Press "Enter" to skip to content

We want what they’re having!

In what looks like a valiant effort to kickstart camera sales, camera companies in the US  have introduced some deep discounting to high end cameras.

We say ‘camera companies’ rather than retailers because in the US they have a form of retail price maintenance called MAP (‘minimum  advertised pricing’) which forces retailers – even the likes of ‘Behemoth&Huge’ – to not discount except with permission of the distributor. This is illegal in Australia.
In what looks like a ‘CANON HAS GONE CRRRAZY!!! All STOCK MUST GO!!!! ‘;-type clearance of the fairly venerable DLRs, the market leader has dropped the full frame EOS 5DS to US$1299 from US$3699, and the 5DS R to US$1499 from US $3899. In  Australia they are also both on clearance, but at a premium of over $1000 on the US pricing – from $3400 to about $3900.

Sony is offering significant discounts on the A5100, A6000, A6100, A7R Mark II and Mark III, A7S Mark II, A7R Mark IV, and the A9. While the discounts are modest for the cheaper models, the A9 is US$1000 off the usual price. There are also significant discounts on lenses: US$300 off the 24-105mm f/4G, and US$200 off the f/2.8 zoom lenses.

Olympus – no doubt keen to wrest a bit of cash back from its loss-making and now ditched imaging division, has taken over 30 percent off the E-M1X, which is now US$1999, and US$400 off the E-M1 Mark III.

Panasonic has also reduced the price of the GH5 and GH5s by US$700, while G9 buyers will enjoy a US$500 discount.

Nikon USA doesn’t seem to have jumped into the clearance sale frenzy so enthusiastically, but it’s latest promotional move will raise some eyebrows among supporting retailers in the US, as it’s only available from the online Nikon store: ‘From now until November 30, try a Nikon Z5 camera risk free for 30 days, and if you don’t fall in love with it simply return it for a full refund, including shipping. The trial also includes support from Nikon, with fun ideas to spark creativity and get inspired, along with weekly educational tips and access to the Nikon team to answer any questions you may have on getting the most from your new Z5.’

Here in Australia discounts are modest and the market seems a little flat. Let’s hope the local distributors get into the post-Covid spirit with some swingeing discounts of their own!

Even a reduction in the ‘Australia tax’ on new releases, that little added extra we pay here for – well, we aren’t really sure, but Australia’s an expensive place to operate – would help the local market. A recent example is the Australian pricing for the Canon R6. A straight currency conversion from the US price, with 10 percent GST then added, comes in at under $4000 – around $3800 to be more exact. Yet the street prices here are $4300 to $4500. Hmm…

 

 

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Our Business Partners

Top