Canon 5D Mark III - Price Drop Details

[Z]

First - lets get the consumer law straight. You are covered as the camera is bought from a UK shop.

Fair enough.

Second - Digital Rev do not pay the duty for you and they are a HK based company

Actually...


The price includes import duty.  Digital Rev also provide their own 1 year warranty at service centres within the UK.  For now I will leave my pre-order at Park Cameras as it is... although I am warming to the idea of Flash Camera if Canon UK really will honour the warranty.

[te4o]

The price in Australia dropped 3 days after introduction from 4200 AUD to 3999 AUD.
Grey- grey-white about 3500. Consider the price of the 1Dx if this is still too high...
I could not wait for a price drop.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

So far, no one has shown a price drop.  Just imported gray market cameras sold at the full price in the country where they were purchased, plus a markup.  Canon sells them in the USA for $3500 and they are charging that plus a markup.
 
A price drop comes when Canon drops the price to dealers. 

[lady]

People on another photography forum I go on are swearing that the price is going to drop by Christmas because the D800 is just too competitive. The D800 is an equivalent camera, selling for $500 less. If you're a professional, $500 might not seem like a lot and can be made up quickly. If you're an amateur or a hobby photographer that's enough to push someone towards the 5DII instead (assuming they don't already own it). I don't see a price drop happening until they stop selling the 5dII's, which right now are priced much fairer.

Is $1,300 really worth an AF system, some nifty added features, and slightly better performance? A lot of photographers are saying no. A lot of the people who bought the 5D3 at launch are really defensive about this and trying to justify their purchase.

[Z]

... Is $1,300 really worth an AF system...

For me, yes. For others, evidently not. I would buy the mark III over the II on the AF system alone. I've invested thousands in L glass for marginal improvements in image quality (okay, and low light performance) so I'd pay $1,300 to double or triple my rate of in focus shots, sure.

Put another way... if I already had a 5D II and Canon told me they could put a 1D X autofocus system into it for a parts/labour charge of $1,300 - would I do it? Hell yeah.

[lady]

... Is $1,300 really worth an AF system...

For me, yes. For others, evidently not. I would buy the mark III over the II on the AF system alone. I've invested thousands in L glass for marginal improvements in image quality (okay, and low light performance) so I'd pay $1,300 to double or triple my rate of in focus shots, sure.

Put another way... if I already had a 5D II and Canon told me they could put a 1D X autofocus system into it for a parts/labour charge of $1,300 - would I do it? Hell yeah.

For me, it's worth it too. I shoot animals and things that move far more often than I'm sitting around shooting people that are sitting down or posing. But an AF system, while invaluable, is still just an AF system. It didn't exactly require a ton of engineering to get done (considering the 7D already has a similar system with less focus points) and probably, at most, I'd value it at $500 new over the 5D2. Not $1,300. Is it something I need and would have to pay the extra money for? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's actually worth the ridiculous prices they're charging.

[LetTheRightLensIn]

So far, no one has shown a price drop.  Just imported gray market cameras sold at the full price in the country where they were purchased, plus a markup.  Canon sells them in the USA for $3500 and they are charging that plus a markup.
 
A price drop comes when Canon drops the price to dealers.

Beach had some ebay deals last week I heard and J&R has had $130 if you order through one rep for the past two weeks. So there have been some discounts around. One I sell the kit, collect cash back points and with the $130 off I might end up getting the body for around $3150 total.

[V8Beast]

Is $1,300 really worth an AF system, some nifty added features, and slightly better performance?

Every damn penny

[helpful]

Is $1,300 really worth an AF system, some nifty added features, and slightly better performance?

Every damn penny

Right on, V8. The most any photographer can do is nail the exposure, the perspective, timing, etc. The autofocus is something that a still photographer operating on their own cannot do, and must rely on the camera for. The days of the 80s are gone when anyone pretends to be able to keep perfect focus on a pole vaulter with manual focus, for instance.

