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General discussion

Price Drop

Jun 13, 2005 7:14PM PDT

I was curious. How long does it take for a digital camear to have a price drop. Like a car or other products, I thought when the newer products came out, the price of the older one would drop. When I first looked at the camera I wanted, it was already like 5-6months old. I was told there was a newer model coming out, so I figured I'd wait the month or two til the newer version came out and to add, I didn't have the cash right then. I don't have a problem using an older model camera, but the prices don't seem to ever drop. There are places like Ritz that are selling a year old camera for the same price as when it first came out and since then 2 or 3 models came out after that and are sometimes lower in price.

Discussion is locked

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It really doesn't drop.
Jun 13, 2005 10:40PM PDT

What happens is the old model sells out and the new model will have more features ... at the same or maybe lower price.

Bob

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what cameras?
Jun 14, 2005 12:00AM PDT

what cameras are you looking for? if its a digital slr, it only drops slightly. but i see prices for older point and shoot digital cameras drop all the time. dont like ritz though cause they are too expensive for the same thing that other places will carry.

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Good point. Try B&H Photo and Video. You should see better
Jun 14, 2005 1:47AM PDT

prices there, and, IMO, they are extremely reliable.

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Camera Stores
Jun 14, 2005 6:14PM PDT

I totally agree. Ritz camera is like $100 above other stores. The only reason I'm leaning towards ritz camera is because I don't know where to find those other stores that are being mentioned like B&H. I'm in Arizona and I have yet to see that store. This is my first time buying a digital camera and I would like a place that I can take the camera back to if I'm not satisfied or if I'm having problems with it. I'm going to purchase the one year warranty from ritz also, just to be on the safe side. Their warranty covers anything going wrong with it. I'm not usually the type to buy warranties but if I'm going to spend so much money, I would like the piece of mind the warranty gives me. And with a Ritz camera being a 10 minute drive away, with the warranty, IF anyting goes wrong, I can get the camera back in a few days versus with the factory warranty where I would have to ship the camera to the company, wait for a few weeks, and then pay to have the camera ship backed to me. I think the warranty eliminates me having to be without the camera when I need it.

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B&H is in New York. They are strictly mail order unless you
Jun 15, 2005 7:34AM PDT

happen to be in New York.

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B&H Photo Video
Jun 18, 2005 1:57AM PDT

B&H Photo Video is one of the country's largest photo store. They are located in NY City and do business all over the work. I would say they have some of the best prices I've ever found, and have been very satisfied with everything I purchased there.
As for the warranty I think Ritz is to over priced, I would take my shot at B&H

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Are you serious?
Jun 17, 2005 8:49AM PDT

I've seen plenty of models that have dropped in price at stores after a new model was announced. I'm not talking about a clearance price either.

For instance, I'm pretty sure the Minolta Z3 was around $400 when it was released yet now you can find them for $300 at reputable stores brand new. Now it's the Minolta Z5 hovering around $400 or more. Just an example, but I thought this was common in the industry(except perhaps for the DLSR's).

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Price drop
Jun 19, 2005 10:23AM PDT

I am looking at the DMC-FZ20 and since then they have came out with the DMC-FZ50 and there is another model set to release, but the FZ20 has yet to drop in price. Or maybe this is only with ritz cameras. They have had it at the same price.

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Panasonic FZ-50?????
Jun 19, 2005 11:21AM PDT

Sorry, I'm unfamiliar with it but very curious. Do you have a link with any info on it?

Are you sre they have already come out with it?

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Wrong One
Jun 21, 2005 10:18PM PDT
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Price Drop
Jun 20, 2005 12:45AM PDT

The FZ20 is still a hot item and was not replaced by the FZ5 or FZ4.

They are just lower priced versions of the FZ20.
The FZ20 has a hot shoe and the new ones do not.
There are also differences with the lens.

...
..
.

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Ah, he's talking about the FZ-5
Jun 20, 2005 8:54AM PDT

You're right snapshot. I should have realized what he was talking about.

With all the rumors about a new camera in the FZ-x0 line I was hoping something had actually come of it.

As snapshot said, the FZ-5 is not intended as a replacement to the FZ-20.

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Yup.
Jun 20, 2005 12:55AM PDT

Clearance items will be gone and then where is the new price? Usually the same or close with more features.

And availability of said item will be spotty as well.

Not a price drop.

Bob

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How long has the Z2 been a "clearance item"?
Jun 20, 2005 9:02AM PDT
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Yup.
Jun 20, 2005 11:44AM PDT

Where you going with this?

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???
Jun 20, 2005 1:26PM PDT

I thought you said in regards to price drops...

"It really doesn't drop.

What happens is the old model sells out and the new model will have more features ... at the same or maybe lower price.

Bob"


The statement seems false to me. I gave an example of a camera that's been on the market for almost a year with a signifigantly lower price than the one it was introduced at. In my opinion, that's a price drop.

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You supplied one example.
Jun 20, 2005 9:51PM PDT

As a general rule, the old model drops in price as it is a clearance item, but it will not be available widely and may fall out of the catalogs.

It's just that simple. Not a price drop such as when a product that is in production and you see a price drop and it's still in production.

-> What you see 99% of the time is the old model sells out with some leftovers at lower clearance price(not a price drop) and the new model is close to the original but (hopefully) with more features.

Bob