Will not buy Canon gear at launch.

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Have you noticed that newly introduced lenses have no issues? Also, their prices do not fall afterwards (exceptions are maybe the latest 24 2.8, 28 2.8 and 35 2.0).
So there are no excuses for any delays in satisfying lens G.A.S ;D ;D ;D

Perhaps you should check the price for a 100-400mm L introduced about 7 months ago, and now available for $1999, which is $200 less!

As soon as initial backlogs are filled, and products are filling the bins at big photo stores, prices are reduced. They have ways of getting around the MAP prices, such as selling thru a referral from Canon Price Watch.

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/product/05613/Canon-EF-100-400mm-f4.5-5.6L-IS-II-price.html

 

[Aglet]

Oddly enough, bought most of my Canon gear during intro-bundle-promo's and the prices quickly rose after that and weren't back down to the intro price until about a year later and on sale.
Bodies with lenses or big-whites alone I've managed to do that.
Alas, that was a few years ago and marketing strategies have likely changed as I've been ABC for nearly 3 now other than an overnight dalliance with a 7d2 that didn't want to focus anytime soon.

 

[JonAustin]

There may be other factors at play, as well, re: timing of purchases, depending upon individual circumstances. I bought my 5D III during the last week of 2012 (~ 9 months after its introduction), and both a 100-400 II and a 16-35/4 during the last week of 2014, in order to expense the purchases to those years for tax purposes.

The 5D III and the 16-35/4 had each been out long enough when I bought them for their prices to have dropped, but not the 100-400 II. However, the 100-400 had been out long enough for me to read the (glowing) reviews, and depreciation isn't nearly the issue with lenses as it is with camera bodies.

I bought the 5D III for its vastly improved AF system, compared to the 5D (original, which I still own) and the 5D II (which I didn't buy), even though I really don't need its higher resolution most of the time. I currently plan to buy a 2nd 5D III at close-out prices after the 5D IV is released, and finally sell / give away my 20D and 5D.

 

[tahoetoeknee]

My plan- bought the 5d3 in oct. of 2012, my plan is to buy the 5D4 two years after the oct anniversary. That's just a plan tho

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I bought my 5D MK III for $2750 on one of Adorama's 1 day special deals on ebay, and got a $60 ebay rebate which bought a 2nd Canon battery. This was 9/15/2012, Not quiet 6 months after the Camera started deliveries for $3600 around March 22 of 2012. The price later went up a few hundred $ again.

 

[RunAndGun]

Bought my 5D mkIII on launch day and had/have no regrets. It's also never been in for any type of service because of "defects" of being an early model or otherwise(the so-called light leak). And if I deem the mkIV a worthwhile upgrade, I'll prob do the same. If I feel that it's worth buying, why would I wait 6-12 months to try and save a few $100 when I could be out enjoying it then?

I did save several hundred dollars on the 70-200 after it came out by waiting several months, but it was just a happy accident. I wasn't holding out for a price reduction, it was just when I decided to pull the trigger on it.

 

[Hjalmarg1]

Learnt my lesson with the price drops. Will not buy Canon gear at introduction. Just 6 months is enough for a price drop.
Just speaking out loud.

Dilbert was right when he said that it may be worth waiting few months before buying the 5ds/r.

You are totally right. I also learned my lesson with the latest 16-35mm f4L IS that now can be found for about $200 less than I paid

 

[kbmelb]

I got my 5DsR at launch for $200 off and with about $180 of usable extras thrown in from Best Buy.
It was worth it to me to get in early, I often have agencies asking if I can supply high res and what the extra cost is. Now I can do so with out renting gear or fighting with the shortcomings of MF systems. Plus I needed to upgrade my 1Ds3 so...Oh, and it's a write off so it's a wash on the price anyway.

 

[tron]

Learnt my lesson with the price drops. Will not buy Canon gear at introduction. Just 6 months is enough for a price drop.
Just speaking out loud.

Dilbert was right when he said that it may be worth waiting few months before buying the 5ds/r.

