Does Canon ever discount the 500mmf4 L

I plan on purchasing the Canon 500mm f4 L before the end of this year. I'd like to avoid purchasing it in December only to find Canon discounts it in early 2011. Does Canon have a history of discounting this lens? Thanks for any information provided.

Hehehehe....hmmm...no. Sorry. Let me add that I have been lusting for a year or so before I got it. Got it around late 2008. Price went up though.

Are you planning on getting the new improved version of this lens?

yagimax wrote in post #11344632
Are you planning on getting the new improved version of this lens?

I doubt that the OP will drop close to maybe $10k for the 500L markII... However, expecting people selling the markI version though for a lot less.....Going price right now is $5200 used.

Buy used to save some money.

Careful with the used market. The recent 70-200mm f2.8 IS L M2 when it hit the market sent the prices (both retail and second hand) on the original lens right up. Infact as stock ran out the highstreet price of the lens went insanly high whilst the second hand prices were a little more modest and tended to be around the original highstreet new price.

This is because when canon releases a new version of a lens the original version is taken out of production (often some time before the new hits the market streets). This when also added to the fact that these new versions are hitting the market at very high price points means that whilst there is a newer and better version; the original pro lenses are still popular and are quickly a limited release item. Thus sending the prices high as owners want to upgrade to the new lens and other people try to quickly cash in on the original before all the stock is lost and they are left only able to get the far more expensive new version.

As a result my advice is not to wait for the M2 to hit the market and considering the unstable finances at the moment I would expect it to be better to buy as early as possible and not wait (This advice goes doubly for UK people who are getting a nasty VAT rise this January )

Hope this helps
http://camelcamelcamel​.com …ameras/product/​B00009R6X4

Thanks to all who provided me with food for thought. I really do appreciate it.
Ed

The price of the Mark II 500mm f4 will be so high that a used Mark I will probably be at a premium and the prices might be driven upward.

Larry Weinman wrote in post #11348751
The price of the Mark II 500mm f4 will be so high that a used Mark I will probably be at a premium and the prices might be driven upward.

Hehehe...that would be funny. Artificially driving up the demand of the markI because people can't afford the markII....what on earth Canon is thinking????

It's happened before...

I can already sell my 500mm at a profit from what I bought it,. and have done similar in the past.
My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is worth a lot more than what I paid for it new some years back.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #11349222
It's happened before...

I can already sell my 500mm at a profit from what I bought it,. and have done similar in the past.
My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is worth a lot more than what I paid for it new some years back.

i see the prices of the 70-200 f2.8 mkI have dropped since i sold off mine. use to be able to get 1500 for them a couple months ago, now it's creeping down towards 1300.

The 500L is not a consumer lens at all - we've got "consumers" buying $1000 - $2500 L lenses... but not so many buying the $6200+ lenses. Yes there are some true ballers buying them, but not many.

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #11349222
It's happened before...

I can already sell my 500mm at a profit from what I bought it,. and have done similar in the past.
My 70-200mm f/2.8L IS is worth a lot more than what I paid for it new some years back.

Trade you some lenses for your 500

Took the plunge today. Hope to have it in hand on the 30th(my 61st). This will be the last lens for some time to come. Thanks for all the information. POTN members are great in that regard. Now a trip to lock and dam 14 has to be in my future.