Generally speaking, are "photography" accesories overpriced?

[nikonichiban]

I was shopping for some kind of storage box for my photo gear, and the options

available in the camera store seemed kind of expensive.

 

I felt like I could get the same level of protection and convenience in a product that

isn't specifically marketed to photographers, for a lot less money.

 

Am I imaging this?

[carl photography]

Right on, David. For example (in the US), at Home Depot I bought a padded aluminum case for less than $30. (The foam in my "official" camera case had decomposed after 30 years, leaving a slimy mess all over my Nikon lenses.)

 

If Donald Trump's apprentice toadies were assigned to sell retail-priced photo gear to street-wise New Yorkers, they'd ALL lose.

 

"Brandon's Dad"

[leslie_cheung]

>>> Am I imaging this? <<<

 

NO! be resourceful and you'll can save alot of money. Thrift

stores are great and garage sales are addictive but I have a hard

time getting up early especially on satudays and sundays.

[tim_klimowicz]

Absolutely. And that's one thing that has ALWAYS bugged me with everything - products that are marked up to a ridiculous price not because of the materials used or the quality or the demand, but because it is expected that a "pro" will be buying it.

 

I'm quite sure a lot of successful professionals don't mind the price too much because they might see it as a bit of job security whether they want to admit it or not But when a student like myself wants to explore photography as much as possible, it's a bit discouraging see lighting equipment that seems to have an extra digit on the price tag.

 

I've gone the Home Depot route for some stuff, but I'm not sure it's a good solution for everything. Soft boxes and simple lights, possibly, but I guess I'd have no choice if I wanted anything else.

[manuel_franz]

You are right. As with any hobby or profession that requires all kinds of gear,

manufacturer capitalize on the need of consumer to purchase "appropirate" items. All too

often, it is just easier to purchase products that are specifically labeled to be for a specific

purpose - such as photography, than to buy similar items that are not specifically

manufactured to cater to that market but which still have the same characteristics/

features. Look around and you may find lots of surprises for a whole lot less - as you

found out with your storage box.

[vivek iyer]

Yes! (to the original question in the title)

[ellis_vener_photography]

Try switching from photography to playing polo or golf or to sailing if you think photo

accessories are expensive!

[Jochen_S]

Ellis seems absolutely right. The more specialized and small a consumer group becomes, the higher the prices grow in the days of mass production & sales. As far as I know storage boxes for photo gear are still comparable to others sold to the army, or for expeditions, extreme motorbike traveling and so on. Of course you are free. You can decide you'll handle your gear a bit more carefully than in a combat situation and built your boxes from cheap(?) plywood. You could even get shipping packages for let's say oranges and put some foam in to them. Beer cooling boxes were mentioned too as a reasonable priced solution. But the one thing I'm sure about: If you value your time a bit, count expensive tools, cleaning and shopping for material, home madce solutions are expensive too.

[wyverndude]

This isn't entirely fair.

 

If you make a plastic toolbox to sell at Home Depot, you can figure on volumes of millions. If you make a backpack for everyone from college kids to Boy Scouts, you can figure on volumes of millions.

 

If you make photo gear intended for a select special interest group, you can figure on volumes of thousands.

 

Economies of scale are a huge factor.

 

Think about the complexity and precision of a VCR, and compare that to a photocopier -but the much simpler photocopier sells for many times the price of the VCR -why? Economies of scale.

[stephen_w.]

Try "high end" audio/biking/gun my hobbies gear and be thankful for the price of photo gear.

[nikonichiban]

For example, take a look at this box I found through yahoo shopping.

 

Granted, I'm sure this product is not anywhere on the level of Pelican or a quality

aluminum box, but look at the price! $12.99. Add some foaming in and you've got a

$25 storage box.

 

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/

link.jhtml?id=0027576215475a&type=product&cmCat=perf&rid=0180101070502

[vandit]

Bryce - you are correct about economies of scale, but you are assuming that Lowepro, etc. have set up a facility just for making camera bags, and so are on the painful part of the cost curve.

 

It is far more likely that they outsource the manufacturing from a high-volume bag manufacturer, to whom they provide their designs. This manufacturer probably runs super-high production volumes, and so is able to realize economies of scale anyway (not to the same extent as if they were making just 1 design in the same volumes, of course, but signficiant nonetheless).

 

Accessories and add-ons in virtually every consumer-related products are a huge source of revenue, and prices are driven more by customer yield maximization strategies than by costs. That is why you get "Save a Dive" kits for $5, and audio racks for $1500, and glasses of soda for $1.50.

