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Did the 70-200 f/2.8 VR price go up?!

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paperorplastic

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Is it just me or did Nikon actually raise its prices on a lens that is five years old?

The Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens is $1624.95 now, even after the B&H show code discount.

I remember one could get that lens for $1350 from B&H photo a few years ago. Of course that included Nikon rebates, but still!

What gives?
 
it could be related to recent shifts in currency values.
--
Terminal case of Lens Lust.
Nikon. Switching back feels much better than switching in the first place.
 
Oh, you mean the fact that the US dollar is now worth half what it once was?

Now THAT makes me wonder, WHAT GIVES?

I traveled in Europe when the dollar still beat the Euro and 20 years ago went fishing in Canada when the Canadian dollar was nowhere close to the value of the mighty US dollar.

Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what actually happened to the US dollar?

Will it rise again or is it always going to be weak?
 
U can try this site for the weak USD:

http://www.europac.net/
paperorplastic said:
Oh, you mean the fact that the US dollar is now worth half what it
once was?

Now THAT makes me wonder, WHAT GIVES?

I traveled in Europe when the dollar still beat the Euro and 20 years
ago went fishing in Canada when the Canadian dollar was nowhere close
to the value of the mighty US dollar.

Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?

Will it rise again or is it always going to be weak?
Click to expand...
--
WSLam
PIXOURCE Digital - Your source for Capture One (C1)
See Profile for more information
 
paperorplastic said:
Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?
Click to expand...
1) The Clinton administation left with a surplus budget. You current admistration generated a huge budget defict. The money talking from loans and the money floods the market will dollars.

2) US individuals bough a lot of houses on loans to participate in the real estate bubble. Money they do not have and is also provided via loans. Thes morgages have varible interest rates to lure people into buying in the first place: the first few years low interst and than very high interest. Now its paytime and lots of family houses are now on forclosure, since they cannot affort the payment. Lots a bank have millons of rotten credit -- citigroup reported 6Bil Dollor losses this week! -- some real estate companies filed for chapter 11.

3) the FED has interveen several times and is flooding the market with US Dollars to keep the US banking system from collaps.

Consequence: the marked is floodes with dollars. But the banks have no money to provide loans for prosperous business which might slow down the US ecomomy. Therefore foreign investeres start withdrawing money and investing in Europe. There the stockmarket is rising tremendously since the economy is duing extremly well.

In a nutshell: its simple market econonomy: if there is a lot of dollar in the market but not enough interest, the price drops.

IMHO the dollar is going south because of the US lifestyle and the US government. The american people wanted this, so they have to live with the consequences, too.

Frithjof
 
Thanks for reminding me this. Geezzz...do I have to wait 'till next November to cast my voice (if it mean anything now-a-day)? Hopefully, I don't lose my job by then, 'cause I really want to get that 24-70 F2.8.
FrithjofA said:
paperorplastic said:
Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?
Click to expand...
1) The Clinton administation left with a surplus budget. You current
admistration generated a huge budget defict. The money talking from
loans and the money floods the market will dollars.

2) US individuals bough a lot of houses on loans to participate in
the real estate bubble. Money they do not have and is also provided
via loans. Thes morgages have varible interest rates to lure people
into buying in the first place: the first few years low interst and
than very high interest. Now its paytime and lots of family houses
are now on forclosure, since they cannot affort the payment. Lots a
bank have millons of rotten credit -- citigroup reported 6Bil Dollor
losses this week! -- some real estate companies filed for chapter 11.

3) the FED has interveen several times and is flooding the market
with US Dollars to keep the US banking system from collaps.

Consequence: the marked is floodes with dollars. But the banks have
no money to provide loans for prosperous business which might slow
down the US ecomomy. Therefore foreign investeres start withdrawing
money and investing in Europe. There the stockmarket is rising
tremendously since the economy is duing extremly well.

In a nutshell: its simple market econonomy: if there is a lot of
dollar in the market but not enough interest, the price drops.

IMHO the dollar is going south because of the US lifestyle and the US
government. The american people wanted this, so they have to live
with the consequences, too.

Frithjof
Click to expand...
 
