A few random points.
Given that the 5D III immediately shot to the top of Amazon's best seller list on announcement and has remained there ever since, (Current #1 among DSLRs and #2 among all cameras and photo) it doesn't seem like there is much need for Canon or retailers to reduce the price to boost sales.
If you look at the Canon Price Watch price history charts, you'll see that the Mark II remained pretty consistent in price right up until last Christmas shopping season. It would drop to about $2,400 during rebate times and then climb back up to about $2,500 during non-rebate periods.
Some of the other comments on this thread raised a question for me. I wonder if Canon is offering their retailers a bit larger margin on the 5D III than they have in the past. Many people have assumed that Canon is taking all the profits from the price increase, but given some of the statements on this thread, I'm now wondering if they might be forcing a higher retail price in order to boost margins for their resellers. Resellers have been badly squeezed over the past several years and giving them a bit of an extra margin might be a powerful incentive to boost brand loyalty in the front lines.
Finally, and I wish I could recall the exact details of this, but shortly after the 7D came out, Canon ran a small, not well-publicized promotion for registered users of their DSLRs that offered a small direct rebate from Canon if you purchased a 7D and sent them proof of purchase. I think I saved something under $100 through the rebate, which was better than nothing at the time. If your current cameras and lenses are registered with Canon, you might want to watch your inbox. I have no idea if they'll repeat, but it's worth watching for.
