10D to be discontinued?

[Conor]

a friend of mine was at Ritz camera today, and he wanted to purchase a 10d, the sale person told him, that they were out of stock and not bringing any more 10d's in because canon is discontinnuing them.

anyone who works in a camera store, or knows someone can we find out the real deal here?

thanks

[Belmondo]

Cool! I've always wanted to own a collector's item. Now I've got two of them!

[Malaxos1]

Not sure how true it is but it could mean something better in that price range, Oh and a lot of cheap ones on ebay. Either way I still want one...Dean

[FotoPhreak]

If this is true, what do you think its effect will be on the price of the 300D?

Those of you who have been around cameras for awhile, can you make a guestimated predication as to the re-sale value of the 300D & 10D in:

6months
1yr
2yrs

I know, I know ... your first reaction will probably be that you can't say accurately as don't know what technology is around the corner ...

Well as I said, I am only asking for a guess, and it might help to take other information in like Nikon is very close to announcing the 300D's first competitor, and other peoples predictions are that the next major Canon release will be a 1D replacement (possibly 3D).

This brings me to another point, if, as you have heard, the 10D is to be discontinued, is it because they are making more money from the 300D's and thus require the chips for them?!?!

Or maybe the next release will not be a 1D replacement but a 10D replacement?

Just some thoughts.

[ilya]

FotoPhreak wrote:
I know, I know ... your first reaction will probably be that you can't say accurately as don't know what technology is around the corner ...


Wouldn't say that's my first reaction ~ my reaction is that its probably not healthy to day-trade stocks or camera equipment.

Seriously - it doesn't matter. You can go nuts overanalyzing stuff like this. Have fun.

[FotoPhreak]

ilya wrote:
FotoPhreak wrote:
I know, I know ... your first reaction will probably be that you can't say accurately as don't know what technology is around the corner ...


Wouldn't say that's my first reaction ~ my reaction is that its probably not healthy to day-trade stocks or camera equipment.

Seriously - it doesn't matter. You can go nuts overanalyzing stuff like this. Have fun.

Thanks Ilya, I know what your saying.

'Can go nuts' ... too far past can, past tense now!

You have just pin-pointed to the nth degree exactly where my problem stems from ... I am a day trader ... I hate buying long term shares.

Now if I can just get a firmware upgrade for my brain, which does not allow me to even consider such ideas ... I would actually get to buying/using the thing I have drooled/idolised/dreamt over for so long now.

[Malaxos1]

It could also be that the sales person doesn't know what he is talking about. It wouldn't be the first time I have heard something that just wasn't true. Not saying that he is wrong, but I could see it...Dean

[ilya]

Malaxos1 wrote:
It could also be that the sales person doesn't know what he is talking about. It wouldn't be the first time I have heard something that just wasn't true. Not saying that he is wrong, but I could see it...Dean

Yup. This rumor was started I believe by a thread on another board which discussed the severe shortages of the 10D in the UK. It spread like wildfire through other boards, miraculously not here...till now. There is no facts to support this rumor. Look, you have 300D in the Consumer space, 10D in Prosumer, and 1D/1Ds in the Pro. The 300D, the 10D and the 1Ds are clear winners in their respective slots. The 1D is a great camera, but its been around a long time, and the recent price cuts...it would make sense that the 1D will get replaced. It wouldn't make a lot of sense to cut the 10D a clear leader in this space, after only 8 months (though stranger things have been known to happen). If that happens, I'm very happy to have snapped up a 10D. Kind of almost hoping in a perverse way.

[Mikesht]

When I was bying mine (online) I asked the salesman the same question. He basically said that there is a shortage of cameras because everybody wants them, and dismissed the "discontinued" idea. In fact laughed at me even... It's like cutting a chicken that brings golden eggs :-))
Just my 2 cents.

