Canon 5D2 $200 Price Reduction...

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Got an email from Calumet Photo today:

"...the camera that hit photographers and videographers like a high school crush is under $2500 for the first time..."

Just wandering is there any meaning to this? Making room for the next model, or just reacting to competition, or...?

[jerryrock]

Could be that the Canon 7D took some of the video market from the 5D2. Although it is has a crop frame sensor, it's video capability of 24, 25 or 30  frames/sec at 1080i is superior to the 5DII. Canon has promised a firmware update for 5DII owners to add this functionality, but has yet not delivered.

The advanced focus system, and 8 frames/sec shooting speed of the 7D is also superior to the 5D2. While the 5D2 is better at high ISO and of course full frame factor, the 7D seems to be stealing the sports, action crowd as well as movie enthusiasts.

[once2work]

Sounds good. Sight for the new model on their way. Hope the 7D AF system will adapt on the new 5D model.

[BJL]

This is a modest 7% price cut, and the first one on a model that is a bit more than a year old. This is amazingly late for a first price cut given the "price aging" suffered by all things electronic, and looks fairly normal, given developments like the $2000 Sony A850 and the Nikon D700 costing less than it did when the 5DII was new. To me this is no sign of clearing out stocks for a new model, and I doubt the 5D series will be updated faster than every 2 1/2 to 3 years, going on Canon's record.

Actually, I have been a bit surprised how little the announcement of the $2000 A850 has affected the pricing of the 5DII and D700. It seems that Sony is still not taking many customers away from Canon and Nikon in this market segment, since neither those camera makers nor their retailers have shown much need to respond with price cuts.

[jasonrandolph]

I think Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer got it right.  Nikon is set to make a major announcement (expected D700 replacement) in mid-February, and it is Canon's attempt to gain a little bit of market share prior to the announcement.  Nikon IMHO did the same thing when they brought out the D90 as world's first video-capable DSLR right before the 5DMkII came out.  The Canikon war continues!

[CJL]

I think Mike Johnston of The Online Photographer got it right.  Nikon is set to make a major announcement (expected D700 replacement) in mid-February, and it is Canon's attempt to gain a little bit of market share prior to the announcement.  Nikon IMHO did the same thing when they brought out the D90 as world's first video-capable DSLR right before the 5DMkII came out.  The Canikon war continues!

Highly doubtful... Canon doesn't usually play their hand on new products until after Nikon makes an announcement.  Besides, why would they forego revenue on the back of a baseless rumour?  

Besides... there hasn't been a new sensor announcement from Sony yet, which always seems to precede new Nikon model introductions...