BUY 5d MkII now or WAIT for 5d MkIII????

[sb]

arioch82, I bought the Mk2 in Toronto, Canada a month after it came out, and I paid $3300 + tax (13%) - so about $3700 all in. It was worth every penny though. That camera paid itself off many, many times over the years and I plan to continue to use it as a backup body when Mk3 comes out.

 

[Loswr]

Just as a side-note, I'm not sure if price is a factor for any of you guys who are debating Mk2 or Mk3, but there is no way that Mk3 will be anywhere near the current price of the Mk2. I think the price differential will be at least $1000 (think back to the original price of Mk2).

what was the original price of the Mk2?
what kind of range are we talking about?

sorry for the stupid question... it's been only an year since i've started this expensive hobby

It's a very good question, and honestly I have no idea what sb means... The 5D launched with an MSRP of $3299, and the 5DII launched with an MSRP of $2699, $600 cheaper than the original. Since I somehow doubt sb is suggesting that a 5DIII will be $1000 cheaper than the 5DII, I admit - I'm confused...

arioch82, I bought the Mk2 in Toronto, Canada a month after it came out, and I paid $3300 + tax (13%) - so about $3700 all in.

Maybe you paid too much? Actually, the US/CAN$ exchange rate at the time of the 5DII launch was averaging around 1:1.25, meaning if you paid CAN$3300, that was pretty much the list price in US$, i.e. $2700.

 

[WarStreet]

what do you think it will be it's price when it'll be out? over 2k?
do they usually keep the price of the previous model?

If there will be no change in the cameras category, the 5DIII launch price should be similar to the 5DII launch price. Exchange rate may have a role on the price too. For cameras, there is more chance they decrease rather increase in price.

 

[sb]

Neuroanatomist, I think it depends on where you live and when you bought it exactly. The MSRP had no relation to reality when the camera was released here in Canada. Also I think that the CDN $ was crapshoot back then. In fact I didnt see Mk2 anywhere near the MSRP for at least a year and a half after the release.

Even today the best Mk2 price I can find in Toronto right now is this which is slightly less than the "MSRP":
http://www.adencamera.com/product-overviewer.asp?ProdID=2451&Category=6

 

[awinphoto]

If you wanted to buy from adorama and bhphotovideo, they were at MSRP but you had backorders galore and or people buying them and posting them on ebay at a higher price... At local stores they tend to raise prices to cover costs and add state tax so that could be quite accurate pricing depending on your store. At my local store they sold them relatively at MSRP for the initial rush (because the MSRP was widely known) but after the initial craze passed and they got enough to actually keep some in stock, they raised their prices accordingly. I'd expect the MkIII to be roughly $2699-2899. Hopefully they'll still have the 24-105L kit because that's what I will be saving for.

 

[sb]

Just as a side-note, I'm not sure if price is a factor for any of you guys who are debating Mk2 or Mk3, but there is no way that Mk3 will be anywhere near the current price of the Mk2. I think the price differential will be at least $1000 (think back to the original price of Mk2).

what was the original price of the Mk2?
what kind of range are we talking about?

sorry for the stupid question... it's been only an year since i've started this expensive hobby

It's a very good question, and honestly I have no idea what sb means... The 5D launched with an MSRP of $3299, and the 5DII launched with an MSRP of $2699, $600 cheaper than the original. Since I somehow doubt sb is suggesting that a 5DIII will be $1000 cheaper than the 5DII, I admit - I'm confused...

arioch82, I bought the Mk2 in Toronto, Canada a month after it came out, and I paid $3300 + tax (13%) - so about $3700 all in.

Maybe you paid too much? Actually, the US/CAN$ exchange rate at the time of the 5DII launch was averaging around 1:1.25, meaning if you paid CAN$3300, that was pretty much the list price in US$, i.e. $2700.

... Oh yeah, did I mention that we get pwned on taxes over here? When MK3 comes out, I'm off to Buffalo to load up

 

[Loswr]

Exchange rate may have a role on the price too. For cameras, there is more chance they decrease rather increase in price.

Honestly, I think 5DIII pricing is a crapshoot at this point. Historically, the 1Ds series price at launch has been identical ($8K) for all three of the cameras. For the 1D series, prices went down $500 from the II to the IIN, then up for the III ($500 more than the II, so $1000 more than the IIN), then up yet again for the IV (another $500 increase over the III).

So, based on that, I'd expect the launch price of a 5DIII to be somewhere between the original and the MkII, likely around $3K, maybe $2900. But you're also correct that the exchange rate for the yen is a factor when they set the MSRP.