[Belmondo]

It makes perfect sense to me:
Canon has a camera that's wildly successful and they can't keep up with production, so they replace it with another possibly less desireable unit so that demand won't outstrip production.

Why do I doubt it?

[ilya]

I can only think of one possibility, and it would be a bit too capitalistic even for my taste.

They could do a "tweener". That's a mid-life model before planned obsolescence. Add a couple of features, maybe combine the boards from 4 or 5(?) to 1 a la Rebel. Save money but make it look better. Charge ~$2000, leave gap between $900 for the consumer, while stretching people from $1500 to $2000. Evil, eh?

But this is pure speculation and very much nonsense on my part.

[Vegas Poboy]

I heard the same rumor two weeks ago from a Wolf salesman but I went to a pro shop and they said the 10d is a hot camera and as far as they know Canon will be shipping the 10d for a good while.
Ritz & Wolf is not considered as a pro shop so it's easier for them to push the Rebel D over the 10D. In fact here in Vegas if you wanted a 10D from them (wolf/Ritz) you had to go online or purchase it @ one of the Ritzs located in the tourist trap area. Since we get so many out of country visiters its easier for them to sell to tourist than residents.

[scavenger73]

I think is real...here in italy is hard to find a 10D body even online...i just bought one of the last (or the last) just a few weeks ago...not easy to find anymore...

[Motorsports Photo]

Doesnt everything electronic get discontinued in a year?

(-:

-Pete

[CoolToolGuy]

I'll throw in an observation. Just before the Drebel was announced, the 10D became 'unavailable' and some online stores were droppping the price. It may be because they were reducing their inventories due to the competition that the Drebel would soon provide. Now, before the 10D bigots flood the topic, the reality is that before the Drebel was available, there were many folks (me, for one) trying to figure out how long it would take to save up for a 10D. Then, the Drebel made the scene and solved my dilemma - oops, Canon lost a 10d sale, but gained a Drebel customer. Perhaps the same thing is happening in preparation for the February announcement, which many folks speculate is a replacement for the 1D - cheaper than the 1D, perhaps, and 'stealing' 10D sales?
That said, I have also seen several 24-70 'L' demos and the like advertised on eBay and elsewhere, and I wonder if the same thing is going on. I happen to be interested in a 24-70, so that's why I noticed.

Have Fun,
Rick

[defordphoto]

The 1Ds is going to be discontinued too. And the Drebel is not that far behind. And the 1D is all but dead.

So what?

[BobbyC]

Chuck Westfall from Canon said the 10D will be a current model through 2004.

[karusel]

It's a marketing strategy. As simple as keeping supply lower than demand -maintains or increases its price; if it only maintains it it seems kind of cheap, eventhough it isn't really, and all stock in shops is sold instantly. What more would a shopkeeper and producer want??? And now those silly rumors about discontinuing 10D. Will the price go up now? Bah, until there is a new and better alternative to 10D they ain't gonna kill the line.

[James01]

Here's how I see it:

Canon is going to discontinue the 10D and 1D… Upgrade the firmware of the 300D to match the 1D (I would have said 1Ds but lets get real) feature set and the world will be a better place for everyone to live and take photos in. Why… cause Canon cares about there customers more than they do $$$.




Ok maybe not...


:D

[PaulB]

Latest hot rumour here in the Uk.
The 10D is going to be revamped/updated in early 2004 = announcement at PMA, same as the updated 1D (which is a fact I can assure you)?

[TimNYC]

I despise rumors. With that said, here is what I was told this week by a Canon Regional Sales Manager. We had a nice discussion, mainly about the products I had purchased over this past year. Our conversation progressed to the DRebel. His statement to me was that the DRebel will be upgradded in the Spring of 2004. Now, take that for what it's worth. Could be pure BS on his part for all I know. I'm just the messenger.

[droosan]

Conor wrote:
a friend of mine was at Ritz camera today, and he wanted to purchase a 10d, the sale person told him, that they were out of stock and not bringing any more 10d's in because canon is discontinnuing them.