You are totally right. I also learned my lesson with the latest 16-35mm f4L IS that now can be found for about $200 less than I paid

Yes but a year has passed since its introduction. Are the photo opportunities you lost worth less than 200$ ?

 

[Stu_bert]

Learnt my lesson with the price drops. Will not buy Canon gear at introduction. Just 6 months is enough for a price drop.
Just speaking out loud.

Dilbert was right when he said that it may be worth waiting few months before buying the 5ds/r.

You are totally right. I also learned my lesson with the latest 16-35mm f4L IS that now can be found for about $200 less than I paid

Yes but a year has passed since its introduction. Are the photo opportunities you lost worth less than 200$ ?

+1.

It is an unfortunate reflection of the state of the market that prices change that soon after launch, but ultimately when we buy we are prepared to pay the price that is being asked, and we enjoy the benefits that purchase brings...

As an early adopter Sanj, you have access to a fantastic camera. Enjoy it, don't reflect on the downside, just look at the beautiful images it produces - alas we can't change the past so look forward and enjoy

 

[tron]

Have you noticed that newly introduced lenses have no issues? Also, their prices do not fall afterwards (exceptions are maybe the latest 24 2.8, 28 2.8 and 35 2.0).
So there are no excuses for any delays in satisfying lens G.A.S ;D ;D ;D

Perhaps you should check the price for a 100-400mm L introduced about 7 months ago, and now available for $1999, which is $200 less!

As soon as initial backlogs are filled, and products are filling the bins at big photo stores, prices are reduced. They have ways of getting around the MAP prices, such as selling thru a referral from Canon Price Watch.

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/product/05613/Canon-EF-100-400mm-f4.5-5.6L-IS-II-price.html

Maybe BUT:

1. The first part of my comments referred to the new lenses having no issues so no reason to delay.
2. The price reductions apply mostly to USA and not to Europe. Even so your example shows a 10% (more or less) price reduction or a 200$ amount which depending on what you are going to photograph is not probably huge (compared with the advantages of the new 100-400 vs the old one).

 

[GMCPhotographics]

Learnt my lesson with the price drops. Will not buy Canon gear at introduction. Just 6 months is enough for a price drop.
Just speaking out loud.

Dilbert was right when he said that it may be worth waiting few months before buying the 5ds/r.

Nikon and Sigma are just the same. You pay a big premium initially. A lot of this is basic supply and demand.

 

[YuengLinger]

Learnt my lesson with the price drops. Will not buy Canon gear at introduction. Just 6 months is enough for a price drop.
Just speaking out loud.

Dilbert was right when he said that it may be worth waiting few months before buying the 5ds/r.

How is this just a Canon issue? Think cars, TV's, smartphones, software...

If a company makes the tool I need and sells it at a reasonable price, I buy it. If I don't need it, I buy it later.

Another point: I use to really fuss about the price of books in bookstores compared to online. Now there are no more bookstores. Soon, with e-readers, there won't be anymore used books. Every book we buy will be at the new price, and not ours to share with friends or donate to our local library. This was all brought about by collective consumer behavior.

Much of the same sad industry transformation has already happened with photography. Those of us who think being stingy is a virtue, who get angry at the price of a camera, a fast-food burger, a new novel, a computer OS, or American made products, are reaping the whirlwind, my friends.

If you gripe about jobs in America or Europe, you have stingy consumers to thank, largely. Corporations exhibit the same stinginess with profits, but we call that greed. Cheers!

 

[bholliman]

I paid the early adopters premium in December 2012 when I bought my 6D for $2,100. At the time I was ready to switch to full frame and was willing to pay extra for it. Two plus years later I picked up a gray market 5D MkIII for $2,000. I will probably pick up a 5D MkIV at some point, but imagine it will be 1 year plus after its launched. I'm very happy with my 5D3 and 6D now and am still trying to develop my skills to fully maximize my equipment.

 

[Bennymiata]

I love having the latest and greatest, but I still watch my pennies.
i bought a new 5D3 a week or so after they were released.
Everyone here in Oz was asking A$4k for them, but I saw an ad saying one of our major department stores was having a 20% off sale on all cameras, so I went in, and although they didn't have a 5D3 in stock, they could order one in for me and have it within a week.
So, I got the latest camera at a huge discount that no camera store would even consider.

