Prices going up??

stylgeo

stylgeo

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Hi, sorry if this was posted here before but I went to my local Jacobs today to ask for prices for the new super telephoto i'm interested in. As I posted earlier I'm looking on buying either the 500mm or the 600mm f/4. I can find it cheaper from online UK stores (or Kerso) but i just wanted to know what would the final price be on the lens, a good tripod, a gimbal head, both canon extenders (I have the sigma ones and it's a pitty to have black on white right;)). They told me that they could offer me a good price if I bought everything from them, and I would prefer it if i bought from a local store that I trust. I've bought tons of stuff from them and they are really helpful.

Anyhow, back to my point. They asked me when I was thinking of purchasing the equipment (the guy was talking on the phone with their main branch or something) and I told them probably in the end of summer and the guy said sorry but we can't give you a price since Canon announced a 9% price increase with further price increases up ahead. They were actually re-pricing their products as we spoke at the time, all sigma lenses went up by about 10%, they said that they would put the new prices for Canon equipment soon and that Nikon announced price increases starting next week. Sorry if this is old news for you guys but I stopped buying any camera magazines and all my photography news come from the internet and I haven't read anything on the subject.
I asked about the reasons for this increase and they said that it's because of increased costs. Oil is a great part of costs, everything from material, production and transporting, so the increase in oil prices is reflected on the price of the final product. Another reason for the increase in supertele lenses prices is increased demand due to the Olympic games!!?:shrug:. Don't want to know what will happen in 2012.

A 9% increase might not sound much for some people (for a £200 lens it's just £18) but in my case, where the total cost of the equipment I'm going to buy reaches £6500, well, that's a £600 increase! That's a Gitzo carbon tripod with a gimbal head!

Have you guys heard anything on the matter? I was really thinking of getting a loan, which I really wouldn't do, I prefer to buy something only if I have the money. I won't have the total amount for another 2-3 months but by then the price would have gone way up. It's actually worth it to get a loan only if I get an APR of less than 9% on the whole amount but for the amount of money I'm looking at borrowing, the APR comes to about 15.4%. It's worth it only if I borrow more than £7500, which comes down to 7.4% but I don't really need that kind of money now. I'm confused:bang:

Is there any hope on the horizon for price drops? Has anyone heard anything? I'm now thinking of postponing my investment for next summer, just to play the waiting game.

PS:Sorry for the long thread
 
I've been looking at getting the Nikon 70-200 VR, and it's gone up £60 at Warehouse Express, within the last week or so. :(
 
Personally i would still wait, i think with the so called credit crunch companies can't afford to be putting there prices up on luxury items to much which for the main is what were talking about here, if they do people will just stop buying or buy from Hong Kong, and wave the VAT, infact if i was going to spend the sort of money your talking about i think i would get a cheap flight to Hong Kong which can be had for about £150 now and buy my kit from there, i would'ent panic just yet if i were you, see what develops in the next few months.
 
I've heard rumblings (not sure about credibility), saying that prices are due to go up by between 9 and 14% on Canon glass
 
canon have told all suppliers that any new stock they receive from july will have between a 9-14% increase across the board, how long this takes to reach the consumer i suppose depends on stock levels with the suppliers
 
I was chatting to a guy in the LCA in Southampton and apparently Sigma are due to put them up too shortly. Not sure by what percentage though.
 
Its a fact everything goes up in price, until you buy it then it looses money instantly.

I have just been working out new charges for my customers and some prices have gone up 18%, they are not happy but are willing to pay it as some have said my 'attention to detail and customer service is fantastic'.

My advice to the OP is start saving then get on a plane to NY USA and bring it back yourself and save even more.
 
14%???
That's not good news at all! I'll probably get that loan if that's the case. I'm really disappointed with this. A trip to HK doesn't sound too bad now.
 
Oli R C said:
I've been looking at getting the Nikon 70-200 VR, and it's gone up £60 at Warehouse Express, within the last week or so. :(
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They can charge what they like if they have them in stock - both Calumet and Jessops have them on backorder and aren't expecting deliveries before August - probably just in time for the new, higher, prices :thinking:

Cynical? Moi? :naughty:

minky_monkey said:
I was chatting to a guy in the LCA in Southampton and apparently Sigma are due to put them up too shortly. Not sure by what percentage though.
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Sigma have already put their prices up,in May they added 15% or thereabouts
 
Mmmmmm...I think Canon are the same with supplying stock at the moment...I guess they may send more stock over to the UK with the increased price tag.

You look at trying to source a 300 f2.8L...most places apart from the super expensive retailers are out of stock at the mo, including WEX.

I wonder whether it is due to this that stock is being delayed?
 
So, if everybody holds off and buys in a few months, they will have to bring the prices down again to generate sales.
Do you think that would work?
Allan
 
allanm said:
So, if everybody holds off and buys in a few months, they will have to bring the prices down again to generate sales.
Do you think that would work?
Allan
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Should work with everything, including food and oil. Problem is how to get enough people to hold off at the same time and for long enough to make it happen. :)
 
I thought the lenses had International Warranty wheras the bodies are different and as you say need the warranty work carried out in the country of sale, although from 1st hand experience I know that bodies purchased from Hong Kong can have warranty work carried out on them here, as I had a fault with a 30d and it was replaced by next day courier:shrug:


Flash In The Pan said:
Needs to be returned to the country that it was first sold in for any warranty work....
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The Sigma "International warranty" is another example where you need to read the small print. International doesn't mean that you can buy the lens in one country and the warranty will be valid in another, what it means is that the company have the same warranty internationally, but to get the warranty work carried out the lens needs to be returned to the distributor in the country in which it was originally sold.

