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So I'm in the market for a new full frame sensor camera, and I'm a Canon user, so I'm going for the 5D Mark II, but I'm wondering, are there any legitimate places to get them much cheaper than retail? I've found a few online, but they seem to all be scams when I do the research on them, like bingocamera.com and places like that where the prices are crazy low.
Anywhere to buy them wholesale?
What's the markup (for bargaining knowledge).
I know in a lot of places I worked when I was younger, the markup on retail items was almost 50% The camera guy at the store I usually shop at says the 5D Mark II costs them 2300 so they only make like 3-400 per camera unless there's a sale, where they only make 200 or so .. that just sounds off to me...
Thoughts anyone?
I have a bunch of weddings and other events coming up that I'm shooting, and I'd really like to have a new camera for them. I have a 40D and it's just fine for normal stuff, but for my artistic work, I like to blow things up BIG and can't do that with the 1.6crop small frame with only 10MP just not enough data to make the picture crisp at larger sizes.
Anywhere to buy them wholesale?
What's the markup (for bargaining knowledge).
I know in a lot of places I worked when I was younger, the markup on retail items was almost 50% The camera guy at the store I usually shop at says the 5D Mark II costs them 2300 so they only make like 3-400 per camera unless there's a sale, where they only make 200 or so .. that just sounds off to me...
Thoughts anyone?
I have a bunch of weddings and other events coming up that I'm shooting, and I'd really like to have a new camera for them. I have a 40D and it's just fine for normal stuff, but for my artistic work, I like to blow things up BIG and can't do that with the 1.6crop small frame with only 10MP just not enough data to make the picture crisp at larger sizes.
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Connecticut
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Re: 5D Mark II
Fri, May 8, 2009 - 11:00 AMThe markup on tech items isn't 50%. Very often it is only 5 to 10% or sometimes even less. The way the scams work is they sell you the camera for way cheaper than they pay, but stick it to you with the "pro" tripod, the "pro tamron lens", the "pro" bag. And then the profit from the service plan helps.
You get what you pay for, and if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You might check EBay and see if you can find them cheaper online. Beyond EBay, dealing online can get tricky fast. The only online dealers I personally wound use are B and H, Midwest photo exchange, KEH, or Samy's. If you do opt for another site, do serious research regarding their dependability, and if there is more than one complaint, get fast. And say no no no to every deal they want to throw in.
Good luck -
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Re: 5D Mark II
Fri, May 8, 2009 - 11:03 AMthat should have been get out fast when dealing with sites where there are more than 1 complaints
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Re: 5D Mark II
Fri, May 8, 2009 - 11:01 AMThe Mark II is still in high demand and short supply. I would expect to pay full retail. Anything else is almost certainly a scam.
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Re: 5D Mark II
Fri, May 8, 2009 - 2:19 PMStone are you a pro? if yes you can write it off as a necessary tool for income purposes.
www.irs.gov/businesses/s...99921,00.html
www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15a.pdf
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Re: 5D Mark II
Fri, May 8, 2009 - 4:33 PMThanks guys, yes I do Photography and Acting and that's it, so I plan on writing it off. I've been shooting with an SLR for over 15 years but only with a DSLR for 2 and only for money the past 2 as well. But there's no harm in trying to get a good deal on both sides. My GF works at a photography store, so I already am getting a great deal with them, just nice if I can go and be like, see, online I can get it for this, can you match it. But I've settled for a good price with them getting the kit with the 24-105mm IS USM for $3,350 which isn't bad at all I think.
Thanks for the advice guys!!
~Stone
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Re: 5D Mark II
Sun, May 10, 2009 - 11:35 AMI would go with L lens, 24-70 2.8 rather than 24-105, in most low light situation the larger aperture is more useful, plus the 70 mm-200mm 2.8 makes a good overall zoom lens partnership with the 24-70.
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Re: 5D Mark II
Sun, May 10, 2009 - 4:15 PMThe best I've seen from legitimate sources (B&H, Adorama, etc) is the occasional used or factory refurbished unit. Not that much cheaper than "reasonable" retail but every little bit helps. -
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Re: 5D Mark II
Sun, May 10, 2009 - 5:27 PMI agree with John, most dealers will have a fixed price which more or less is already set by the manufacturer, they won't discount less than each other, and in the age of the internet there will be a street price, as the camera been in circulation for many months, eventually the price falls.
It is a matter of how important is the camera currently is for your job. If you will make $$$$ with it then it is worth getting it now, otherwise wait until you really need it.
Since we are in a bad economy the Canon may offer rebates to entice sales depending on whether or not they have excess inventory.
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Re: 5D Mark II
Mon, May 11, 2009 - 5:04 AMAll good advice, and I'm still struggling with the 24-70 2.8 only because even on Canon's website under the reviews, I see a few people having problems with the autofocus being slow, something that I know will frustrate me. And I've shot for 10+ years without an IS but now that I've gotten used to having one, the draw to continue that plus the good price pulls me towards the 24-105 kit.
For fast money, yes I could wait for the camera, but for my artistic work, I like big, much bigger than a 20-30 which is about as big as I could reasonably get with a 10 megapixel 1.6 crop sensor that I currently have 40D, I want full frame and that 20 megapixels with almost gapless sensor is something I'd like to have before the summer months when I can do a lot of outdoor photography. So it's not something I want to wait on.
I know glass is what you should put your money into, but first you have to have the right recording device so to speak.
Again thanks for all the advice! Any more insight is of course welcome, but I think I've almost got it figured out. -
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Re: 5D Mark II
Mon, May 11, 2009 - 11:04 AMStone,
Good luck with your gear, whichever you decide ...
Wanted to comment on the 24-70 f/2.8L lens... I do not find this lens itself to be slow at auto-focus. Notes follow...
I use it as a wide-angle to telephoto view for tracking belly dancers with my 1D Mark III -- verily it's not slow, whether for solo girls, or for troupes of belly dancers. Your auto-focusing mode matters a lot, as does whether that mode is appropriate or not for what you're doing. I've used AI mode, as well as one-shot, very successfully. In one-shot mode, you may well prefer to use selective auto-focus (SA), where you guide the camera's focus point manually, as you're working. This disallows any processing to other points, only the point that you've chosen (illuminated in the viewfinder). One problem though with the non-professional Canon DSLRs is that the number of auto-focus points is much more limited, and this can slow things down, esp. given a mixed scene, with lots of moving action (like a belly dance troupe all making turns at the same time).
But, that's the camera, not the lens.
Additionally, you want the fastest lens you can afford for fast auto-focus, because it presents more light to the focus sensor array. Some of the "hidden" auto-focus assist points won't work, unless you have a sufficiently fast lens (hence more light) to allow them to function.
I have considered obtaining the 24-105 f/4L as a studio photography lens, because I'm finding the 24-70 f/2.8L a little limiting in the studio. The f/4 would never work for live shows, because you're always dealing with crap light; but since I do most studio work at f/11 or f/16, the f/4 L-series lens would allow a lot more range for composition.
One last thing ... maybe related ... I've figured out how these L-series stay so sharp wide-open: they are oversized for the rated aperture. The optical design is much larger than it needs to be for a f/2.8 aperture ... so these lenses can be used wide-open, and still be as sharp as the aperture allows (e.g. more limited DoF, but still amazingly sharp at the hyperfocal distance).
hope this is helpful ...
Blessings and Light,
M -
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Re: 5D Mark II
Mon, May 11, 2009 - 12:42 PMMichael, as always you've gifted me with a wealth of knowledge presented in perfect delivery, thank you, that makes my decision very easy...
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