Canon price increase enforcement

[dimshade]

So, I've been eyeing the 100 Macro L for a while and was inches away from buying it from Amazon for 879. Then, I saw rumors of upcoming rebates and got really excited. But, when the day come, the price actually went up to 969!!! Now that the rebate is over, the price is 1049. I am really kicking myself for not buying it earlier. So, have anybody had experience with Canon forced pricing before? Once they put that in place, does the "street" price ever come back down?

 

[Admin US West]

It usually drops back a little, however right now with lenses in very limited supply, and nothing being manufactured in the way of "L" lenses, don't expect any sales. Dealers are going to squeeze every penny out of the stock they have.

This is one problem with just-in-time manufacturing, if there is a major stoppage of components, production goes to zero very quickly.

 

[distant.star]

Please tell me your sources for this information.

There are no L lenses being made at all. Where does this fact come from?

Lenses are in limited supply. How limited? Who reported this?

It usually drops back a little, however right now with lenses in very limited supply, and nothing being manufactured in the way of "L" lenses, don't expect any sales. Dealers are going to squeeze every penny out of the stock they have.

This is one problem with just-in-time manufacturing, if there is a major stoppage of components, production goes to zero very quickly.

 

[bvukich]

Please tell me your sources for this information.

There are no L lenses being made at all. Where does this fact come from?

Lenses are in limited supply. How limited? Who reported this?

All L lenses are manufactured in Canon's Japanese factories. All Canon's Japanese factories are currently closed.

Therefore, no L lenses are being manufactured right now.

 

[prestonpalmer]

Buy now... Don't expect the price to drop anytime soon. With the Japanese plants closed no one is going to be offering deals.

 

[distant.star]

Again, the source for this "fact"?

Please tell me your sources for this information.

There are no L lenses being made at all. Where does this fact come from?

Lenses are in limited supply. How limited? Who reported this?

All L lenses are manufactured in Canon's Japanese factories. All Canon's Japanese factories are currently closed.

Therefore, no L lenses are being manufactured right now.

 

[lol]

Interesting question on the supply. In a quick search, there's the following two news postings from Canon:
Damage Report for Canon Inc. Operations and Canon Companies following Major Earthquake in Japan
Canon launches recovery measures following major earthquake in Japan

They were posted about two weeks ago so may not be up to date, but I would assume they would say "everything is fine now" if that were the case. I don't see that there and have to assume they're still significantly impacted by the aftermath.

There is a further complication... I was wondering how to find out where the key Canon lens factories are, and remembered the date code:
U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

Utsunomiya and Fukushima are both to the north of Japan and are in the affected zone, both specifically listed as "time will likely be needed before operations resume." Note Fukushima itself is some 40 miles (60km) away from the troubled nuclear plant of same name. Oita is far on the west end of Japan so probably was unaffected.

I just looked at my lenses which have such codes, and all of them indicate Utsunomiya.

 

[Clamdigger]

Again, the source for this "fact"?

You may start here if you like:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plate_tectonics

 

[neuroanatomist]

There is a further complication... I was wondering how to find out where the key Canon lens factories are, and remembered the date code:
U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

Utsunomiya and Fukushima are both to the north of Japan and are in the affected zone, both specifically listed as "time will likely be needed before operations resume." Note Fukushima itself is some 40 miles (60km) away from the troubled nuclear plant of same name. Oita is far on the west end of Japan so probably was unaffected.

I just looked at my lenses which have such codes, and all of them indicate Utsunomiya.

EF lenses produced in Japan are all made at the Utsunomiya factory. Fukushima produces printers and related parts. dSLRs are made at the Oita factory, which is still up and running.

Reportedly, 15 Canon employees were injured in the disaster, all of them at the Utsunomiya location.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Looking at general trends in pricing (with the help of canonpricewatch.com), it appears that overall lens prices have gone up - in some cases, substantially. To me, this looks like something more than just post-rebate pricing - I think we're seeing the beginning of price increases due to supply limitations. Amazon.com is out of many lenses, for example.

 

[lol]

EF lenses produced in Japan are all made at the Utsunomiya factory. Fukushima produces printers and related parts. dSLRs are made at the Oita factory, which is still up and running.

Thanks for the clarification on what is made where. At least I can give Canon a bit more cash in the near future if 600D production isn't adversely impacted indirectly.

