Topic: 5D; history of pricing. (Read 5123 times)

Mike W · « **on:** August 28, 2007, 08:59:50 am »

Hi Everyone,

this might sound like a strange question, but I'll explain why I ask in a bit.

I was wondering how much time elapsed between the release of the canon 5D at full price, and how long it took, and in how many steps, to drop to the current price level (arround 2500 now)

The reason I ask: I am a photography student, with unlimited access to studios, high-end Canon and Nikon gear and digital backs. This time next year, I'll be out of school and up shit creek without a digital camera.

I prefer the canon 5D, since it's a full-frame, lightweight and overal very decent camera with good image quality. But I'm going to wait for it's successor. Nobody can guess what the price will be, but for planning and budget-purpose I would like to know when the canon 5D made a significant drop in cost and regard it as a reference for the future 5D v2.0.

It's not exactly rocket science, but it might just help a teensie bit since I'll be making a lot of additional costs the coming years.

thanks.

theophilus · « **Reply #1 on:** August 28, 2007, 04:32:17 pm »

I bought mine in May '06 for 2800 - ~$200 rebate. I think it took 4-5 months to fall from 3100-3400 down to 2800.

LA30 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 28, 2007, 04:33:43 pm »

Quote

Nobody can guess what the price will be
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=135938\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I will, $3,299 USD.

The "new" 1DSMIII msrp is $7999 USD. It is safe to guess the 5DMII will be 3300. It is has been out for about 2 years. Student? Pick up a nice used 5d. Best of luck.

Ken

BJL · « **Reply #3 on:** August 28, 2007, 04:48:52 pm »

The 5D price dropped quickly in several steps to about $2700, with just the usual slow drift down with age after that. The early price drops even included being sold by B&H below the Minimum Advertised Price that manufacturers try to impose as a minimum retail price in the USA.

So it might be that Canon originally overpriced the 5D, especially relative to the D200 that came soon afterward, and it successor will come out at a lower price, like the $3,000 or $2,700 levels that the 5D was quickly adjusted to. This is a very different situation than with the 1Ds and 1D models, all of which sold as fast as Canon produced them, so that prices only slowly drifted down with product age.

But past patterns also more or less guarantee that any 5D will initially be priced a bit higher than the 5D currently is, unless new Nikon competitors really hurt sales of "low end 24x36 format".

Also, it seems unlikely to come until late 2008 at earliest. Canon Japan predicts a steep decline in share of the Japanese DSLR market for the 5D, 1D and 1Ds models in 2008 compared to 2007 (from about 3% to about 2%), suggesting no new model will arrive early enough to improve overall 2008 sales.

DiaAzul · « **Reply #4 on:** August 28, 2007, 05:21:12 pm »

Quote

But past patterns also more or less guarantee that any 5D will initially be priced a bit higher than the 5D currently is, unless new Nikon competitors really hurt sales of "low end 24x36 format".

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=136048\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's going to be really hard to judge future pricing based upon previous history (though that is always the case). All we can really say is that Canon now has some formidable competition that didn't really exist when it released the 5D. There pricing of the 1DsIII at USD8,000 and 1DIII at current pricing may be considered optimistic given the increased competition in the market place. You can also add that the 20D, 5D, 1DII and 1DsII, Nikon D70, D2X were the first cameras that really had a volume impact on the market and got everyone onto the digital ladder. What comes next is really about upgrades rather than new purchases.

I think Canon is going to find the market much tougher than they are used to. They will need to swallow hard and accept that they cannot continue with their current pricing strategy if they want to sustain the current sales volume and market share.

If Canon and Nikon are serious about moving new bodies then they will need to subsidise trade in programmes for old to new migrations. Nikon have a good opportunity, with the launch of their full frame DSLRs, to bite into Canon market share by subsidising cross platform trade-ins.

madmanchan · « **Reply #5 on:** August 28, 2007, 06:43:48 pm »

I'll add that Canon generally prices successor models no higher than the previous model. Occasionally it's a bit less. Since the 5D came out in September 05 at around 3300, fair game to guess its successor will be around that point or a bit less.

stever · « **Reply #6 on:** August 28, 2007, 11:26:26 pm »

Canon really shouldn't have to swallow too hard to lower prices -- with their volume and vertically integrated production they have a cost advantage and i believe their prices are determined by judgement of what the market will bear -- hooray for competition

Ken R · « **Reply #7 on:** August 29, 2007, 01:58:48 pm »

Honestly get a 5D now even used. Its really a great camera. Basically It is what DSLRs should have been from the start. Full frame, nice viewfinder, compact / lightweight but well made design, nice lcd, easy to use (fast enough ) and last but not least outstanding image quality even when using high iso with enough resolution to match or exceed most needs.

Mike W · « **Reply #8 on:** August 30, 2007, 02:07:03 am »

Well, of course the 5D would be a good second hand buy. Only thing is; I don't have the money right now...thus I wait for the successor...but it will be more expensive, thats why I asked about its pricing history.

I'm hoping the next installment will have higher dynamic range and a 16 megapixel sensor. And even beter image quality at higher ISO.

So I'm waiting. Unless some idiot is willing to sell me a 5D for 500 bucks or so (yeah right)

madmanchan · « **Reply #9 on:** August 30, 2007, 10:29:07 am »

Well when you do have the money, you'll still be able to buy the original 5D used.

jd1566 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 30, 2007, 10:41:54 am »

Just to put all the above comments into perspective, and help out our poor student as to WHEN he can buy his 5D upgrade.. I will say this:

1) The 5D will be exactly 2 and a half years old when PMA 2008 hits, so unless Canon wants to pre-empt Nikon's FF D3X release of next year by launching the 5D at X-mas time, expect it early next year at pma. the 2.5 year interval is more a pro interval, with consumer Canons being upgraded every 18 months or so.. so we may have an announcement this year still...

2) Pricing - as the 5D is nominally a consumer camera (some say a "prosumer") then it will follow Canon's consumer pricing.. $100 off the 5D price (i.e. $3199).. and will then reduce that by about 10% to $2880 within 3-4 months. Further price games will largely depend on how fast the Nikons are moving out the shelves, and whether Sony comes out with it's flagship next year as well...

So you can buy your 5D MkII by about May 2008, hopefully the price will have lowered substantially by then, to about 2880$.

WHAT the 5D MkII will look like.. really depends on whether Canon want to make a modest upgrade (ala 20-30-40D progression) or try and nip at Nikon's D3 heels by offering an overall better camera (what I would call a 3D style.. almost pro with just a few features missing and at 30-40% less than Canon's flagship)... Hope this helps..

Mike W · « **Reply #11 on:** August 30, 2007, 02:42:40 pm »

It does. thanks.

espressogeek · « **Reply #12 on:** September 09, 2007, 09:00:07 pm »

If the 5DMII was out tomorrow it might be enough to keep me from taking the MFDB plunge but it will probably be to little to late. Perhaps I'll do it as a backup cam. I doubt it will go to 16bit, more likely 14 like all of the others.

Author Topic: 5D; history of pricing. (Read 5123 times)