Why are so many R system bodies and lenses available used?

[unfocused]

I'm surprised at how frequently dealers have used RF lenses and R bodies for sale. It seems like at least once a week or more CPW will have a new listing of used R system equipment either from major retailers like B&H and Adorama or from one of the major used dealers like MPB.

Of course the prices are high. The used equipment is often listed for only about $50 or so below new, but I do wonder who is trading in this recently released equipment? For example, I just saw a hard to find 100-500 listed from MPB.

KEH has a used 14-35 f4 (at least they did a few minutes ago).

As someone who keeps his equipment far longer than I probably should, I can't imagine getting a lens like the 100-500 or the 14-35 and immediately trading it in. Especially knowing that the sellers have to be taking a big hit on the lenses and bodies. Looking at the used watch list, just in the past three days there were 11 RF lenses listed.

 

[dcm]

Could people ordering from multiple sources to beat the supply chain woes have something to do with it?

 

[EricN]

Maybe somebody's wife/ husband found out how much money was spent

 

[Bennymiata]

It happens with new cars too.
Some people get a new car and have it for a week or two, discover they don't like it and so they trade it for something else. The more expensive the car, the more likely it will traded.

 

[YuengLinger]

Fell off a truck?

Or...Not as easy to use as a smartphone?

Or...Parents finally said, "You are going to have to find a place of your own"?

 

[SnowMiku]

It could be some people selling off an R or R6 to preorder an R3? Or possibly some people thinking if I buy the best camera gear I'll get professional looking photos, and then end up disappointed and then selling the gear at a loss.

 

[Kit.]

I'm surprised at how frequently dealers have used RF lenses and R bodies for sale. It seems like at least once a week or more CPW will have a new listing of used R system equipment either from major retailers like B&H and Adorama or from one of the major used dealers like MPB.

"Once a week"... is it supposed to be much for such a popular system?

Of course the prices are high. The used equipment is often listed for only about $50 or so below new, but I do wonder who is trading in this recently released equipment? For example, I just saw a hard to find 100-500 listed from MPB.

Not anymore.

KEH has a used 14-35 f4 (at least they did a few minutes ago).

Not even listed as "out of stock".

 

[mpphoto]

It happens with new cars too.
Some people get a new car and have it for a week or two, discover they don't like it and so they trade it for something else. The more expensive the car, the more likely it will traded.

Exactly. I preordered the RF 100mm macro and got it a few weeks ago. I didn't see or experience much improvement over my EF 100mm f/2.8L macro on the EOS R. It's nice not having to remember the adapter and it's not a bad lens, but I'm not feeling like it's a keeper. I'll give it a try on the EOS R6 I just got. If it doesn't wow me, I'll consider selling it. Better to have some money back in my account than to hang on to a lens I'm not using.

 

[unfocused]

"Once a week"... is it supposed to be much for such a popular system?

I'm just comparing it to the EF system. While there have always been lots of EF lenses on the used market, it was unusual to see new releases show up. It's the frequency of new releases and in-demand/short supply lenses that surprises me.

Not anymore.

Not even listed as "out of stock".

Of course they sell quickly. That wasn't my point. Behind every used sale is an original buyer who is talking a hit on their purchase. Adorama, B&H, MPB and KEH all take a substantial chunk when they buy your lenses. For Adorama and B&H, they may be selling returned items, but MPB and KEH only deal in used items as far as I know.

 

[Sporgon]

I'm surprised at how frequently dealers have used RF lenses and R bodies for sale.

I noticed just yesterday how few 5DS and SRs are for sale on UK eBay.

 

[Kit.]

I'm just comparing it to the EF system. While there have always been lots of EF lenses on the used market, it was unusual to see new releases show up. It's the frequency of new releases and in-demand/short supply lenses that surprises me.

There could be many explanations for this observation, but still, how big is the phenomenon as such? How many of those used RF lenses are sold by B&H compared to the amount of new RF lenses they sell in the same time frame?

Single-digit percentage? Less than one percent?

 

[jd7]

I'm surprised at how frequently dealers have used RF lenses and R bodies for sale. It seems like at least once a week or more CPW will have a new listing of used R system equipment either from major retailers like B&H and Adorama or from one of the major used dealers like MPB.

Of course the prices are high. The used equipment is often listed for only about $50 or so below new, but I do wonder who is trading in this recently released equipment? For example, I just saw a hard to find 100-500 listed from MPB.

KEH has a used 14-35 f4 (at least they did a few minutes ago).

As someone who keeps his equipment far longer than I probably should, I can't imagine getting a lens like the 100-500 or the 14-35 and immediately trading it in. Especially knowing that the sellers have to be taking a big hit on the lenses and bodies. Looking at the used watch list, just in the past three days there were 11 RF lenses listed.

People whose finance fell through, or who find themselves unable to meet the repayments on the loan they had to take to afford Canon's RF gear?

 

[neuroanatomist]

People whose finance fell through, or who find themselves unable to meet the repayments on the loan they had to take to afford Canon's RF gear?

Sad rather than funny, but this is probably closest to the mark. It's a pandemic, and there are economic consequences. People with good-paying jobs who buy camera gear, then lose those jobs and still have a family to support, so their hobby becomes a luxury they can no longer afford.

 

[jd7]

Sad rather than funny, but this is probably closest to the mark. It's a pandemic, and there are economic consequences. People with good-paying jobs who buy camera gear, then lose those jobs and still have a family to support, so their hobby becomes a luxury they can no longer afford.

My post was intended as a (slightly!) tongue in cheek crack at Canon's prices, but perhaps you may be right, in which case I would completely agree there is nothing funny about it at all.

And as for Canon's prices, I accept Canon's track record suggests it knows its market very well, and it's in this to make money. I still find it a little surprising though that there is a sufficiently large market at the prices being charged for a lot of the R system gear. Or perhaps the situation is that production problems due to the pandemic are limiting Canon's ability to supply anyway so Canon is perfectly happy to sell fewer items but at relatively high prices for the time being, and prices may come back down a bit in due course. Will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[SnowMiku]

Another possibility could be that some may say preorder 3 copies of a lens with the intention selling the other 2 at inflated prices on eBay etc, and when they don't get the price they are asking they sell it to a store and take the loss.

 

[EricN]

Another possibility could be that some may say preorder 3 copies of a lens with the intention selling the other 2 at inflated prices on eBay etc, and when they don't get the price they are asking they sell it to a store and take the loss.

I think that's happened when I see some of the high prices...

 

[randym77]

I've bought gear and then resold it almost immediately. Generally because I didn't like it for some reason, or only wanted it for one trip and found I didn't have much use for it otherwise.

Yes, I could rent instead, but given the price of renting, and the hassle, sometimes it's just easier (and not that much pricier) to buy it, then sell it.

 

[AlanF]

There are 83 used copies of the EF 100-400mm II on sale at the UK MPB site, including mine. They probably know what they are doing, but the RF 100-400mm could dent the sales.