Reportedly, 15 Canon employees were injured in the disaster, all of them at the Utsunomiya location.

Canon themselves stated the 15 injuries here. Hope they weren't too bad.

Looking at general trends in pricing (with the help of canonpricewatch.com), it appears that overall lens prices have gone up - in some cases, substantially. To me, this looks like something more than just post-rebate pricing - I think we're seeing the beginning of price increases due to supply limitations. Amazon.com is out of many lenses, for example.

For the uk, I use camerapricebuster as a guide, and bodies seem to be holding steady. There might be a small recent rise in lenses but it's hard to tell. I've not looked at stock in detail myself...

 

[pdirestajr]

So, I've been eyeing the 100 Macro L for a while and was inches away from buying it from Amazon for 879. Then, I saw rumors of upcoming rebates and got really excited. But, when the day come, the price actually went up to 969!!! Now that the rebate is over, the price is 1049. I am really kicking myself for not buying it earlier. So, have anybody had experience with Canon forced pricing before? Once they put that in place, does the "street" price ever come back down?

The Canon Refurb store has one for $839.20 USD
http://shop.usa.canon.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/subCategory_10051_10051_-1_22751#

I've read they are just as good as new. Prob the best deal you'll find. Just thought I'd pass it on.

 

[Hillsilly]

Also, over the last year, the US Dollar has fallen by about 10% compared with the Japanese Yen. This makes Japanese products more expensive in the US. Unless there is more global intervention, this might get worse as the Japanese sell foreign assets and take their money home (This has the effect of increasing the value of the Yen). Going forward, supply is the main concern, but there may also be price increases due to currency fluctuations. Prices aren't going down soon.

 

[kubelik]

can we tally this as another case of "waiter's remorse"? if something looks really great, don't be greedy about it, go get it when it already seems great.

besides all that, I do think roughly $1000 is fair pricing for the lens anyway. it's a really superb lens with fantastic H/IS technology that makes it really useable in a variety of different conditions. definitely one of my favorite lenses to use on a FF camera.

 

[ronderick]

Just wondering about the supply of parts to Canon's lens and camera factories.

I'd assume that the three major plants of Canon's get their parts from other suppliers (either local or abroad). Therefore, even if the DSLR production plant is up and running, it really cannot continue to cough up camera bodies once their parts inventory becomes depleted.

So I guess if any of the important part suppliers suffered damages from the tsunami/earthquake, the real impact on camera/lens supply won't appear until further down the road.

 

[K3nt]

A lens supplier in the UK I spoke to said that all their procurement prices have gone up. Some substantially. That's why they could only offer the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II lens for 1599GBP instead of the previous 1499GBP I was quoted.
Legit firm so I don't doubt their claims. If it was some obscure little sweatshop I might have felt I was being bait-and-switched.

 

[motorhead]

Interesting. I wonder how Canon enforce this?

I part exchanged a non IS 70-200 f/2.8L for the newest mk11 IS version and managed to get an excellent deal from my local shop (better than any web based price I could find). But when the paperwork was being completed I was asked if I minded whether the new lens price was shown at Canons RPR and the part-ex lens shown at a very inflated price on the sales receipt. As it made no difference to the actual cash changing hands I agreed, but it did occur to me that "big brother" might be watching.

So deals can be struck, but maybe only in dark corners when Canon are not listening?

 

[Admin US West]

Interesting. I wonder how Canon enforce this?

Its pretty simple, Canon can raise wholesale prices, and dealers do not want to sell at a loss.

There is also a price agreement with dealers specifying the minium advertised price. If you want to be a authorized Canon dealer, you follow the agreement.

However, a dealer can sell at a lower price as long as he does not advertise it.

Right now, with all the uncertainty about supply, and with dealers supposedly being put on allocation for cameras and lenses, they are holding up prices or even increasing them, I don't expect any big discounnts soon.

 

[nounours18200]

Right now, with all the uncertainty about supply, and with dealers supposedly being put on allocation for cameras and lenses, they are holding up prices or even increasing them, I don't expect any big discounnts soon.

Even if there was supply problem,the prices would go up, particularly on the L lenses. The reason for that is very simple: Canon is very strong on the DSLR market (Nikon lenses are as expensive -maybe more- as Canon) and the clients buying L lenses are not going to abandon Canon for another brand.

So Canon can rise up the prices (except for the entry models) without any trouble...