.
That's amazing considering the SONY being only $800 (although some people are selling the SONY for well over $1000)

[CyberVillain]

People are crazy, I wouldnt pay anything for the z800 now when the HMZ is soon out.. But Im glad for your sake Palmer

[PalmerTech]

I think it might have something to do with the Z800 seeming to be out of stock everywhere. All the resellers are on backorder, with the exception of Vrealities, and that site does not seem likely to keep their stock status updated.

We will have to see if the buyer actually pays, though. Been more than 12 hours with no payment! The guy who won (Bookshop21) had actually messaged me several days ago, asking if I would sell him both of the units I have for $1400 together. I told him I expected it would go for more than $700, and that I would rather wait for the auction to end, and he told me that he might need to look for something else then, since his maximum budget for both HMDs was $1400. Lo and behold, he was there bidding all the way up to nearly $2000. He has 100% feedback over a decent number of items, I hope I am not going to get stiffed.

@CyberVillain: I would not pay that much for it, either! But the Z800 is used in a lot of places where they don't have the budget to upgrade every time a new HMD comes out, much less change their software to support it. For a portable/wearable setup, it is still one of the best out there.

[mAchiNE]

Well I hope he does pay you, I hate getting messed around on Online auctions!

I would love to buy a Z800 but I can't see myself spending more then the price of a Wrap1200VR on it and like you say no one seems to have it in stock anyway (not that I'd pay the ludicrous price emagin is asking) maybe stocks have run out because they are going to be bringing out an updated model to better compete with SONY? I mean with the exception of facilities with whole legacy systems built around the Z800 why would any researchgroup or military looking for a low end HMD buy the Z800 over the HMZ-T1 now?

[PalmerTech]

Well I hope he does pay you, I hate getting messed around on Online auctions!

I would love to buy a Z800 but I can't see myself spending more then the price of a Wrap1200VR on it and like you say no one seems to have it in stock anyway (not that I'd pay the ludicrous price emagin is asking) maybe stocks have run out because they are going to be bringing out an updated model to better compete with SONY? I mean with the exception of facilities with whole legacy systems built around the Z800 why would any researchgroup or military looking for a low end HMD buy the Z800 over the HMZ-T1 now?

Emagin is almost certainly not going to come out with an updated model. I have heard through the grapevine that they are getting out of the HMD business, and moving their focus to just microdisplay production.

The thing is, almost all of the research groups/military groups already do have entire legacy systems built around the Z800! They have engines that are all set up for the Z800, tracking that relies on the Z800, with all the software also optimized for the Z800. It is also a lot lighter/more comfortable than the HMZ-T1, and has the capability to be portable. A lot of people will have to switch to something better when the Z800 is discontinued, but whatever they switch to, it needs to be readily available and comfortable/easy to use. The HMZ-T1, while great in it's own right, is neither.

[mAchiNE]

That's a shame, the Z800 was state of the art (as far as consumer level HMDs go anyway) when it came out and it is still relavent even now many years later despite the continued price hikes! I can only imagine how good the "Z900" or whatever would be if they decided to bring out a new model with their 1280x1024 panels and increased the FOV but I guess we'll never know. I guess these things are only going to get more expensive if there is a strong demand from people with legacy custom systems based on the Z800 like you say, even second hand ones will go for a premium pushing them further out of reach of hobbyists.

[ancjob]

That's a shame, the Z800 was state of the art (as far as consumer level HMDs go anyway) when it came out and it is still relavent even now many years later despite the continued price hikes! I can only imagine how good the "Z900" or whatever would be if they decided to bring out a new model with their 1280x1024 panels and increased the FOV but I guess we'll never know. I guess these things are only going to get more expensive if there is a strong demand from people with legacy custom systems based on the Z800 like you say, even second hand ones will go for a premium pushing them further out of reach of hobbyists.

i guess times gonna change with st1080
emagin only has the BEST optics but the image quality sucks....
palmer has both headplay and emagin - he'd tell u that headplay image quality beats emagin anytime except for optics and fov.......
so i 'd NOT pay more than usd600+shipping...