Wide gap in price of lenses?

dark_avenger · 25th February 2005

Dear all,

I'm planning to buy the 135 f/2L lens soon and have been checking prices around town. I was very surprised to receive a very large disparity of price from a few shops. It ranged from $1285 to $1570 (all with International Warranty). Besides, I also read from a previous post that a CSer got it for about $1600 in Q2 2004.

Perhaps someone can help me with these queries:

1. If the difference is up to $100, I can understand. Almost $300 is pretty mind-boggling. Is it because the shops get from different suppliers and the suppliers charge differently? The listed price on Canon SG's website is about $1960+-.

2. Did anyone just purchase this lens? For how much, and where?

3. If I were to purchase from the 1285-shop, what shall I look out for on the Warranty Card? Or any other sign?

While it's good to get it cheap, I can't help but feel a little uneasy about the large price gap. Any experience with this from anyone would be a great help to me.

Thanks!

DA

nightwolf75 · 25th February 2005

wat u see on canon's website (btw, not very updated in their pricing...

) is the RRP (recommended retail price). ie. blardy high!

wat u got is known as the street price. yes, they do vary from place to place. many factors to this. eg - suppose u buy from places like harvey norman (yes, they do sell lenses. go jurong point branch and see), u can be pretty sure their prices will be close or at RRP. however, say u go to Parisilk at holland v, u can be pretty sure their prices are much lower than Harvey norman.

by and large, the price varies becos of warranty. shops dat provides canon singapore warranty (eg Cathay, Mscolor, Alan etc..) cost a bit more than shops (eg TCW) which sells grey (sometimes called parrallel import) lenses. really depends on u. IIRC, someone once mentioned canon singapore (or for dat matter, even nikon singapore) does not honour warranty from grey sets. if (touch wood) anything goes wrong with ur lens, u have to bring it back to the shop for repairs, and not canon singapore, if its still under warranty. of course, once warranty over, anything goes.

so, do check it out regarding their warranty? mebbe dats where the price difference comes from.

goering · 25th February 2005

Which shop offered you $1285? Is it GST inclusive?

The lowest quote I got from local shops is $1,550 GST inclusive. The price for local shops ranges from $1,550 to $1,6XX depending on shops.

Either there is something not quite right with the pricing ($1,285) - else you got yourself a very good deal. Do grab it while it lasts - provided it is genuine and there is no catch to it

Belle&Sebastain · 25th February 2005

Originally Posted by dark_avenger

Dear all,

I'm planning to buy the 135 f/2L lens soon and have been checking prices around town. I was very surprised to receive a very large disparity of price from a few shops. It ranged from $1285 to $1570 (all with International Warranty). Besides, I also read from a previous post that a CSer got it for about $1600 in Q2 2004.

Perhaps someone can help me with these queries:

1. If the difference is up to $100, I can understand. Almost $300 is pretty mind-boggling. Is it because the shops get from different suppliers and the suppliers charge differently? The listed price on Canon SG's website is about $1960+-.

2. Did anyone just purchase this lens? For how much, and where?

3. If I were to purchase from the 1285-shop, what shall I look out for on the Warranty Card? Or any other sign?

While it's good to get it cheap, I can't help but feel a little uneasy about the large price gap. Any experience with this from anyone would be a great help to me.

Thanks!

DA

oh, could you tell us where to get it for $1285 please? thks!

Splutter · 25th February 2005

I think its a good bargain at $1285 even if its grey man.

user111 · 25th February 2005

12++ u dont want then give me

theITguy · 25th February 2005

I noticed Canon lens are increasing in price (not exactly all). For example the 85/1.8, last year I got an equote for $660 but now $700, which is so much nearer to its RRP of $780. Normally the price range is about 80% of RRP, but now about 90% for some lens.

erwinx · 25th February 2005

Originally Posted by goering

Which shop offered you $1285? Is it GST inclusive?

Same here, can let me know? Confirm int'l warranty? Please PM me the shop name if you don't want to disclose publicly. Thanks.

majere2sg · 25th February 2005

I got it for about 1.6k last year.. was surprised that it dropped below 1.3k when someone mentioned it..

leef · 25th February 2005

Hi,Just to share for all
Last week WeeKH mentioned to me 135/2L already rose in price to about 1400 even in HK.Singapore price should be near 1500 now with gst/warranty.

