Nikon Price Hikes !!!!
 

Has anyone seen the new Nikon price list for Jan 2009, Here is a link to it

http://www.nikon.co.uk/customer_serv...tJanuary09.pdf

Following on from the D3X stupid price, they seem to think that like Canon they can demand a £5000 price tag for their flagship D3X. NOW they have stuck up all their prices and blame it on currency fluctuations caused by the financial crisis !!!

Silly prices they are Andy.
Yeah, have spotted quite a few Nikon accessories have gone up in price too. Was looking at spare batteries and eyepieces, even these have gone up a few quid.
If anything, you'd think (well, I would anyway) that prices would be shaved a little, particularly with world economics the way they are!!!

I was buying photographic kit in the early 1990's. Prices then went through the roof, 30% plus :(, due to the state of the UK£ v Japan Yen, so this is no surprise to me at all. In fact I did mention this possibility somewhere in an earlier thread and made a couple of purchases on the back of that thought.

The UK government made much of how a low UK£ is great for exports making them far cheaper in overseas markets, but were silent about the flip side of that coin. Expect most imports to be similarly affected.

I think Japan industry across the board is facing hard times due to the strength of the Yen. Attatched link from BJP that shows this applies to Canon, Pentax, Olympus not just Nikon.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/sho...ml?page=834436

I have 08 and 09 Nikon price lists for UK, Australia, and now France - those with an announced price rise. UK rise a bit less than I expected.
For UK Nikon I can give the following info.
Cameras increase by between 2.17% and 12.39%
Lenses apart from budget zooms (+2.17%) are increased between 12 and 15%
Accessories between 15 and 20%.

I have read a lot on the web where people are really steamed up about these rises but seem to expect those companies to take the hit to their profitability and in fact reduce prices while continuing to invest in R&D and keep pushing new product to market. :confused:

Thoughts ..................... ie: Do you expect the cyle of new releases to ease off over the next 2 years ?

For my part I am used to a camera that lasts at least 10 years, and on that basis I will worry about that in about 8 years time. :)

I have attatched graphs for a few currencies that illustrate the falling values of some currencies against the JapanYen as illustration.

Don

Thanks, Don, I thought this subject matter sounded familiar....I think it was on one of the "good ol' days" threads it was discussed. Think one conclusion was that on the whole, most kit by comparison today is far better priced.
Yes, it is so easy to get all steamed up about any price rise.....I think many of us are so use to either manufacturers and/or retailers cutting their margins, that we almost come to expect prices to fall forever more. I can remember some margins on a couple of £2000 cameras being in the £50-£100 region a couple years ago.....so not much to play with! but £5000 for a body...particularly when it looks some similar to it's £2500 older brother lol (ok with a higher res sensor) is a little difficult to stomach.

I guess this also comes at a time where the digi technology curve is perhaps not so steep as it was 12 months ago too. Maybe today's £2000 camera might still be fetching a four figure tag 12 months from now?....it certainly can't be like the digi backed F90x/N90x based body I spotted on ebay and posted on the other thread. Those babies got bought by cutting edge media outlets for between £10 000 to £20 000 way back then....Last time i looked this one was selling on auction for £150!!!!!

Thanks Don and Joe, now that the steam has cooled I have been more reflective. I think the trigger has been what I still consider to be a ridiculous price for the new D3X. Mind you the 24 mp will certainly put all lenses to the test, the smallest imperfections etc may now make some of us question the merits of our glass more carefully. Lets face it, in a couple of years we may well be picking up a D3X for more realistic prices. The market in goods always seems to find a realistic level eventually.

Seeing most manufactured goods are made abroad these days price rises are inevitable across the board, not just Nikon, as the value of the pound sinks. Snag is less goods will be bought which will result in retail closures and more job losses. :( The companies may feel they have to produce new exciting models to tempt people or they may feel it is time to cut back and minimise their losses as sales fall. I hope it is the former, braver, choice.

It is not just in the UK that prices are rising (Canon, Nikon, Sigma...). Due to the strength of the yen against just about all major currencies (inc the Dollar) there are price hikes throughout the world.
In mainland Europe prices have gone up around 25-30%. I was reading a thread yesterday where someone from Croatia and Poland were moaning about it as well the guys in the states. A guy from Paris reckons that the UK is a lot cheaper than France - so much so that he has bought a couple of lenses from here recently.

It was only a month ago that Sony where saying their prices would be rising by 30%, but the way things are going in this country it could be 40%.

Time to stick with what we have and in a lot of cases (judging by many posts in various forums) learn how to use fully what we already have. I had an hankering for the 5Dmk2, but I'm still not getting the best out of the 5D.

I think this article basically sums up the current trend.
Currency rates being hailed as one of the causes

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7843982.stm

I am on the same boat here, the MK2 looks very tempting but I feel it's time to stick to the "old" 5D. For some reason I was also expecting lower prices during the downturn, but a dealer I spoke to said it may go the other way.