It went up $10.00 at B+H in the past month or so. Probably has gone up over the past few years. Really, other that consumer electronics, what hasn't gone up?

Nikon actaully lowered some of their prices in Canada a few weeks ago because of the stronger Cdn dollar. Still pay too much in Cananda though.

As for the US dollar decline, the US borrows something like 2 billion per day from other countires. Trillions in debt and no plan to resolve it, so the US dollar is being dumped by foreign investors.
 
FrithjofA said:
paperorplastic said:
Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?
Click to expand...
1) The Clinton administation left with a surplus budget. You current
admistration generated a huge budget defict. The money talking from
loans and the money floods the market will dollars.

2) US individuals bough a lot of houses on loans to participate in
the real estate bubble. Money they do not have and is also provided
via loans. Thes morgages have varible interest rates to lure people
into buying in the first place: the first few years low interst and
than very high interest. Now its paytime and lots of family houses
are now on forclosure, since they cannot affort the payment. Lots a
bank have millons of rotten credit -- citigroup reported 6Bil Dollor
losses this week! -- some real estate companies filed for chapter 11.

3) the FED has interveen several times and is flooding the market
with US Dollars to keep the US banking system from collaps.

Consequence: the marked is floodes with dollars. But the banks have
no money to provide loans for prosperous business which might slow
down the US ecomomy. Therefore foreign investeres start withdrawing
money and investing in Europe. There the stockmarket is rising
tremendously since the economy is duing extremly well.

In a nutshell: its simple market econonomy: if there is a lot of
dollar in the market but not enough interest, the price drops.

IMHO the dollar is going south because of the US lifestyle and the US
government. The american people wanted this, so they have to live
with the consequences, too.

Frithjof
Click to expand...
Not all of us Americans went that way. I for one purchased a house in the beginning of the “bubble” with a 30 year fixed rate loan with a good rate. When the mortgage companies came up with these interest only and variable interest loans it didn’t take a genius to figure out that we were in trouble in a few years. I for one was telling people to wait 5 years and the market would be flooded with homes that people could no longer afford and I’m far from being a genius. Unfortunately those of us that live our “American Lifestyle” more conservatively have to pay along with the ones that didn’t.

My wish is that the American public would understand economics even half as well as you. IMO your short analysis is dead on.

--
Snapshott
 
paperorplastic said:
Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?
Click to expand...
We sent it to China. What is not going to China, is getting sent by "undocumented" persons to their familes in Mexico. How much? How about $23 BILLION this year? That's money that will not reenter the US economy any time in the forseeable future.

We have no manufacturing base here any longer. We buy everything we use from outside the country, and increasingly buy services from them too (programming, tech support, etc). If we are not "selling" the world anything, what are we doing? We cannot survive just passing the buck around from person to person in this country, and certainly not when we allow that money to leave the system.

No matter what any so called economist says, the basis is simple. Take in more money than you send out. More US dollars leave this country every year, forever, and the value of the dollar goes down. End of story.

--



http://www.flickr.com/photos/_pete/
 
I bought it 1,5 years ago for 1600 euros. It is now around 1850 euros. Two months ago it was around 1900 euros.
 
What are we doing?

I can answer that one, at least.

We are buying DVDs and other disposable consumer goods that will eventually end up in a landfill and has no value whatsoever.
 
everyone needs to relax a bit

these things go in cycles and in my option the current gov. wanted it this way to expand exoports and the economy and that part is working.

And yes we do make things in this country, ideas. And while the rest of the world seems to be piling on the USA - we are still kicking there u know whats financially - weak dollar or not

Finally, i remember in grade school teachers being so scared that computers would automate and take people jobs away. Think about that. The world is changing, manufacturing is changing, we have to change with it and we are doing fine. HP and IBM are really great examples of this

Luke
Snapshott said:
FrithjofA said:
paperorplastic said:
Anyone with an economics background who can briefly explain what
actually happened to the US dollar?
Click to expand...
1) The Clinton administation left with a surplus budget. You current
admistration generated a huge budget defict. The money talking from
loans and the money floods the market will dollars.