Maybe. But it is also likely that because the Ritz guy didn't have the 10D's in stock, and had different cameras he wanted to sell, he said whatever popped into his head.

I am hoping the 1D replacement comes in at about $2499.

[agit-prop]

OK, here's the real scoop:

Canon will be replacing all of thier digital SLRs with one model that can be upgraded via software flashes. The new model will have a full frame 14.1 MP sensor. The "Pro" firmware will utilize the entire sensor, the prosumer firmware will sample a smaller section of the sensor and the consumer version of the firmware will only sample an APS sized section of the sensor. The camera will sport a 2.5"LCD on the back, and the pentaprism will be complimented by a small cmos sensor that will allow you to use the rear LCD as a live preview, thus allowing you to compose a shot without putting your eye to the viewfinder. It will also allow you to shoot in a movie mode which will use MPEG4 as the compression technique. Optionally on the pro version you may choose to record in uncompressed HDTV. As far as the basic construction of the camera is concerned, it will be made of a new plastic/metal alloy that will be as rigid as magnesium yet as light as polycarbonate. This plastic features some unique features. First, it is hydrophobic, thus affording a level of environmental protection equivalent to the 1Ds. Secondly, the plastic will allow the camera to actually float with lenses that weigh less than 5 oz. such as the 50mm f/1.8. Thirdly, the camera will (depending on the level of firmware used) be capable of changing it's color from silver at the consumer end to charcoal grey with the prosumer software, and flat black with the Pro software. It's rumored that the consumer version software will have other color options available as well as patterns such as Camouflage, Happy face, Stars and Stripes, and Hello Kitty!

Several unique accesories will also be available ranging from an 802.11G 56mB/s wireless card that coes into the CF slot, a battery grip that includes a "freeplay" hand-cranked power generation unit to allow off-grid, in-camera recharging, and a bulk storage grip that allows the use of 2.5" laptop hard drives (up to 60 GB) for storeage. This bulk storage grip will also incorporate a gigabit ethernet port to allow speedy downloads of images to your mac or PC. It will also allow you to install mac OSX onto your camera so you can run protoshop CS natively in the camera (pro firmware only)

[James01]

Agit-Prop wrote:
OK, here's the real scoop:

Canon will be replacing all of thier digital SLRs with one model that can be upgraded via software flashes. The new model will have a full frame 14.1 MP sensor. The "Pro" firmware will utilize the entire sensor, the prosumer firmware will sample a smaller section of the sensor and the consumer version of the firmware will only sample an APS sized section of the sensor. The camera will sport a 2.5"LCD on the back, and the pentaprism will be complimented by a small cmos sensor that will allow you to use the rear LCD as a live preview, thus allowing you to compose a shot without putting your eye to the viewfinder. It will also allow you to shoot in a movie mode which will use MPEG4 as the compression technique. Optionally on the pro version you may choose to record in uncompressed HDTV. As far as the basic construction of the camera is concerned, it will be made of a new plastic/metal alloy that will be as rigid as magnesium yet as light as polycarbonate. This plastic features some unique features. First, it is hydrophobic, thus affording a level of environmental protection equivalent to the 1Ds. Secondly, the plastic will allow the camera to actually float with lenses that weigh less than 5 oz. such as the 50mm f/1.8. Thirdly, the camera will (depending on the level of firmware used) be capable of changing it's color from silver at the consumer end to charcoal grey with the prosumer software, and flat black with the Pro software. It's rumored that the consumer version software will have other color options available as well as patterns such as Camouflage, Happy face, Stars and Stripes, and Hello Kitty!

