Canon Price Drops on L Lenses

[LetTheRightLensIn]

The price on the 24-70 f/4 should have been under $1K from the get-go. No way did it feel or perform like a $1500 lens.

OTOH the 24-105L list wasn't much less and that performed much worse (especially at 24mm). Of course 24-105 street had fallen like crazy.

The 24-70 f/4 IS had been on sale for $1000 every few months or so for a long time. It does make sense to lock it there. It's really going to make the places listing 24-105 for $1200 look beyond absurd though now. That was beyond absurd already. I guess 24-105 is now discontinued (replaced by 24-70 f/4 IS as I had been saying).

 

[Mitch.Conner]

Hmm...I'm no mathematician... but I'm pretty sure there's a mistake for the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II. $1,999.00 minus $250 should be less than $1,999.00, right?

MSRP was $2199, with the $200 price drop it's now $1999.

I was just pointing out that for that lens, the front page lists Old Price=$1,999.00 Drop=$250.00 New Price=$1,999.00. It's a typo I assume.

 

[Loswr]

Hmm...I'm no mathematician... but I'm pretty sure there's a mistake for the Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5 L II. $1,999.00 minus $250 should be less than $1,999.00, right?

MSRP was $2199, with the $200 price drop it's now $1999.

I was just pointing out that for that lens, the front page lists Old Price=$1,999.00 Drop=$250.00 New Price=$1,999.00. It's a typo I assume.

Ahhh, sorry – didn't pay much attention to the CR post since it was posted on CPW yesterday.

 

[RGomezPhotos]

Makes sense if this is a permanent reduction. Reducing something by 10% for the long-term would be a big hit.

I agree... Saying your gear has lost XX% in value only comes into play if you sell your gear often or it stays on the shelf. For those of us in which photography is a passion or business, a lens only gains in value.

 

[garyknrd]

I am kicking myself. A few months ago here in Thailand Canon put the 500 & 600 II on sale for about 8000 & 10,000. It lasted about two months. I really want a tripod mount 600 II + 1.4 for some stationary work....

 

[JPCanonUser]

Is this at all related to a stronger dollar? Just wondering.

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-few-brief-comments-on-the-technical-condition-of-the-dollar-2014-8

Perhaps. Havent seen any announcement for reductions in Japan, for example, 24-70 F4 L IS is still JPY 154,000

 

[Chaitanya]

Is this at all related to a stronger dollar? Just wondering.

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-few-brief-comments-on-the-technical-condition-of-the-dollar-2014-8

Perhaps. Havent seen any announcement for reductions in Japan, for example, 24-70 F4 L IS is still JPY 154,000

Canon India has already dropped price in June. I reckon they might do it again to keep price on par with these new Us prices.
http://www.jjmehta.com/forum/index.php?topic=36292.0

 

[e17paul]

Does anyone know if Canon UK have also dropped prices? It would appear so from http://www.wexphotographic.com/brand/?canon-price-drop

This may be a global priice realignment before new lenses are announced at Photokina

 

[Maximilian]

I can also see some price drops here in Germany. But most retailers have not yet reduced their prices.

 

[dcm]

Just browsed the Canon refurb page.

EF 24-70 f/4L IS USM Refurbished $799.99 (in stock, price drop)

EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM Refurbished $919.20

 

[jeffa4444]

The price drops are not about competition they speak volumes about the fall in new camera purchases these normally spark lens purchases even if some of these lenses are specialist. Canon are trying to find ways to stimulate the market in two weeks time were get a clearer picture at Photokina when GfK publish market data about the state of the industry which has been in contraction.

 

[unfocused]

Just a little reality check here. Keep in mind the "price drops" are more like price matching to the same prices during rebate periods.

Since rebates have been pretty much constant for the past few years, it's entirely possible that Canon's marketing research has shown that the rebate system is no longer an effective marketing tool and it would be better to just institute the rebate prices permanently.