 

Vandit

[vivek iyer]

I am always reminded of Eastman Kodak's history and how photography became popular and accessible to everyone. The company rose in to a giant that revolutionized photography as a result by making affordable and accessible photography products.

 

Sure, things have become more complex and sophisticated over time. But, it is also clear that many photo related manufacturers seem to have lost sight of certain fundamentals, including (sadly) E.K.

 

Price something today for $1,000 and sell the same for 6 months later at 40% appears to be reality now.

[jim_gifford]

<<Try playing polo or golf or sailing >>

 

<<<audio... guns>>>

 

Piffle. Anateurs! If you want to burn serious money on accessories, try FLYING.

 

Be well,

[pvp]

<I>If you want to burn serious money on accessories, try FLYING.</I><P>

Ain't it the truth...<P>

I think it might be said: if a product sells, it is not overpriced. So, if that is true, then photo accessories are priced appropriately. Of course, I don't like paying unnecessarily inflated prices either, so I'm always on the lookout for a lower-priced solution. Maybe we could get a new forum going, Cheap Alternatives To Outrageously Priced Photo Accessories... heh... but I guess we wouldn't be taken seriously.

[stephen_w.]

How 'bout boating/sailing?

[lee hamiel]

No

[perry_cas]

I liked the comment about being resouceful. There are a number of interests that you can acquire that need you to be either wealthy or resourceful. Someone just mentioned boating. If you can do the work there you can afford a boat and really if you can't look after large parts of a boat you probably arent going to be a very successful and independent sailor. Ditto for Photography. There are an awful lot of accessories that you can 'improvise'. A few years ago i was looking at Loewepro padded bags. Nice, but expensive. I ended up building one myself for a fraction of the cost - and i reckon it's better, its purpose built for my oufit for one, with way more padding than a Lowepro.

[jamiew]

Any accessory that is marketed and sold to fill a specific niche will ALWAYS be expensive. The issue with photographic equiptment is that certain items (camera backs and cases being the most obvious) are so much like the generic version that you compare the price to the generic. What you are really paying for is convienance. If you want to goto the trouble to do a little work yourself you can, just do yourself a favor and do the following experiment. Figure out what your time is worth and multiple that times how long you spend making a workaround. Then yo uwill see the value.

[steve_swinehart]

As someone who actually managed two photos stores - I can tell you that none of you have any idea what you're talking about.

 

There is very little profit in selling cameras, lenses, film, etc. With "consumers" agitating for you to match discount house prices on damn near every item - the ONLY place left that keeps the doors open are the accessories.

 

Filters - markup is about 200-300%. Bags 100-200%. You may not like it, but if the photo store goes out of business, then you moan and complain that "they're just not with the times," or, "too bad they don't know how to manage a business."

 

To freaking bad. Let me tell you about the jewelry business bucko's.

 

Everything thing is sold on a "keystone" markup - each step equals 100%. Let's follow a diamond. DeBeers sells it to a DeBeers authorized distributor for $2,000. The distributor sells it to a wholesaler for $4,000. The wholesaler sells it to the jeweler for $8,000. And you, the lucky consumer pay $16,000 for the diamond originally sold by DeBeers for $2,000.

 

You want rip offs? How do you think jewelers have these ludicrous sales where the advertise - "entire inventory 30-50% off"? They're still laughing all the way to the bank with these "deep discounts."

 

If photo dealers had those kind of markups we'd be selling you equipment with a twinkle in our eye and make it an entire "buying experience," complete with a latte at the door and your choice of a crossointe or donut.

 

As the owner of the business I managed always said, "It doesn't do either of us any good if I go out of business."

 

I HATE whiners. Please, go buy your equipment at Home Depot - just don't complain when YOUR favorite photo store goes out of business because you're so damn cheap.

[jim_gifford]

Steve, re the jewelers... if you mark something up 100 percent from your cost to sell it, in the great keystone tradition, and then you discount that retail price 50 percent, how much money are you making while you laugh all the way to the bank?

 

Whether camera stores collect a large markup on accessories is not the point. The point is that there are EQUIVALENT products sold at retail (presumably for a profit!) that cost much less than "camera bags" or "camera cases."

 

We can concede that camera stores are not getting rich... and still note that SOMEONE in the product chain is making more on photography accessories than on substantially identical products sold to general, non-photo markets.

 

Be well, support local camera stores, happy holidays etc.,