Several unique accesories will also be available ranging from an 802.11G 56mB/s wireless card that coes into the CF slot, a battery grip that includes a "freeplay" hand-cranked power generation unit to allow off-grid, in-camera recharging, and a bulk storage grip that allows the use of 2.5" laptop hard drives (up to 60 GB) for storeage. This bulk storage grip will also incorporate a gigabit ethernet port to allow speedy downloads of images to your mac or PC. It will also allow you to install mac OSX onto your camera so you can run protoshop CS natively in the camera (pro firmware only)


I want one.

[GenEOS]

BobbyC wrote:
Chuck Westfall from Canon said the 10D will be a current model through 2004.

January 1, 2004 could be considered "through 2004"

I wish they would hurry up and replace the 1D....
I wanna see what they come up with!

[daaaveman]

Agit-Prop wrote:
OK, here's the real scoop:

Canon will be replacing all of thier digital SLRs with one model that can be upgraded via software flashes. The new model will have a full frame 14.1 MP sensor. The "Pro" firmware will utilize the entire sensor, the prosumer firmware will sample a smaller section of the sensor and the consumer version of the firmware will only sample an APS sized section of the sensor. The camera will sport a 2.5"LCD on the back, and the pentaprism will be complimented by a small cmos sensor that will allow you to use the rear LCD as a live preview, thus allowing you to compose a shot without putting your eye to the viewfinder. It will also allow you to shoot in a movie mode which will use MPEG4 as the compression technique. Optionally on the pro version you may choose to record in uncompressed HDTV. As far as the basic construction of the camera is concerned, it will be made of a new plastic/metal alloy that will be as rigid as magnesium yet as light as polycarbonate. This plastic features some unique features. First, it is hydrophobic, thus affording a level of environmental protection equivalent to the 1Ds. Secondly, the plastic will allow the camera to actually float with lenses that weigh less than 5 oz. such as the 50mm f/1.8. Thirdly, the camera will (depending on the level of firmware used) be capable of changing it's color from silver at the consumer end to charcoal grey with the prosumer software, and flat black with the Pro software. It's rumored that the consumer version software will have other color options available as well as patterns such as Camouflage, Happy face, Stars and Stripes, and Hello Kitty!

Several unique accesories will also be available ranging from an 802.11G 56mB/s wireless card that coes into the CF slot, a battery grip that includes a "freeplay" hand-cranked power generation unit to allow off-grid, in-camera recharging, and a bulk storage grip that allows the use of 2.5" laptop hard drives (up to 60 GB) for storeage. This bulk storage grip will also incorporate a gigabit ethernet port to allow speedy downloads of images to your mac or PC. It will also allow you to install mac OSX onto your camera so you can run protoshop CS natively in the camera (pro firmware only)


Agit-Prop, Are you for real? This is some pretty crazy stuff. I like it. May I ask how you came about this information and where we can research it further? Also, do you know the name/model #?

How silly would I feel showing up to shoot a wedding with my happy-face camera?

[CoolToolGuy]

agit-prop doesn't have the full scoop - As part of the new camera Canon has developed a new translucent-pixel sensor along with a 'window' on the back of the body so you can use the sensor as your viewfinder. Now you can forget about the 90% of the image in the viewfinder.
And, as you get more cash, you can upgrade your firmware and/or body color and/or sensor size to whatever you like.

Have Fun,
Rick

[CyberDyneSystems]

Of course the 10D is going to be discontinued,.. look at the track record for this camera in Canon history.

The D30 was available for 1 year,. no one could keep it in stock.. they could have kept selling them,. instead it was replaced by the D60....

WHICH,.. "was available for 1 year,. no one could keep it in stock.. they could have kept selling them,. instead it was replaced by".... The 10D

Do you see a pattern here?

So it is far from a leap of faith or a rumor to assume that

The 10D will be "...available for 1 year,. no one can keep it in stock.. they could keep selling them,.. but instead it will be replaced by the..."

Fill in the blank with your dream camera here_________________

[iwatkins]

Help, let me off. I don't want to play anymore.

