Bob:
I asked some of my acquaintances at Panasonic about some of the previous rumors, and was told (at the time) that they were false. This one unfortunately appears to be genuine.
I have been under the impression that the MK6 was the only SL-1200 remaining in production. I seem to recall that the former manager of SL-1200 production told me that all other models were no longer viably (economically) for Panasonic to produce. In fact, I think that the MK6 was a final attempt by Panasonic to make the SL-1200 profitable again, or at least avoid losing money. Usually, the large Japanese companies prefer not to increase pricing on an existing model, and will address any pricing imbalances with the launch of a new model.
At any rate, if my recollection of what I was told is correct, all non-MK6 SL-1200s available through dealers would be from existing inventory. But that's just my recollection, and I would be very happy if at least one of the SL-1200 variants remains in production.
I will try to look into the situation a little more (don't have much time these days since I am in the middle of a major move), and will update if there is anything new to report.
If anyone else has any useful information or input, please feel free to comment.
best, jonathan