I got one equote from CP Jan 05 at 1400 w/o gst.
I finally bought one remaining set from CP on 29/1/05 slightly over 1300 best bargain from CP after much negotiation and purchased with few other items as package.
Not many sets left.
I am still considering whether to keep this cos I am not keen on portrait shot after I got 35/1.4L.
The only factor I hesitating is its very very sharp,like macro ef100 type of HAIRY sharp.

gryphon · 25th February 2005

Canon actually does their pricing based on demand *SUCKS*! Well lots of companies do tat too

For example.... a friend of mine got the IXUS 430 at $450, the 1st shipment into sg. Canon priced it lower as they think it will not sell well. But after seeing the sales doing well, they increased the prices for the shipment. Abt more than a mth after my friend got it, I asked & was quoted $500 at e same shop! Complained & was told of such practices.

Well I guess its about the same for lens too.
Sigma for instance, their 70-200 f2.8 was selling a few hundred dollars cheaper than the current price. Due to the great reviews & demand, the increased their prices

USM · 25th February 2005

Originally Posted by gryphon

Well I guess its about the same for lens too.
Sigma for instance, their 70-200 f2.8 was selling a few hundred dollars cheaper than the current price. Due to the great reviews & demand, the increased their prices

Fully agreed with you. A few years ago, Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 HSM was selling around $1,250, but now is $1,450++. This is due to the numerous positive feedback, such as on par with Canon 70-200 f2.8L, etc. Hence, the demand for this 3rd party rises and causes the price to shoot up.

The invisible hands are at hand - law of deamnd and supply

All is not lost, the demand for Canon 70-200mm f2.8L non-USM has fallen due to the f4 and IS versions. Price fell as a result.

dark_avenger · 28th February 2005

Dear all,

Thanks for all the useful replies and no thanks for the useless ones.

If you're interested in the lens, check out MS Color. Has anyone purchased lens from them before? Is the warranty genuine/trustworthy/valid/whatever?

Thanks.

DA

nightwolf75 · 28th February 2005

Originally Posted by dark_avenger

Dear all,

Thanks for all the useful replies and no thanks for the useless ones.

If you're interested in the lens, check out MS Color. Has anyone purchased lens from them before? Is the warranty genuine/trustworthy/valid/whatever?

Thanks.

DA

yeah. they are okie. then again, this is a loaded question. sooner or later, someone is going to pop in and do a re-hash of their bad experiences at MS/AP/CP/TK/Jn3:16 etc... etc... point is, as long as u are comfortable with the shop and their level of service, stick with them. dats why we all got our own fav shops to buy things from!

MS is one of the authorised dealers for canon ie - the warranty is from canon singapore, not from the shop (aka grey sets). give them a call? look for florence or mr loh. they are the bosses.

dundee · 6th March 2005

Originally Posted by gryphon

Canon actually does their pricing based on demand *SUCKS*! Well lots of companies do tat too

For example.... a friend of mine got the IXUS 430 at $450, the 1st shipment into sg. Canon priced it lower as they think it will not sell well. But after seeing the sales doing well, they increased the prices for the shipment. Abt more than a mth after my friend got it, I asked & was quoted $500 at e same shop! Complained & was told of such practices.

Well I guess its about the same for lens too.
Sigma for instance, their 70-200 f2.8 was selling a few hundred dollars cheaper than the current price. Due to the great reviews & demand, the increased their prices

Ah... then why it the 1200mm/5.6L so ex?

25th February 2005	#1
dark_avenger New Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 6	Wide gap in price of lenses? Dear all, I'm planning to buy the 135 f/2L lens soon and have been checking prices around town. I was very surprised to receive a very large disparity of price from a few shops. It ranged from $1285 to $1570 (all with International Warranty). Besides, I also read from a previous post that a CSer got it for about $1600 in Q2 2004. Perhaps someone can help me with these queries: 1. If the difference is up to $100, I can understand. Almost $300 is pretty mind-boggling. Is it because the shops get from different suppliers and the suppliers charge differently? The listed price on Canon SG's website is about $1960+-. 2. Did anyone just purchase this lens? For how much, and where? 3. If I were to purchase from the 1285-shop, what shall I look out for on the Warranty Card? Or any other sign? While it's good to get it cheap, I can't help but feel a little uneasy about the large price gap. Any experience with this from anyone would be a great help to me. Thanks! DA

