Month: December 2014

With 2014 just barely holding on to dear life before it disappears into the history books, we have Episode IV in our Camera Price Charts mini-series, focusing on Serious Fixed Lens cameras, with Prime or Zoom lenses. This covers many but not all cameras with RAW (there are many and more these days, even a few cameraphones support RAW one way or another). In Part #1, we looked at the prices of 35mm Full Frame Cameras. In Episode II, we stopped down to APS-C DSLRs, while in Episode III, we threw away the mirrors for a look at Mirrorless Camera prices. To see the charts at a bigger size, “View Image” in browser.

Methodologie
The prices are a consensus between B&H Photo and Amazon and Adorama as of December 31 in 2014. These are new condition with USA warranty prices, in-stock or (pre)orderable from authorized dealers (iffy and unauthorized dealers selling at Amazon are ignored). For cameras with multiple colors, we use the lowest price (eg black Fuji X100S over silver). A few have non-trivial price differences or availability differences between the benchmark retailers, you can find these cameras mentioned in the Footnotes at the bottom.

Continue reading “Camera Price Charts Episode IV: Serious Fixed Lens Cameras”

In Episode I of this late 2014 Camera Price Charts mini-series, we took a look at the 35mm Full Frame Cameras. In Episode II, we focused on APS-C DSLRs. In this episode, Episode III, we focus on the wild world of Mirrorless cameras. To see the charts at a bigger size, “View Image” in browser.

Methodologie
The prices are a consensus price between B&H Photo and Amazon and Adorama as of December 30 in 2014. These are new condition with USA warranty prices, from authorized dealers (iffy and unauthorized dealers selling at Amazon are ignored).

In the first and second charts, prices are the body only prices with the exception of cameras that are not available as body only kits. The last chart is a comparison of “Getting Started With” kits (lens is included). Older cameras that are no longer available in new condition with USA warranty at the above retailers as set forth in this paragraph are not included (for example, Canon EOS-M Mirrorless, Pentax K-01 mirrorless and such). None of these have mail-in rebates.

For a small number of these mirrorless cameras, finding a consensus price was not an easy task, with various colors and lenses and options/kits. You can find these in the footnotes at the bottom.

Continue reading “Camera Price Charts Episode III: The Mirrorless Menace”

APS-C dSLRs ushered in the era of “affordable” digital interchangeable lens cameras starting at the historic PMA 2002, where a quartet of dSLRs were announced at what was then considered groundbreaking and accessible $2000~ price range (Nikon D100, Canon 60D, Sigma SD9, Fuji S2 Pro). Converted to 2014 money, that’s $2600+. Fast forward twelve years later to today, and one can get an APS-C at almost an order of magnitude the 2002 prices.

As with all technology products, prices steadily went down, and today, APS-C dSLRs are competing in a very crowded field, going up against more affordable Full Frame cameras, an avalanche of mirrorless options, and large-sensor fixed-lens cameras.

In Episode II, we take a look at their prices using two charts. To see the charts at a bigger size, “View Image” in browser.

Continue reading “Camera Price Charts Episode II: APS-C dSLRs – the ones that started it all”

As we close 2014, we begin a new mini-series, taking a snapshot of the prices of various digital cameras of interest. In Episode I, we take a look at 35mm full frame digital cameras. As of the end of December 2014, the picture is different from a couple of years ago, we have a mix of DSLRs, Mirrorless, Rangefinders and Fixed Lens Cameras. To see the charts at a bigger size, “View Image” in browser.

Methodologie
The prices are the consensus price between Amazon and B&H Photo and Adorama as of December 28-29 in 2014. These are new condition with USA warranty prices, from authorized dealers. All the prices are the body only kit prices. Mail-in rebates are factored in when they are offered unconditionally on the camera. In this chart specifically, these three cameras have mail-in rebates: Canon 1D X, 5D Mark III and 6D. Older cameras that are no longer available in new condition with USA warranty at the above retailers as set forth in this paragraph (eg Nikon D600) are not included.

Continue reading “Camera Price Charts Episode I: Full Frame Fantasies Fulfilled?”