Canon Cannot Keep Screwing It's Customers Over

[ChilledXpress]

Whaaa whaaa whaaaa... I got screwed. Canon forced me to buy this camera!!!

I vote to change the tittle of this thread to "Canon Cannot Keep Screwing It's Naive Customers Over" that would better describe the OP's concern. I'm a customer and I find it insulting to be pooled with this "group" of customers.

"Adults" that can't take the responsibility for their decisions when to buy or not, can only complain... It always somebody else’s fault! You had all the choices before you bought the camera, you made the decision to buy... how is that Canon fault. Mommy forgot to explain this to you?!?! Cameras are expensive if you can't handle the price of model X there are a million other options.

And let's not even talk about a Leica or a Hasselblad pricing... unfortunately, the posers on Hasselblad Rumors are complaining about their 50k purchase there also. I just spent 49,995$ and Hasselblad lowered the price 8,000$ right after I recieved it.... whahhhaaaa whaaaa. I was screeeeewed !!!

You had a choice... you could shoot with an iPhone or a Rebel and thoroughly enjoy yourself, if taking pictures is what you like to do. If forum wars based on Canon's pricing is your thing, I can see your motive. You went this route because you wanted this or that camera ( for whatever reason)... live with your decision and pretend you’re an adult.

Now I'm heading over to the thread " I Only Shoot in a dark closet and my 5D3 has a horrible light leak..." BTW - I really think the DR of the D800 handles pitch black closet shots sooooo much better I'm jumping ship for Nikon. Because they are cheaper, so much better and they love me soooo much more than Canon, I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my tummy. :

 

[agierke]

do you complain about the depreciation of your car after you drive it off the dealerships lot? because that is alot worse than what any of the camera companies are doing.

this is not a new trend....its the primary reason i dont buy camera gear within the first year of its release. sry you feel burned, but this is how it goes and its been this way for a while.

chalk it up to a learning experience and show a little patience next time.

 

[Chosenbydestiny]

do you complain about the depreciation of your car after you drive it off the dealerships lot? because that is alot worse than what any of the camera companies are doing.

this is not a new trend....its the primary reason i dont buy camera gear within the first year of its release. sry you feel burned, but this is how it goes and its been this way for a while.

chalk it up to a learning experience and show a little patience next time.

+1 If you're a pro and bought it close to release, you should have already made enough money to offset that price decrease. It's a small price to pay for being one of the first few with the newest, though not always best technology. The market gets more difficult to compete in for the average pro when everyone else has the same camera. If you're planning to invest a lot of money in a new body for hobby purposes... It's most likely not an investment at all. It's been this way for quite awhile.

 

[rlarsen]

I purchased a 5D MK ll last December. I waited for a sale and got it for a good price. I knew the Mark lll would likely be released soon and I was first on the waiting list and received two in March. Because I got a good deal on the Mark ll I was able to sell it without losing much money. I paid full retail for the new MK lll bodies and was eager to put them to work.
I really like the cameras and would not have paid full price if I didn't think they were worth it.

It's not complicated. Follow this website to learn about new products about to be released and look for stories about occasional sales. If your priority is saving money, buy gear that's been on the market for awhile, look for sales, or buy refurbished or used.

Also be aware how technology changes pricing. Remember how expensive a 250 megabyte card was when it first came out.

Save money by being smart. and make money and great pictures by being smart. It's not complicated.

 

[Axilrod]

Yeah I agree that it was a really crap feeling seeing the 5D3 drop more than $1k than I paid for it 8 months ago (was $376x with tax). I mean $2999 I can understand but $2499? That's what the 5D2 was selling for a year ago!

I'm not saying prices shouldn't come down, but I don't think any of Canon's other products have followed a similar pricing pattern, just the 5D3.

 

[Kernuak]

I bought a 7D in 2009... I'm soooo pissed at the current price!!! Canon is horrible to lower the price that much. I wasted sooo much money. If only I had waited 3 years. The reality is that I bought the camera new and have enjoyed every single moment with it during this time... I was NOT ripped off. I put on my big boy pants, bought the camera and went out and took photos. I knew exactly what I was doing and I did not open a thread complaing about how evil Canon marketing is.

Take some solace in the fact that after the 21st you won’t have to wallow in the shame of spending more than you think you should have. Have a Happy Mayan New year!!!

That's a terrible example, the 7D was $1699 when it came out and it's STILL $1499 and only now $1399 with xmas rebates. That's a few hundred bucks over a couple of years, it would be ridiculous to complain about $200 in depreciation over 3 years. The 5D3 dropped almost $1,000 in 6 months! Not the same at all. And you don't have to be such a prick about it.