25th February 2005	#2
nightwolf75 Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: in bet MORE diaper changes... Posts: 14,589	wat u see on canon's website (btw, not very updated in their pricing... ) is the RRP (recommended retail price). ie. blardy high! wat u got is known as the street price. yes, they do vary from place to place. many factors to this. eg - suppose u buy from places like harvey norman (yes, they do sell lenses. go jurong point branch and see), u can be pretty sure their prices will be close or at RRP. however, say u go to Parisilk at holland v, u can be pretty sure their prices are much lower than Harvey norman. by and large, the price varies becos of warranty. shops dat provides canon singapore warranty (eg Cathay, Mscolor, Alan etc..) cost a bit more than shops (eg TCW) which sells grey (sometimes called parrallel import) lenses. really depends on u. IIRC, someone once mentioned canon singapore (or for dat matter, even nikon singapore) does not honour warranty from grey sets. if (touch wood) anything goes wrong with ur lens, u have to bring it back to the shop for repairs, and not canon singapore, if its still under warranty. of course, once warranty over, anything goes. so, do check it out regarding their warranty? mebbe dats where the price difference comes from. __________________ When did ignorance become a point of view? - Dilbert budget AD/ROM shooter, anyone?

25th February 2005	#9
majere2sg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Singapore (SengKang) Posts: 2,992	I got it for about 1.6k last year.. was surprised that it dropped below 1.3k when someone mentioned it.. __________________ -Express yourself not in words- Majere2sg's Digital Photography

25th February 2005	#11
gryphon Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dry cabinet! Posts: 1,710	Canon actually does their pricing based on demand SUCKS! Well lots of companies do tat too For example.... a friend of mine got the IXUS 430 at $450, the 1st shipment into sg. Canon priced it lower as they think it will not sell well. But after seeing the sales doing well, they increased the prices for the shipment. Abt more than a mth after my friend got it, I asked & was quoted $500 at e same shop! Complained & was told of such practices. Well I guess its about the same for lens too. Sigma for instance, their 70-200 f2.8 was selling a few hundred dollars cheaper than the current price. Due to the great reviews & demand, the increased their prices __________________ Dreaming... 14mm f2.8, 16-35 f2.8 mkII, 85 f1.2 mkII

25th February 2005	#3
goering Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 435	Which shop offered you $1285? Is it GST inclusive? The lowest quote I got from local shops is $1,550 GST inclusive. The price for local shops ranges from $1,550 to $1,6XX depending on shops. Either there is something not quite right with the pricing ($1,285) - else you got yourself a very good deal. Do grab it while it lasts - provided it is genuine and there is no catch to it

25th February 2005	#5
Splutter Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Gim Boon Tai Posts: 2,819	I think its a good bargain at $1285 even if its grey man.

25th February 2005	#6
user111 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 4,719	12++ u dont want then give me

25th February 2005	#7
theITguy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: In this small world Posts: 2,042	I noticed Canon lens are increasing in price (not exactly all). For example the 85/1.8, last year I got an equote for $660 but now $700, which is so much nearer to its RRP of $780. Normally the price range is about 80% of RRP, but now about 90% for some lens.

25th February 2005	#10
leef Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 561	Hi,Just to share for all Last week WeeKH mentioned to me 135/2L already rose in price to about 1400 even in HK.Singapore price should be near 1500 now with gst/warranty. I got one equote from CP Jan 05 at 1400 w/o gst. I finally bought one remaining set from CP on 29/1/05 slightly over 1300 best bargain from CP after much negotiation and purchased with few other items as package. Not many sets left. I am still considering whether to keep this cos I am not keen on portrait shot after I got 35/1.4L. The only factor I hesitating is its very very sharp,like macro ef100 type of HAIRY sharp.

28th February 2005	#13
dark_avenger New Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 6	Dear all, Thanks for all the useful replies and no thanks for the useless ones. If you're interested in the lens, check out MS Color. Has anyone purchased lens from them before? Is the warranty genuine/trustworthy/valid/whatever? Thanks. DA