Prices raised... For how long?

[ricardovaste]

<p>I'm sure you have all realised by now that a lot of electronics have taken a massive jump in price over the past few weeks. I've been looking at buying a second body & tele lens to fill the gaps in my options over the next few months, but having just found that Sigma have bumped their prices by a massive 40% my hopes have kind of gone down the drain... I may end up having to scavenge some funds together this week and purchasing, which I would really rather not do.</p>

<p>How long can this last though, do you think?</p>

<p>With many opting for third party lenses as a cheaper but high quality (eg Sigma EX/Tamron SP) alternative, can that really stand true now?</p>

<p>I fear it may put a massive strain on the second hand market, which was already alarmingly high with a lot of Minolta items. If third party prices go so high, people will almost just stop buying them surely?</p>

<p>-</p>

<p>Is anyone's crytal ball clearing up :)?</p>

 

[peterblaise]

<p>.</p>

<p>Sort of off topic, eh? But acquisition of new gear is a serious topic for photographers (hence all the advertisements on photo.net), so how and why acquisition is more or less of a challenge kind of fits here. Okay, I'll dive in:</p>

<p>I think it will take 4 years before this mess appears under control and seriously looks like it's recovering, then we'll ahve 4 years of times getting better, before a potential 4 years of forgetfulness and back sliding. If we're lucky and work real hard at reconnecting with each other, we may extend the "times getting better" for 12 years. But greed somehow always finds new and unanticipated ways to climb to the top.</p>

<p>Why did I pick 4 year clumps? Something about the phrase "It's the economy, stupid," comes to mind ... and then shrubery. =8^o</p>

<p>I'm going for a walk, bringing my Minolta DiMage A1, shooting everything in sight, bringing it back alive. Look, even though Minolta tanked (how bad, economically, can you get aside from going out of business?), I still have mine. So, even though new prices are scary, we still have what we already have, so let's enjoy it and celebrate -- digital set us free, and we can enjoy photography without spending another penny if we have to. Hey, I <em>want</em> a couple more cameras, a big printer, mat cutters, and frame building, <em>but</em> I can still capture with my A1 and print to my 8 1/2 " printer and make really pleasing slide shows on our computer screens to enjoy.</p>

<p>Happiness is cheap. Greed is expensive.</p>

<p>.</p>

[waltflanagan]

<p>Look at the dollar vs yen exchange rate over the last 6 months. That's why Japanese companies are raising prices.</p>

<p>http://www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/USD/graph120.html</p>

[ricardovaste]

<p>Peter,<br>

Thanks for your reply. If I were in a bad mood, I would take some of what you said quite offensively! But I'm not, so you're lucky :P. I too love digital, the freedom it gives you, where suddenly the great weight (for some of us) of film developing cost can be lifted, the freedom to just about create anything you feel like or want to. The freedom was there with film, but digital has helped me fully appreciate it. But I want more. Through this artistic journey of the past 14 months or so I've started to find myself.</p>

<p>The end of this year I will be starting to earn a part-time living from photography and in the following 1-2years I will be working my hardest to make that full-time. So, you must understand, these purchases i talk of are of *need* not *greed*. They are not excessive, just necessity. If I don't have the basics, it will make the beginning an up hill struggle.<br>

I am trying to talk about the benefits of third party companies when prices take such a jump, against the second hand market... So I don't think it's off topic, it's as on-topic as any purchase related thread on photo.net (which makes up a significant amount!).<br>

Walt,<br>

Thanks for the link. I was aware of the fall of the pound against the yen (I'm UK based), I'm just curious as to what impact people think that will have really... :)</p>

<p>Rich</p>

[malcolm_denton]

<p>The sad thing,if history is any guide,is that regardless of any future changes in exchange rate,prices will not come down.<br>

Or am I just being cynical in my old age ?</p>

[peterblaise]

<p>.</p>

<p>Richard,</p>

<p><em>Honi soit qui mal y pense </em>-- only those quilty of greed might think I was talking about them. In writing "<em>Greed is expensive</em>" I was talking about Las Vegas East: Wall Street.</p>

<p>More power to you in your connecting photography with your survival and thrival (is that a word?) in your society. I wish myself the same self- and other- acceptance.</p>

<p>.</p>

[derek_kennedy]

<p>When the yen drops, the prices go up. Simple as that. It happened with at the very least the Canon products - everyone that pre-paid for a 5DmkII had to pay extra because the price of the camera went up 300$ or something around there.</p>

<p>Hopefully - for eletronics sake - the value of the yen goes back up and the prices can come back down.</p>

[paul_de_ley]

<p>It's difficult to predict how the used market will respond. The price hikes for new gear might pull prices up of used lenses, but at the same time many people will have less cash available to spend for the next few (4 or more?) years to come, so that might cancel out or even reverse the trend.</p>

[steven_moseley1]

<p>Even the economic 'experts' are not capable of accurate predictions re the exchange rate movements over the next 12-24 months, so how can anyone on this forum be?</p>

[chris_rowe1]

<p>Hey,</p>

<p>I haven't had much input here at PN in the past few weeks, Sadly. I've been quite busy with my school work, since it's exam time, unfortunately.</p>

<p>Anyway to approach what this thread is about. I don't really have a prediction to give, but I'm keeping my hopes high that the prices will come back down. Since I've only recently started in photography and don't quite have all the equipment I need. But with any look at the way the economy seems to be heading it doesn't look good.</p>

<p>Enjoy the equipment you have, and keep shooting :-)</p>

<p>P.S. Rich have you gotten those light stands yet? Haven't heard from you on that.</p>

<p>- Chris.</p>

[jiun_der_chung]

<p>Am I just being thick but why does a falling yen result in higher prices in the US or UK? Shouldn't it result in lower prices????<br>

Personally I think prices for second-hand Minolta stuff is ridiculous when compared to brand new Sony glass. Which is not to say that the Sony glass is cheap, but rather the second hand Minolta glass is over priced.<br>

Richard, someone on one of the other threads noted that the is a EX+ A700 for $789 on KEH, that seems pretty damn good to me compared to what I paid new!</p>

[dave_bernard]

<p>I disagree that a 'rising yen' explains it all. Unless all raw materials, labor, and assembly occurs only in Japan. Because a rising yen should benefit from comparable reduction in the above costs when the work and materials are done offshore from Japan.<br>

<br />Instead, we're dealing with Japanese exports being crushed. Sony is no exception- sales are way down, as would be expected for discretionary consumer products such as cameras, at a time when people already have a camera, jobs are up in the air, and debt is knocking on your door. Wages certainly are not rising.<br>

What's their answer to maintaining profit margins? Raising prices!! Which is a short-term desperation move, as it forces consumers to buy even less. A tailspin results, with prices ever rising and sales ever dropping.<br>

The answer is that they do not have the power in today's market to raise prices indefinitely and indiscriminately. Or, they can, but then they go out of business.</p>

[steve_swinehart]

<blockquote>

<p>If third party prices go so high, people will almost just stop buying them surely?</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Let me see if I can explain this...if people stop buying, then prices usually go down...if the person selling the used equipment wants / needs to sell it. New prices are a completely different story because of multiple factors like exchange rates, materials costs, etc.</p>

<p>In any event, if you'd like to make yourself feel better about the prices - just go look at Leica lens prices...everything else will look like a bargain.</p>