That all depends on which market you bought in. In the UK, the 7D sold for £1699 in 2009, it is now selling for around £950. That is not far off a 50% loss. Even going by the US market, is is still a significant percentage drop, roughly the equivalent of double the drop in terms of the 5D MkIII. Of course, we have to accept the bizarre exchange rates in teh UK for electronics, compared to the actual exchange rate. Balance that though, with being able to photograph water rails on ice at ISO 1600 while lying in the snow in sub-zero temperatures. I very much doubt I'd have got the shots with my 40D. Likewise, while Iwasn't an early adopter with the 5D MkIII, I bought from Digital Rev just before the price drop, but again, I would have missed shots with the 7D or 5D MkII. Price drops are normal with any electronic goods and it is something you have to consider when buying. It's the same with TVs. On th eflip side, I bought a 300mm f/2.8 L IS a few years ago for £2700, it is now selling secondhand for around £3100.

 

[Renegade Runner]

I am the type of person who knows I am being ripped off when I buy a product on it's launch date. I hate myself for paying the premium price but I do it anyways. Some how that goes away once I am home, opening the box and holding the product in my hand. I feel so excited and happy I don't care I was ripped off anymore.

I am sure there are many like me out there and Canon knows it. So yes Canon will continue to screw people like me. Ahhh, so this is what it feels like to be on the receiving end.

 

[bp]

What a stupid thread.

Don't buy any new tech. Ever. Problem solved. Welcome to earth

 

[AAPhotog]

If I knew the camera would drop almost $1000 since release, I would have waited.
If I knew that I could purchase the camera for the same price that I did(at release) now, and get a free L lens... I would have waited
Point is, I believe that these price drops occured too soon.

Honestly, how many of you purchase items that drop this much of a price in 6 months?
when I purchase an iPhone, its the same price until... the next iphone comes out.

The flat screen TV that I purchased for $1500 when it came out almost a year ago, is till $1200

 

[AAPhotog]

do you complain about the depreciation of your car after you drive it off the dealerships lot? because that is alot worse than what any of the camera companies are doing.

this is not a new trend....its the primary reason i dont buy camera gear within the first year of its release. sry you feel burned, but this is how it goes and its been this way for a while.

chalk it up to a learning experience and show a little patience next time.

Which car are you talking about?
By the way, many people know cars will depreciate and for the most part you can pretty much KNOW how much in how long.
Did you know that this camera would loose over 25% of it's value in 6 months?
With the car, you can make a decision based on an educated assumption.

 

[HoneyBadger]

When you buy tech items within a month or two of their release.... of course you will pay a lot more than half a year or a year later. Can canon continue this? Well, you were an early adopter, I was an early adopter and other were as well so yes they can as long as we keep buying. Also, it is hard to find the 5DIII much cheaper than 2999 from a reputable dealer. I stick with amazon, adorama and BH and they wil not have it much cheaper than that unless its a very special deal somehow. I got "lucky" and amazon dropped the price to 3350 for a few hours one day and I made them price match me since I bought mine for 3499 a week before lol.

The key is to wait until it drops, buy when you absolutely need it, or buy it and enjoy it and not worry about the price drops that will always come a half year after a tech item is released.

 

[earwaxxer]

My biggest complaint about what Canon has been dishing out with their DSLR's in the past 5yrs or so, is that you can almost depend that they are not going to work right out of the box. You need to wait for several firmware upgrades, and even then the problem may not be fixed. I was VERY discouraged when my 40D stopped working due to a bad shutter after a couple of years. As I read more about that particular problem, it was pretty common. Thats not good.

And dont get me started on their lenses. They continue to lag behind third party lenses. Even after the mkll and mklll attempts!

 

[kdsand]

I don't understand why ppl get upset about firmware updates - generally I think they are a good thing. As fa as the shutter going out. Well that would suck but it is warrantied.

Can't really argue withe you about the lenses. Love my 40mm though its a great little thing & a good value.

 

[cliffwang]

If I knew the camera would drop almost $1000 since release, I would have waited.
If I knew that I could purchase the camera for the same price that I did(at release) now, and get a free L lens... I would have waited
Point is, I believe that these price drops occured too soon.

Honestly, how many of you purchase items that drop this much of a price in 6 months?
when I purchase an iPhone, its the same price until... the next iphone comes out.

The flat screen TV that I purchased for $1500 when it came out almost a year ago, is till $1200

You know not ever smartphones can keep it value as good as iPhone. Same thing here, camera price could drop very fast. Remember the golden rule, supply and demand.