For me the entire price of the camera was devoted to the autofocus system... otherwise, I would have been more than happy with extra copies of the cheaper 5D II.

[jonathan9113]

Higher mega pixel translates to higher noise. I switched to Canon because now Nikon is getting into mega pixel race Canon was in. The change was not without pain, getting rid of my Nikon D90 and the expensive lens. I have compared photos in low light between Mark iii (which I purchased with Amazon just in case I want to returned it) and my friend's D800. D800 obviously has more pixels but also more noise. If I shoot outdoor, I would upgrade to D800 but I am shooting mostly indoor so I am keeping the Mark iii. Also the focus speed and the auto white balance of the Mark iii is much better after careful comparison. My friend was silent after the comparison. I am not saying which one is better, it depends on what you are shooting. The mega pixel hype is to fool those who up to date still have no idea of the concept, no pun intended. You got to be kidding if Nikon or Canon can fool me to buy their camera base on mega pixel count. However, there is one thing I got to say, I am quite upset about Canon's sharp price drop. I am seeing $2995 in some stores, don't know their reputation but I suspect it may be grey market. I paid $3495, what a bummer! Canon, why is the price is so out of control, Nikon is doing a much better job stabilizing the prices? Grey market should only be $200 difference, not $500. I belief this a Canon price tactic, low balling Nikon with grey market after they discovered Nikon's better pricing point. The Mark iii should cost about the same as D800 to manufacture.

[stevenrrmanir]

There is always an initial rush. In the first several months you are going to have to pay full retail price. As supply catches up with demand, certain dealers will begin to drop prices a little.

But keep in mind: if the camera is great, demand is likely to remain high as the more careful shoppers who waited for early reviews begin to make their purchases. If the price drops too quickly, there's something wrong.

Don't expect any discounting until the Christmas shopping season.

Wait until Nikon D600 comes out... watch Canon's potential buyers sway toward the better bodies. Canon will alienate their customers who bit the bullet on the MKIII by reducing the cost by $500... they should, but are too ignorant to realize that...

[stevenrrmanir]

Hi i guess the price will drop sooner than later cause the 5D MK III ranked 20th in sales in USA & 28th in Japan as per DSLRphoto.com compared to D800 which is 2nd in USA & 6th in Japan the MK III it can't keep up with the D800 sales no matter how good it. D800 has higher MP advantage & cheaper price.

Megapixels do not a camera make... or something like that. 

A bajillion Megapixels aren't everything.  Look at both manufacturers newest flagship pro bodies. 16.2MP for the Nikon D4 and 18.1MP for the Canon 1DX.

I'm in no way knocking the D800, but there is more to a camera than JUST a sensor.  And there are people that will buy it JUST because they see 36MP and know nothing else.

You fail to recognize the obvious advantage of D4 and D800 over the MKIII - LOW LIGHT capabilities!!!!

[stevenrrmanir]

Its pretty simple if canon are selling this in the numbers that they expect then the price will stay the same for the foreseeable future on the other hand if its not selling well and there not making enough money which is what its all about they will drop the price simples. i expect to see a couple of hundred uk pounds off this camera for xmas.

your thinking is backward - it is the OTHER way around...

prices for any device comes down as manufacturing improves...

prices staying high is an indication that:

a) limited supply
b) normal sales (ie. no blockbuster sales to warrant reduction in cost since profits are coming in)

Canon with their strategy these days reminds me of Sony!

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Canon with their strategy these days reminds me of Sony!

I agree with you, Canon has now shut out independent repair shops except for a few big ones, just like Nikon. 
At least Canon does support their products, and does not drop them whenever sales slow down.  Try and get service or parts for a 2 year out of production Sony, if you need parts, they cost as much as a new camera, but you are safe, since there likely will not be any unless the part is also used in a current model.

[Razor2012]

If there's a $500 price drop, I want a $500 credit towards a new lens.