You can find deals like this from retailers that you wouldn't normally think of.

 

[pwp]

On the other hand ... life´s too short to postpone unavoidable decisions ... :

Yep sometimes you've just got to jump in. My 5D3 was full launch price but I more than made up the difference with my first job. I was just so glad to have it. From a pure business viewpoint, the ROI on the 5D3 has been completely spectacular.

 

[unfocused]

Dilbert was right...

Careful, those are fighting words.

Seriously, I see that Canon Price Watch is now offering a $400 price drop on the 5D-s. Now, before a big argument starts about how this is a sure sign that Canon is doomed, I wish to remind everyone that all of these price drops are dealer driven, and not the result of Canon cutting prices.

I believe some of the price drops we have been seeing lately are related to two things.

First, I think authorized dealers are feeling pressure from the unauthorized import dealers in the U.S. who are taking advantage of favorable exchange rates to undercut official prices. Understandably, authorized dealers are trying to compete and seem to be getting quite creative about circumventing MAP. The most obvious being the Canon Price Watch "street price" program and the latest gimmick I've heard of – stores holding "demonstration days" and then selling off brand new bodies and lenses as "demo" items because they were unpackaged and put on display for an hour or two.

Secondly, I think the realities of the mature market may be a factor as well. There have been countless discussions about the drop in camera sales overall. I am sure retailers are doing whatever they can to try to squeeze a few more dollars out of consumers and if that means discounting products and offering bundles for extra savings...well who can blame them. Camera manufacturers (like Canon) are well familiar with the ups and downs of the market and have built the contraction into their business plans. But, retailers tend to work on much smaller margins and don't generally have a lot of cash piled up to help them through lean times. Instead they cut prices and reduce their margins -- which is what I think is happening now.

Of course, cameras always drop in prices -- especially in the first year to 18 months. (Then again when they are nearing the model's end of life.) I do think it is pretty interesting though that the 5DIII seems to have dropped below what the 5DII was selling for at the end of its product cycle life. At the same time, it seems as though the 7DII is selling for less than the original 7D sold for even after several years on the market.

That's actually making it very hard for me to resist a 7DII. I just have to rationalize why I need it.

 

[sanj]

It is interesting, all my expensive gear (some of it I have sold now) was bought when just weeks before my Africa trips. 1dx, 5d3, 600mm etc. all bought days before and since I live in India I would go through nail biting experience hoping the items would reach me via friends before I left.
So, we buy when we need I guess.

 

[sanj]

Have you noticed that newly introduced lenses have no issues? Also, their prices do not fall afterwards (exceptions are maybe the latest 24 2.8, 28 2.8 and 35 2.0).
So there are no excuses for any delays in satisfying lens G.A.S ;D ;D ;D

Perhaps you should check the price for a 100-400mm L introduced about 7 months ago, and now available for $1999, which is $200 less!

As soon as initial backlogs are filled, and products are filling the bins at big photo stores, prices are reduced. They have ways of getting around the MAP prices, such as selling thru a referral from Canon Price Watch.

http://www.canonpricewatch.com/product/05613/Canon-EF-100-400mm-f4.5-5.6L-IS-II-price.html

Maybe BUT:

1. The first part of my comments referred to the new lenses having no issues so no reason to delay.
2. The price reductions apply mostly to USA and not to Europe. Even so your example shows a 10% (more or less) price reduction or a 200$ amount which depending on what you are going to photograph is not probably huge (compared with the advantages of the new 100-400 vs the old one).

I just bought the 16-35 f4 IS for $900. New, box opened.

 

[sanj]

If you stay a generation behind in camera bodies you will never be disappointed.

I'm still getting paid using a 5Dii. Only if my clients knew....they wouldn't care!

Wise strategy. Cameras these days have incremental progress (mostly). So 1 gen old camera gets the photo just fine. The new ones make it happen easier for sure.