Will Canon 24-105 F4L prices be lower in the near future?

[chemist_one]

Some Dutch websites

<a

ref="http://www.dutchphotozone.com/viewtopic.php?t=22470&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=360">link

</a> show the following message:

 

Er is een eerste partij Canon lens EF 24-105/f2.8L IS USM geweest,

maar deze is inmiddels in haar geheel uitgeleverd. Wanneer een

volgende levering komt is niet bekend. Het gerucht gaat echter dat de

markt de lens te duur vindt als tussenlens tussen de Canon lens EF

28-135 IS USM (Euro 429,00) en de Canon lens EF 24-70/f2.8L USM (Euro

1179,00). Canon zou een volgende levering ophouden teneinde de

voorraad in het tussenkanaal uit te laten lopen en dan met een lagere

prijs te komen. Het beste dat we voor u kunnen doen is u berichten

wanneer we weer over voorraad beschikken.

 

The source is a quite reliable store in the Netherlands. The bottom

line is that the "market" thinks that the lens is too expensive as it

is positioned between the 28-135 IS USM (Euro 429,00) and the Canon

lens EF 24-70/f2.8L USM. Canon might hold the further shipments until

the resellers have sold there stock and ship the new lenses for a

lower price.

 

Ergo:

Canon admits that the price of the 24-105 4L is too high and might

lower the price in the future.

It is a rumour, but I just wanted to share it with you.

[chemist_one]

Something went wrong with the layout. A repost:

 

Some Dutch websites show the following message:

 

Er is een eerste partij Canon lens EF 24-105/f2.8L IS USM geweest, maar deze is inmiddels in haar geheel uitgeleverd. Wanneer een volgende levering komt is niet bekend. Het gerucht gaat echter dat de markt de lens te duur vindt als tussenlens tussen de Canon lens EF 28-135 IS USM (Euro 429,00) en de Canon lens EF 24-70/f2.8L USM (Euro 1179,00). Canon zou een volgende levering ophouden teneinde de voorraad in het tussenkanaal uit te laten lopen en dan met een lagere prijs te komen. Het beste dat we voor u kunnen doen is u berichten wanneer we weer over voorraad beschikken.

 

The source is a quite reliable store in the Netherlands. The bottom line is that the "market" thinks that the lens is too expensive as it is positioned between the 28-135 IS USM (Euro 429,00) and the Canon lens EF 24-70/f2.8L USM. Canon might hold the further shipments until the resellers have sold there stock and ship the new lenses for a lower price. Ergo: Canon admits that the price of the 24-105 4L is too high and might lower the price in the future. It is a rumour, but I just wanted to share it with you.

 

Link:

http://www.dutchphotozone.com/viewtopic.php?t=22470&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=360

[marrio]

Separating out the English part: <p>

<i>The source is a quite reliable store in the Netherlands. The bottom line is that the

"market" thinks that the lens is too expensive as it is positioned between the 28-135 IS

USM (Euro 429,00) and the Canon lens EF 24-70/f2.8L USM. Canon might hold the further

shipments until the resellers have sold there stock and ship the new lenses for a lower

price. Ergo: Canon admits that the price of the 24-105 4L is too high and might lower the

price in the future. It is a rumour, but I just wanted to share it with you.</i><p>It seems

to me that Canon have nothing to 'admit' with respect to the lens price, as the market has

been willing to pay it to the point of exhausting initial supply - even before the flare issue.

[fernando lopez]

Canon will make us pay a price that will keep their margins alive, don't be afraid. Why would they lower the price? People are buying this lens already...

[marrio]

I don't think that Canon will lower the price now, on risk of alienating early buyers even

further.

[mark u]

Seems like a typical internet rumour. It is true that Canon seem to set a premium "shiny new" price when they first release a lens (and retailers likewise don't price it aggressively while there are early adopters willing to pay a premium price). After a while, prices do tend to drop a bit to gather in a wider market. It's also true that Canon have halted shipments of the 24-105 because early production copies exhibit bad flare in certain limited circumstances, and they have announced a repair program for copies already sold in the US. However, where this flare issue doesn't arise, the lens produces sharper images than the 24-70 in the range 35-70 (albeit with only f/4 maximum aperture), but at either end of its zoom range performance suffers. Canon's pricing policy also varies regionally. I don't expect the price will be lowered all that dramatically in Europe - at least unless the Euro strengthens very sharply, and even then only after a considerable lag of perhaps a couple of years or more, to judge from Canon's past behaviour.