[agit-prop]

daaaveman wrote:Agit-Prop, Are you for real? This is some pretty crazy stuff. I like it. May I ask how you came about this information and where we can research it further? Also, do you know the name/model #?

How silly would I feel showing up to shoot a wedding with my happy-face camera?

It's going to be called the Eos Elan 3Dn where the "n" can be either "b" for "basic", "x" for "expanded" or "s" for "Super"

I cannot reveal my source because I'll lose my job. I've said too much already.

[BobbyC]

Everytime I read someone say no one has one in stock, I check B&H and they always have them, still do.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I was just at a Best Buy that had a ton of 300Ds and 3 10Ds :)

[horqua]

So, does this mean that one could purchase the basic model and upgrade by installing the pro software borrowed or copied from a friend? Sounds like a losing proposition for Canon who's sales will consist of a high volume of the bottom line camera that users can easily upgrade to the top-of-the-line simply by "stealing/copying" the software. Doesn't make sense. The software will probably employ some sort of activation scheme, like WinXP or Adobe CS. I hope my 10D will last as long as my Elans and Hassleblads because I truly believe I've gotten what I've paid for, for once!

[BobbyC]

After you got to the part about the body changing colors, did you still believe what you were reading? ;o)

[agit-prop]

http://www.pbase.com/image/24073402/medium.jpg

[BobbyC]

Nice job, but you should make the lense say nikon on it!

[imago57]

And where are the happy faces?

[Tom W]

imago57 wrote:
And where are the happy faces?


Behind the camera, of course! :)

[agit-prop]

BobbyC wrote:
Nice job, but you should make the lense say nikon on it!

That's Belmondo's area of expertise :P

[Belmondo]

Thanks for the vote of confidence, but good taste prevents me from defiling a fine camera in such a way.

Tom

:eyes :eyes :eyes

[CyberDyneSystems]

I'm sure that image is a fake... or perhaps just a very early prototype...

The model you are refering to is in fact going to be Called the Canon D-10,000 SUX.

It will weigh seven pounds and and have a sensor twice as large as as Medium format,. that is a dodecahedron in shape.

[agit-prop]

Hehehe I guess I should 'fess up.

All of my predictions contain as much fact as any other post in this thread.

The left side of that pic is a 1Ds, the right side, top and bottom are mostly from a 10D

[Belmondo]

Well done! Guess I better call the camera store and cancel my order. Too bad, too. I'd ordered a blue one, and I was really looking forard to being the envy of all my friends.

:p Tom

[Stan R]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:
The 10D will be "...available for 1 year,. no one can keep it in stock.. they could keep selling them,.. but instead it will be replaced by the..."

Fill in the blank with your dream camera here_________________

I'm amazed that CyberDyne is about the only one here who can see the pattern.

D30 announced late 2000, launched early 2001 (at PMA I think)
D60 announced PMA 2002
10D announced PMA 2003
? ? ? announced PMA 2004?

Seems like a no-brainer but maybe Canon will just make a big song & dance at PMA in February and announce, "Since the 10D is so great, we're just gonna keep making them until the folks at Nikon can catch up."

Somehow, I don't think so :)

[ilya]

belmondo wrote:
Thanks for the vote of confidence, but good taste prevents me from defiling a fine camera in such a way.

Tom

:eyes :eyes :eyes


Yes, but what about Hello Kitty?

[Belmondo]

ilya wrote:Yes, but what about Hello Kitty?




Ummmm. Copyright issues. We're negotiating, though.

[agit-prop]

Not that it would affect me, but I think you'll see something between the 10D and the 1Ds that has a full frame sensor. Probably closer to the 1Ds in terms of features and price. The death knell of the 1D.

(Whatever it is, it won't float and won't have changing colors (but possibly hello kitty graphics))

http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/characters/w_chara/kt180.gif

[Belmondo]

Found this while browsing.

http://www.bytephoto.com/photopost/data/500/353Hello_Kitty.jpg

My wife wants one.