Oli R C, regarding warehouseexpress and the 70-200 VR, they don't have them available at any price, like everyone else they are awaiting delivery of stock. I just wonder if one is ordered at the price it is at just now if the price will be honoured when the new, dearer, stock arrives.

I do hope so...I have one on order with them :thinking:
 
mho is correct, I've also had both bodies and lenses bought in the US repaired by Canon under warranty.
George
 
George said:
mho is correct, I've also had both bodies and lenses bought in the US repaired by Canon under warranty.
George
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Even without proof of tax payment? If that's the case then a transatlantic flight is really worth it! But how could i avoid paying taxes with a 600mm in the bag? :p
 
In my businesses there is currently no sign of recession.

If it strikes nationally then camera manufacturers will have to decide on higher prices for increased margins on reduced sales, or, lower prices with smaller margins but hopefully larger sales.

As cameras are to many a luxury hobby item, I wouldn't be surprised to see the first option
 
stylgeo said:
Even without proof of tax payment? If that's the case then a transatlantic flight is really worth it! But how could i avoid paying taxes with a 600mm in the bag? :p
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Yes, you'd take a chance if you are a UK resident. I also think you'd be better with the 500, but that's another story, you'd have a job with the 600mm case as hand baggage perhaps, but yes it's a hell of a saving but you must get it shipped out of the state where you bought it to avoid 4-8% sales tax which is never included in US prices.
And on my last 4 trips abroad, I've yet to see a customs officer in the "nothing to declare" channel, with a lens you'd pay 5% tax and vat.
George

ps Canon US lens prices went up by approx 5% 2 months ago.
 
PsiFox said:
In my businesses there is currently no sign of recession.

If it strikes nationally then camera manufacturers will have to decide on higher prices for increased margins on reduced sales, or, lower prices with smaller margins but hopefully larger sales.

As cameras are to many a luxury hobby item, I wouldn't be surprised to see the first option
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Unfortunately luxury items always have highly inelastic demands, which means we are actually willing to pay the higher price, and the companies know that. And unfortunately since there are no close substitutes, they can charge whatever they want.

I am really considering dropping a hobby or two. I might dig in to the "saving for a boat" account and forget about fishing to carry on with my photography:bang:
 
George said:
Yes, you'd take a chance if you are a UK resident. I also think you'd be better with the 500, but that's another story, you'd have a job with the 600mm case as hand baggage perhaps, but yes it's a hell of a saving but you must get it shipped out of the state where you bought it to avoid 4-8% sales tax which is never included in US prices.
And on my last 4 trips abroad, I've yet to see a customs officer in the "nothing to declare" channel, with a lens you'd pay 5% tax and vat.
George

ps Canon US lens prices went up by approx 5% 2 months ago.
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Thanks George! That's really really helpful! I'll need to think this over and it's probably worth the risk. Could you explain again the part with the different states? If for example I am flying from new york I would be better off to get it from, say Connecticut?
 
Hey, if you send me a pm with your mobile, I'm happy to give you a call, lets you ask the questions more easily!!

George
 
Well with inflation the way it is and prices of new gear going up I figure your gear should hold its value better than money. Time to buy buy buy! :lol:
 
I bought a Sigma 24-70 from DigitalDepot last week & they told me it was the last at that price as all new Sigma stock was going up in price.
 
That's so irritating. So much to buy, so little money.
I have a loooong list on lenses and gear that I want to buy.
Including Sigma 30mm f/1.4, Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro, Sigma 50-150mm f/2.8, Canon 600mm (+ another £1000 worth of tripod, head and stuff for this lens).
A 14% increase on this lot will mean an increase of £1200. this sucks.
I think I'll move to America:thumbs:
 
to avoid the tax from usa, send the empty box back by post(flatpacked obviously). take your camera and a nifty fifty with you and bring the whole lot back in the same bag.
 
Fletch, fine if you don't get caught, but if they question you at customs, they can hold the equipment until you prove it's been bought in the UK. I always carry copy receipts with me when travelling, some countries particularly in the 3rd world can get very funny about lots of expensive gear.
 
kerso was telling me that canon put up their prices at the end of June by 5%
 
Yes, that's quite correct, and those that had old priced stock put their prices up pretty swiftly after that.
 
George said:
Fletch, fine if you don't get caught, but if they question you at customs, they can hold the equipment until you prove it's been bought in the UK. I always carry copy receipts with me when travelling, some countries particularly in the 3rd world can get very funny about lots of expensive gear.
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I know of someone, travelling from the US who ended up paying import tax on a very expensive collectable (£30k+) watch which he had been all over the world with but hadn't initially paid the duty on. The really irritating bit for him was since he had bought it it had gone up considerably in value so he ended up paying far more in tax than he would have been due in the first place :lol::bang::lol:
 
Yes, Flash, ......wish my camera gear would go up in value considerably...ha!! but it does prove the point, you may be lucky most of the time but you never know...
 
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