2) US individuals bough a lot of houses on loans to participate in
the real estate bubble. Money they do not have and is also provided
via loans. Thes morgages have varible interest rates to lure people
into buying in the first place: the first few years low interst and
than very high interest. Now its paytime and lots of family houses
are now on forclosure, since they cannot affort the payment. Lots a
bank have millons of rotten credit -- citigroup reported 6Bil Dollor
losses this week! -- some real estate companies filed for chapter 11.

3) the FED has interveen several times and is flooding the market
with US Dollars to keep the US banking system from collaps.

Consequence: the marked is floodes with dollars. But the banks have
no money to provide loans for prosperous business which might slow
down the US ecomomy. Therefore foreign investeres start withdrawing
money and investing in Europe. There the stockmarket is rising
tremendously since the economy is duing extremly well.

In a nutshell: its simple market econonomy: if there is a lot of
dollar in the market but not enough interest, the price drops.

IMHO the dollar is going south because of the US lifestyle and the US
government. The american people wanted this, so they have to live
with the consequences, too.

Frithjof
Click to expand...
Not all of us Americans went that way. I for one purchased a house in
the beginning of the “bubble” with a 30 year fixed rate loan with a
good rate. When the mortgage companies came up with these interest
only and variable interest loans it didn’t take a genius to figure
out that we were in trouble in a few years. I for one was telling
people to wait 5 years and the market would be flooded with homes
that people could no longer afford and I’m far from being a genius.
Unfortunately those of us that live our “American Lifestyle” more
conservatively have to pay along with the ones that didn’t.

My wish is that the American public would understand economics even
half as well as you. IMO your short analysis is dead on.

--
Snapshott
Click to expand...
 
True even in Australia (AUD have appreciated against the green back). I ordered one at 2300-ish 2 years ago but was put one a waiting list and it didn't happen when I switched to the 180/2.8. Now most shops ask for much more. May be Nikon is much more confident now compared to the desperate days of fire sale with D50 kits. So far this has not affected me much since I've spent more time with MF lenses. I've been itching for the 200VR and when that happens it would be absolute financial ruin for me!
 
M Lammerse said:
Genius George might present you the Amero before he goes out
Or he attackes Iran first, who knows. Always a surprise with our
wonder world leader

The good thing of the US is, that mentally disabled people can become
a president and are allowed to vote.

Michel
Click to expand...
And here I thought this was a photo board.

Always cracks me up when Euro-socialists bash the U.S., our politicians, and our economy. So, which part of Euope are you from; the part whose asses we've kicked, or the part whose asses we've saved?

Yeah, I voted for Bush, twice. And Reagan, too. Got a problem with that, Skippy?

Oh, and how's that whole Muslim-assimilation thing working out for you all over there? Just asking.

ExNavyDoc
 
I'm from north of the border...and,it's amusing how personal you take it when people poke fun at Bush...I mean, come on...he's gotta be the most powerful idiot in the world!

But hey, I have to thank him for our Canadian dollar overtaking the US dollar. Without his genious way of handling the American economy, it would not have been possible!

Thanks Dubya!
ExNavyDoc said:
M Lammerse said:
Genius George might present you the Amero before he goes out
Or he attackes Iran first, who knows. Always a surprise with our
wonder world leader

The good thing of the US is, that mentally disabled people can become
a president and are allowed to vote.

Michel
Click to expand...
And here I thought this was a photo board.

Always cracks me up when Euro-socialists bash the U.S., our
politicians, and our economy. So, which part of Euope are you from;
the part whose asses we've kicked, or the part whose asses we've
saved?

Yeah, I voted for Bush, twice. And Reagan, too. Got a problem with
that, Skippy?

Oh, and how's that whole Muslim-assimilation thing working out for
you all over there? Just asking.

ExNavyDoc
Click to expand...
 
I can't personally speak to what the price of the lens was several years ago but I've been watching the lens for about a year and during that time, it's always fluctuated between $1600-1700.

Also, I just noticed Thom Hogan's review of the lens, published in April 2004 and last updated in August 2005, lists the street price of the lens as $1700. And in the section at the end of the review listing drawbacks, Hogan cites the lens's cost of $1895, which I assume was the original list price of the lens. So it appears the lens has gone down in price since it was released. It seems the lens has been around street $1700 for at least 2-3 years.
 
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