Canon 5D Price Drop

I noticed that at Adorama Canon 5D (body) now retails for $2,299.95, while in

Canada at Henrys it is Can$2,799.95. I am not sure, bu I believe that both

prices already include Canon's rebate. In any case, a good moment to buy, but

only in USA as Can$ is now at US$1.02. Why are still Canadian prices so high?

I doubt the quoted prices include the rebate.

 

Why are the Canadian prices so high? That's a current hot topic, especially with the current exchange rate. Last Sunday's CBC radio's Cross Country Checkup was on that topic.

 

The concensus on that show was that price disparity exists in many areas, and while there are factors to explain some of the difference, Canadian prices are still unjustifiably high, and that if enough Canadians shop to the south, the Canadian prices will start to come down.

Canadian prices were too high long before the rise in the value of the Canadian dollar. Retailers in Canada can charge higher prices because Canadians don't want to put in the effort to search for options internationally. But ask Chapters bookstore if they are hurting because of competition from Amazon, and others. They are. Canadians are learning to be wise international consumers, slowly. In the meantime Canadian camera retailers are just working the market for what it will bear, until another business model proves to be more successful.

 

Dave

Photo Expert in Surrey, B.C., Canada has the 5D for $1999 (after rebates ).

found it for 1300usd in few places online

<p>I asked one of the Canon reps at the Henry's photo show yesterday. He blames Canon U.S., which he says sets the prices for Canon Canada. (Many foreign companies run their Canadian operations as subsidiaries of their U.S. operations. I don't know for a fact whether this is true with Canon, but there is some evidence that suggests it may be.) And he says he's frustrated by the situation, too, because he keeps getting blasted by customers like me and he can neither fix the problem nor provide a satisfactory explanation.</p>

 

<p>If it makes you feel any better, Canada is not the only country where Canon hoses its customers. Apparently if you're Australian and want to buy some of the big glass (the multi-thousand-dollar superteles), it's cheaper to order them from the States and pay to have them shipped back across the Pacific (which they've already crossed once on their way from the factory in Japan to the U.S.) than to buy them locally. Not just a few bucks cheaper; <em>thousands</em> cheaper. That's what the Canon Canada rep told me, and it rings a bell from some stories I've seen posted here or in the newsgroups.</p>

 

<p>I plan on buying the 24-105 later this year, and he admitted he couldn't give me a good reason to buy it in Canada ($1400 at Henry's, $1350 at Vistek, $1325 at Camera Canada) as opposed to ordering it from B&H (USD1050, which is maybe $1025 in our money). The money I'd save on sales tax alone would pretty much pay for the extra shipping.</p>

 

<p>As for the rebate, check the terms on the vendor's Web site. Some sites quote the price they charge you and tell you how much you get back on the rebate; others quote the price after the rebate and you find when you add the product to your cart, or proceed to check out, that the price will go back to the pre-rebate price. I'd prefer that they tell me what they're going to charge me and have a separate notice saying it's eligible for a rebate, but I'm OK either way as long as they make clear what they're going to charge me so I can do an apples-to-apples comparison with other vendors.</p>

 

<cite>Canadians don't want to put in the effort to search for options internationally.</cite>

 

<p>It can be a daunting process trying to figure it all out; I don't blame people for not wanting to wade into it.</p>

 

<ul>

<li>Do you have to pay duty? On some items, you do; on others, you don't. And you'd need to fish through huge piles of Canada Customs documentation to find out whether a given item is charged duty or not. (I have confirmed that a new camera lens is not subject to duty. I didn't bother to check whether other photography-related items are.) Whether or not duty applies, you <em>do</em> have to pay tax on your new purchase to get it across the border.

<li>Is the warranty valid? Canon uses the same warranty in Canada and the U.S., and in fact the warranty card doesn't state that there's a Canadian warranty on goods sold by Canon Canada and an American warranty on goods sold by Canon U.S.; they both offer a warranty on goods sold by either one (which is among the evidence that these are not separate entities). So I'm OK here. The same may not apply to products from other manufacturers. If you buy grey market, I'm sure B&H or other reputable dealers will also honour the warranty, though of course you have the cost and hassle of shipping the thing back across the border to get it fixed.

<li>Does your credit card's extended warranty coverage include this? I've checked the 40-page legalese for mine, and yes, it does, if I don't buy grey market. If I buy grey market, it doesn't, because my credit card only extends a <em>manufacturer's</em> warranty; it doesn't cover warranties issued by retailers or third parties.

<li>How much is shipping? B&H, for instance, offers five different shipping options to Canada, at different prices, and with different delays. There are horror stories about most of them. If you get it shipped USPS, there's a flat $5 brokerage charge, but don't be surprised if the tracking number stops working when the product crosses the border. Some shipping services from some courier companies charge extortionate brokerage charges that are not included in the shipping fee and not necessarily easy to predict, so you could get a rude awakening. Good luck picking the right shipping option.

</ul>

"Apparently if you're Australian and want to buy some of the big glass (the multi-thousand-dollar superteles), it's cheaper to order them from the States and pay to have them shipped back across the Pacific (which they've already crossed once on their way from the factory in Japan to the U.S.) than to buy them locally. Not just a few bucks cheaper; thousands cheaper. That's what the Canon Canada rep told me, and it rings a bell from some stories I've seen posted here or in the newsgroups."

 

Yeah I can confirm that. Canon pricing in Aus made some sense when the $A was buying about US 55c. Now the $A is buying US 90c, yet a 5D is listed at $A 4999. Worse still I can buy a grey imported drebel XTi from B&H and have it shipped to Aus around $US 530 (with no GST payable) and yet the same camera is $A 1100 here.

 

A 1Ds mark III is about $A 13 000 meaning you could fly to NY and buy one yourself cheaper!

Just noticed (as of 12/16) that Amazon is selling the 5D with lens bundle for $2,799 through the Adorama Camera retailer. Pretty good price, especially since the rebate brings it down even more. I ordered one last week and am awaiting for delivery (12/17). When I noticed a price drop I promptly e-mailed the customer service department of Adorama Camera. They e-mailed me letting me know that they would refund me the difference. This just adds to the great customer service that I read about from many blogs. Especially since I didn't make the purchase directly from Adorama, rather from Amazon.