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Just thought I would warn all that if you are looking to buy a camera anytime soon, make it this weekend. I was talking to both a retailer and a wholesaler today and they were informing me that prices will probably going up across the board over the next week. Expect price increases of between 10 and 15 percent.

The problem is that camera wholesalers buy with the US dollar and the Australian dollar has gone very pear-shaped in comparison in the past couple of days. Some retailers are already aware of the impending increase and so they will be inflexible in the price..... others on the other hand might not realise there is an increase around the corner and so if you play your cards right you might get a good deal on current prices (don't mention the war ). Have a go and see how you get on. Antsl

This is something that I've been expecting, except that I will be very surprised if the price rise is kept to within 10-15%. The PP has, in the time since the D700 was released, dropped by over 30% against Uncle Sam's Dollar, and it should be obvious that any stock being imported today must be paid for at something close to today's values, and in turn that translates to significant price increases on anything imported.

Cheers, Antsl; thanx for the heads up.

bummer
We are waiting for our tax return cheque, and have been successful in negotiations with the other half about 'upgrading' from the old d70 LOL - he agreed that it was time that a new body made its home with us .. but with the price increases, and the uncertainty of, well, everything at the moment, I think I'll be waiting a little longer.

Ah well - the d70 makes me work a little harder for my shots (to be able to shoot at high iso's at night would be heaven though), but it is still a good camera and will do me for a while yet

if Canon and Nikon are thinking they might try to absorb some of the increase insulating the price hikes in the retail channel. It would make it very difficult then for the grey importers as they don't have as much stock on hand or margin to play with

Rel,

If you know you are getting the tax cheque and how much it is going to be, why not get a new camera now knowing the cheque isn't that far away. I nice new D90 would be wonderful.

I just checked the current pricing on the website I bought the 40D kit off and it's gone from AU$1326 to AU$1722 ..

That's a 30% increase in two months....

Glad I got into it when I did as the gear I've just put together would cost me a fair bit more if I was to get in right now... mind you, most has been bought secondhand.


Just tossin up whether to bite the bullet and buy a 70-200 f2.8 IS now, even tho I don't need it just yet.. then I can sell the 70-200 f4 in a month or so.

Tryin to figure out what I may need and get it before things go up too much..

Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

OK.... ????


So we be patient????????????????????????


My LBA could do with a breather anyway...

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

But parity with what, Glen?

Brave words, mate.

gstark wrote:

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

But parity with what, Glen?

Brave words, mate.

Glen's probably right. Three months is all.

1 AUD = 1 ZWD!

You guys could be right Hell of a time to make a bet, but the US is in a bigger hole than us so that is the basis for my prediction. Once everyone realises that they will be rushing to put their money in the big island which sells rocks to the world.

Glen wrote: the big island which sells rocks to the world.

The words that I'm hearing is that this is the crux of the problem with the PP.

All we're selling is rocks, and we sell them to people who make things with them. Those who make those things need to be able to sell those things to somebody. That somebody, typically, would be the USofA.

If the USofA has no money, it can't buy those things, and therefore it follows that those to whom we're selling rocks will have no customers, which in turn means that we'll be stuck with ... rubble!

Glen wrote:You guys could be right Hell of a time to make a bet, but the US is in a bigger hole than us so that is the basis for my prediction. Once everyone realises that they will be rushing to put their money in the big island which sells rocks to the world.

that's fine......

BUT

those rocks are only good if someone is gonna turn 'em into something usefull that people will buy.....


If there's no money at the other to end buy stuff....


Then noone needs our rocks..





In the mean time I'm working in the mining area trying to make as much out of those rocks as I can, while they're still worth something..

Just caught Dubya on the news .... "We're in this together, and we're gonna come through this together" were his words, or something along those lines.

Given the 'murrican electoral system, I'd suggest that this will not be the case.

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

OK And if it doesn't come off - you'll back the gap between the AUD & USD yourself


Seriously - That is predicting that the rest of the world will (amongst other things) cut their interest rates even more savagely than Aus has & will.

And bearing in mind that China is having both a world slowdown + a post Olympics Hangover......