I guess we'll know if, in a couple of months or weeks Canon offers rebates on top of the new prices. But, in the meantime, I'm not sure we should assume these prices mean anything at all.

One thought – if Canon abandons the rebates for permanent price reductions, this could also be a sign they are throwing in the towel on MAP enforcement. It's no secret manufacturers have been completely unable to actually enforce MAP prices in the internet world. Rebate periods have been used to enforce MAP. Perhaps Canon has decided they will reduce the list prices and then accept that dealers will offer lower prices.

 

[ramon123]

How does this affect the black Friday weekend/month? The Canon 70-200 F2.8L IS II normally drops to $1799.

My question is, will this lens drop even more, possibly to $1599 on black Friday weekend/month?

 

[Loswr]

How does this affect the black Friday weekend/month? The Canon 70-200 F2.8L IS II normally drops to $1799.

My question is, will this lens drop even more, possibly to $1599 on black Friday weekend/month?

Ask us on the following Saturday...

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Just browsed the Canon refurb page.

EF 24-70 f/4L IS USM Refurbished $799.99 (in stock, price drop)

EF 24-105 f/4L IS USM Refurbished $919.20

Now that is truly bizarre, considering that the 24-70 f/4 IS is a better lens in just about every possible regard (size, weight, resistance to longitudinal CA, resistance to later CA, distortion, edge and corner sharpness, close focusing distance, IS quality) the only thing it loses on is 71-105mm (or more realistically call it 85-105mm since does 70mm vs 80mm really matter much much less 70mm vs 71mm). Not to mention as well that it's easy to find brand new white box 24-105 for as low as $600, so who would pay $920 for a refurb 24-105L. I mean you have the superior 24-70 f/4 IS for only a few bucks more new and for less as refurb and the 24-105 all over forums and ebay for hundreds less, for true new not refurb.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

The price drops are not about competition they speak volumes about the fall in new camera purchases these normally spark lens purchases even if some of these lenses are specialist. Canon are trying to find ways to stimulate the market in two weeks time were get a clearer picture at Photokina when GfK publish market data about the state of the industry which has been in contraction.

Maybe they are trying to get users to lock into just a few more lenses before it turns out the 7D2,5D4,1DX2 still use older sensor tech.... (at least in very small part, or as an added bonus)

 

[Loswr]

Maybe they are trying to get users to lock into just a few more lenses before it turns out the 7D2,5D4,1DX2 still use older sensor tech.... (at least in very small part, or as an added bonus)

Yeah, because there no way all the amazing images taken with that 'older sensor tech' will convince anyone to consider Canon.

 

[bdeutsch]

The price drops are not about competition they speak volumes about the fall in new camera purchases these normally spark lens purchases even if some of these lenses are specialist.

I find that very hard to believe. I think that Canon has to be taking a big hit on lens sales because Tamron and Sigma are now making as good or better lenses than Canon at significantly lower prices.

Deutsch Photography LLC: NYC Wedding Photographer | Actor and Corporate Headshots NYC | Family and Baby Portraits

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Maybe they are trying to get users to lock into just a few more lenses before it turns out the 7D2,5D4,1DX2 still use older sensor tech.... (at least in very small part, or as an added bonus)

Yeah, because there no way all the amazing images taken with that 'older sensor tech' will convince anyone to consider Canon.

DOn't forget that a number of the user surveys that Canon has sent out have had questions along the lines of: how trapped do you feel by your lens collection, do you think it's too expensive to switch systems, etc.

 

[rrcphoto]

The price drops are not about competition they speak volumes about the fall in new camera purchases these normally spark lens purchases even if some of these lenses are specialist. Canon are trying to find ways to stimulate the market in two weeks time were get a clearer picture at Photokina when GfK publish market data about the state of the industry which has been in contraction.

you sure about? is canon USA the only place where lenses are purchased / sold for canon? did I miss the rest of the world?

this speaks far more to the Yen than to anything - it's easier and more cost effective to drop the price versus running continual rebates.