[Erin]

For christ's sake, the 6mp Canons D60, 10D, D300, are all more than most off their owners can fully utilize from looking at pics posted on the web. More functions and faster frame rates will not improve your abilities to compose and expose correctly, or make you into an avant-garde photography master. Sure the 10D will be replaced, and when all the brainwashed consumers become immediately disenchanted with their former pride and joy and replace it, it will then become the proud possession of a new owner who will be laughing all the way to the bank. Don't be sucked in by the "Planned Obsolescence" mantra, these cameras will provide good service for many years.

[PaulB]

Agit-Prop wrote:
Not that it would affect me, but I think you'll see something between the 10D and the 1Ds that has a full frame sensor. Probably closer to the 1Ds in terms of features and price. The death knell of the 1D.

(Whatever it is, it won't float and won't have changing colors (but possibly hello kitty graphics))

http://www.sanrio.co.jp/english/characters/w_chara/kt180.gif

At PMA2004

1/ Black is the optional colour on the replacement for the 1D - which WILL put the D2H back two years!
2/ There will be no other new model except PERHAPS an upgraded 10D..........!!!!!!!!!!

1/ Definite

2/ Strong possibility

Hello Kitty is unlikely but worth an outside chance of a bet if you feel lucky!

[karusel]

Yeah, I stopped reading agit-prop's post after a few lines, how could anyone believe he was serious? An apparatus that has his price and abilities defined ONLY by firmware is _absolutely_ going to become number 1 on the 'most wanted hack' list; thus far, there has been no perfect protection and Canon knows it. Canon also knows that people would feel... at least a slight rash in their anuses after buying the 'basic' model and they couldn't wait for an excuse to get a Nikon, for example. Canon knows it would be pretty retarded to launch an omnipotent camera lightyears from competition at a giveaway price, so whatever's gonna happen it is not going to be revolutionary, so cut this fearful predictions. If you got a 10D, you got a fine camera, do you _really_ need a better one? Oh, perhaps you need the 1DS or a Kodak back for medium format cameras, and then maybe you'll be able to make good photographs.... :/ Someone said, it's not the equipment that makes a step from a bad to good photograph, it's the photographer. I absolutely agree, there is a difference between $100 and $1000 lens and there is a difference between some PS and an SLR, but it IS possible to make top shots with either it's just that you have to know the limitations and if you are really annoyed/ bothered/pissed off about it and desperately miss some features because your shots are missing just that extra touch that better equipment would provide, then go ahead and buy it regardless the price, otherwise relax, go have a smoke, jerk off, have fun (not necesseraly in that particular order), you know what I mean... Don't be a co/prosumer, be a photographer. :)

[Belmondo]

Ummm, karusel, Agit-Prop's post was a joke. You probably should have read the whole thing instead of stopping after a few lines. It was really very funny, and if you didn't get the humor, that makes you just a little scary.

Unfortunately, I did read your entire post. I'm still having a little trouble with a couple of your 'turns of phrase.' It's probably because I'm no longer young enough nor bored enough to do the things you suggest. But even when I was, I didn't talk about it----even among friends.

End of sermon.

Tom

[rshavis]

This is really true with Ritz. I would not put a lot of stock in anything one of their sales peolple says.

[defordphoto]

Ritz and Wolf, et. al., are the Radio Shack of photo stores. As your stroll through their aisles of overstock items (aka: crap) you'll hear phrases such as, "Sorry. That's out of stock." "Oh no. That's not the camera you want. Here's the camera you want. And it's on sale today." "Sorry. That's out of stock." "Those Canon lenses are too expensive anyway." "Sorry. That's out of stock."

Nuff said.

[ilya]

belmondo wrote:
Ummm, karusel, Agit-Prop's post was a joke. You probably should have read the whole thing instead of stopping after a few lines. It was really very funny, and if you didn't get the humor, that makes you just a little scary.

