Why Canon, Why Can't You Make it Easy?

Why does Canon have to make 2 primes that (to my eyes at least from looking through the threads) rival the 135L? I'm talking about the 100 2.8L and 200 2.8L. I've been on a mission lately to find a great deal on a 135L. I've bid on numerous ones on eBay and keep getting outbid in the final seconds! Ugh! As I keep hunting though I keep coming across the 100L and 200L which both give beautiful IQ and bokeh. The 100L has IS (nice feature at that FL) and the 200L has great compression and is cheaper than the 135L.

Why do they make this so hard?

Get 70-200 2.8L II

Don't try to get the lens on E-bay for the best price. You'll lose that every time. Calculate YOUR best price for the lens. Bid that the first time. If nobody outbids you, you win. If someone does, it was above your max price anyway. Sort selection by "ending soonest". Bid your max on the top one. Watch the rest of them. If you lose the auction, make YOUR max bid on the next one in your watch list. If 10 go by and you still haven't won, your max bid is too low.

Don't get caught up in trying to get it for $1 more than the last guy bid, at the last second. Make it easy, buy one on POTN, buy a refurb, buy it new. No hassles.

Ratjack wrote in post #16737752
Get 70-200 2.8L II

Yeah, if I had $2600. I'm going with the Tamron 70-200 VC once my tax return shows up.

GaryD wrote in post #16737762
Don't try to get the lens on E-bay for the best price. You'll lose that every time. Calculate YOUR best price for the lens. Bid that the first time. If nobody outbids you, you win. If someone does, it was above your max price anyway. Sort selection by "ending soonest". Bid your max on the top one. Watch the rest of them. If you lose the auction, make YOUR max bid on the next one in your watch list. If 10 go by and you still haven't won, your max bid is too low.

Don't get caught up in trying to get it for $1 more than the last guy bid, at the last second. Make it easy, buy one on POTN, buy a refurb, buy it new. No hassles.

I've been looking here on POTN too. They just don't seem to last very long in the classifieds.

They have different uses. You're supposed to buy all three of them.

Why canon ?
i shoot macro photos
I don't know why I'm looking at the 50L and 85L threads

rivas8409 wrote in post #16737871
Yeah, if I had $2600. I'm going with the Tamron 70-200 VC once my tax return shows up.

When did they raise the price on the 70-200 2.8 II? I paid $2100 for mine nearly a year ago from B&H.

guntoter wrote in post #16738355
When did they raise the price on the 70-200 2.8 II? I paid $2100 for mine nearly a year ago from B&H.

It's $2499 at B&H right now. I am not sure if they ever raised the price. They may have removed temporary rebates or special offers that were in place. But raising the official MSRP? That hasn't happened, so far as I know.

Ya i wouldnt bother with ebay. If you want all three 100, 135 and 200 then get the 70-200 vii. Will be about the same price.

milleniumking wrote in post #16738694
Ya i wouldnt bother with ebay. If you want all three 100, 135 and 200 then get the 70-200 vii. Will be about the same price.

I agree with this. I wouldn't trade my 70-200 2.8II for any prime in it's zoom range.
Amazing lens.

First World Problems...

100L and 200L obviously don't go to f/2, so if that is the one thing you think you will need someday, the answer is obvious.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #16738633
It's $2499 at B&H right now. I am not sure if they ever raised the price. They may have removed temporary rebates or special offers that were in place. But raising the official MSRP? That hasn't happened, so far as I know.

That's crazy. I paid $2299CAN which is $2096USD.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #16738633
It's $2499 at B&H right now. I am not sure if they ever raised the price. They may have removed temporary rebates or special offers that were in place. But raising the official MSRP? That hasn't happened, so far as I know.

You have to add it to your cart to see the actual price. Its still listed at 2359 plus the additional 200 for the rebate

guntoter wrote in post #16738355
When did they raise the price on the 70-200 2.8 II? I paid $2100 for mine nearly a year ago from B&H.

I rounded up taking in account taxes and such. I hadn't come across the $200 rebate yet, so I didn't factor that into it. Fact of the matter is, $2000+ is a big bite out of the my wallet.

rivas8409 wrote in post #16737747
Why does Canon have to make 2 primes that (to my eyes at least from looking through the threads) rival the 135L? I'm talking about the 100 2.8L and 200 2.8L. I've been on a mission lately to find a great deal on a 135L. I've bid on numerous ones on eBay and keep getting outbid in the final seconds! Ugh! As I keep hunting though I keep coming across the 100L and 200L which both give beautiful IQ and bokeh. The 100L has IS (nice feature at that FL) and the 200L has great compression and is cheaper than the 135L.

Why do they make this so hard?

It's not hard at all. Determine the focal length you want and then you have it narrowed down. It's when you really don't know what you want that makes things difficult.