 

[redz1006]

As photography is just my hobby, I usually am not an early adopter.

Everyone knows price would drop several months after initial release or when a new model is about to come out.

Bought my T2I when the T4I was about to be released and got a pretty good deal.

At the rate these prices are falling, I might just have a new FF body or 7D in the bag before the end of the year.

So....I'm not complaining at all !!! Pretty sure there are a lot of us out there too.....

 

[agierke]

do you complain about the depreciation of your car after you drive it off the dealerships lot? because that is alot worse than what any of the camera companies are doing.

this is not a new trend....its the primary reason i dont buy camera gear within the first year of its release. sry you feel burned, but this is how it goes and its been this way for a while.

chalk it up to a learning experience and show a little patience next time.

Which car are you talking about?
By the way, many people know cars will depreciate and for the most part you can pretty much KNOW how much in how long.
Did you know that this camera would loose over 25% of it's value in 6 months?
With the car, you can make a decision based on an educated assumption.

yes i knew the camera would drop in price within the first 6 months to a year. just like every other camera model has in the last 10 years. how much it dropped did not matter to me.

i am a pro so i make my purchases based on the need of my business and what my business can sustain. these are professional tools for me to make money. i also love photography and am blown away at the advancements of the technology in such a short time while continuing to get GREATER value for LESS MONEY.

i am very happy to see more and more people enjoying digital photography but it is downright annoying to hear people complaining about the price or performance of PROFESSIONAL LEVEL gear (especially non pros). it smacks of entitlement. these cameras and lenses are high performance tools that are blowing away what was possible even 5 years ago.

these are TOOLS not INVESTMENTS. if your portfolio drops in value by 25% i can certainly understand being upset. but the 5d mrk 3 has the SAME VALUE as it did the day it was released because it is still capable of the SAME PERFORMANCE. if you were unaware of the trend of price drops in the first 12 months...well now you know and you wont make the same mistake next time.

you have a phenomenal tool that is capable of providing great photographic opportunities. ENJOY IT.

back to the car comparison...if you bought a brand new Ferrari at 100k and a year later it was only worth 75k would it be any less bad-ass? the answer is no.

 

[verysimplejason]

My biggest complaint about what Canon has been dishing out with their DSLR's in the past 5yrs or so, is that you can almost depend that they are not going to work right out of the box. You need to wait for several firmware upgrades, and even then the problem may not be fixed. I was VERY discouraged when my 40D stopped working due to a bad shutter after a couple of years. As I read more about that particular problem, it was pretty common. Thats not good.

And dont get me started on their lenses. They continue to lag behind third party lenses. Even after the mkll and mklll attempts!

Working right out of the box, they will. Problem is they might have bugs. Just the same with a lot of cameras and even program applications. Most of it are from software which is created by imperfect human beings. I understand that part because I'm a programmer also. I know programs as much as we wanted them to be perfect are prone to human errors. Maybe you are complaining of 5D3? As for your 40D, how many years are we talking about and how many actuation? 40D has a rated shutter life of 100K +/-. If shutter failed within warranty period, they replace it. As for the lenses, maybe their lenses lag in some areas but are still comparable to competition. I think your only gripe should be at the prices. That and their UWA offerings. Only Nikon has a better one and Samyang (in some ways) though without AF. Almost all their short focal length with IS iteration are good to excellent. What I'm really happy with Canon is their after-sales support. I can get free sensor cleaning and AF adjustment (since my 500D doesn't have AFMA).

 

[jebrady03]

I didn't read all of the posts (sorry, don't have the time) but I always laugh when I see people say they've paid for a new camera body by the jobs they've gotten. I honestly can't say I've EVER heard of a client sitting in front of a photographer saying "hey, are you shooting with the 5D2, or 5D3? Oh, the 5D2? I'm outta here. If you had the 5D3, I'd give you my money."

 

[tron]

but if it hurts your fanboy feelings when people dare to say that canon gear is overpriced... i beg your pardon but that´s what many people think.

It is overpriced but it is our choice whether to buy or not and what item to buy and when. So what's the point of whining?

 

[verysimplejason]

but if it hurts your fanboy feelings when people dare to say that canon gear is overpriced... i beg your pardon but that´s what many people think.

It is overpriced but it is our choice whether to buy or not and what item to buy and when. So what's the point of whining?

+1 on overpriced but that's because they can. There are third party lenses and even Nikon or Sony if you're not satisfied with Canon's pricing.