Unfortunately, I did read your entire post. I'm still having a little trouble with a couple of your 'turns of phrase.' It's probably because I'm no longer young enough nor bored enough to do the things you suggest. But even when I was, I didn't talk about it----even among friends.

End of sermon.

Tom


Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

[karusel]

belmondo, dude, you got me all wrong. Okay I did forget to mention that later I returned and read the entire post. I sure got the joke, well it was so obvious it wasn't really funny to me, to be honest, I knew where he was going, therefore I stopped and read the replies -- now some of those were funny :)

What turn of phrase have you had trouble with? Jerking off? Geez, it was supposed to be funny.. but I guess I lack the talent. :] Besides, What's that appaling about the phrase?

[Belmondo]

karusel wrote:Besides, What's that appaling about the phrase?

It's been quite I while since I had to deal with the phrase literally. Does it still mean what it used to?

Am I that old?

Tom

P.S. I didn't listen, and almost did go blind.

[Belmondo]

ilya wrote:Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

I'll bet you're glad you did. That's some funny stuff.

Tom

[agit-prop]

belmondo wrote:
ilya wrote:Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

I'll bet you're glad you did. That's some funny stuff.

Tom

Comes from years of being a marketing weasel...

Speaking of which, I need a job. Perhaps I should apply at Ritz?

[defordphoto]

Agit-Prop wrote:
belmondo wrote:
ilya wrote:Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

I'll bet you're glad you did. That's some funny stuff.

Tom

Comes from years of being a marketing weasel...

Speaking of which, I need a job. Perhaps I should apply at Ritz?

Sure. repeat after me: "Sorry. It's out of stock."

[ilya]

Agit-Prop wrote:
belmondo wrote:
ilya wrote:Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

I'll bet you're glad you did. That's some funny stuff.

Tom

Comes from years of being a marketing weasel...

Speaking of which, I need a job. Perhaps I should apply at Ritz?

Meant the other post :) Yours I read all the way through. Vintage stuff.

[karusel]

Ouch.

[ilya]

karusel wrote:
Ouch.

No worries Karusel. Gotta have someone to pick on today :D

[agit-prop]

RFMSports wrote:
Agit-Prop wrote:
belmondo wrote:
ilya wrote:Now you've gone and made me read that entire post. Before I stopped after the first line.

I'll bet you're glad you did. That's some funny stuff.

Tom

Comes from years of being a marketing weasel...

Speaking of which, I need a job. Perhaps I should apply at Ritz?

Sure. repeat after me: "Sorry. It's out of stock."

Perhaps you mean "Sorry, It's out of stock... What does it do anyway? Oh, well we sell a better one made by Pheonix/Quantaray/Cosina."

[Rich Ehrlich]

Can't wait for another opportunity to spend 2 GRAND for another camera.!!!!!!!!


2 10ds
24-70.2.8l
35 f2.
50.1.4
2 pentax 645sn in mothballs
150.2.8
75.2.8
RB sd system finally sold.

[CyberDyneSystems]

RFMSports wrote:
Ritz and Wolf, et. al., are the Radio Shack of photo stores. As your stroll through their aisles of overstock items (aka: crap) you'll hear phrases such as, "Sorry. That's out of stock." "Oh no. That's not the camera you want. Here's the camera you want. And it's on sale today." "Sorry. That's out of stock." "Those Canon lenses are too expensive anyway." "Sorry. That's out of stock."

Nuff said.

The other day I was at a Ritz in my local mall hand holding the S400 and A80 to get a feel for the difference in "pocket-ability"

A Member of the National Guard MPs wlaks in and asks the pimply faced kid behind the counter... "I'm ging to Bagdad in three days,.. Whats the best digital camrea you sell?"

The kid grabs a $350.00 Nikon 2100 (i think was the number?) and hands it to the guy... I'm right next to him and burst out laughing!!!!