I did some work (via my then employer) a few years back for a big Iron Ore holder in WA who had been trying for years to get backing to get production happening - China made it happen in the last couple of years or so...... but some of them are being asked to delay shipments now - compared to China taking everything they could at whatever price

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

And remember Glen who said this would happen by the end of the year

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

Big call Glen, you may be right. One thing is certain - I have no idea in these matters!

My son is about to leave for 5 weeks in the USA. He put off buying greenbacks a couple of months ago, and is now regretting it! Oh well, that is life....

Wow I was so close to a sub 2K D300 only a month or so ago. Serves me right for procrastinating.

Good times don't last forever I guess. It was good while it lasted. Unfortunately the petrol price drops aren't translated to Aussies because of this.

deadgoose wrote:Wow I was so close to a sub 2K D300 only a month or so ago. Serves me right for procrastinating.

Procrastinate later!

gstark wrote:

deadgoose wrote:Wow I was so close to a sub 2K D300 only a month or so ago. Serves me right for procrastinating.

Procrastinate later!

Procrastinate more!! The D300 will get to sub 2K again eventually, but then again you may want the D400 by then!

Glen wrote:Prediction - $A above parity in 3 months - you read it here first

To quote my mate, who is a finance journalist, quoting a financial analyst: "Anyone who makes predictions with any profession of certainty in this market is utterly deluded."

went to Elizabeth street yesterday and nikon have already put up their prices by 20% (i think is what the guy at cameraaction said).. canon will be doing the same in the coming week.....

makario wrote:went to Elizabeth street yesterday and nikon have already put up their prices by 20% (i think is what the guy at cameraaction said).. canon will be doing the same in the coming week.....

Yep, got warned of the exact same thing when putting the deposit down yesterday. Makes sense given how much the AU$ has tanked in the last couple of months.

Man, I'm so frustrated that I didn't buy my Feisol tripod when it was at .98 - still, I did get a bunch of lighting gear then

But I still need a tripod and head, as my other (heavier) one is still in storage in Perth. Sigh...

it's not that late.. i just bought a D300 at teds for $2070 in melbourne on saturday... I'm sure there's more at that price if needed.

deadgoose wrote:Wow I was so close to a sub 2K D300 only a month or so ago. Serves me right for procrastinating.

I was doing the same but got in about 6 weeks ago at what was close the the best price I had seen.

thanks for the heads up - I kicked myself into buying a canon 50mm f/1.2L from qualitycamera. DD- photographics who was once $200 cheaper is now $400 odd dearer that QC! I cant even get this lense from BH now for the same price I bought it at - $1850 odd.

glad I wont have any regrets for now

Predictions, especially those of currencies, are very much like a broken pencil.

Reschsmooth wrote:Predictions, especially those of currencies

And that would be your current prediction, Patrick?

This thread has helped me make a decision........... now I don't know if I have saved money or cost me money......... but I will have fun.........

Ack! This certainly puts a damper on things. DD has been increasing their prices on Canon gear. I've been saving up for an 85 1.2 and the lowest at the time I've seen them was around 2k. Then it went to 2.3k and now its around 3k.

DD is becoming close to retail IMO. Just looked at their 50D prices and its on par with Australian stock.

Hmmmm. I wonder how much the 5D mkII will be when its released?

devilla101 wrote:Just looked at their 50D prices and its on par with Australian stock.

Ron, this is only temporary, and that is the point in this thread: Oz stock will also be increasing price, as older stock, purchased at more favourable rates, is exhausted and replaced by stock costing (the distributors) 20-30% more.

gstark wrote: Ron, this is only temporary, and that is the point in this thread: Oz stock will also be increasing price, as older stock, purchased at more favourable rates, is exhausted and replaced by stock costing (the distributors) 20-30% more.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh crap! Oh well as much as I would love to get some new gear, methinks I can wait. Although the 50D would be a very sweet upgrade from the 30d...oh well...

meh. Aussie peso. how i hate you.

Photocontinental in Brissy $3.5K for a D700 body is tempting........ Must resist....