[grizzlymarmot]

The price will come down someday and it also will be added to the list of lenses where you

can obtain a rebate. For example the ef-s 10-22 is selling for $720 at B&H now and when

it was introduced (8/2004 I believe) it was hard to get and cost $800 everywhere. I bet

the price of this lens will be down by $100-$150 (100 Euro) within a year - considering

good lenses can last for decades avoiding the early rush seems like a good idea. If you

think the price will drop by 300 Euro I would doubt that.

[paul -]

My inner cynic tells me that the price will come down after Canon uses the "new and shiny" premiums from the first batches to pay for the recall/repairs.

[jim_larson1]

I just have to laugh at the original post and Mark U's response.

 

First, the US price is *higher* than the 24-70/2.8L in the US hahahahah.. . and while I agree with all the facts in Mark's response. . . I detect a certain spin in the presentation.

 

I, for one, am one of those waiting for the price to come down to a more reasonable level. I am planning on waiting a very, very long time.

[steve_dunn2]

<p>Very soon? I doubt it. Eventually? Definitely. Sometime next year, I expect the price to start dropping. Hopefully it's dropped a fair bit by 2007, when I expect to be buying one.</p>

[mark u]

My apologies to Jim for borrowing his "shiny new premium" catchphrase.

[chemist_one]

The source of this rumour has predicted a lot of developments right about Canon. There might be some truth in the posted message (actualy it is a e-mail from a store). At the current price I won't buy such a lens, if it comes down a bit, maybe I can convince my wife that I "need" one.

 

Time will tell if the rumours are true or not.

[phyrpowr]

My local independent shop has none in stock, and seven orders in, the local Wolf-Ritz, has none, says they'll come in with the 5Ds (someday). When they each have five in the store room, that's when the price will drop.

[pbizarro]

I don't get it. Say a lens, any lens, is currently selling for USD 1000. So you don't buy it.

 

Say in 1 year time the price comes down to USD 900. Is USD 100 reason enough not to buy the thing? If you need the lens to get the images you want, just go and buy it, and enjoy it. That simple.

 

Eventually, prices will come down, but L lenses are well known for holding their prices. Heck, when I bought my 1V 4 years ago for USD 2000, it was expensive. Today, is regarded as a cheap camera, by those that buy the USD 3000 5D, so go figure.

[jim_larson1]

mark: No apology necessary. I only laughed because if I had presented the very same facts, the tone of the message would have been decidedly different!

 

Paulo: "Say in 1 year time the price comes down to USD 900. Is USD 100 reason enough not to buy the thing?". Actually: Yes. BTW: Price is currently $1250USD.

[jon_austin]

Leon Fassbender: "Canon will make us pay a price that will keep their margins alive ..."

 

Canon will not -- and cannot -- make us pay any price. They can only decide at what price they will offer their products for sale. No one can *make* us pay any price we consider too expensive.

 

Ultimately, the market decides the price (i.e., value) of any item. If that price is too low for the manufacturer to make a profit they deem sufficient, they can simply remove the item from the marketplace.

 

As for the price of the 24-105, at least two reputable Internet vendors -- Badger Graphics and Penn Camera -- are offering the lens for $1,099 US, although the supply has gone from tight during the first weeks after release to non-existent following the recall due to the flare issue.

 

I placed my order with Penn a couple of weeks ago, and I don't expect to receive my lens until sometime in late November or early December. That's okay, I can wait.

 

It's an individual choice/decision whether this lens is something you want at any price, and what price you're willing to pay for it.

 

I bought my 17-40 a couple months after its introduction from a local vendor (Cooter's Camera Village in Highland Park), for $770, when the going rate -- even at Adorama and B&H -- was $800. Sure, I could've waited until now to snag one for $675 (after rebate, with US warranty), but I'd have missed a *ton* of photo ops in the meantime!