They tested it very successful with the overpriced 100-500 7.1.... >3000€ here. So many ppl have this lens in the photo groups/forums
thats crazy! Als private people. And bounded with the R5. So near to 10k€ for gear for the hobby. They could easily buy a R6 or R with a 150-600 or 100-400 II.
Definitely not a representative sample! Very few photography professionals shoot wildlife, it's one of the smallest subcategories of photography, see table below, from
https://petapixel.com/2020/12/02/br...nsights-from-2020-to-project-trends-for-2021/ which also indicates that it's one of the lowest paying photography niches alongside portrait and family. Yes I know the stats are based on online searches instead of surveys, but they're reasonably indicative otherwise they wouldn't be used!
The majority of people buying wildlife lenses are enthusiast, and they're predominately retired old men, these lenses really aren't representative of all other lens categories and photography genres. Just because this demographic has money to spend on their hobby does not tell us anything about most pro photographers and the majority of enthusiast photographers and their inability to afford overpriced Canon gear.
Now, consider that a RF 100-500 L is usually mated with a Canon R5, we're talking about a very expensive setup for the privilege of photographing birds at a fairly professional level with what would be considered as the entry level Canon lens that can provide what would be regartded as excellent image quality at such a long focal length. Wildlife lenses of this quality and higher are bigger and way more expensive.
EOS R5 Canon Store US: $3899.00
RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM Canon Store US: $2899.00
lens + camera = US $ 6,798 (9.89% of median annual income)
median household income in the US in 2019 was $68,703
EOS R5 Canon Store UK: £ 4,299.99
RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM Canon Store UK: £ 2,979.99
lens + camera = UK £ 7,279.98 (24.76% of median annual income)
median household income in the UK in 2019 was £29,400
EOS R5 Canon Store AU: $5,999.95
RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM AU: $4,999.95
lens + camera = AU $ 10,999.90 (21.40% of median annual income)
median household income in the Australia in 2019 was $51,389
These calculations show that an EOS R5 coupled with the RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM will cost a US buyer around 10% of the median annual income, whereas in the UK it's a whopping 25%, and around 21% in Australia.
Considering inflation, COVID hardship, and increasing prices, that's a heck of a lot to be shelling out for non-essential leisure, for the everyday person. The fact that the RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM is selling probably tells us there are quite a few retirees and people in well-paid jobs that want to venture into nature and take photos. We can't draw any inferences about Canon pricing itself out of the enthusiast market or not from the popularity of that lens.
Also, some brands differentiate themselves on price (and prestige), high prices make a product less affordable, and therefore more exclusive in the eyes of the market. Here, they rely on lower sales volumes and higher margins. That's another possibility that a company can take depending on their market position, status, and the size of the market.