Not knowing the how long it all take to settle down.. Maybe I should... Maybe.. Then I have to sell off the DX gear which should increase in value as newer stuff is more expensive... or not.


Ramble ramble..


MATT

Yikes.

Canon 50D now $1959 at DD, compared to $1800 Australian RRP.

(And a bit less elsewhere... well, last week at least. I had been quoted a price of $1640 last week, and am kicking myself for not having fronted up with the cash then and there.)

Hemulen wrote:Canon 50D now $1959 at DD, compared to $1800 Australian RRP.

(And a bit less elsewhere... well, last week at least. I had been quoted a price of $1640 last week, and am kicking myself for not having fronted up with the cash then and there.)

No loss - its not a Nikon

The dollar is slowly clawing back a bit now too......

who wrote:

Hemulen wrote:Canon 50D now $1959 at DD, compared to $1800 Australian RRP.

(And a bit less elsewhere... well, last week at least. I had been quoted a price of $1640 last week, and am kicking myself for not having fronted up with the cash then and there.)

No loss - its not a Nikon

The dollar is slowly clawing back a bit now too......

Only a Canon? Perhaps its a case of "knowing what I want, and thus deserving what I get". That and the fact that I'm far far too green here to start a flame war

Anyhow, Although it may be clawing its way back, its still got a long way to go before it reaches US$0.90(ish) again. The recovery of lost ground is a bit like having your car hijacked, and then being offered a ride in it to the nearest train station. Sure, its better than nothing, but a long way from where things were before.

Currency movement is notoriously hard to predict, but if anyone should know, it would be the economists at Commonwealth Bank.

They are forecasting that the A$ could fall to US 59 cents by first quarter 2009. Not only that, but the A$ is falling against all major currencies, not only the US$.

It's hard to see camera prices going anywhere but up in the short term.

Hemulen wrote:I'm far far too green here to start a flame war

Er, no.

Flame wars do not happen here.

There may be a fair bit of cross-brand banter here, but we all recognise that the camera is merely a tool that we use in helping us to make our images. They still need an eye behind the viewfinder to have the vision to create the image.

gstark wrote:

Hemulen wrote:I'm far far too green here to start a flame war

Er, no.

Flame wars do not happen here.

There may be a fair bit of cross-brand banter here, but we all recognise that the camera is merely a tool that we use in helping us to make our images. They still need an eye behind the viewfinder to have the vision to create the image.

I'm glad to hear it - and have no quarrel with the idea.

(I was just bemused that my fairly neutral (2nd) post provoked such a partisan response... but will take it with the good humour with which it was intended.)

Hemulen wrote:I'm glad to hear it - and have no quarrel with the idea.

(I was just bemused that my fairly neutral (2nd) post provoked such a partisan response... but will take it with the good humour with which it was intended.)

Blame my twisted sense of humour..... and I just needed something to go with my comment on the currency.

Hemulen wrote:but will take it with the good humour with which it was intended.

Please do.

I commend our FAQ to you. While the whole document is of great value, this paragraph in particular bears specific relevance to these posts.

I've been looking to go on a holiday O/S next year to a place where the AUD has done well against the local currency but I haven't found one yet I think I might be staying local.

Killakoala wrote:I've been looking to go on a holiday O/S next year to a place where the AUD has done well against the local currency but I haven't found one yet I think I might be staying local.

I'm pretty sure it is doing badly against the local currency here too ...

It looks like I bought my Sigma at the right time then. I went in today and got the 10-20, and Peter, the guy I know who works at the wholesalers told me it is the right time to buy it as it could go up by $100-$150 in the next month or so. I was going to buy it off B&H but the US Dollar dropped so much it became more expensive buying it from them and even Hong Kong.

Its great for those of us that get paid in USD from microstock sites over there though

Well here is my experienc e with the Currency Nonsense I was going to buy a Canon 300 2.8 last week but decided to wait untill this week when i got paid, to my surprise on monday morning the price was removed with a POA label in it's place and it went from $5798 to approx $6800 how crazy is that. Ended up gettin one for $6600 still a lot more but by far the cheapest i could find one place was asking $8400 what tha.