They have D-Reblels and Nikon D-100s on the shelves!!!!!
Both of the Cameras I'm holding blow this Nikon "disposable" away!

Oh well,. on the other hand,. about twenty minutes drive from me there is a Ritz store that is quite large,.. not jamed into a mall. The two guys you are most likely to find at the Camera counter are both very knowledgable semi-pro photographers who do know there stuff. But I am sure this is the exception... as you say most of the time it is the same pimply faced kid trying to sell you a quantaray.

The thing about house brands like quantaray... Ritz makes more profit on these then anything else,. so they will allways push you in that direction...

Also,. I have noticed that the last few months anyways,. Ritz has really been PUSHING the Nikon stuff,. try going in and asking about Canon, Pentax, or minolta... and see how long it takes for the salesman to put a Nikon in your hands????

[Tom W]

CyberDyneSystems wrote:

The other day I was at a Ritz in my local mall hand holding the S400 and A80 to get a feel for the difference in "pocket-ability"

A Member of the National Guard MPs wlaks in and asks the pimply faced kid behind the counter... "I'm ging to Bagdad in three days,.. Whats the best digital camrea you sell?"

The kid grabs a $350.00 Nikon 2100 (i think was the number?) and hands it to the guy... I'm right next to him and burst out laughing!!!!

They have D-Reblels and Nikon D-100s on the shelves!!!!!
Both of the Cameras I'm holding blow this Nikon "disposable" away!

Oh well,. on the other hand,. about twenty minutes drive from me there is a Ritz store that is quite large,.. not jamed into a mall. The two guys you are most likely to find at the Camera counter are both very knowledgable semi-pro photographers who do know there stuff. But I am sure this is the exception... as you say most of the time it is the same pimply faced kid trying to sell you a quantaray.

The thing about house brands like quantaray... Ritz makes more profit on these then anything else,. so they will allways push you in that direction...

Also,. I have noticed that the last few months anyways,. Ritz has really been PUSHING the Nikon stuff,. try going in and asking about Canon, Pentax, or minolta... and see how long it takes for the salesman to put a Nikon in your hands????


It seems that there is some variance from one store to another. We have a Wolf Camera shop here that has some knowledgable folks within. I've had a few enlargements made there.

BTW, if you are actually looking at the S-400, here's a couple of images that I took with mine:

Flower (http://home.comcast.net/~trwilk3/Images/PurpleFlower.jpg)

Golf Course (http://home.comcast.net/~trwilk3/Images/Montlake18Fairway.jpg)

Future Movie Star (http://home.comcast.net/~trwilk3/Images/Ashley800.jpg) :)

Not bad for something one can carry in their shirt pocket.

[Belmondo]

Just as a general rule of thumb (see icon for this post), the Wolf crews are usually a cut above the Ritz/Kit's mall shop staffs.

True story: I went into a Ritz shop on a mall in San Francisco a few months ago. They had a few EF lenses sitting in boxes (none on display), including a 1.4X extender. I asked what the price of the extender was, and they told me it was $429.00. I explained that everyone in North America was selling it for $279 including their sister stores, Wolf Camera. He said if he could verify it, he would sell it to me (even though I wasn't convinced I wanted it --- the box was really old and nasty looking, and it apparently had been there a long time).

Bottom line: he called another Ritz store, but wouldn't call a Wolf Camera store. He gave me some lame excuse in half-English as to why he wasn't calling Wolf, but either way, he wouldn't sell it at the lower price. Evidently he was telling me it was my responsibility to verify the lower price, although he gave me no idea how to do it. I wasn't heartbroken because the box looked like it had been in the rat hole with Saddam Hussein. I eventually bought one elsewhere.

I went through almost the identical drill with the Ritz/Kits store in Meadowood Mall in Reno, Nevada, with a 50mm macro. They claim they have a price-matching policy, but in actual practice, it doesn't exist. In this case, the 16-year old kid couldn't get his manager on the phone.