 

[Martin]

I just had the same problem as probably a lot of us now,buy now or wait ? I have decided to buy now a 5dii, and other canon stuff, cause I switched from Nikon. In worst case scenario i will have a second body when a new 5D III is released, hawever I honestly dont belive it will happen before 2012.

Guys, I really dont understand the problem with avilabilty of current model, I live and buy in Poland and have no problems to get the camera in 2 days. Anyway, now i become a canon shooter, so let me say Hi to all of you. Hope i can live with AF, and the image quality will compensate that lack.

 

[nocturne]

Same thing here in Iceland... no problem to get your hands on a 5DMKII...

 

[Loswr]

Same thing here in Iceland... no problem to get your hands on a 5DMKII...

Here in the US, availability of the 5DII is spotty - the three major online retailers (B&H, Adorama, and Amazon) are all sold out (although there are 3rd party vendors with stock selling on Amazon at outrageous prices). All of them get periodic shipments, fill backorders, and usually have some left to sell...but then they sell out again.

Still, for anyone considering the 'buy 5DII now or wait for 5DIII' question, I'd give my usual advice - if you need/want it now and can afford it now, buy it now. Despite rumors to the contrary, I don't believe Canon will release a 5DIII before they release a 1DsIV, and the latter has not even been announced yet.

 

[mreco99]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

 

[bikersbeard]

your not the only one, the D800 may be here by october..

 

[Loswr]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

Is that because Nikon has released a new prosumer FF camera more recently than Canon has? Oh, wait, the D700 is actually a little older than the 5DII. Or is it because canonrumors.com says 2012 for the 5DIII, while nikonrumors.com says late 2011 for the D800, and nikonrumors.com is sooooo much more accurate?

 

[EYEONE]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

Is that because Nikon has released a new prosumer FF camera more recently than Canon has? Oh, wait, the D700 is actually a little older than the 5DII. Or is it because canonrumors.com says 2012 for the 5DIII, while nikonrumors.com says late 2011 for the D800, and nikonrumors.com is sooooo much more accurate?

+1

I get so annoyed when people talk about switching. As if Nikon has made any announcements...

 

[awinphoto]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

Is that because Nikon has released a new prosumer FF camera more recently than Canon has? Oh, wait, the D700 is actually a little older than the 5DII. Or is it because canonrumors.com says 2012 for the 5DIII, while nikonrumors.com says late 2011 for the D800, and nikonrumors.com is sooooo much more accurate?

+1

I get so annoyed when people talk about switching. As if Nikon has made any announcements...

What people dont understand is that Canon realizes people are more or less, lazy and love to gripe. The camera could have 1 feature missing it will be posted all over the internet as the worst camera ever as sales soar. People love the idea of jumping over but in reality very few does, and in this day in age, most manufacturers have closed the gaps so there is more parody in camera manufacturers and quality. So unless they swapped over, took the hit in the initial investment, and upgraded cameras at the same time, they really wouldn't be shooting with a much better camera than they would be using now. Just relax, be patient, and miracles do come true, right?

 

[ystasino]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

The advice I got when digital photography was starting, and seems even truer now than it did then, was to skip at least one generation of electronics, before investing in a new system.

If you're not invested in Nikon or Canon then do yourself a favor and buy the lenses which are being updated. Cameras come and go, lenses are improving only marginally if at all. If you have enough money not to care about this then buy both.

In your case I would wait for the 5DIII.

 

[UncleFester]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

Go for it. ;D I've thought about going Nikon many times but keeping my Canon gear. But, I've also considered Leica.

 

[zerotiu]

ill wait a bit longer for 5dIII but not into 2012, i think its time to start looking at nikon. Im not too heavily invested in canon.

The advice I got when digital photography was starting, and seems even truer now than it did then, was to skip at least one generation of electronics, before investing in a new system.

If you're not invested in Nikon or Canon then do yourself a favor and buy the lenses which are being updated. Cameras come and go, lenses are improving only marginally if at all. If you have enough money not to care about this then buy both.

In your case I would wait for the 5DIII.

it seems i will follow your opinion. Buying L lenses and wait for 5d3 . When it shows up, my gears are complete 8).

 

[Loswr]

it seems i will follow your opinion. Buying L lenses and wait for 5d3 . When it shows up, my gears are complete 8).

Until the 5DIV, that is.....

 

[Admin US West]

it seems i will follow your opinion. Buying L lenses and wait for 5d3 . When it shows up, my gears are complete 8).

Until the 5DIV, that is.....

Yup, I'm making a list of features rumored to be in the 5D MK IV now. I'll be able to use most of the ones now rumored for the 5d MK III as well as add a few more like digic VI and 60 mp.

We can post them the day the 5D MK III is announced, I'll just strike out the one or two that actually made it into the 5D MK III.