Paul B wrote:
Not really for the large superteles (500/600.) There was basically one increase in the last 3 years (about 5% for the currency readjustment earlier this year.) Now they've gone up 8-9% in the last couple days. So that's a 17% increase just this year for the 600. No purchase for me (and I'd even been hoping the 800 would stay below $11,000 and trend downwards. Guess my bank account is safe for the time being. )
Yeah, the super-teles have remained expensive (though relatively static) but many of the shorter FL L lenses have been rising in price for a while.
This is sad, soon we'll be like the Nikonian snobs boasting about our superior ergonomics (ala 7D), then turning around to buy Stigmas and Tampons. - rsg_1
Hey wait a minute! is it Tampons=Tampax are you talking about?
but then again, in case of emergency, after your wife hit you with the new 600mm lens in the head, it could be used as a band-aid...
pipspeak wrote:
it's a little puzzling that we have had so many (OK, a couple) of price rises this year when we're in the middle of a recession and deflationary pressures are mounting everywhere else in the economy. I understand the dollar/yen issue but I also understand economics 101 that suggests that higher prices often result in lower volumes.
The cynic in me wonders if this is as much to do with the release of the 7D and the additional demand for lenses it's expected to create.
I believe that demand has consistently exceeded their forecasts. Canon for years had the best value lenses. I believe that now they see little reason to leave that money "on the table". Hopefully some of the extra cost goes to QC. I am cautiously optimistic that they are improving.
Video on the 5D2 wiped out inventory on better fast lenses like Contax that could be adapted to Canon. That's a pretty good sign that demand for better glass is high.
It's also difficult for them to surge volume on the superteles. They don't want item volume to exceed their capacity.
pipspeak wrote:
it's a little puzzling that we have had so many (OK, a couple) of price rises this year when we're in the middle of a recession and deflationary pressures are mounting everywhere else in the economy. I understand the dollar/yen issue but I also understand economics 101 that suggests that higher prices often result in lower volumes.
The cynic in me wonders if this is as much to do with the release of the 7D and the additional demand for lenses it's expected to create.
Canon and others are focusing on profitability over volume. There will always be buyers, the trick I guess is finding a balance between higher prices that a certain number will still accept and prices that are simply too high. An inside source also mentioned that Canon USA has been having some challenges reaching sales targets this year. It's possible that they've given up on hitting certain volume numbers and are trying to make it up with better profit. Combine this with appealing new product like the 7D and it's possible it may achieve what they desire.
Just a wild guess, but maybe they really will be updating the super-tele lenses soon. Raising the prices now will then 'justify' an additional 10-15% increase for the new lenses (I mean, look at the cost of the 800 vs. the 600!) and maybe still be less expensive than the Nikon equivalents.
To a certain degree I wouldn't mind seeing prices go way up if it thinned out the ranks and brought back a bit more exclusivity to the profession. But I doubt that will happen. The manufacturers make way more money on the consumer end and a lot of that gear is good enough for pro use...
dcmiller wrote:
It looks to me like a lot of stuff goes unsold on B&S.
Because IMO the prices on the B&S are too close to new many times. I'm not going to buy a used item if it's within 20% of new.
dcmiller wrote:
I believe that demand has consistently exceeded their forecasts. Canon for years had the best value lenses. I believe that now they see little reason to leave that money "on the table". Hopefully some of the extra cost goes to QC. I am cautiously optimistic that they are improving.
I was just about to say the same thing. Most of Canon's business (like most companies) has been seriously impacted in terms of revenue and this may represent, unfortunately, a major turning point in their pricing strategy to help turn things around. The fact that most major economies seem about to start growing may have helped spur them in this direction on the assumption that people will have more money to spend.
I've also seen some statements by the Nikonians that Nikon is raising prices (though I don't follow Nikon pricing.) It would not be unheard of in trying economic conditions for the largest firms 2-3 firms to sort of raise prices at the same time, helping everyone except consumers. No formal agreements, of course (that would be illegal in most places); just prices that seem to trend upwards at around the same time. It will be interesting to see if the price spread on superteles between Canon and Nikon remains the same in the few months.
) 
Now they have to make one more.