Do Canon's Price Increases Bother You?

umphotography wrote in post #16439106
You guys better grab stuff while you can. This economy is gonna go through a major adjustment and Many are forecasting big inflation when it does.

The market disagrees.

http://www.bloomberg.c​om …onds/government​-bonds/us/

My D30 ,the original 3 mp DSLR cost more than my 5d mk11 did.

jbkalla wrote in post #16438500
When I bought my 5D Mk III and 70-200mm f/2.8L II IS, I was stunned at the increase in prices compared to earlier models. I've also noticed that other items by Canon seem to be much more expensive than they used to be. Their entry-level cameras don't seem to have suffered this fate, fortunately.

Do the increases seem unreasonable to you, too? Or is it just me getting old?

Looks to me like Canon's prices are going down. In 2005 the 5D cost $3,500. In today's dollars that would be about $4,200. I've never shot a 5D3, but I am gonna guess it is a much better all around camera than the 5D. And it retails for $700 less (comparably) than the original. You got a bargain. Yes, you are getting old.

EDIT: I just looked at the math, again. In today's dollars, the original 5D would be $4,900, not $4,200. The 5D3 really is a bargain at $3,500.

300mm f/2.8L IS ~$3500-4000 300mm f/2.8L IS II ~$6799
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV ~$3999 Canon EOS 1DX ~$6799
24-70mm f/2.8L ~$1299 24-70mm f/2.8L II ~$2299
70-200 f/2.8L IS ~$1700 70-200 f/2.8L IS II ~$2499

YashicaFX2 wrote in post #16439434
Looks to me like Canon's prices are going down. In 2005 the 5D cost $3,500. In today's dollars that would be about $4,200. I've never shot a 5D3, but I am gonna guess it is a much better all around camera than the 5D. And it retails for $700 less (comparably) than the original. You got a bargain. Yes, you are getting old.

EDIT: I just looked at the math, again. In today's dollars, the original 5D would be $4,900, not $4,200. The 5D3 really is a bargain at $3,500.

I agree. I bought my original 5D new, back in '05, for something over £2,000 and I picked up my new 5DIII last year for £2,100. To me, that is great value as the camera is far superior and cost less than the old one, especially when 7 years worth of inflation is factored in to the equation.

It is easy to compare the incoming price of new gear with the outgoing price of what it replaces and see a big leap, but the price generally drops over time, once the initial demand for the latest toy has subsided. You need to compare like with like. The 5D III is currently around £700 below its original price (in the UK)

I don't find the price increases objectionable, they have to make a profit.

Price changes, when they seem to be rather large in percentage, could be attributed to

• Increase in cost of material goods
  
• Changes in monetary exchange rates
  
• Inflationary increases in other costs, like direct and indirect labor and transportation/fuel costs
  

• Using Canon's 24mm TS-E as an example, it seems like TS-E to TS-EII was a jump from about $1100 (2003) to $2200 (gulp).
  
• The original Japanese launch price of the 24mm TS-E was 173000 Yen in 1991. Merely assuming US rates of inflation from 1991-2011, that same lens would be about 286000 Yen today, but the Japanese launch price of the TSE-II was 250000 Yen. But using Japanese actual inflation from 1991 to 2011, 173000 Yen in 1991 would be 178730 Yen in 2011.
  
• In 1991 the exchange was about 130 Yen per USD, and in 2011 the exchange was about 80 Yen per USD....using simple exchange conversion, 173K Yen or $1330 in 1991 vs. 250K Yen or $3125 in 2011 due to growth in strength of the Yen vs. the USDollar.
  

I would be bothered less by Canon's price increases if my paycheck increased by the same percentage

Yes, hate the overpricing Canon does. Some prices are redicioulus on 20 year old equipment.

bent toe wrote in post #16440102
Yes, hate the overpricing Canon does. Some prices are redicioulus on 20 year old equipment.

What 20 yo equipment?

pwm2 wrote in post #16440105
What 20 yo equipment?

Brand new gear from 90's cost several hundred/thousand. Lenses.

YashicaFX2 wrote in post #16439434
Looks to me like Canon's prices are going down. In 2005 the 5D cost $3,500. In today's dollars that would be about $4,200. I've never shot a 5D3, but I am gonna guess it is a much better all around camera than the 5D. And it retails for $700 less (comparably) than the original. You got a bargain. Yes, you are getting old.

EDIT: I just looked at the math, again. In today's dollars, the original 5D would be $4,900, not $4,200. The 5D3 really is a bargain at $3,500.

Canon USA had the EOS 5D MSRP at $3299. The official US inflation calculator would make that same camera MSRP $3955 in 2013. The 5DIII has a price of $3399 at B&H today, had MSRP of $3499.

bent toe wrote in post #16440124
Brand new gear from 90's cost several hundred/thousand. Lenses.

But they are brand new. And they sell because no competitor have managed to nuke them, despite having 20 years to try. That indicates that there aren't as huge technical progress with lenses as with other areas.

pwm2 wrote in post #16440131
But they are brand new. And they sell because no competitor have managed to nuke them, despite having 20 years to try. That indicates that there aren't as huge technical progress with lenses as with other areas.

Still... if bosch charged the same price for a 20 year old dishwasher people would start riots. Same with most other consumer products.

Wilt wrote in post #16440126
Canon USA had the EOS 5D MSRP at $3299. The official US inflation calculator would make that same camera MSRP $3955 in 2013. The 5DIII has a price of $3399 at B&H today, had MSRP of $3499.

Is that price at B&H the actual price, or is it one to comply with the Canon MAP policy, so it will drop further at the shopping cart? I'm surprised that it is so close to the MSRP, as in the UK the 5D III is selling at around £2,300 against a MSRP of £2,999 and this has been the case for quite a while (give or take slight fluctuations).